Participants: Mark Finley
Series Code: 11HC
Program Code: 11HC000005
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00:48 Hello and welcome. You heard the welcome
00:50 during the open, but I welcome you as well 00:52 here to 3ABN Homecoming Camp Meeting. 00:56 What a blessing it has been. Amen? 00:58 Amen. Amen. Praise the Lord! 01:00 The music is inspiration. 01:02 The messages also a blessing and an inspiration. 01:05 And we hope that you at home 01:07 have been blessed. And please write us and let us know 01:10 how God has blessed you through these messages 01:12 and the music as well. 01:13 Now during this hour we have another blessing in store 01:19 because when God's people come together 01:22 God blesses them. 01:24 And so we encourage you to continue with us. 01:27 Those watching at home, those watching in hospitals 01:29 and even prisons. I must tell you that we get 01:32 letters from prisoners. They are there and they watch 3ABN. 01:37 And it's a blessing to see how the programming 01:39 is even impacting people that are prisoners. 01:42 But as they know Jesus Christ they can be set free. 01:45 And people are watching all over the world 01:48 and we praise the Lord. And we are also glorifying 01:51 His name because lives are being transformed. 01:54 During this hour we will hear a blessing 01:58 through music through Pastor C.A. Murray 02:00 and also a message from Pastor Mark Finley. 02:04 Now I know that those of you that were here 02:07 were blessed by the message that we heard 02:10 the last time we were together with Pastor Mark Finley. 02:13 And it was Prayer Makes a Difference. 02:16 Does prayer make a difference? 02:17 Amen. Praise the Lord! 02:19 And as you noticed during that message 02:23 Pastor Mark Finley teaches us from God's Word. 02:27 And this is what you should expect during this hour as well. 02:31 He's going to teach us from God's Word, 02:33 and he is a man that you can tell studies God's Word. 02:37 Not only on the surface but what? Deeply. 02:41 And so we are encouraged to see that and we are also 02:44 blessed. And we know the Lord will bless during this message. 02:49 And before Pastor Murray comes to sing 02:53 we would like to ask you to stand for a moment for prayer. 02:56 We want to ask the Lord's blessing once again. 02:58 Now the people here... that are here from different parts 03:01 of the country. Is anybody here 03:04 from outside of the United States? 03:06 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! 03:08 There are some here and some more will be coming. 03:11 But now we invite you to pray. And those of you 03:15 at home can also join us in prayer. 03:17 And if you're not driving, please join us in prayer. 03:20 Let us pray. 03:21 Our loving heavenly Father, 03:24 we want to thank you, Lord, that in the midst of 03:28 troubles and tribulation in this world 03:30 we can find hope and encourage- ment and strength in You. 03:36 We pray, Lord, that as we are together 03:39 Your Holy Spirit will illuminate our minds 03:42 and open our understanding, Lord, 03:45 so that we will see deep and wonderful things in God's Word. 03:49 We pray for a blessing upon everyone 03:52 that is watching and listening, and we ask, Lord, 03:56 for Your name to be glorified. 03:58 We pray for Your Holy Spirit to be poured out. 04:01 And we ask for these blessings in Jesus' name, Amen. 04:05 You may be seated. 04:08 Our speaker is Pastor Mark Finley. 04:10 Many of you know him as the former speaker 04:15 and director of the It Is Written international 04:18 telecast. Also served the Seventh-day Adventist church 04:21 as a general vice president of the General Conference 04:25 and now is blessed to work directly with the 04:30 General Conference president which is Elder Wilson. 04:35 And he's special assistant to the president of the 04:38 General Conference. 04:39 And millions of people around the world have been blessed 04:42 by the messages that God brings to us 04:45 through Pastor Mark Finley. And during this hour 04:48 we will hear a message about the Holy Spirit 04:51 and revival. And we need revival. What do you say? Amen? 04:56 We need revival. So we're going to hear a message 04:59 about the Holy Spirit and revival. 05:01 Prepare your hearts and your minds. 05:03 And to help us prepare our hearts and our minds 05:06 I am encouraged and blessed by the music of 05:08 Pastor C.A. Murray. You know, some people 05:10 not only can preach but they can also sing. 05:13 And that's also a sermon... a message from the Lord. 05:16 So at this time we'd like to invite Pastor Murray 05:18 to come forward. And you will hear a song entitled 05:21 Go Free. May God bless us all. 05:25 The words for this song come from the 05:27 second volume of the Testimonies pages 318 and 319. 05:31 Ellen White is writing to a certain Sister T. 05:34 and the letter found its way into the second volume 05:36 of the Testimonies under the title Comfort in Affliction. 05:40 Evidently this woman had been sick for a long time 05:42 and she began to believe that her sickness was evidence 05:46 that God no longer loved her. 05:48 And so Ellen White wrote her specifically. 05:50 I want to read just a couple lines from this 05:52 because of some important things that are here. 05:54 She says: "I have heard of your affliction 05:57 and I hasten to write you a few lines. 05:59 My dear sister, I have it on the very best evidence 06:02 that God loves you. He has shown me your case. " 06:06 She says among other things: "I saw that the Lord would 06:09 be to you a very present help 06:11 if you would only trust yourself in Him. 06:14 But, " she said, "you are beginning to worry yourself 06:17 out of the arms of God. " 06:20 You know how sometimes we take our burdens to the Lord. 06:21 Instead of leaving them there we pick them right back up 06:23 and carry them away? 06:25 She says this is what this woman was beginning to do. 06:27 She says: "You are worrying yourself out of the arms of God 06:30 and in indulging these doubts you dishonor God. " 06:35 She says: "Trust Him! Go free, oppressed soul. 06:39 Be of good courage. Say to yourself 06:42 'God loves me' and hope in the Lord. " 06:45 Now here's the powerful line that I want to close with. 06:47 She said: "I know that the Lord loves you. 06:51 If you cannot rely on your own faith, 06:55 rely on the faith of others. 06:59 We believe and hope for you. 07:01 God accepts our faith in your behalf. " 07:06 Isn't that a powerful statement? 07:08 So that when you pray for someone else - a lost child, 07:12 a lost relative, a lost parent, a lost friend, 07:15 God accepts your faith in their behalf. 07:20 Now your faith cannot save them. 07:21 Their salvation is a consequence of their own faith. 07:25 But your faith can keep them safe 07:27 until the Spirit of God can get through. 07:29 "God accepts our faith in your behalf. " 07:33 She says: "Flee from the devil; go free. " 07:37 And the title of the song is Go Free. 07:52 Troubled soul, 07:57 I know you're so tired of fighting. 08:01 Don't you know 08:05 He sees the wound you've been hiding? 08:11 Yesterday can't change tomorrow 08:17 so leave behind all your sorrow. 08:22 Go free... go free 08:28 in the name of Jesus go free. 08:33 Child of God, 08:36 child adored... 08:40 come to the Lord and go free. 08:53 Trembling soul, 08:57 I know you're so tired of aching. 09:03 Don't you know 09:06 He sees the wounds you are taking? 09:12 His hand of mercy and healing 09:18 can untie the hurt that you're feeling. 09:23 Go free... go free 09:28 in the name of Jesus go free. 09:34 Child of God, 09:37 child adored... 09:41 come to the Lord and go free. 09:54 Tempted soul, 09:58 I know you're so tired of fighting. 10:03 Don't you know 10:07 He sees the wound you've been hiding? 10:13 The battle that's raging is so strong 10:19 and you've been a captive for too long. 10:25 Go free... oh, ya gotta go free 10:31 in the name of Jesus go free. 10:37 Child of God, 10:39 child adored... 10:43 come to the Lord 10:48 and go free. 10:51 In the name of Jesus 10:55 go free. 10:57 Child of God, 11:00 child adored... 11:04 come to the Lord 11:08 and go free. 11:11 Go free... go free. 11:18 Now go free. 11:28 Amen! 11:32 Child of God, go free. 11:37 Really that's the message of revival, isn't it? 11:39 It's freeing us from the secular, materialistic 11:44 earthly human values that cloud our minds 11:48 and create foggy thoughts 11:51 so that we do not see Jesus clearly. 11:54 This is the second in a series of five messages 11:59 on spiritual revival. 12:01 Last evening we talked about prayer and revival. 12:06 This morning the Holy Spirit and revival. 12:09 Our third message is on Revelation... the book of 12:13 Revelation and revival. 12:16 And there are really three messages on Revelation 12:18 and revival in this series. 12:20 The first is entitled Revelation's Three Songs. 12:25 The second: Revelation's Triumphant Christ. 12:28 And the third: Revelation's End-Time Revival. 12:32 All of those messages - those five - 12:35 focus on some aspect of revival. 12:38 As we open our Bibles today to study the Holy Spirit 12:41 and revival let's pray. Father, 12:44 the Holy Spirit prompted the writing of the Word of God. 12:48 And as we open its pages to study it today 12:52 we pray Thee that the same Spirit 12:55 that inspired Bible writers would be with us 12:59 to inspire our hearts to take another step closer to You 13:03 and to go deeper into a relationship with You. 13:06 In Christ's name, Amen. 13:09 For some 14 years my wife and I lived in California. 13:13 It was there that I was the Speaker/Director of 13:15 It Is Written television. 13:17 And in California, particularly southern California, 13:19 there are many gated communities. 13:21 And so we were living in a gated community, and one day 13:24 the guard gate called our home. 13:27 And the man at the gate said this. 13:29 He said: "There's somebody here, Mr. Finley, to see you. 13:32 This is his name... " 13:34 I didn't recognize the person's name at all. 13:36 I hadn't ever heard of that person before 13:39 and the person at the gate said: 13:42 "This person is insistent he has to see you now. " 13:45 And so I thought rather than having the guard gate 13:49 let him come into our community and come knocking on my door 13:52 when I had no idea who this man was 13:54 that I'd better go down to the guard gate and talk to him. 13:57 So I did. Drove down to the gate. 13:58 And the man greeted me and he said: "Pastor Finley, 14:01 I am so glad to meet you. 14:04 I've been watching your television program. " 14:08 And I thought: "Well that's pretty good news. " 14:10 Then he said: "And the Holy Spirit's impressed me too. " 14:14 And I thought: "That's good news. Maybe he was watching 14:16 the program and the Holy Spirit impressed him to give a donation 14:20 to the program. This is really getting good. " 14:22 And then he said: "the Holy Spirit has impressed me 14:25 to come here to work with you to travel all over the world. " 14:32 And I said: "This is really getting an interesting story. " 14:34 And I said: "Where did you come from? " 14:37 He said: "I took a bus from Sacramento area 14:40 about 6 or 7 hours down here to southern California. " 14:45 And I asked him: "Are you married? " 14:47 "Oh yes, but the Holy Spirit has impressed me to leave 14:50 my wife to come work with you. " 14:53 "Do you have children? " 14:54 "Oh yes, the Holy Spirit has impressed me 14:57 to leave my children to come work with you. " 15:00 "Did you have a job? " 15:03 "Yes I did, but the Holy Spirit 15:05 impressed me to leave my job. " 15:08 "Do you have any money? " 15:10 "No, I spend my last dollar to come down to work with you 15:13 because when the Holy Spirit impresses you to do something 15:18 you must follow " 15:19 I said: "My brother, the Holy Spirit has just impressed me 15:22 to take you to the bus station and buy you a bus fare 15:25 to send you back to your wife. " 15:31 And so we sat down and I talked to that man for about 3 hours 15:34 about how to understand the impressions of the Holy Spirit. 15:40 The subject of the Holy Spirit and the impressions of the 15:43 Holy Spirit is one of the most confusing subjects 15:46 among many Christians today. 15:48 How do you know that you've been impressed by the 15:51 Holy Spirit or that this is the wanderings of your own mind? 15:57 How do you know that that voice you hear in your head 16:00 is not your own human prompting? 16:04 How do you make the distinction between what God is guiding 16:08 you to do and what the Holy Spirit is guiding you to do? 16:13 God's Spirit will never lead us contrary 16:18 to God's Word. And God's Word and God's will 16:22 are always in harmony. 16:24 This subject of the Holy Spirit is an extremely confusing 16:29 subject for many. 16:33 This morning we want to talk about three aspects of the 16:35 Holy Spirit. Who is the Holy Spirit? 16:38 What is the Holy Spirit's work? 16:40 And why was the Holy Spirit given? 16:42 So we could call it the who, the what, and the why 16:48 of the Holy Spirit. 16:49 First, the who of the Holy Spirit. 16:52 What is the Holy Spirit? 16:54 There are many people that have the idea that the Holy Spirit 16:57 is a force... the Holy Spirit is a power. 17:00 The Holy Spirit is even some divine energy. 17:03 As I travel around the world, this confusion is even among 17:06 many of God's people. 17:08 They have the idea that there is God the Father, 17:11 a divine person. 17:13 There is God the Son, a divine person. 17:15 But when it comes to the Holy Spirit 17:17 there's this kind of vague misunderstanding 17:20 that the Holy Spirit is this kind of mystical force. 17:23 It is not really a divine person. 17:26 Well let's look at scripture. 17:27 Matthew chapter 28. You know the passage well. 17:31 Verse 19: 17:33 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations. " 17:36 Matthew 28 verse 19: 17:38 we're studying the who of the Holy Spirit. 17:40 Who is the Holy Spirit? "Baptizing them in the name 17:43 of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. " 17:46 So in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 17:50 The Bible doesn't simply say the Father and the Son 17:52 and then the Holy Spirit is some kind of it, 17:54 some kind of force emanating from the Father. 17:57 Let's suppose that this was a wooden pulpit 18:01 and the top of the pulpit was loose 18:05 and I wanted to drive a nail into the pulpit with a hammer. 18:09 How many times would I have to swing the hammer 18:12 to drive the nail through? How many times? 18:15 Here's the nail. I'm going to swing the hammer 18:18 and whack that nail. 18:19 How many times will I have to swing the hammer 18:21 to drive the nail through? 18:23 How many times do you think the pastor has to swing 18:25 the hammer? Once? 18:29 I got three or four. How many times? 18:31 Ten? 18:35 Here's what it depends on. 18:37 It depends whether you hit the nail or not. 18:40 If you miss it, you're going to be swinging that hammer 18:43 a lot of times, right? 18:46 You don't need to read 100 Bible texts to prove a topic. 18:50 You need to read one text and one comment. 18:53 I'll give you a couple more texts. Who is the Holy Spirit? 18:56 Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 18:58 Here is the divine commentary 19:02 that defines Matthew 28:19 19:06 on the nature of the Holy Spirit. 19:08 "There are three living persons of the heavenly trio. " 19:13 I'm quoting from Testimonies to Ministers page 392. 19:16 When Ellen White was counseling pastors 19:20 defining the work and nature of the Holy Spirit 19:23 and particularly who the Holy Spirit was, she said: 19:26 "There are three living persons. " 19:30 That's hitting the nail on the head, isn't it? 19:32 You don't have to write a dissertation on it. 19:35 You don't have to write five books on it. 19:37 You don't have to study for a lifetime. 19:40 It hits the nail on the head. 19:41 "There are three living persons of the heavenly trio. " 19:45 In the name of these three great powers - 19:48 the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - 19:50 those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized. 19:53 So the Holy Spirit is as much a divine personage 19:58 as the Father and the Son. 20:00 The Holy Spirit isn't some kind of vague entity. 20:02 The Holy Spirit isn't some kind of force that emanates 20:05 from the Father. 20:06 There is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit 20:08 composing the Godhead. 20:10 We find that throughout scripture. 20:12 Take your Bible and turn to Ephesians chapter 2 verse 18. 20:16 Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 18. 20:20 Somebody said it well. Said: "to try to understand 20:24 the trinity is to lose your mind. 20:28 But to reject the concept of the Godhead - 20:31 the trinity - is to lose your soul. " 20:33 Ephesians chapter 2 verse 18: 20:36 "For through Him... " - that is, through Christ - 20:39 "we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. " 20:42 There you have Christ, the Spirit, the Father 20:46 all mentioned in one text. 20:48 This divine trio that Ellen White speaks about... 20:52 the Godhead. 20:53 Take your Bible and turn to II Corinthians 3:18. 20:58 Why is this important? 21:00 If the Holy Spirit is simply a force emanating from the Father, 21:05 if the Holy Spirit is no more than a mere force, 21:08 then we will try to use that force 21:11 to accomplish our own ends. 21:13 But if the Holy Spirit is the third divine person 21:16 of the Godhead, we then yield to the convicting, prompting, 21:20 empowering power of the Holy Spirit in our own lives. 21:24 The Holy Spirit is as much a personage, 21:27 a personality, a being, as the Father and the Son. 21:31 You find that again in II Corinthians 13:14. 21:35 II Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 14. 21:42 The scripture says: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ 21:47 and the love of God in the communion of the Holy Spirit 21:51 be with you all. " So you have the grace of Jesus Christ, 21:54 the love of God, the communion of the Spirit. 21:57 Here they are: the Godhead... 21:59 the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. 22:01 The Father is from eternity; the Son is from eternity; 22:04 the Holy Spirit is from eternity. 22:06 These three work for the salvation of humanity. 22:10 Now in the Old Testament God is prominent. 22:13 In the New Testament Christ fills the horizon. 22:16 But once Jesus ascended to heaven 22:19 we are living in the age - the dispensation - 22:21 of the Holy Spirit. This is the time to understand 22:25 more about the Holy Spirit. How He works 22:28 and the revival of the Holy Spirit in our lives. 22:31 Take your Bible, please, as we now try to discover 22:34 what Jesus said about His return to heaven 22:38 and the gift of the Spirit that He would return to the earth 22:42 once His sacrifice was accepted by the Father in heaven. 22:47 Man steps off a mountain and goes down. 22:51 God steps off a mountain and goes up 22:54 because the laws of gravity cannot hold the Creator 22:59 of the laws of gravity down. 23:01 Jesus was about ready to leave... about ready to 23:04 step off that mountain, and He gave this instruction 23:08 in the gospel of John to His earthly disciples 23:11 about His leaving. 23:13 They were concerned 23:14 and John 14, 15, and 16- those three chapters 23:20 more than any other in the Bible - 23:21 are a treatise by Jesus, a discourse by Jesus, 23:26 part of one single sermon by Jesus on the coming of 23:32 the Spirit after He left His earthly church. 23:36 We find Jesus telling His disciples in John chapter 14 23:40 "Let not your hearts be troubled. 23:42 You believe in God, believe also in Me. 23:46 In My Father's house are many mansions 23:48 and if it were not so I would have told you. 23:50 I go to prepare a place for you, 23:52 and if I go and prepare a place for you I will... " do what? 23:55 "come again. " But the disciples were concerned. 23:58 How long would Jesus' coming be? 24:01 How would they exist during the time 24:06 that Jesus was gone? 24:08 Their hearts were longing for the presence of Christ. 24:12 They were disappointed that He was leaving them. 24:16 And so Jesus said in John chapter 14 and verse 18: 24:22 He said: "I will not leave you orphans... " - 24:26 John 14 verse 18- 24:28 "I will come to you. " 24:31 So Jesus was leaving 24:35 but through the third person of the Godhead 24:38 the personal presence of Jesus Christ 24:42 would be manifest with the disciples. 24:45 Wouldn't it be kind of an exciting thing 24:47 if Jesus walked into this 3ABN Camp Meeting auditorium today? 24:52 Amen! Wouldn't you love that? 24:54 Wouldn't you love to have Him come? 24:56 But He says that through His Holy Spirit 25:00 He would be closer to His people than if He were present 25:04 physically and personally. 25:07 Notice what He says. 25:10 Here... take your Bible and look at John 16 and verse 7. 25:14 Who is the Holy Spirit? 25:17 The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. 25:19 The Holy Spirit - the third person of the Godhead - 25:23 is the personal presence of Christ 25:26 manifest in our lives. John 16 verse 7: 25:29 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth: 25:31 it is to your advantage that I go away. " 25:34 Wait a minute! It is to our what? 25:36 Advantage that Christ is not here. 25:39 It is to our advantage? 25:42 Why not? Why to our advantage? 25:44 Because if the physical Christ were here today 25:47 at this 3ABN Camp Meeting 25:50 He could not be physically present someplace else. 25:55 He would be limited by His physical presence here. 25:59 Because when Christ left heaven He tabernacled in human flesh 26:04 and was limited to be in one place. 26:05 But through the ministry of the Holy Spirit 26:08 the living Christ can be with you as you're praying 26:11 in your bedroom. The living Christ can be with us here 26:14 through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. 26:16 So Jesus said to His disciples - Peter, James, and John - 26:19 "as you travel the world I will be with you. 26:22 My presence will be by your side. 26:24 I'll warm your hearts through the Holy Spirit. " 26:27 Who is the Holy Spirit? The third person of the Godhead, 26:31 the personal presence of Christ that ministers to 26:34 Jesus' people as they travel from place to place 26:37 and as they seek Him. 26:39 That is the who of the Holy Spirit. 26:41 Now, what about the what of the Holy Spirit? 26:43 What is the ministry of the Holy Spirit? 26:45 I'd like to study with you six aspects of the ministry 26:49 of the Holy Spirit. What the Holy Spirit - 26:52 the personal presence of Jesus Christ - 26:55 wants to do for you. 26:57 First, the Holy Spirit convicts. 27:01 We find that in John 16 and verse 8. 27:04 The Holy Spirit convicts. 27:07 What does the Holy Spirit convict of? 27:10 John 16:8... the Holy Spirit convicts. 27:15 "And when He has come... " 27:17 Now notice the Bible doesn't say "it" has come. 27:20 And the Bible doesn't say "this force has come. " 27:23 And when what has come, everybody? What does it say? 27:25 He. He represents divine personality. 27:29 "When He is come... " Verse 8: 27:34 "He will convict... " What will He do? 27:37 "He will convict the world of sin 27:40 and of righteousness and of judgment. " 27:42 He convicts the world of sin. 27:45 The more you yield to the convicting power of the 27:50 Holy Spirit in your life and do not yield 27:54 to the temptations of the enemy, 27:57 the sharper your spiritual antenna is tuned 28:03 to listen to the Holy Spirit. 28:06 Have you ever felt that convicting power 28:10 in your own life? You were about ready to say something 28:14 negative and critical about something else... somebody else 28:17 and there's this little, small voice in your mind 28:21 that says: "Why are you saying that? " 28:23 If you push that little small voice away from your mind, 28:28 it becomes easier the next time to yield. 28:31 Have you ever been ready to take an article 28:34 out of the refrigerator at 10 o'clock at night 28:39 and you remember the carob chocolate cake 28:43 that you had served for birthday 28:46 and the soy ice cream that is there? 28:49 And you take that chocolate cake at 10 o'clock at night 28:54 and you cut off three large pieces 28:57 and put it on that plate 28:59 after your husband or wife has gone to bed. 29:02 And you scoop up half that quart of ice cream 29:06 and you get in the corner and just turn the light on 29:09 a little bit and you say: "This is going to taste good. " 29:13 And there's a little, small voice in your mind that 29:15 says: "This might not be that healthful. " 29:20 Sometimes the Holy Spirit convicts you more than 29:23 Pastor Finley spoke. He is more direct! 29:29 Have you ever been flipping the dial on the television 29:34 and you've gone by 3ABN 29:38 and on your satellite dish you see something 29:42 noticing that it's not pleasing to Jesus 29:45 and you linger there? 29:47 And the Holy Spirit speaks in your heart and says: 29:51 "That which your eyes are watching 29:54 will defile your spiritual character. 29:57 This is not pure and true. " 30:01 You see, all of those inclinations... 30:05 The Holy Spirit convicts of sin. 30:10 The Holy Spirit moves in our lives 30:13 as a spiritual x-ray of the soul. 30:18 The more you yield to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, 30:23 the more you listen to that inner voice that is 30:26 convicting you of sin, the more you are sensitive 30:31 to the Holy Spirit. 30:32 But the more you reject that inner voice 30:35 the harder the heart becomes. 30:38 The Holy Spirit will convict of sin... 30:40 that's verse 8... and of righteousness. 30:45 What does it mean the Holy Spirit 30:46 "convicts of righteousness? " 30:48 Every impulse to do right is prompted by the Holy Spirit. 30:52 Every impulse to speak a kind word is prompted by the 30:56 Holy Spirit. Every impulse to perform a loving act 31:00 is prompted by the Holy Spirit. 31:03 As you yield to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, 31:07 as He works in your heart and life, 31:10 and as you act... 31:12 You are sitting down and the Holy Spirit prompts you, sir, 31:16 "Go over and help your wife clean the table 31:20 and do the dishes. She had a tough day. " 31:22 When you get up out of your seat and yield to the prompting 31:26 of the Spirit to do right 31:28 it creates within you a sensitivity 31:33 to the promptings of the Spirit. 31:36 If you study something in the Bible and you see that 31:38 God says it in the Bible... 31:40 And maybe there's somebody watching on 3ABN. 31:42 You're studying the Bible Sabbath 31:44 and you yield to the conviction of God 31:46 and begin to keep the Bible Sabbath, 31:48 what does that do? 31:50 It opens your heart and mind to the further promptings 31:54 of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. 31:58 The Holy Spirit convicts us of righteousness 32:01 and of judgment. 32:03 What does it mean the Holy Spirit convicts us of judgment? 32:05 We are moral beings, created in the image of God, 32:09 and judgment implies moral responsibility. 32:13 And the Holy Spirit says "you're responsible for your actions. " 32:16 It's not some genetic predisposition 32:19 that leads you to have an angry temper. 32:22 So the Holy Spirit reveals to you responsibility. 32:25 There's something else that the Bible means. 32:27 Did you see it there in the text when it says 32:29 in John chapter 16 verse 8 last part: 32:33 "When He is come He'll convict the world of sin 32:36 and of righteousness and of... " what? "judgment. " 32:39 What does it mean He convicts the world of judgment? " 32:40 That there is a day coming that God will sit on His throne 32:45 and make every wrong right. 32:47 Have you been treated unfairly? 32:49 Have you been treated unjustly? 32:51 Have there been times that people have maligned 32:55 your character? 32:56 The Holy Spirit, working in our heart, says: 32:58 "Leave them with God because He is the judge 33:02 and one day He will sit on His throne 33:05 and make everything right. " And that is good news! 33:08 Amen! The ministry of the Holy Spirit 33:11 convicts us of sin, of righteousness and judgment. 33:14 What does the Holy Spirit do? 33:16 He convicts: first thing that the Holy Spirit does. 33:19 The C is conviction. 33:21 Second thing the Holy Spirit does is H: 33:23 He helps us. Look at verse 7. 33:26 This is a fascinating Bible passage. 33:30 John chapter 16 verse 7: 33:32 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth... " 33:34 What does Jesus tell us? He tells us the what? 33:37 "The truth. " Satan is a liar and he is the... 33:42 father of lies. 33:43 But Jesus is the truth, and everything He says is truth 33:47 because He is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life. " 33:50 Jesus says verse 7: "Nevertheless I tell you... " 33:53 the what everybody? 33:54 "truth. It is to your advantage that I go away 33:58 for if I don't go away the Helper will not come to you. 34:03 But if I depart, I will send Him to you. " 34:05 Some translations say "the Comforter. " 34:07 "The Helper will not come to you. " 34:09 Jesus... the Holy Spirit convicts and the Holy Spirit 34:13 does what? Helps. 34:15 Now the word Helper is a fascinating word. 34:17 In the original Greek language of the New Testament 34:19 the word Helper is paraclete. Can you say that with me? 34:22 Paraclete... no, not parakeet. 34:25 There's a difference between the paraclete and the parakeet! 34:30 What is a paraclete 34:32 in New Testament Greek language? 34:34 The word clete comes from the word kaleo in Greek. 34:40 It means called. It is the root word derivative 34:43 meaning called. Para... we have an English word 34:47 parallel. What does parallel mean? 34:49 Along side of. You've got it. 34:52 Along side of. So the word Helper 34:55 in the Greek language is the paraclete. 34:58 So we have the derivative of side of and called. 35:01 So He's the One called to your side to help. 35:06 The One called to your side to help. 35:08 What a ministry of the Holy Spirit! 35:10 When you are tempted, He's the One called to your side 35:13 to help you. When you're discouraged, He's the One 35:15 called to your side to lift up your spirit and encourage 35:17 your heart. When you feel defeated 35:20 He's the One called to your side to give you strength. 35:23 When you feel weak, He is the One called to your side 35:26 to impart power to your life. 35:29 Jesus Christ sends His Holy Spirit to our sides. 35:33 But there's something more wonderful about this yet. 35:36 This word paraclete was not necessarily 35:40 a Biblical word that John used. 35:43 It was a very well-known word in Roman society. 35:46 When John talked about the paraclete 35:50 it was very well known. When a person 35:54 was brought to court and when they were tried in court 35:58 they would have a paraclete that would be brought to their side. 36:03 The word paraclete is a legal word. 36:06 It is much more than an attorney. 36:09 The word has much greater meaning than attorney. 36:13 The paraclete in a Roman system of judgment 36:16 would come to the side of the one that was on trial 36:21 and the paraclete would be his defense lawyer 36:25 to prove his innocence. 36:26 But more than that, in Roman prisons often adequate food 36:30 was not provided. 36:33 The paraclete would come to your side 36:35 to provide every single thing you need. 36:37 He would provide food. He would be the liaison 36:41 with your relatives so that they could see you and visit. 36:44 The paraclete is the one that supplied the total needs 36:48 of the one being tried. 36:50 There was no need that you would have 36:52 that the paraclete - the one who came to your side - 36:55 could not supply. So Jesus uses this term 36:58 to describe the ministry of the Holy Spirit. 37:01 What is the work of the Holy Spirit? 37:03 He's your paraclete. 37:04 He comes to your side to bring you help in your area of need. 37:10 I love that old hymn 37:11 Just when I need Him Jesus is near. 37:15 Just when I falter; just when I fear. 37:19 Just when I need Him most. 37:21 Jesus in the sanctuary above sees your need. 37:25 He knows those nights when you lie on your bed at night 37:29 and cry because of some disaster in your life. 37:33 He knows those times when that lump under your arm 37:37 has been diagnosed and there's a malignancy there. 37:40 He knows those times when your boss comes and says: 37:43 "Here's your pink slip... you're out of work. " 37:45 He knows our desperate emotional and financial needs. 37:48 He knows our desperate, heart-breaking needs 37:52 when we have needs in the area of health or our families 37:55 or finance. And He sends a paraclete - 37:57 the almighty third person of the Godhead 38:00 who comes from heaven who is present with us 38:04 at all times - to strengthen, to encourage, 38:07 to support us. He is the One who comes to our side 38:11 and helps us. Isn't that good news 38:14 that we are not left alone? 38:16 The mighty paraclete comes by our side 38:18 to minister to our need. 38:19 What is the work of the Holy Spirit? 38:21 C - He convicts. H - He helps. 38:24 R - He revives; He refreshes; He restores. 38:30 Now throughout the New Testament you see the ministry of the 38:34 Holy Spirit in that symbolism of R. 38:36 He is the One who revives. 38:38 He is the wind that blows a fresh breeze into our life... 38:42 the breath of the Spirit. 38:44 He in the New Testament refreshes us. 38:46 He is the water of life, 38:48 and in the New Testament He is the oil that restores us. 38:51 So in those three symbols of the Holy Spirit 38:54 in the New Testament: in the symbol of breath, 38:56 in the symbol of water, in the symbol of oil 39:00 we find the reviving, we find the refreshing, 39:06 restoring ministry of the Spirit. 39:07 You find that in the Old Testament as well. 39:09 A good example of the breath of the Spirit, of course, is 39:13 Ezekiel chapter 37. 39:15 Ezekiel chapter 37. 39:21 We look there at the refreshing wind of the Spirit. 39:26 All through the Bible the Holy Spirit is pictured 39:28 as wind. You remember when Jesus spoke to Nicodemus 39:34 and He said: "You must be born again" 39:36 He was talking to a Sabbath- keeping, health-reforming, 39:40 tithe-paying Adventist. 39:44 Nicodemus. He had formal religion. 39:48 Was Nicodemus a Sabbath keeper? 39:49 Was he? The audience is silent today. 39:54 Was Nicodemus a Sabbath keeper? Yes. 39:57 Was Nicodemus a health reformer? Yes. Sure was! 40:01 Was Nicodemus an Adventist? 40:03 Was he looking forward to the coming of the Messiah? 40:06 Sure. In glory, in fact. 40:09 Did Nicodemus pay his tithe? 40:11 But did Nicodemus need the wind of the Spirit 40:14 to break down the formalism and change his heart? 40:17 Did he need that? Yes. 40:18 Is there somebody who needs that here today? 40:21 Ezekiel 37 also describes the wind of the Spirit. 40:26 Ezekiel the preacher looks out over the congregation 40:29 and he says he sees something that's dead... just dry bones. 40:34 There have been congregations that I have stood up before 40:37 that will remain unnamed 40:39 and I said: "Lord, is this a valley of dry bones? 40:42 Can You do anything here? " 40:45 But as the Word of the Lord comes what does the Bible say? 40:50 The Bible says, looking there at Ezekiel chapter 37 40:57 and we look down to verses 12, 13, and 14: 41:03 "Therefore prophesy and say to them: 41:06 'thus says the Lord God 41:08 behold o My people, 41:09 I will open your graves and cause you to come up 41:12 from your graves and bring you back into the land of Israel. 41:15 Then you shall know that I am the Lord 41:17 when I have opened your graves o My people 41:19 and brought you up from your grave. 41:21 I will put My Spirit in you and you shall live. 41:24 And I will place you in your own land. ' " 41:26 God says: "I am going to put My Spirit in you. " 41:28 Verse 10 of Ezekiel 37. 41:31 "So I prophesied as He commanded 41:33 and breath came into them. 41:34 And they lived and stood upon their feet 41:36 an exceeding mighty army. " 41:38 God takes His church from being a valley of dry, dead bones 41:43 and He breathes His Spirit on them 41:45 and revival fires are lit and the Spirit animates their life. 41:49 And the breath and the Spirit comes and they go from 41:51 dry bones to a mighty army. 41:53 And they go out and win the world for Christ. 41:55 What is the work of the Holy Spirit? 41:58 The work of the Holy Spirit is to bring revival. 42:01 Without the ministry of the Holy Spirit 42:03 there is no revival. 42:06 Evan Roberts, when he was only 42:11 13 years old, sensed that the churches in Wales 42:17 in 1903 were filled with formalism, 42:24 hypocrisy, apathy. 42:27 And at 13 years old Evan Roberts began to pray 42:31 and he prayed for 13 years. 42:34 And he prayed that the Holy Spirit would fill his life 42:37 because revival always begins with one man, one woman, 42:41 one child on their knees. 42:44 There can never be corporate revival until there is 42:47 individual revival. 42:49 There'll never be a revival in the church 42:51 until there's a revival in your own heart. 42:53 And if you were saying: "Oh God, revive my church" 42:56 wrong prayer. 42:57 "Oh God, revive my heart. " 42:59 "Oh God, correct those people up there 43:01 at the General Conference. " 43:04 "Oh God, work in my own heart. " 43:07 Revival always begins with one man, 43:10 one woman, one boy, one girl. 43:11 Evan Roberts, 13 years old, began to pray. 43:14 And as he prayed 43:16 he prayed for revival in his own life. 43:19 He began to share what was happening in his own life 43:22 with other young people. 43:23 And one day in 1904 43:26 after he had been praying for 13 years 43:30 he visited a youth meeting and he talked about 43:34 what God was doing in his life and how the Holy Spirit 43:35 was transforming him and how Jesus had convicted him of sin 43:39 and how Jesus had come by his side through the Holy Spirit 43:42 to help him and how he was revived in his own life. 43:45 Eight or nine young people experienced that revival 43:49 and they began sharing. Within six months 43:52 in Wales the churches were filled, the bars were empty. 43:56 The miners would come out of their mines 44:00 and they would have prayer meetings 3 times a day. 44:04 100,000 people were converted in six months. 44:07 When the miners went back to their mines, 44:09 these cursing, swearing miners 44:12 one of the historians of the revival of that day says 44:16 that the pit ponies that were pulling the carts filled with 44:20 coal down in the mines, that these pit ponies had 44:23 to be taught a new language 44:25 because the miners were converted 44:27 and no longer cursed and swore at them. 44:30 Revival always begins with one man, one woman. 44:35 What is the ministry of the Holy Spirit? 44:37 Breathe on me, breath of God 44:40 and fill me with life anew 44:43 that I may love what Thou dost love 44:46 and do what Thou dost do. 44:49 The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to bring what? 44:52 Revival. We have C. 44:54 The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to do what? 44:56 Convict. We have what? H. 44:58 The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to what? 45:00 Help. We have R. 45:02 The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to bring revival 45:05 into our lives. We have I. 45:07 The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to instruct us. 45:10 John chapter 14 verse 26. 45:13 John chapter 14 verse 26. 45:15 Here we go. Take your Bible, please. 45:17 Go there: John chapter 14 verse 26. 45:23 "But the Helper" - the Holy Spirit - "whom the Father 45:27 will send in My name... He will teach you 45:31 all things and bring to your remembrance 45:33 all things that I've said to you. " 45:35 The Holy Spirit is our instructor. 45:38 The Holy Spirit is our teacher. John 16 verse 13. 45:41 John 16 verse 13: "However when He, the Spirit 45:44 of Truth is come, He will guide you into all truth. " 45:48 "Jesus, guide me into all truth. " 45:50 "Jesus, I feel discouraged today. 45:53 Guide me into the truth that I'm a son, a daughter of God. " 45:56 That is reality. My feelings are not reality. 45:59 "Jesus, today the future looks hopeless. 46:04 Guide me into the truth that in Jesus I have a bright future. " 46:08 See, the Holy Spirit bursts the balloon of our illusions 46:14 and reveals to our mind the truth of reality. 46:18 When I feel too wicked to be saved 46:24 and too unrighteous to be saved 46:27 as my friend George Vandeman would say to me often 46:31 "Mark, when I look at myself 46:34 I can see no possibility to be saved. 46:37 When I look at Jesus I can see no possibility 46:40 to be lost. " 46:42 "Looking unto Jesus... " the what? 46:44 "Author and Finisher of our faith. " 46:47 The Holy Spirit instructs us. 46:50 The Holy Spirit guides us into the truth of God's Word. 46:54 The same Holy Spirit 46:57 that prompted the Bible writers 47:01 to write the Word inspires us as we read the Word. 47:07 Jesus said the Holy Spirit will bring to your remembrance 47:13 things that I have revealed to you as you open your Bible 47:18 on your knees. Somebody asked me after my message 47:21 last night on prayer and revival: "How can you 47:24 pray for any length of time? I get down on my knees 47:27 and my mind wanders. And sure, I try to pray aloud 47:29 but I don't know how to do that. " 47:31 Take your Bible. Let your Bible be subject matter 47:33 for your prayer. This morning as I was praying 47:36 I opened my Bible before me. I'm praying through Psalms. 47:38 I love to pray through the book of Psalms. 47:40 Praying through that first Psalm: "Blessed is the man 47:42 that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. 47:45 That sits not in the seat of... 47:49 that stayeth not in the way of sinners 47:50 nor sits in the seat of the scornful. 47:53 But his delight is in the law of the Lord. 47:55 In His law he shall delight day and night. 47:58 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of the waters 48:00 and everything he does will prosper. " 48:02 "O Lord, help me be that man. 48:03 Blessed, blessed, blessed. What does the word blessed 48:06 mean, Lord? It means happy; it means content. 48:09 Content is the man that walks in the way of righteousness. 48:13 Lord, I want to be that man; give me a honest heart. 48:15 Give me a pure heart. " 48:18 You see, revival comes 48:20 as we allow the Lord to instruct us through His Word. 48:23 Revival comes not because 48:27 our ears tingle in a sentimental emotionalism 48:31 or an electric current goes up our spine 48:34 and we jump up all the time and say "Hallelujah! " 48:37 Revival comes... 48:40 Now there are times I feel like jumping and saying "Hallelujah" 48:43 but I choose the audience that I do it in. 48:47 Some of you got it... the rest of you missed it. 48:49 That's OK. 48:54 The ministry of the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts 48:58 in quietness as we open God's Word 49:03 and the Spirit instructs us 49:05 in the deep things of the Spirit. 49:08 What is the ministry of the Spirit? C - He convicts us. 49:11 Listen to that still small voice. 49:13 He Helps us... coming to our side. 49:16 He revives our spirit. 49:19 He instructs us. 49:21 Fifthly S - He strengthens us. 49:26 Take your Bible, please, and turn 49:28 there to the book of Ephesians. 49:31 One of the most marvelous passages 49:35 in all of scripture 49:38 about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. 49:41 Ephesians chapter 3 verses 16 to 20. 49:44 Ephesians chapter 3 verses 16 to 20. 49:47 The Holy Spirit - the personal presence of Christ, 49:53 the third person of the Godhead - 49:56 strengthens us, 50:00 empowers us. 50:03 You're taking your Bible, please, 50:07 and turning to the book of Ephesians. 50:11 The book of Ephesians. 50:13 And we're looking there at Ephesians. The scripture says: 50:20 And let's go back and look at Ephesians 3; 50:26 we'll start with the 16th verse. 50:30 Let's go back and pick up verse 14 50:34 so we can get the entire thrust of it. 50:37 Ephesians 3:14. 50:38 "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord 50:42 Jesus Christ for whom the whole family in heaven and earth 50:46 is named that He would grant you 50:49 according to the riches of His glory 50:52 to be strengthened with might through His Spirit 50:56 in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in your hearts 51:00 through faith. That you be rooted and grounded 51:03 in love. " Listen to the language. 51:06 This is end-time language. 51:09 Notice what the scripture says. 51:11 "That you would be... " Verse 16: 51:13 "That Christ would grant you according to the riches 51:16 of His glory to be strengthened with might through His Spirit 51:19 in the inner man. " I long to be strengthened 51:22 inside with the might of the Holy Spirit. 51:25 The temptations of the devil in the last generation 51:29 will be the greatest in the history of mankind. 51:32 Satan will unleash all of his hellish forces 51:35 on an end-time generation. 51:38 We are too frail or weak to meet the challenges of the enemy, 51:42 but praise God the third person of the Godhead 51:45 comes to strengthen us. 51:48 And the living Christ through the Holy Spirit 51:50 lives within us. Notice the text, please. 51:53 Verse 19. 51:55 Verse 17 rather. 51:57 "That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith 52:00 that you be rooted and grounded in love. " 52:04 If a plant doesn't have roots 52:07 like a tree with shallow roots and a breeze comes 52:10 it blows it away, right? 52:13 "That you're rooted and grounded. " 52:16 If you are not grounded, if you don't have a good foundation, 52:19 you get blown away. 52:20 The ministry of the Holy Spirit 52:23 is to root you and ground you in the love of Christ 52:26 and the Word of Christ. 52:28 "That you may be able to comprehend with all the saints 52:31 what is the width and length and depth and height 52:34 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge 52:37 that you may be filled with the fullness of God. " 52:39 How are you filled with the fullness of God? 52:41 As you kneel before God and the Holy Spirit 52:43 comes into your life to strengthen you, 52:45 those struggles that you have had, 52:47 those challenges that you faced, 52:49 those sins that have beset you for 20 years or 15 years 52:54 or 30 years. You're a Christian. 52:56 You're an Adventist maybe. 52:57 You're a deacon... you're an elder... 52:59 but there's a besetting sin. 53:02 Jesus comes with the gentleness of His Spirit 53:04 and says: "I want to fill your life. " 53:06 "I want to give you strength that you don't believe. " 53:09 Strength comes not from looking at us... 53:12 our weakness but looking at His strength. 53:14 One day in my evangelism I was helping a young man 53:17 quit smoking and leading through the promises of the Bible. 53:19 Reading him promises like this: "This is the confidence 53:21 that we have in Him: that if we ask anything according to 53:24 His will He hears us. " 53:26 Said to him: "Is it God's will to help you quit smoking? " 53:29 "It is! " I said: "All right. Go in your house, get all 53:30 your cigarettes. Bring them right here. 53:32 We're going to put them on the floor. 53:33 We're going to kneel and pray. 53:34 We're going to gain a victory over this through Jesus Christ 53:37 and the Holy Spirit is going to come into your life today 53:39 and He's going to strengthen you. 53:40 We'll read Ephesians 3: "He'll strengthen you 53:42 in your inner man. " I said: "You pray first, my brother. " 53:44 He begins to pray. Here's his prayer: 53:46 "Dear Jesus, I'm so weak. 53:48 Dear Jesus, I smoked for 20 years. 53:50 Dear Jesus, You know that I have this problem 53:52 and You know it's almost impossible for me 53:54 to overcome it. Dear Jesus... " And he's going on and on 53:57 with this negative prayer. I couldn't take it any more. 53:58 Pretty soon I shook the man. 54:00 "Stop praying, brother. You're going to be worse 54:02 after you prayed than before. " 54:04 And it's the truth. He would have been 54:06 because he was just reinforcing in his prayer 54:08 all this negative stuff. So I said: "You pray like this: 54:10 Dear Jesus, I am weak but You are strong. 54:12 Dear Jesus, I know that through your Holy Spirit 54:14 You can strengthen me and transform my life 54:16 and by faith I claim that right now. " 54:19 Amen! That man claimed the power of the living Christ. 54:22 I gave him some physical things to do: 54:23 taking a walk, drinking water, and so forth. 54:25 But he claimed his victory in Jesus 54:27 and that man became a deacon in one of our churches. Amen. 54:30 Praise the Lord! What is the ministry of the Holy Spirit? 54:33 To convict. 54:35 To help. 54:37 To revive. 54:38 To instruct. 54:40 To strengthen. One more. 54:42 To testify. 54:44 To testify. Take your Bible, please and turn to 54:46 John chapter 15. John chapter 15. 54:50 Jesus said... 54:54 To testify. 54:56 Wait a minute. C - convict. 54:59 H - help. 55:01 R - revive. 55:05 I - instruct. 55:07 S - strengthen. 55:11 T - testify. 55:14 C- H-R-I-S-T... Christ. 55:17 That's the whole work of the Holy Spirit. 55:21 Take your Bible please and look at John chapter 16. 55:24 And you're looking there... Or John 15... 55:27 John 15 verse 26. 55:29 "But when the Helper comes whom I shall send to you 55:32 from the Father, the Spirit of Truth 55:34 who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. " 55:39 The ministry of the Holy Spirit draws us out to Jesus. 55:42 The ministry of the Holy Spirit reveals Christ 55:45 in our life. The ministry of the Holy Spirit 55:47 shows us Jesus' strength, Jesus' power, 55:50 Jesus' strength in the light of our weakness. 55:54 The ministry of the Holy Spirit 55:57 reveals to us who Jesus is: 55:59 His greatness, His majesty, His love, His power. 56:02 The ministry of the Holy Spirit fills our heart. 56:05 Verse 27: 56:07 "And you also will bear witness because you have been with Me 56:11 from the beginning. " When the Holy Spirit comes upon 56:14 our lives it leads us to testify of Jesus 56:19 to the people we meet around us. 56:22 God is preparing an end-time church for an end-time revival. 56:27 Amen. Is the Holy Spirit ministering in your life 56:30 bringing conviction to you just now? 56:32 Is there something in your life out of harmony with His will? 56:35 Are you struggling with something? 56:37 The Holy Spirit will come and help you right now. 56:40 Do you need revival in your life? 56:42 That's the work of the Holy Spirit. 56:44 Do you need Jesus to instruct you? 56:47 He will teach you. 56:48 Do you need strength? He's there for you. 56:50 Do you want to be a powerful witness for Jesus? 56:53 The Holy Spirit will testify through you. 56:56 Why not bow your heads right now as we pray 56:58 and say "Oh Jesus, grant to me the gift of the Holy Spirit? " 57:02 Father in heaven, we thank you so much 57:05 for the power of the Holy Spirit 57:07 and we open our hearts for that heavenly gift. 57:10 Come and anoint us with Your Spirit. 57:14 In Christ's name, Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17