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– Week 1 –

 By Jimmy Pruitt

Ephesians 5:18 NLT

Jesus is more than you had – and the gift that he gives, and the things that he brings to us are more than we had. What would we be without him? Lost, and still trying to figure him out. Even after coming to Jesus, we are trying to figure things out. That’s the reality of where we live. But here’s the thing – Jesus and his love for us understands that we are always seeking -searching – looking for more. That’s not a bad thing. Nothing moves the hand of God like spiritual hunger – nothing.

This idea of “more” is where our hunger meets his promises. We’re exploring this Person called the Holy Spirit. Scripture calls him a Gift – the Gift of the Holy Spirit. We should commit to renewing our relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Maybe in your church background, the Holy Spirit wasn’t talked about much, but if you’re hungry for more, then you’re hungry for the Holy Spirit. We all learned about the Father – Father God. Not only did we have an earthly father, but we have a heavenly Father who loves us – provides for us – and then we learned about Jesus – our Savior. He’s the one who gets us to the Father. He’s the Door. He’s the Way – the Truth – the Life – and it’s through him that we get to God- and we could stop short there.

We perhaps didn’t talk much about the Holy Spirit. In fact, the Holy Spirit was often treated like an “It”, not like a “He”. It was common for us to talk so much about the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit was marginalized – put off to the side in many churches – or there was resistance to him due to fear of a loss of control in the church. But that’s a risk we run in the kingdom.

Sometimes believers run with the wrong thing, but we can’t justify not allowing the move and presence and person of the Holy Spirit into our midst out of fear that somebody might make a mistake. If we do that, we’ll never experience him in his fullness – and that’s not our heart- which is to be, not a charismatic or Pentecostal church, but a biblical church – sound in doctrine, but open to all he is and who he is.

Ephesians 5:18 NLT “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit…”

The word filled means – filled to the full – to abound as to furnish or supply liberally or to be continually filled or ever be filled with the Holy Spirit. We have to be re-filled. We have to have more. Why? – because we’re leaky vessels. That’s a good thing. We need to be leaking everywhere we go – leak his presence – leak his Spirit – leak his Life – his gifts – his fruit- the Person of Christ and the Person of the Holy Spirit. Everywhere, you’re leaking, so you have to continually be re-filled – and he is quick to provide a filling station when we’re open to receive. More

It’s a smart move by the Enemy of your soul, to get you to think the third person of the Trinity is strange, weird and utterly unknowable. His play is to get you to run the other way from the Spirit of God so you will not be fully equipped and empowered to accomplish your purpose on the earth.

Can I be blunt? The Holy Spirit is not strange or weird, people are strange and weird and it’s common that the things attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit are actually the works of strange and weird people. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman. The Enemy is a strategist.

The Apostle Paul counsels us, “‘continually be filled’” with the Holy Spirit.” In other words, there is always “MORE…” of Him to be enjoyed, experienced and employed. Today, invite the Holy Spirit to continually fill you to overflowing with His presence, His purpose and His power!

That’s what we want to do – invite him to fill us to the place of overflow. If we think we’re not worthy – not good enough – not holy enough – the Good News is that we are worthy because he makes us worthy – not because we make ourselves worthy – not because we make ourselves righteous. We are worthy – we are positioned – postured – and he wants to fill us – indwell us -and empower us.

John 14:15-18 NKJV “If you love Me, keep My commandments. [16] And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— [17] the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. [18] I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

Jesus and the disciples are eating the last supper – positioned around the table – and Jesus says, “I will pray [ask] the Father, and He will give you another Helper…” Paraklétos (https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/parakletos.html) in Greek, which means Counselor, Comforter, Advocate, Friend, and Helper. We need all of those things! This is what he is and this is why he was given to us. Jesus is introducing the coming of the Holy Spirit to his disciples.

Verse 16 – “that He may abide with you forever…” The Holy Spirit is not skittish or nervous (as implied by being described as a dove) – as if we move too quick, he’ll go away – or if we do something wrong he’ll leave us. In verse 17, Jesus names him and foretells what is about to happen. Verse 18 – “I will not leave you orphans…” We may feel lonely but we’re never truly alone – we have a Helper – Counselor – Comforter – Advocate – Friend, who is with us forever. He comes to us when we’re hungry.

John 16:5-11 NKJV “ But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

Jesus was a man while on earth and could only be in one place at any given time – but he would send the Holy Spirit who could be everywhere at the same time. Did Jesus go away? Did he depart? What did Jesus promise upon his departure? He said, “I will send the Helper to you.” So did Jesus send him to us? Then, why are we afraid of him? Why do we say that two thirds of the Trinity is amazing, but we’re not so sure about that “spooky” One – that other third?

What we fear, we tend to run away from. What we don’t understand, we tend to reject. We can make an association of behavior by those who claim to represent the Holy Spirit to the Holy Spirit himself. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman. Satan is a manipulator and a strategist, and if he can “inoculate” us against the Holy Spirit, like a virus, he has effectively robbed us of what God wants us to have – the Power and Presence of God himself.

The only way we will get the Gospel out to the world is by the power of the Holy Spirit-“not by might, not by power”- but by the Holy Spirit. The only way we were born again was because the Holy Spirit did a work in us. We didn’t just decide to follow Jesus. We said, “Yes” to the offer, but it was only because the Holy Spirit enabled us and introduced us to the Gospel. We can’t get to God any other way without the work of the Holy Spirit – and yet we’re fearful of him.

We are not called to be weird. We don’t have to be afraid, because we’re only going where the Word of God takes us. Verse 8 – “He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment…” That word convict– it means to convince. He will convince us that we’re sinners in need of a savior. That’s the work of the Holy Spirit. It’s not you deciding that you’re a sinner – it’s the Holy Spirit revealing to you that you’re a sinner, and that you need to be saved. That’s the work of the Holy Spirit.

“He convinces us of righteousness…”(right-standing before God – the ability to stand upright). We now have right-standing because the Holy Spirit makes us righteous. We have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. How? – by the Holy Spirit – and he also convinces of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. Satan has been judged, and found guilty, and has been sentenced.

Jesus took away the keys of the enemy’s kingdom, and he destroyed death, hell, and the grave. Our bodies may pass away but we don’t – it’s just a transition. The enemy has been defeated, and according to God’s Word, the enemy is under our feet.

Three things that the Holy Spirit is:

1. 1. The Holy Spirit is our Helper (Paraklétos- One called alongside to help)
   2. The Holy Spirit is our Friend, and he wants to walk with you (and he’s not weird).
   3. The Holy Spirit is God (not an add-onto the Trinity). The Trinity could be compared to an avocado, in that the outer skin holding it all together represents the Father. The meat of it that we eat and enjoy represents Jesus himself – the Bread of Life -the Live Sustenance. Then, the seed on the inside – which represents the Holy Spirit who reproduces Life in us -the One that draws us to Jesus in the first place. All three together are “an avocado.” All three separate are parts, but they are together – that are One in essence – Tri-Unity.

Acts 5:3-4 NKJV “But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.’ ”

“Lie to the Holy Spirit…” “You have… lied…to God.’” The Holy Spirit is God. Jesus is God. The Father is God. The last thing we want to do is to ignore God. A church that says, “We’re not going to talk about the Holy Spirit – we’re not going to go there – it’s too scary -it’s too risky.” – what they’re really saying is, “We don’t want God in our midst.”

That’s harsh, but it’s true. So, as we embark on a journey this summer, we want to get re-acquainted with God in the Person of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we’re asking for Your Grace. We need You. We need Your Spirit, but we want to know You – not just know about You. We want to know You in the Person of the Holy Spirit. We want to know you for Who You are – that You have personality – You have facets of character in nature that we want and need to get to know.

So, we’re asking You, by Your Grace, that You open our minds to this. Holy Spirit, we invite You, even now, to fill us full. We ask, Holy Spirit, make us curious – not afraid – and make us hungry to become hungry for you. We’re just not sure how to get there, so we need You as Helper to help us do this.

Lord, our life confession is, we want More. Lord, we know we already “have” You, but we want You to have more of us. Maybe that’s where the “more” comes from – more of You, but also more of us. So, Lord, as we start on this journey together as a church family to know You more, we thank You that You will lead us and guide us into this.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

Jimmy Pruitt is a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. As an idealist, his words are filtered through his spirituality with the expectation that he will encourage and inspire people to “Live Up in a Down World.” He is committed to being an authentic person in all he does. Because everyone has been through something, or is currently struggling, Jimmy believes the proper response to life is humility; it is the signature of Jesus bringing forth both pain and glory. He and his way better half, Annette, have been married for30 years. Agreeing their family is amazing, placing “Fun” in dys-Fun-ctional. They have three adult children and seven grandchildren that bless their lives beyond what they could ever dream. He is currently Lead Pastor at Bridge Church Fredericksburg, TX, and has started a new podcast titled: “Living Up in a Down Word – Making Faith real for the rest of us.”

Feature Image by Ann H