The Holy Spirit: The Specialist
John 14:26But 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. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Acts 2: (Peter preaches from the Prophet Joel) 17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.
Romans 8: 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Dear saints and children of God,
We pay a lot of money to receive help from people who specialize in things like our health, our money, and the law. (We may not always realize this until we get the doctor’s bill back)
Today you receive the Holy Spirit again. Poured out.
Here are some of the things that He specializes in:
He is not a spirit of slavery that you fall back into fear, but the Spirit of adoption as sons and daughters.
He is the Spirit the Father sends in Jesus name, the Helper who teaches you all things and brings to your remembrance all that Jesus has said. He gives peace. Let not your hearts be troubled. Neither let them be afraid.
He is the Spirit by whom you cry, “Abba! Father!”
So, this morning, if you have 1-1 ½ hours with Him, what sort of help would you like from Him?
What sort of things don’t you know? He is the teacher of all things.
What sort of things do you keep forgetting? He brings to remembrance all things Jesus said?
How is your heart troubled or afraid?
On the day of Pentecost about 120 followers of Jesus were in Jerusalem in an upper room, likely the same upper room Jesus spent His last evening with His disciples before His death.
They’re in Jerusalem. They have seen the risen Christ. They have witnessed His ascension and now that doing exactly what Jesus told them to do. Pray and wait for the promised Holy Spirit.
Peter is in that upper room.
What sort of things could the Holy Spirit have helped Peter 51 days earlier, on the night Jesus was betrayed.
Courage? Peter denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. He was scared of a little girl.
Peace? Peter runs away weeping bitterly. Fearful and despairing. Cursing himself
Patience and trust in the Lord as judge? Peter pulled out a sword and cut a guards ear off when the guards came with Judas to capture Jesus and Jesus had to say, “No more of this.” The Scriptures had to be fulfilled.
Humility? All this happened after Peter trusted in himself so much that he swore he could never leave Jesus.
But now, Christ has risen. Jesus has ascended and on this day the Spirit is poured on Peter and all 120 followers.
Now, the Spirit has been called to stand beside Peter, sent from the Father in Jesus name.
And the Spirit is working in Peter things that don’t come from Peter.
Like courage
and peace
and remembering
and believing all things that Jesus said
and knowing why Jesus was sent and knowing why the Spirit was sent and knowing why he (Peter) was sent.
Peter believes He is a child of God. God is His Father. The Spirit keeps convincing him of this.
Peter has peace and joy.
Peter’s heart is no longer troubled neither is he afraid.
And Peter stands up in the middle of packed city of Jerusalem.
Likely in the presence of the same chief priests and Pharisees and Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, who were responsible for the crucifixion and death of Jesus.
They did it to Jesus and they could do it Peter.
But if God is for him, who could stand against him.
The Spirit is called to stand with Peter and nothing will separate the Peter from the Spirit.
So Peter preaches a sermon that could be his last words on earth, in full confidence and remembrance of all things Jesus said like.
I am the resurrection and the life
And
If you confess me before men, I will confess you before my Father in heaven,
And
When that hour comes, do not be anxious what you are to say, for at that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you are to say (Luke 12:12)
He stands up and preaches a sermon that could get him killed.
But he believes those words are his life for the life of the world.
God wants all the world that He so dearly loved that He send His only begotten Son, to hear this, in their own language.
And Peter might have been remembering some of the Words of Jesus about loving your enemies and praying for your persecutors and Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,
And he preached to some of the very ones who were yelling “crucify” about Jesus, Peter is now preaches,
Not primarily about the wrath of God,
But about the mighty works of God
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
…. Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ and you will receive the forgiveness of your sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you and for your children (Acts 2:38-39.)
The Father had sent Jesus to make us who were His enemies, His children by taking on the wrath we deserve and covering us with the righteousness of Jesus.
And the Father has sent and continues to send the Helper, the Holy Spirit to give us that peace of God that Jesus had won for us.
Peter had that peace and with that peace, the Holy Spirit was working in Peter joy and courage and love and faith and forgiveness and patience.
We pay a lot of money to receive help from people who specialize in things we don’t know a lot about.
The Father sent Jesus to do a mighty work, to pay the price of our rebellion and sin and all things that took out us of communion with God, so that He could give His Spirit who specializes in things like
Peace,
And life,
And salvation,
And forgiveness,
And teaching us things we wouldn’t have known apart from Him and bringing to our remembrance things we keep forgetting, like this:
You did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15)
You are children of God.
You call God Father.
If the Creator’s eye is on the sparrow, how much more is His eye and love and protection and provision on His own children.
Do not fear.
And, you are not a slave to sin.
The Son has set you free.
So, when you are angry or worried or anxious or filled with lust or greed or fear,
The Spirit will bring to your remembrance that you are not a slave to sin, but you are a child of God.
And when you are filled with guilt and shame and the fear or death and attacks of the devil,
The Spirit will remind you that Jesus has done some things and said some things about that, too.
And it might all be wrapped up in that one truth.
You are a child of God.
You have had about an hour with the Spirit and you’ll have a little bit more time. He specializes in freeing you and giving you peace and bringing to your remembrance the good commandments of God and the wonderful promises of God.
And He does not clock out when you leave you here.
He has been called to stand beside you until the day your hearts never again are troubled or afraid, and the day you don’t need anything taught to you or brought to your remembrance, and the day when you do all things the Father tells you to do out of love and thanksgiving that we get to call God, our Father.