DIALOGUE WITH JESUS - KNOWING THE HOLY SPIRIT

Jesus is about to leave his disciples and wants them to be reassured about life without him. So he introduces them to a 'helper' that will empower them to live obediently and evangelise the nations. His name is the Holy Spirit

Jesus says three things about the Holy Spirit:
1) Defender
2) Truth Teller
3) Teacher

1) Defender (16)
John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another counsellor to help you and be with you forever”
Jesus says that he will send another (just like him) counsellor to help the disciples.  The Greek word translated ‘counsellor’ is ‘Paraclete’. Another translation of this word is “Legal Advocate’.  Partly this means that the Holy Spirit represents you, is loyal to you, is committed to you in an astonishing way.  Partly it means this person argues or defends you when any accusations are made and makes a case when enemies attack.  A common enemy is our own hearts.  So for example:
Romans 8:15 says ‘For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ““Abba,” Father.”   This means when your heart is full of fear, the Holy Spirit speaks as a legal advocate to your heart and say ‘No, you are God’s child, loved in an unquenchable way, secure in him,”
Verse 16 underlines this thought:
“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.’  The word testifies means ‘the star witness in court’, the one who comes in and brings testimony that settles the case unmistakably.  So when your heart is full of doubts –the Holy Spirit says ‘No, you have no reason to doubt the truth.  You are his and belong to no other.  Nothing can take your identity as God’s child away.  Why doubt? Why fear?”   Jesus says the Spirit jumps up as soon as the fears come and starts defending your heart.  The result:
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

2) Truth Teller
John 14:16 ‘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.”  What does this mean? –it means you can trust him because he only speaks the truth, after all, he did author the inerrant word of God, the bible (2 Peter 1:20-21). Now, Why do the disciples need to know this about the Holy Spirit right now? 
Because it will take faith to believe in the Spirit of Truth.  Listen to what Jesus says next.  John 14:17 “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 reality is that you cannot see the Spirit, and the Spirit only lives in believers.  So it is a huge stumbling block for people to accept. So it is a step of faith to welcome him into your life, however Jesus encourages us 17 ‘But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.’”

Some people are very aware of the Spirit’s presence when they ask for him to come to them.  They may feel any and more of the list below:
• Peace (John 14:27)
• Joy – (Rom 15:13)
• Power (Acts 1:8)
• Faith (Acts 11:24)
• Encouragement (Acts 9:31)
• Strengthening to resist temptation (Heb 4:16)
• Healing (Luke 5:17)
• Repentance (Acts 2:38)

Others don’t feel anything when they are prayed for to receive the Holy Spirit, which is absolutely fine because the bible emphasises the ‘fruit’ of the Holy Spirit rather than his manifestations. The key issue in whether you feel the Holy Spirit or not, is that you have to trust him.  If the Spirit causes you to react physically, then you have to trust what he is doing, if you feel nothing, then you must trust that he always comes when we ask him to fill our hearts. He is the Spirit of Truth.

3) Teacher

John 14:25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.’  There is no chance that these disciples will simply forget all that Christ has taught them as the Holy Spirit will himself be their teacher and remind them of all the Christ said.  The Holy Spirit is our guide, our teacher, he gives us a hunger for scripture and helps us understand it.  Not only does the Holy Spirit teach and lead us when it comes to understanding God’s word but he plays the crucial role in then helping us obey the truth.  Look at how closely Jesus links receiving the spirit and loving and obeying God.

John 16:23 ‘Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.’  Jesus is saying if the Spirit is at work, if he is living in you, empowering you to love God then you will also obey him too. 

Why?  Because when we become Christians, the Holy Spirit gives us a new heart (Ezek 36:25-27).  Becasue God has given us a new heart we should never live with a sense of failure as freedom is truly possible.  We have been born again (John 3).  Our pastsno longer have a hold on us and therefore guilt and shame can be dealt with.

In Summary:
We have been given the Spirit who is our legal advocate.  He defends us from the lies of Satan but also our own hearts.  This means no one should be on the sidelines, feeling guilty, struck down by fear, lack of peace. 
It means that He is a truth teller.  He is the author of scripture and also someone we can trust in a world that will never understand him. 
And he actually helps us be a radical, counter cultural, Jesus like people by teaching us the truth of scripture and empowering us to obey by giving us a new heart.

Questions:
1) Talk about your experiences (good and bad) with the Holy Spirit and charismatic churches?
2) How have they affected you?
3) What else does the bible say about the Holy Spirit?
4) What are the lies you can listen to? How does the Holy Spirit work as your ‘legal advocate’?  What truths in scripture do you need to hear?
5) Why is the Holy Spirit someone you can trust?
6) Rate your level of trust in the Holy Spirit from 1-10?  give reasons for your answers.
7) How is the Holy Spirit your teacher?
8) Have you been prayed for to receive the Holy Spirit?
9) How do you know if you have been filled with the Spirit?
9) Pray for everyone in your group to receive the Holy Spirit.