Let's Get Reacquainted with the Spirit, Part 3

Sometimes we assume the Holy Spirit arrived at Pentecost when He descended from heaven like a mighty windstorm. But according to scripture, the Spirit has been present since the day of creation. Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll will remind us that this same Holy Spirit, the one who existed from the very beginning, is our spiritual companion and guide to this very day.

This lesson is part of a teaching series that started last week called Flying Closer to the Flame. We pick up the study now in John 14 as Jesus spoke to His disciples. In this great 14th chapter, John records it, some things mentioned nowhere else in scripture. And you know the way where I'm going. Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going. How do we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father but through me. What are they afraid of? They're afraid of being left. All through ministry, they've had Him right there with them. Through three years and more of touching lives, He's always been there. When they woke up, He was there. When they got frightened, they could hide behind Him. When they were confused, they could ask Him questions.

These are not old men. Jesus is 33 in the prime of life and they're afraid of being left. Verse 12, truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do because I go to the Father. Look at what that says. I've done great things, we have done them together, you have seen them done, but I say to you men who are being left when I leave, you are being left on this earth, greater works than these you will do. Ever pondered that personally?

Allowed it to say what it is really saying? Now because of what follows, it must be related to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Verse 16, I will ask the Father and He, the Father, will give you another Helper, another of the same kind. I've been with you for three and a half years, I've been a help, I've been an assistance, I've been a source of power and strength. I'm leaving, I'm going to the cross, I'm going to the grave, and shortly thereafter I'm going back to the Father.

Now here is a terribly important transition. I will ask the Father, He will give you another Helper that He may be with you forever, that is, this is amplifying Helper, the Helper will be the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, but He will be in you. It's the first direct statement regarding the Spirit of God's coming that is in the context of the training of the disciples. Prior to this time, the Holy Spirit was of course present, He's God, and just as the Father has always been in existence and the Son has always been in existence, so the Spirit, He hovered over the face of the waters of creation. He has been present in the lives of believers all through the history of biblical days. For example, with Moses there was a special presence of the Spirit of God's counsel, which Moses was to give to those who counseled on his behalf. Numbers 11, 16, and 17, Gideon was given a spirit of courage in battle, Judges 6, 33, and 34. Samson had a spirit of strength given to him, and remember when she shaved his head, Delilah, remember when he woke up? He didn't even know the Spirit of God had departed from him. If the Spirit of God had been in him permanently, he could not depart, but he was alongside him, he was with him for power. Remember David, who so eloquently spoke of his sin in Psalm 51?

Let me show you that. Hold your place here, we'll be right back, but you need to see this because it's misquoted today. Psalm 51, he is contrite, he is broken over the sin with Bathsheba. Nathan the prophet has come to him and said, you are the man, and David is admitting his wrong, and says, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. Verse 2, I know my transgressions, verse 3, my sin is ever before me against thee and thee only I have sinned.

It's a passionate prayer of repentance. Verse 10, create in me a clean heart. Oh God, renew a steadfast spirit within me. Look closely, do not cast me away from thy presence, and what? Do not take thy holy spirit from me.

Because the spirit was alongside him, not permanently dwelling within him, he could be lifted, and David would be left in the hollow experience of a powerless life. In those days that could happen, as in the days of the disciples. Now back to John 14, that's why his statement is so significant.

What a change it would bring to them. Verse 16, I will give you another helper, I went over it too quickly, that he may be with you forever. You know what the Greek says? Unto the age, forever and ever and ever. Forever, you will never know a moment in your life when you haven't the spirit, and don't let anybody tell you different.

You come to know Christ, a part of that marvelous spiritual package is the presence of the Holy Spirit. A brand new dynamic to bring cleansing and freshness and insight, perception, knowledge, growth, all that and so much more, he says I will give you him who will be another helper and he will be in you forever. I'll send him.

On your way to Acts, look at 16.7. John 16.7, I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the helper, here he is again, the helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. It's to your advantage why he will bring a dynamic I have not brought. I have merely modeled for you this life of righteousness.

He will take residence in you and be able to live it out through you. I could sit in a concert hall and listen to Van Cliburn play marvelous keyboard and sit in awe and applaud as he goes from one masterpiece to another. I could even sit next to him on the bench. I'd like that. And I could turn pages in his music as he goes from one piece to another even though he doesn't need the music.

But that doesn't do anything for me. He simply models the genius of this art. But if Van Cliburn could say to me some evening, you know, Chuck, I have the ability to come inside you and you can play like this. I would say, come on.

And then I could sit down and I could play like a Van Cliburn. It is to your advantage that I go because as long as I'm here, you're sitting beside me on the bench. But when I go and send another helper, he will give you the dynamic that is me and mine. And I'll tell you, Christians, we're missing it. We're missing it. It is there resident within us waiting to be tapped and we don't even know we have such presence and dynamic. Now, turn to Acts 1. Next book, Acts 1, verse 4.

Look at this unparalleled dynamic that is among us and within us. Verse 4. Jesus has gone to the cross. He has gone to the grave. He has been bodily, miraculously raised from the grave. He has been on the earth for 40 days? Wrong.

Yes, 40 days. He is being taken. But just before he ascends to be seated at the right hand of God. By the way, we sing that hymn, majestic sweetness sits enthroned upon the Savior's brow, his head with radiance, glorious crown, his lips with grace or flow. It's a picture of the session of Christ.

He is seated. I love that hymn. You should memorize that hymn.

It's a portrayal of Christ seated alongside the Father and his work at the present time. But it hasn't quite happened in Acts 1.4. He has not quite left the earth. His last few words, verse 4, gathering them together, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait. Wait for what the Father had promised, which he said, you heard of from me.

You've already heard me talk about him. You're to wait for him to come. John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized that is identified with, made a part of, become a part of the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Wait. And when they had come together, they were asking him, Lord, is it the time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel? He said to them, it is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by his own authority.

But, but this is important. Look, you shall receive the Holy Spirit? Yes, but practically speaking, you shall receive dunamis. D-U-N-A-M-I-S. We get our word dynamite. More significantly, we get our word dynamic. The power has always existed, but you will tap into it when he comes. The power that was there at creation. The power that was there when the Red Sea was opened. The power that was evident in the lives of the prophets. The power that brought Christ back from the dead. That power, that dynamic will be yours. You wait, and when the Spirit of God comes, there will be a power that will come within you that will change your entire lives.

Even your personalities will be altered. And these who had been shrouded in fear, hiding behind closed doors, when the Spirit of God came, they pushed those doors open, went down the stairs, walked into the streets of Jerusalem and had the audacity against even the odds of persecution and certainly martyrdom to preach Christ openly. That's exactly what they did. They were given dunamis. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.

A.T. Robertson writes, Not the power about which they were concerned, political organization and equipments for empire on the order of Rome. This new power was to enable them. From dunami to be able.

You will be given ability. That's why I use the word dynamic rather than dynamite. Dynamite suggests that everywhere they went, they just exploded things.

It wasn't like that. It was a deep power. It was a residing sense of dynamic. It was a sense of invincibility and confidence regardless of the odds. It's the kind of dynamic you would love to have in a world like ours. And Christians, you have it.

F.F. Bruce writes, They would be clothed with heavenly power, that power by which in the event their mighty works were accomplished and their preaching made effective. Let me read that again. They would be clothed with heavenly power, that power by which in the event their mighty works were accomplished and their preaching made effective. As Jesus himself had been anointed at his baptism with the Holy Spirit and power, so his followers were now to be similarly anointed and enabled to carry out his work. The power is the unparalleled aid which the Holy Spirit would grant.

And they would have ability beyond their own natural born strength. And that is the power you and I have been given, men and women. I think it's worth blowing the dust off this truth.

I think it's worth another look. And in coming, he affirms his will for us. You want to see quickly a couple or three of those examples? Verse 8, you were just reading with me. When the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you'll receive dynamic and, look at the first response, you shall be my witnesses. The dynamic to be a witness. The ability to witness openly and effectively for the cause of Jesus Christ. You'll be witnesses in Jerusalem, right where you live. That witness will spread beyond there to Judea and Samaria.

You will even be involved in reaching the remotest part of the earth. Chapter 4, chapter 4 of Acts, there will be the ability to persevere. Four thirteen. Peter and John have been preaching in the streets. They've been called up short by the officials and they're now looking their officials in the eyes. And the officials, verse 13, as they observe the confidence of Peter and John, understood that they were uneducated and ignorant and untrained men, they were marveling.

Why? Why would they marvel at untrained and unlearned men? Because they began to recognize that these are Jesus people. These are men who have been with Jesus.

How would they know that? The dynamic. These are different kind of men.

They're not like the run-of-the-mill soldiers we deal with, or politicians, or the officials that we run with. These are dynamic kind of men. These are men who have been with Jesus.

Chapter 5, I love this section in 528. The council is chiding them, slapping their hands, the Sanhedrin. We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching. And you intend to bring this man's blood upon us. Peter and the apostles answered and said, Oh, I don't know what we're going to do next. No. They answered and said, We must obey God rather than men.

Friend, that's dynamic. They're standing in front of the officials. Normally you'd be intimidated in the courtroom. Here they are unintimidated.

Untrained, ignorant, albeit they are unintimidated. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you put to death by hanging him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to his right hand as a prince and savior to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses.

Remember Acts 1.8? You will receive power. You'll be witnesses.

That's what's happened. We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit. Interesting how they link those two.

Whom God has given to those who obey him. And they were cut to the quick. And they intended to slay them.

You ever read that before? Look, they're going to kill them. These men, unintimidated, are flogged. They are threatened. Verse 40, they took his advice and after calling the apostles they flogged them and ordered them to speak no more in the name of Jesus. Have you ever had that happen? No.

Nor have I. But these had it happened to them. And what happened? They went on their way from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for his name. And every day they kept right on preaching and teaching Christ.

That's dynamic. The last example I was going to use was Stephen, chapter 7. Read it for yourself. Verses 51 to 60.

When he suffers unjustly and finally dies, the first martyr. The power, the dynamic, the willingness to suffer unjustly. How are we going to get the barriers removed between us and the Spirit of God?

I'll give them to you quickly. First of all, there's the barrier of the fearful unknown. The barrier of the fearful unknown. Don't be afraid of the unknown. Be afraid only of that which is not true.

Stay away from that which is not true. But the fearful unknown is a barrier that we must cross. Second is the wall of traditional resistance. We are by nature resistant of that which is new. We are frightened of that which we cannot fully explain.

The wall of traditional resistance will hold us away from the best things God has for us. Number three, the hurdle of personal excuses. The hurdle of personal excuses.

There is an intimacy that has been missed. A dynamic that has become misunderstood. And it has in fact been incorrectly modeled as if those who have the Spirit of God, those are the ones who are obnoxious Christians.

That's not true. They are the ones who are loud and bold and untactful and witnessing to every person coming down the street. That's not of the Spirit. When the Spirit of God is there, there is a peace, there is a confidence, there is a loyalty to truth. There is an unintimidated persevering consistency that lines up with living as God intended us to live. And that is what we want.

That is what we hope this series will help provide. Let's bow together. Father, I'm very grateful for your truth and I'm thankful that as we tap into it, we discover not just who we are, but far more importantly we discover who you are. And we come to realize that there has been a transfer of power from Christ to us through the presence of the Spirit. Lead us into all truth. Guard us from that which is heresy.

Or just simply the imaginations of a human mind. May we find written within the pages some of the deep things of yourself that will give us new dimensions for living. Thank you in advance for the things you will teach us and the ways that you will use this series in our lives. We anxiously await these coming days. In Jesus' name, we pray.

Amen. You're listening to Insight for Living. And on today's program, Chuck Swindoll has completed his very first message in a 14-part series on the Holy Spirit.

It's called Flying Closer to the Flame. To learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit us online at insightworld.org. We're pleased to let you know this teaching series is complemented by one of Chuck's books. This one is called Embraced by the Spirit. And the subtitle gives you an idea of what you can expect to receive in this book. It's The Untold Benefits of Intimacy with God. You see, walking with God's Spirit brings us peace and comfort.

It's a relationship that calms our deepest fears and replaces them with hope. This is a powerfully practical book. Again, it's called Embraced by the Spirit. To purchase a copy right now, go to insight.org slash store. Or give us a call. If you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888. Well, this month tends to be one of the leanest months for nonprofit media ministries like Insight for Living. So as God prompts you to give a donation, please follow His leading. Your contribution will truly make a difference for those who've come to rely on Chuck's teaching every day. Because you give, we're able to provide Insight for Living not only in English but in eight additional languages as well. To give a donation today, call us.

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