The Ministry of the Holy Spirit

born again. I want to ask that you join with me in prayer as we prepare our hearts to receive the word of God. Dear God, I come before you recognizing the fact that in and of myself, Lord, I have nothing to offer.

I'm not just least of the apostles, least of the sinners, but I am least of the saints, but I am chief of sinners. nothing to offer Lord except my own weakness, my ignorance, my failure, my fear, my brokenness. But Lord, I come to you with great hope

and great expectation that you, God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will see fit to open the eyes of our understanding to what you have in store for us. I pray Lord for anyone who is here who has yet to truly come to faith in Christ. Lord, let this be that day. Let

this be that day, oh God. Pour out your spirit. Be gracious. Be merciful. Reveal yourself, Jesus, to us. Let us behold the lamb of God seated on his throne. high and lifted up. We ask these things in Jesus name. Amen.

As you can tell, I'm not Pastor Milton. I'm filling in for him this morning. So, if you're here visiting with us and you were hoping for Pastor Milton, just pretend I'm Pastor Milton. We will be focusing our attention this morning on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit. we cannot accomplish anything

to the glory of God apart from the ministry of God the Spirit. And sad to say, we too easily fall into the trap of independence even as we seek to do the work of God. We fail to realize our total and complete dependence on and need for God. A Wtoer was a pastor from the middle

part of the last century. he offers a critique of the church in his day and he concluded then quote if the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today 95% of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference you can decide what you want regarding what you think about what awtoer says

but he clearly is drawing our attention to our need to seek God in prayer and engage ministry in the power of and dependence upon the Holy Spirit of God. Charles Haden Spurgeon the prince of preachers gives this counsel. He says value above all things the Holy Spirit. Realize your entire dependence upon him.

Venture not into the world without a fresh store of his hallowed influence. It is he who imparts power to the word preached or else it could never reach further than the ear. It is he who breaks the heart. It is he who makes it whole. He from first to last is the great worker of salvation in us.

In Zechariah 4:6, some of you are familiar with the passage. The word of the Lord comes to Zerubbabel. He was the civic leader of Jerusalem tasked with the responsibility to finish rebuilding the temple. The work of rebuilding the temple had stalled and Zerubbabel needed encouragement and guidance from God to

carry out the work. God provides such encouragement and guidance through the prophet Zechariah. And in Zechariah 4:6, we read this. Then he answered and said to me, "Yahweh, God answered, spoke to me the prophet." This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying to Zerubbabel, "Not by might, nor by power,

but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts." Saints of God, let us be reminded today that we need the ministry of God's spirit for our own growth as well as the growth of those to whom we minister. I am entitling my message the ministry of the Holy Spirit. And we will consider 10

truths regarding the Holy Spirit to encourage us in our growth as well as the growth of those to whom we minister. We're going to consider these 10 truths and then seek to apply these truths afterwards. So let us begin with truth number one. Number one, the Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune God.

This is extremely important. I know that I will never be able to help us to more fully and appropriately wrap our minds and hearts around this precious truth. But it is a fact biblically speaking that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune God. The Bible teaches that there is one God eternally existing

in three distinct persons. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The oneness of God is affirmed in Deuteronomy 6:4. Here, O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is one. And in 1 Timothy 2:5, for there is one God, and yet the one God eternally exists in three distinct persons. 1 Corinthians

8:6 speaks of God the Father, from whom are all things. God the Father. John 1:1 declares, "The word was with God and the word was God." And then later in verse 14, we read that the word became flesh and dwelt among us. God became man. The second person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ, came into this world,

became man. In Titus 2:13, we read regarding Jesus, right? He is our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. And so we have God the Father and we have God the Son. We discover the third person of the Trinity in Acts 5 3-4 among other passages. But in Acts 53-4, the context of that passage has a

married couple premeditating a lie that they would present to the church. Ananas was the first to lie. And then we read in verses 3-4, but Peter said, "Ananas, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?" Peter goes on to say, "You have not lied

to men, but you have lied to God." In lying to the Holy Spirit, Peter makes it clear that Ananas in fact was lying to God. I.e. The Holy Spirit is God, fully God, the third person of the triune God. And so, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three persons making up the one Godhead.

Scripture also refers to God as well as each member of the Trinity raising Jesus from the dead. This is simply to support and to affirm our belief in the Trinity. In Acts 2:24, Peter preaches and he declares that God raised him up again. God raised him up again. Speaking of Jesus being raised, Galatians 1:1 tells

us that God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. In John 10, Jesus says, "I laid down my life only to take it up again." And in 1 Peter 3:18, we learn that Jesus was made alive by the spirit. And so from these passages we see that each member of the triune God raised Christ from the dead. God raised him,

the father raised him, the son raised him and the spirit raised him up bodily from the dead. the trinity is foundational to our understanding of God the spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune God. He is fully God, yet he is not the father and he is not the son.

Embracing the doctrine of the Trinity helps us better understand some of God's attributes such as, for example, God's eternal love and joy. Love is possible only where there is an object to love. The doctrine of the Trinity helps us make sense of John's declaration that God is love. Each

member of the Trinity has always in eternity past and throughout all of history, even into the future, always loved the other members of the Trinity. The Father loves the Son and the Spirit. The Son loves the Father and the Spirit. And the Spirit loves the Son and the Father.

The Trinity reveals a love triangle beyond our ability to fully comprehend an explosion of love. The Bible tells us that in the presence of God there is fullness of joy and at his right hand pleasure forever more. Such joy cannot exist in isolation. This fullness of joy makes sense only in view of the Trinity.

This love and joy we see reflected when God created and brought Eve to Adam in the garden. God's reason for declaring this first union very good is that they glorified God by reflecting his image in relation to each other as they expressed love and joy in their relationship with each other. They were filled and

overflowing with this love and joy again as a as an expression of the image of God himself. But as we know, the bliss that Adam and Eve enjoyed was marred at the fall. And we must embrace our need for the ministry of God the Spirit if we are to rightly live to the praise of his glory

and to reflect his image as we were designed for to begin with. The fact that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune God is a magnificent truth that should encourage us as we continue with the rest of the truths. And so let us now turn to truth number two. The Holy Spirit participates

in salvation by regenerating one who is spiritually dead and granting to that person new life and the ability to believe the gospel. The Holy Spirit is responsible for regeneration, for regenerating the sinner and making him a saint. Several passages underscore God's work in salvation. Philippians 1:6 says,

"He who began a good work in you will complete it." In Ephesians 2 4-5 we read, "But God being rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us. Even when we were dead in our transgressions, God made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved." Clearly, God is actively

involved in our salvation. Even so, the Holy Spirit is a critical player in our salvation by regenerating one who is spiritually dead. When Jesus told Nicodemus in John chapter 3 that he must be born again, he was referring to his need to be born from above, to be born of the Holy

Spirit. In Titus 3:5, we read that he, God, saved us not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy

Spirit. The Holy Spirit is actively involved in regenerating and renewing the fallen sinner. Regeneration refers to the new birth, being born again. Renewal refers to a renovation or a complete change for the better. And this is what the Holy Spirit does. He regenerates and he

renews one who is spiritually dead. and he grants to that person new life and the ability to believe the gospel. If you are in Christ, it is because of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in your life. He regenerated you. He renewed you. Let us turn to truth number three. If

you have repented and believe in Christ, the Holy Spirit lives in you. [clears throat] The third person of the triune God takes up residence in you. In John 14:16-17, Jesus promised, he says, I will ask the father and he will give you another helper that he may be with you forever.

This helper is a reference to the spirit. That is 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 and he will be in you. In you. The helper Jesus refers to is the Holy Spirit. And he promised that the spirit would be in

those who believe. In 2 Timothy 1:14 we read and we read this last week, right? Guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. The Holy Spirit who dwells in us, right? guard the treasure which has been entrusted to you, that gospel treasure, the Holy Spirit dwells in the believer. 1

Corinthians 6:19, Paul raises the question, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you whom you have from God and that you are not your own." Paul's point is that the believer's body, your body is a temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells

and that the body, your body, the believer's body belongs to God. In Ephesians 1:13 to4, we read, "In him you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, having also believed, you were sealed. You were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of promise who is given as a

pledge of our inheritance with a view to the redemption of God's own possession to the praise of his glory. The ceiling refers to an official mark of identification placed on a document indicating that that document was thereby officially under the authority of the person whose stamp was on the

seal. We who believe have been sealed in Christ with the Holy Spirit of promise. Such sealing indicates security, authenticity, ownership and authority. Our salvation is secured by the Holy Spirit. The authenticity of our salvation is secured and and proven by

the Holy Spirit. The seal of the Holy Spirit indicates God's ownership of and rightful authority over our lives. And child of God, there is nothing we can do to break that seal. If you have repented and believe in Christ, the third person of the triune God dwells in you. He

lives in you. This brings us to truth number four. The indwelling Holy Spirit prays for you. He prays for you. And we see this in Romans 8:26-27 where the Apostle Paul writes, "And in the same way, the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, also helps our weakness, for we do not

know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the spirit is because he the spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Again, Romans 8:26-27, this passage refers to us as being weak

and ignorant. We don't know how to pray as we should. And yet the Holy Spirit prays for us. His prayers for us are emotional. He groans. His prayers for us are known by God. The text says that he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the spirit

is. God knows the mind of the spirit because the spirit is interceding. He is speaking to God on our behalf for us. And so God knows the mind of the spirit because the mind of the spirit as he prays for us is being revealed to God. And note this that the spirit is in fact interceding according to the will of

God. That means that his prayers are always perfect and they are always answered. The spirit prays for the saints. That's what the text says. And this underscores his care and concern for those who belong to God. And it also underscores our identity.

We are saints, holy ones. We are saints by imputation. The righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us. We are dressed up in his perfection. The spirit wants for the righteousness of Christ that has been imputed to be

imparted to us as well. The spirit prays for us in groanings to the end that we be conformed into the image of Christ. The spirit desires not just our positional righteousness. He desires our practical righteousness as well. Child of God, be encouraged to know that God the Spirit lives in you and he is

relentless in his prayers for you. Well, let us now consider truth number five. The Holy Spirit teaches you. Jesus promised his apostles that the Holy Spirit would teach them and bring to their remembrance what is needed in their oral and written communication to God's people. In John 14:26, we hear

Jesus saying, "But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I've said to you." Also in John 16:13 we read, "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, the Spirit, hears, he will speak, and he will disclose to you what is to come." This passage makes it clear that the Holy Spirit is a teacher and through his teaching, we learn. The teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit is further illumined in John's first epistle. In 1

John 2:20, we read, "But you have an anointing," referring to the anointing of the spirit. "You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know." Again, he's referring to the anointing of the Holy Spirit. And then a few verses later in 1 John 2:27, we read, "The anointing which you received from

him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you, but as his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not the lie. And just as it has taught you, you abide in him." John is affirming the fact that the Holy Spirit serves as a teacher to those that belong to him.

The Holy Spirit is a teacher and through his word he teaches us. And this is why it is important that we download the words of the spirit into our souls. We need the word of God for spiritual birth, nourishment, growth, and battle. And we need the spirit to aid our understanding of God's word. And if our

understanding of God's word is accurate, we will end up looking at Christ. And this brings us to truth number six. The Holy Spirit points you to Christ. The Holy Spirit points you to Christ. In 1 John 5:6-7, we read this is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with

the water only, but with the water and with the blood, speaking of his literal incarnation and how he came as a fully human being. He was fully God, fully human. Verse seven here tells us that it is the spirit who bears witness because the spirit is the truth. The Holy Spirit bears witness to Jesus Christ and the

truth about who Jesus is and what Christ has done for us. In John 15:26, the Lord is recorded as saying, "The spirit of truth who proceeds from the father, he will bear witness of me." You see how the spirit points us to Christ. Once again, we are told that the Holy Spirit bears witness

of Jesus. It is his goal to point us to Christ. So that we rightly behold who Christ is, what he has done, so that as we behold him, we are being transformed from from one level of glory onto the next. In John 16:14, Jesus declares that when the Holy Spirit comes, right, referring to Pentecost, he will glorify

Christ. The indwelling spirit seeks to bear witness of and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. And so what this tells us is that any teaching or any preaching that fails to point us to Christ is void of the spirit. Well, let us now consider truth number seven. The Holy Spirit convicts. The

Holy Spirit convicts. He convicts you. He convicts me. He convicts the world. John 16:7-8 we read Jesus speaking, "If I do not go away, the helper shall not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you, and he when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment."

The convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit includes convincing someone of the truth, reproving, accusing, refuting, examining, finding fault, and convincing that person of his need for Christ. In this passage, the spirit convicts or say he convinces the world of sin,

righteousness, and judgment. John MacArthur argues that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, specifically the sin of not repenting of sin and embracing Christ as the only way of salvation. Unbelief is the only thing that will leave a person eternally separated

from God and condemned. The spirit convicts the world of righteousness and this includes the necessary righteousness required for salvation. The spirit reveals that we are bankrupt and we need an alien righteousness that only Christ can offer. Thus, the spirit points us to the

righteous one that we through faith in him would embrace him and from him receive righteousness. The Holy Spirit also convinces the world of judgment. This includes God's righteous judgment. Every enemy of Christ will experience eternal judgment. But there is a way of escape through the Lord Jesus who

experienced judgment in our place so that through faith in him we might escape such a terrifying judgment. Thus, the Holy Spirit brings conviction to a world in desperate need to embrace the Lord Jesus as the only means by which one can be saved. And the Holy Spirit continues his convicting, his

convincing work in the believer's life. So that the believer continues to look to Christ, to Christ alone as his only remedy for sin, his only standard and source of righteousness and the one through whom he escapes judgment and eternal condemnation in the lake of fire. Well, let us now turn to truth

eight. Number eight, the Holy Spirit brings comfort to you in your struggles. He brings comfort. God is referred to as the God of all comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3. In 2 Corinthians 7:6, we read that God comforts the depressed. God comforts us through the ministry of his Holy Spirit.

In John 14:16, our Lord proclaims, "I will ask the Father, he will give to you another helper that he may be with you forever." John 14:26, we read, "But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all

that I have said to you." The word for helper is pericleas. The Holy Spirit is our paricletos. The word is translated comforter in the King James version, counselor in the New International Version. Each translation works. The point is that the Holy Spirit is a source of comfort in our lives.

He is there to comfort us, to counsel us. Some of you are going through a very difficult season. Your heart is heavy, burdened over the well-being of a family member or friend.

Someone you love is not doing well. You are concerned about their physical or spiritual well-being. You are burdened. You are grieved. A couple you care about is in the midst of an ugly divorce. A family is being torn apart by the ravages of sin.

Perhaps you are the one struggling with sin. your relationships are strained, overwhelmed with discouragement. You feel like giving up and the burdens feel too big to bear. The God of all comfort knows his spirit dwells in you and he is there

to stay. He is crying out in groanings too deep for words. His aim is to teach you and point you to your great high priest and good shepherd. That you may feel the convicting power of the Holy Spirit as your weakness, ignorance, and failure is ever before you. But that same spirit

who convicts you is also there to bring you comfort. He wants to comfort you in the midst of your sorrow, grief, and disappointment. He wants you to experience his comfort even as you feel overwhelmed by the burdens that surround you. God, the spirit wants for you to

experience his comfort. But that is not all that he wants to do in your life. He wants to build you into the person he wants you to be. And that does bring us to truth number nine. The Holy Spirit strengthens and empowers you. In Acts 18, Luke records the Lord's

promise to his disciples. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7 that God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power through the indwelling spirit. We do have power. Consider Paul's prayer to God in Ephesians

that he would grant to you to his Ephesian readers that that God would grant to them according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his spirit in the inner man. Now Paul knows that spiritual strength is impossible apart from the strengthening ministry of God the

spirit. Thus he prays to God to strengthen his Ephesian readers from the inside out with power by the Holy Spirit. And such a power we must conclude is in accord with God's will. Saint of God, child of God, Christian, the indwelling spirit as a source of

strength and power. And through the strengthening power of the Holy Spirit, it becomes possible that Christ dwells in your heart through faith that we being rooted and grounded in love and that we experience the fullness of God individually and together in community with one another. In other words, the

Holy Spirit strengthens and empowers us to be what God intends for us to be. Let us now turn to truth number 10. Number 10. The Holy Spirit produces relational building fruit in those who believe in Christ. The Holy Spirit produces fruit. Relational building fruit. In Galatians chapter 5, Paul

teaches that those who walk by and are led by the spirit, they can expect to bear fruit. Galatians 5:22, we learn that the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. An understanding of Galatians makes it

clear that the gospel lays the foundation for the fruitbearing ministry of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life. It is through the power of the gospel that one can walk in a way that by the spirit fruit is being produced. So we have considered and I think rather briefly 10 truths regarding the ministry

of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune God who regenerates, indwells, prays for, teaches, points to Christ, convicts, comforts, strengthens, and empowers, and bears fruit in the lives of those who through faith in Christ are children of God.

And so, this leaves us with a question. How should we respond to these 10 encouraging truths? What ought our response to be? Well, first let us pray. Let us pray. Pray for the outpouring of the spirit and his ministry in and through our lives. We have already considered Paul's prayer

for the Ephesians in 3:16 where he prays for them to be strengthened with power by the spirit and the inner man. And so we should be praying for one another to be strengthened by God the spirit. When is the last time that you beseech the Lord to bring strength to your brothers and sisters in Christ? Well, let us also

consider the words of Jesus in Luke 11 9-13. This has become one of those passages that has encouraged me tremendously over the last few months. I love what Jesus says. Listen to his words. I say to you, ask and it shall be given to you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be

opened to you. What are we to ask for? What are we to seek? What is it that we're knocking for? Well, he's going to end up telling us. But listen to what he says in verse 10. For everyone who asks receives. That's a promise. He who seeks finds. That's a promise.

To him who knocks it shall be opened. That's a promise. And then he goes on to say by way of illustration to help us to understand the kindness of God, the love, the goodness, the generosity of God. He tells us, "Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish.

He will not give him a snake instead of a fish. Will he?" Rhetorical question implied answer. No way. I'm a dad. I know. No way. or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? Of course not. But then it's very interesting how Jesus

says, "If you then being evil, I think what is implied is the fact that there is absolutely no evil intent in the heart of God at all. But if you then being evil as opposed to God who is not evil, if you then dads being evil, you know how to give good gifts to your own children, how much more shall your

heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. This is a call, I believe, upon us to be asking the Lord to pour out his spirit because we need him. We need his spirit. Apart from him we can do nothing. Not by might nor by power but only by the spirit says the Lord of hosts.

As decent dads are pleased to bless their own children, so too is our heavenly father pleased beyond measure to give his spirit to all who ask. While I know that as a believer, God the spirit does dwell in me. I am praying for the Lord to fill me

with his spirit. I want to be brought under the controlling influence of the spirit. That's what is implied by being filled. Being brought under the controlling influence of the spirit who actually does indwell in us. We have the whole spirit in us. We just need to be filled with. We need to be controlled.

We we we need to be walking by. I am also praying for God to pour out his spirit in such a way that my cornerstone brethren are controlled, influenced and shaped by the spirit. Oh, what a difference that could make. Furthermore, and and and in saying that I am not saying that we don't have the

spirit or we're not full of please don't mistake me. Don't don't don't take me wrong. It's very clear the work of the spirit amongst us. But I want a greater experience of the filling of the spirit in and through us here at Cornerstone., I do pray for every loved one

represented here at Cornerstone. I am praying that every person whose name is brought before God's throne of grace, that every single one of those unsaved persons would in due time come under the regenerating power of the spirit. That they would by faith embrace Christ and then be sealed by the spirit

onto eternal life. And I trust that you are more than pleased to join with me in that prayer. Come before the throne of God's grace and in prayer agonize over the souls of the loved ones represented here at Cornerstone Fellowship Bible Church. Oh God, let not one whose name has been

brought before your throne of grace die in their sin. God, our people have come before your throne of grace in weeping, in tears, in pleading, in begging. Oh God, save my loved one. Save my child. Save my parent. Save my sibling. Save my uncle. Save my aunt. Save my neighbor. Brothers and sisters, join with me,

please, in praying for an outpouring of God's spirit in and through us and into the lives of those that we care deeply about. We are to pray. [snorts] Second, let us be filled with the Holy Spirit. We are commanded in Ephesians 5:18, "Do

not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the spirit." We have two commands here. The first is a negative one, right? Do not get drunk with wine. We are not to come under the controlling influence of any alcoholic drink. And I would argue from this verse that in

principle we are not to be controlled by any mindaltering drink or drug. [snorts] Instead, we are commanded to be under the controlling influence of the Holy Spirit. And Paul goes on to describe what this looks like. Those who are under the controlling influence of the Holy Spirit will be right Ephesians 5:19

speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. That's called Christ centeredness. Singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord. Once again, Christ centeredness always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus

Christ to God even the father. Once again, this is Christ centered, Christ exalting, and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Christ is referred to in each of these descriptions of what it looks like to be filled with the spirit of God. [snorts]

Notice the spiritfilled behavior, speaking, singing, giving thanks, being subject to one another. And again, as I have indicated, at the very center of all of these spiritfilled behaviors is the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the key to [snorts] being spiritfilled. That is why the command to be filled is

frontloaded with gospel truth that we read about in Ephesians chapters 1 2 and 3 and then backloaded with a description of behaviors that are all centered on the Lord Jesus Christ. Is it any wonder that the spirit points us to Christ? Knowing that as we look to him, as we look to Christ, we become

more and more under the controlling influence of the spirit. We become conformed increasingly into the image of Christ. Well, this brings us to a third response to the truths that we have already considered. Third, let us walk by and be led by the Holy Spirit. Let us walk by. Let us be led by the

Holy Spirit. I'm just going to read Galatians 5:16-2. Just let let the Lord speak to you through this text. Paul says, "I say, walk by the spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. [snorts] For the flesh sets its desire against the spirit, and

the spirit against the flesh. For these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident which are listen to this list immorality, impurity, sensuality,

idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outburst of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. This is a partial list. He says, "And things like these of which I forewarn you, just as I have already foreworned you, that those who

practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." And then he goes on to talk about the fruit of the spirit. It is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. And he says, "Against such things there is no law." He says, "Now, now those who

belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." He says, "If we live by the spirit, and in fact we do by faith in Christ, we have been granted life. The spirit indwells us." And so, if we actually have come to life by the spirit, and if we live by the spirit, he

tells us, "Let us then walk by the spirit, let us walk also by the spirit. [snorts] Fourth, let us repent whenever the Holy Spirit convicts us and let us bring ourselves under the authority of God and fall in line in

submission to and in agreement with God and what he tells us in his sacred word. Let us repent whenever the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. If and when God the Spirit brings conviction of sin, we do well to repent rather than argue against God. Have you ever argued against God?

Have you ever been in a situation where you feel yourself tempted to question God? I have. The temptation at times depending upon what we are going through can be to question to argue

why but the tone is wrong we can ask why but when the tone is wrong why again rather than argue against God defend end our actions, blameshift, or make light of our sin. I'm not as bad as that other I'm not like, you know, the tax collector. [snorts] We do well to see

to see our sin for what it is and humbly and freely confess our sin to God and seek his forgiveness. This is the walking in the light that John describes in First John chapter 1. I encourage you to read 1 John chapter 1, a great chapter where he says, "God is light. In him there is no darkness at

all." Not a hint. As we walk in the light, God will expose the darkness. Sin revealed. John knows this. And this is the reason he reminds his readers there in the chapter that the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all sin. Remember that John goes on to say that if we say that we have no sin, we are

deceiving ourselves. The truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Therefore, let us be a people who embrace exposure and then boldly confess our sin, knowing that in Christ we have cleansing and forgiveness. It is

guaranteed. So, how ought we to respond to the ministry of the spirit? How are we to respond to the 10 truths that were earlier presented? Let us pray. Action point. Pray for the outpouring of the spirit., obey the command to be

filled with the spirit. Bring yourself under the controlling influence of the spirit., let us walk by and let us be led by the spirit. this requires that we are in his word, know his word, and allow the the the word of the spirit to dwell richly within us. let us repent whenever the spirit convicts us

of sin. let us agree with God's assessment of us knowing that we have cleansing through the blood of Christ and that he is ready to forgive and that our fellowship so that our fellowship with the Lord might be restored. [snorts] And so friends, scripture presents two

ways of walking. There are two ways of living, two distinct lifestyles. Scripture helps us paint the picture of walking by the spirit versus walking by the flesh. And I just want to take a few final minutes to unpack some of the differences between walking by the spirit and

walking by the flesh. Some of this has already been made clear, but let ju just give me some time to to further unpack. [snorts] When walking by the spirit, our eyes are fixed on God. We have a big view of God. We are aware of his greatness, glory, magnificence, majesty, his beauty,

excellence, omnipresent. He is everywhere, omniscience. He knows all things. His his perfection, his holiness, his purity, his sovereignty, supremacy, love, mercy, goodness, and grace. We are aware we have an exalted view of God. But when we walk according to the flesh,

our view of God is diminished at best. We suppress the truth and deceive ourselves into thinking and acting as if there is no God at all. When walking according to the spirit, our minds are set on things above. Colossians chapter 3:es 1 and following., our minds are set on things above where Christ is

seated at the right hand of God. And through the eyes of faith, we see the Lord seated on his throne high, lifted up. We are aware of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the truths that are linked to the gospel. We are reminded that the perfect lamb of God died on the cross, was laid to rest in the tomb,

rose bodily from the dead, appeared to hundreds, ascended into heaven, and took a seat at his father's right hand. And from there he advocates and he intercedes for us and he will return again someday and we look forward to his return even as we go about our father's business in the present.

When walking according to the spirit we behold him. But those who walk according to the flesh fail to give proper thought to Christ. They are not sincerely interested in the person and work of Christ. They are more fixed on self rather than the savior. Self is on the throne full of pride, idolatrous. There

are other things other thoughts, other ideas that are more important to them than thoughts of Christ. Those who walk according to the spirit are biblically informed. We may be at different stages of growth and maturity, but we have an appetite for the truth revealed in God's word.

And we eagerly desire the pure spiritual milk of the word. We seek to humbly receive the word implanted. This means that we seek to obey what God says in his word. We do not claim to do this perfectly. We know that we struggle with the remnants of indwelling sin, but that in and of itself is a sign of life in

us. And yet we grab hold of the sword of the spirit and we engage in spiritual warfare. But those who walk according to the flesh no interest in God, the gospel his word. Their thoughts are worldly. They exchange the truth of God for lies. They

call good evil and evil good. They glory in their shame. They make themselves the standard of right and wrong rather than submitting to the authoritative, lifegiving, allsufficient word of God. Those who walk according to the spirit are directed towards Christ and therefore they pray to the father in the

name of Jesus. They pray in the spirit and according to the will of God as revealed in his sacred and precious word and they recognize their need and they therefore pray. But those who walk according to the flesh, they see no need for prayer. They are independent. They feel no need for God.

They fail to understand that every breath that they breathe is a gift from God. Every beating of the heart comes from God. They failed to recognize their utter and complete dependence on on God who grants to them life, even if it's just physical life. Those who walk according to the spirit will produce

fruit. John 15:8 Jesus says, "By this my father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." In Matthew 7:16, Jesus says, "You will recognize them by their fruits." [snorts] In the parable of the seed and the sewer, Jesus teaches that the seed

that falls on good soil, it will bear fruit. We don't all bear the same amount of fruit, but all who are saved, sealed by and walking by the spirit, they will bear some fruit. James makes it clear that true faith results in transformation. James chapter 2. In

James 3 11-12, James confronts us with a few rhetorical questions. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Neither can salt water produce fresh. His point is that we are to behave according to what we

are. Those who are born of the spirit, in whom the spirit dwells, walking, living by, and walking by the spirit, they're going to bear fruit. And of course again you know what the fruit of the spirit is. Love, joy, peace, patience, so on and so forth. But those who walk according to

the flesh will never bear the fruit of the spirit. They may look good on the outside. They may reflect God's image in ways that make genuine believers look bad, but they will not produce fruit that flows from the indwelling spirit. Often those walking according to the flesh manifest the deeds of the flesh as

described in Galatians 5:19. Let me read it again. The deeds of the flesh are evident which are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, outburst of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like

these of which I forewarned you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things, those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Those who walk according to the spirit engage in fellowship with God's people. The fruit of the spirit are relational building qualities and it

is impossible to walk by the spirit in isolation from the people of God. The apostle John in 1 John 4:7 tells us that he who is born of God loves the brethren. But those who walk according to the flesh have little room for the love of God's people. They fail to prioritize fellowship because they are

suppressing the spirit or or have not the spirit dwelling in them. Let me end finally with an application. I want to speak to our young people. This will be pretty quick just to help us further understand what we're talking about. Young person, I want you to imagine one of your

parents asking you to clean your room right now. Clean your room right now. You don't know it, but your mom wants your room tidy because of a surprise visit. Company is now on its way. The problem is that you are in the middle of playing your favorite video game and you simply

do not want to stop. Young friend, what might walking by the spirit look like in this situation? You remember you you stop you think and you consider you like you've accepted Christ and so you consider yourself a child of God. The spirit lives in you. you are aware that God teaches you

you know because you've been taught to pass the children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. But nevertheless you are feeling a strong pull towards ignoring your mom and you're wanting to play the game. You are recognizing in yourself this this pull towards idolatry in your

heart. And so you take the time, you talk to God. You speak to God about this and you ask God, "Oh Lord God, please help me. Fill me with your spirit and and help me to honor your word and help me to obey my mom. This isn't all that difficult really." You then pause the video game and you proceed to tidy your

room. It becomes spotless, [snorts] immaculate, everything in its proper place. Yes, mom, it's true. It can happen. It takes about 20 minutes and when your mom checks in, you are back to playing your game, but your room is tidy. And

your mom responds by saying, "Thank you, sweetheart, for picking up your room. It looks great. You have pleased your mom. But more importantly, you have honored the Lord. You made the difficult choice of dying

to yourself and walking according to the spirit of God. Now, may the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Will you pray with me please? And as the worship team comes forward,

let us pray. We are praying Lord that in your mercy and in your grace that Lord Jesus from your throne on high. [snorts] We ask Lord for an outpouring of your spirit. We ask Lord for an awakening.

We ask Lord that there would be a dying to self. We pray oh God that you would forgive us for the countless ways that we have sinned and fallen short of your glory. Oh God, forgive us. Forgive us. Forgive me. Oh Lord, you know better than we that we

are but from the dust. And Lord, that we need your help. Lord, fill us. We thank you for the spirit who indwells us. But we pray he would have greater control over us. That there would be death to self. And that Lord, we would reflect your image. That we would walk by, live by, be filled with, Lord, the

spirit of God. Help us, Lord. That Lord, you would help us to be what you call us to be despite what happens around us, despite what other people do around us, despite what they do to us or say to us. Lord, let us respond in the power of the spirit. We are weak and we need strength that comes from you. We need strength

that your spirit is able to provide, Lord. And so we pray you tell us, Lord, that if you fathers who are evil know how to give good gifts, how much more will your father in heaven give the spirit to those who ask? So we ask, Lord, for your spirit to have its way in and through us. And we pray, Lord, for

those that are unsaved. We pray for our loved ones who don't know Christ. Oh God, we pray Lord that you would save them. Have mercy. Oh God, we pray that your spirit would be swift to go after them, to convict them, to regenerate them, and to bring life to

them. Oh God, I pray, Lord, that even now that my brothers and sisters, they're bringing names before your throne of grace. that names are being brought to you, oh God, and that you are hearing, that you are listening, that you are pleased. And we

thank you, oh God, for the spirit who indwells us, who cries out to you in groanings that are too deep for words. Oh God, the spirit continue your ministry in and through us. Pray for us. And Lord, oh, please conform us into the image of Christ. make us to be more like Christ,

that the fruit of the spirit is born, that we are a loving and forgiving people. Oh God, help us. And even with these things said, Lord, we pray for an awakening in our country. Oh God, from the pulpits throughout this nation, let the word of Christ be

proclaimed where repentance is needed. Lord, grant repentance. Bless our homes. Bless our church. Bless the churches. Bless this nation. Even so,

Marinatha Lord come quickly in Jesus name we pray. Amen. [snorts] [applause]