Question 1:
What’s a memorable parade you’ve watched
or attended?
THE POINT
The Holy Spirit magnifies
the work of Jesus.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
New Orleans is known as a city of never-ending parties, but it’s also a city of parades. Lots of parades! For almost no money at all, you can rent a parade. Getting married? Have a parade. Celebrating Celebrating because it’s a Thursday? Have a parade.
When a parade comes down the street, it grabs everyone’s attention—whether they want their attention grabbed or not! Everyone sees the parade and certainly hears it (and often are inconvenienced by it). Parades aren’t meant to be subtle and quiet.
The people in the parade do what they can to draw attention to something they consider worth celebrating.
The Holy Spirit’s role is a lot like that parade, but for a far greater reason. He works tirelessly to magnify the work of Jesus. He works in and through our lives to draw attention to Someone worth celebrating. Since that’s the role of the Holy Spirit, why do we spend so little time talking about Him? Jesus gave us great insight into this too little-discussed member of the Trinity.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
John 15:26-27
26 “When the Counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 You also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.”
Leaving is hard. When I was working toward my doctorate, I was also pastoring a church, which meant my life was extremely hectic for what seemed like decades. In addition to my regular duties at the church and preaching on Sundays, I was also taking weekly trips to and from school. This meant I was flying constantly—and leaving home constantly. It became routine, but it never got easy to drive away from my family toward the airport. And it was never easy for them to watch me go.
It wasn’t easy for Jesus’ disciples, either, to know Jesus was leaving. During Jesus’ last night with the disciples before His arrest, He explained why it was a good thing that He was going away (John 14). He explained it in terms of a gift—but this wasn’t just any gift! The gift was the Holy Spirit! God’s Spirit would do two things for them. The Holy Spirit would testify about Jesus and He would empower the disciples to testify about Jesus.
Just before He ascended into heaven, Jesus reminded His disciples of this gift as He said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
The disciples might not have understood then how powerful these two statements were, but they would soon find out. Acts 2 records the first time they saw the power of the Holy Spirit in their own lives. In Jerusalem, the Festival of Pentecost was in full swing, and Jews from all over the world came to celebrate. On the day of Pentecost, the celebration turned to amazement. Without warning, the Holy Spirit came in a rush and made something unprecedented happen.
Question 2:
When have you experienced the Holy
Spirit helping you proclaim Jesus?
“They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:3-4).
Just as Jesus had said in John 15, the Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to preach about Him so others could understand. Over and over in the Book of Acts, we see people doing amazing things through the Holy Spirit—and every time, the purpose was to proclaim the gospel of Jesus.
In the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20), Jesus called His disciples—and us!—to disciple others, but He never expected us to do that on our own. We are to rely on His Holy Spirit in our lives. We are never alone. We are never forgotten or left to fend for ourselves. Jesus gave us a commission, and then He gave us the power to carry it out. How the Holy Spirit works through us can vary, but it is always for the purpose of pointing to and testifying about Jesus.
John 16:7-11
7 “Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9 About sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 11 and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”
Oftentimes, we’re blind to our own shortcomings. We can be just as blind to sin in our lives. One role of the Holy Spirit is to make us aware of our sin—and He works through us to make others aware of the sin and the truth of the gospel. Note that Jesus said, “I will send him to you,” and “when he comes, he will convict the world.” We can infer that when the Holy Spirit comes to us, He will do His convicting work through us. As we share the gospel and witness for Christ, the Spirit will use our witness to convict unbelievers in three areas.
- Sin. The Holy Spirit convicts us of all sins, but the sin Jesus was referring to here is the sin of unbelief. As He clarified in verse 9: “About sin, because they do not believe in me.”
- Righteousness. Even unbelievers can have a notion of what righteousness is, but the Holy Spirit convicts them about the righteousness of Christ. He leads them to see the truth of who Jesus is: the righteous, holy Son of God. Jesus clarified this in verse 10: “About righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me.”
- Judgment. The work of Satan and our sin was judged on the cross of Christ. Our sin was judged and dealt with through the death of Jesus, and salvation is complete. In verse 11, Jesus clarified: “About judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”
As we share the truth of the gospel, the Spirit convicts the unbeliever of the reality of his sin, the truth of who Jesus is, and how his sin and judgment were dealt with on the cross. Once a person comes to Christ, the Holy Spirit that has come to dwell in Him continues to convict when he sins.
When Jesus was walking with His disciples, they had the best guide anybody could ask for: all they had to do was ask Jesus! They could look at Him and follow in His footsteps. But Jesus was just one man, and He could only be in one place at one time. The Holy Spirit dwells in all believers, and He does everything for us Jesus did for His disciples. Followers of Christ have the exact same Spirit that Jesus promised His disciples, and He dwells within us to empower and guide us in the ways that please the Lord.
Question 3:
When have you seen the Holy Spirit bring
conviction on someone?
John 16:12-15
12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.”
Question 4:
How has the Holy Spirit guided
you into all truth?
The Holy Spirit seeks to glorify Christ. The Holy Spirit doesn’t call attention to Himself; rather He casts every eye on Jesus, the resurrected King. In verses 13-14, Jesus identified several things the Holy Spirit does:
- He guides us into all truth.
- He speaks Jesus’ words to us.
- He glorifies the Son.
These tasks are not separate from one another. In other words, by guiding us into all truth, the Holy Spirit is also glorifying Jesus. Bringing glory and honor to Jesus is a part of everything the Spirit does. We can see that in all the ways the Holy Spirit works. For example, the work of the Holy Spirit is a key theme in Romans 8.
- The Holy Spirit helps us put to death the deeds of the flesh (v. 13).
- The Holy Spirit leads us and directs our steps (v. 14).
- The Holy Spirit testifies that we belong to Christ (v. 16).
How the Spirit does these things directly impacts how we glorify our Savior. As the Spirit helps us put to death the deeds of the flesh, we no longer walk as children of darkness, but as children of the Light—and that brings glory to Jesus, the One who is the Light. The Spirit directs our steps toward actions that honor Christ. The Spirit’s affirmation that we belong to Christ gives us confidence to tell others about our relationship with Christ. At every turn, the Holy Spirit who dwells within believers gives you the tools to live a Christ-glorifying life. Learning to obey Him is a process, but it will be the most joyous journey of your life.
Question 5:
What are some ways the Holy
Spirit has used our group to
glorify Jesus?
THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT
Circle three of the following phrases that mean the most to you
regarding the Holy Spirit’s work. Then choose one of the three circled
phrases and describe how the Holy Spirit works this way in your life.
Testifies about Jesus
Comes from the Father
Warns me about judgment
Convicts me of sin
Counsels me
Guides me
Reveals truth
Convicts me of righteousness
Glorifies Jesus
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and
peace as you believe so that you may overflow
with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
ROMANS 15:13
LIVE IT OUT
As you learn to listen to the Holy Spirit, how will you respond? Choose one of the following applications:
- Confess. The Holy Spirit comes alongside us to convict us of sin. If He is convicting you of an unconfessed sin, take a few minutes on your knees to repent of that sin.
- Submit. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you and have control of your life. Lean on Him to guide your steps.
- Share. Allow the Holy Spirit to use you to talk about Jesus with another person. Trust Him to guide the conversation and give you words that bring honor to Christ.
The Holy Spirit comes into our lives to help us magnify the work of Jesus. The more time we spend listening to Him, the easier obeying His direction will become.
Teacher Notes:
The Work of the Holy
Spirit
Video: Billy Graham –
The Holy Spirit
The Point: The
Holy Spirit magnifies the work of Jesus.
The Passage: John
15:26-27; 16:7-15
Scripture describes the
Holy Spirit as our:
Jesus told His
disciples 2 things about the Holy Spirit:
1.
The Counselor was coming so that they wouldn’t
be alone or on their own
2.
The Counselor was coming so that they would
still have access to God
John 15 & 16 give
us additional work of the Holy Spirit.
John 15:26-27
26 “When the Counselor
comes, the one I will send to you from the Father—the
Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—he
will testify about me. 27 You also will testify, because you have been
with me from the beginning.
The Holy Spirit will
teach you all things and remind you of everything Jesus spoke about to the
disciples (John 14:26).
1. The Holy Spirit empowers us. What
are some ways the Holy Spirit empowers us?
It’s been said that God will never ask you to
do anything that He will not empower and equip you to do. He does that through
the work of the Holy Spirit. To empower someone can mean to give them the
authority or power to do something. It can also mean to make someone stronger
and more confident in the task they are called to do. One specific way the Holy
Spirit empowers every believer is in the area of being a witness for Jesus. The
Holy Spirit empowers us to proclaim Jesus to others.
- One work of the Spirit is to bear witness to
the life, ministry, and teaching of Jesus.
- Our witness as believers is to be a declaration
of what we have come to know out of our personal experience with Jesus as
manifested through the Spirit of truth who has come from the Father.
- Just before He ascended into heaven, Jesus
reminded His disciples of this gift as He said, “You will receive power when
the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in
all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The disciples
might not have understood then how powerful these two statements were, but they
would soon find out. Acts 2 records the first time they saw the power of the
Holy Spirit in their own lives. In Jerusalem, the Festival of Pentecost was in
full swing, and Jews from all over the world came to celebrate. On the day of
Pentecost, the celebration turned to amazement. Without warning, the Holy
Spirit came in a rush and made something unprecedented happen.
John 16:7-11
7 Nevertheless, I am
telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I
don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to
you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world about
sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9 About sin, because they do not
believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you
will no longer see me; 11 and about judgment, because the ruler of this world
has been judged.
2.
The Holy Spirit convicts us. Why is
it a positive thing to be convicted of your sin?
In addition to empowering us, the Holy Spirit
convicts every believer of sin. While we may rationalize things and say we just
naturally feel bad when we do something wrong, that is not the case. Just look
at the willful disobedience of a toddler. Rarely will they feel bad until they
are reprimanded. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin. This means He makes us
aware of our sinful thoughts and actions. Feelings of remorse, guilt, and shame
will often come along with this conviction. What’s the point? The point is to
bring us back into right relationship with God. When we feel shame and guilt,
we are led to confess our sin and ask God for His forgiveness. It’s as if the
Holy Spirit turns on a light to reveal the darkness of our sinful thoughts and
actions.
John 16:12-15
12 “I still have many
things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will
guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he
will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what
is mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is mine. This is
why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.”
3.
The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus. According
to these verses, what is the role of the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is called The Spirit of truth.
Why? The nature of God is that He does not lie; He always tells the truth.
Since the Holy Spirit reflects the nature of God, He also is always going to
tell the truth. So, when the Holy Spirit empowers us, He empowers us through
the truth of God’s Word and the truth of what God thinks about us. When the
Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, He will reveal the truth of our sinful
condition so that we may find a restored relationship with God. The Spirit of
truth also glorifies Jesus by revealing in the life of a believer the truth of
all Jesus taught. Truth itself is found in all the teachings of Jesus and the Holy
Spirit reminds and teaches believers of those things. The Holy Spirit magnifies,
or enlarges our perspective of Jesus. It is also interesting to see that all
three persons of the Trinity are referenced in these four verses. Jesus is
speaking in these verses, He talks about the Holy Spirit coming and teaching
the things Jesus taught, and He references that everything that God the Father
has is His.
- The Holy Spirit will teach, guide, illuminate,
and enlighten our understanding of the marvelous truths of Jesus.
- The Holy Spirit continues to manifest and
glorify Jesus; He does not call attention to Himself.
Conclusion: Most
people approach life by relying on their own intelligence, abilities, and
resources to navigate their day to day lives. But God never intended that we
should live this way. We are meant to live our lives in daily relationship with
Him—and He had given us the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us live as He
intends. The Holy Spirit magnifies the work of Jesus in and through a believer.
Christians don’t always
know how to deal with the Holy Spirit. Confusion over the nature, Person,
presence, and work of the Holy Spirit has been a point of contention and misunderstanding
in the church even going back to the Corinthian church, some of whom claimed
superiority because of the spiritual gifts they possessed. No system of theology
that elevates a person or the Holy Spirit over Jesus is biblical. Exercise
caution in responding to any teaching that doesn’t lift up Jesus. The Spirit
glorifies Jesus and magnifies His name. That is our mission too!
