Scripture: Jn 14:16-17
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
The Holy Spirit fulfils God's purpose for the Church.
The Church must have a right understanding and relationship with the Holy Spirit.
How is your relationship with the Holy Spirit?
The way we perceive the Holy Spirit impacts the way we respond to Him.
The Holy Spirit is a Personal Being.
I. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS KNOWABLE
"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." (Jn 14:15-17)
A. The Holy Spirit Wants You To Know Him
Greek Word “Know”:
- Ginosko (v.17): Relational, knowing something because of an experience that allows you to intimately and personally know it
- Oida: Knowledge about something through observation
When was the last time that I undeniably experienced the Holy Spirit at work in or through me?
B. The Holy Spirit Wants To Build Intimacy With You
"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen." (2 Cor 13:14, MEV)
Communion (koinonia) means Intimacy
To cultivate intimacy with someone, you need to know the personality of the one you desire to be intimate with.
The Holy Spirit desires personal intimacy with every believer.
Every believer has a relationship with the Holy Spirit, but not everyone is intimate with Him.
Intimacy with the Holy Spirit only comes through surrender.
Spend time communicating with the Holy Spirit.
To cultivate Intimacy with the Holy Spirit, we need to Know and Experience the Emotion, Mind, and Will of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
The Holy Spirit has a mind and will and He knows everything.
"Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." (Rom 8:26-27)
The Holy Spirit has feelings.
"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." (Eph 4:30)
Have you been resisting and grieving the Holy Spirit?
Are there issues you need to confess & make right with the Holy Spirit?
II. HOLY SPIRIT IS APPROACHABLE
A. The Holy Spirit is Your Best Friend Forever (BFF)
John 14:16: "Helper”
Greek Word: Paraclete
- Comforter
- "FRIEND” (The Message Version)
The Holy Spirit is God.
God is love. (1 Jn 4:8)
"4 Love is patient, Love is kind. Love does not envy, Love does not boast, Love is not proud. 5 Love does not dishonor others, Love is not self-seeking, Love is not easily angered, Love keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails." (1 Cor 13:4-8)
B. Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth
"I didn’t tell you this earlier," Jesus said, "because I was with you every day. But now I am on my way to the One who sent me. I still have many things to tell you," Jesus continued, "but you can’t handle them now. But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won’t draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said" (Jn 16:4-5; 12-13, MSG)
"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore, I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you" (Jn 16:12-15, NASB)
Spirit of Truth will reveal the Word of God and the hidden areas in our lives.
Is there an area in your life or things that happened which you simply don’t understand?
Do you explode in rage or become extremely fearful or anxious under some circumstances?
"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." (Ex 14:14)
"If we think of the Holy Spirit as a force or a power, tendency is we will ask, 'How can we get more of it?' But if we think of Holy Spirit as a person, we will desire 'how can He have more of me?'" - R.A. Torrey
