Intro
Who lives with us? What would we do if God came to live with us?
Goal
Let us understand that God does live with us.
Sermon Plan
We will look at what the Holy Spirit teaches, that the Holy Spirit is a person, not an it and that Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwell with those who obey Christ.
What the Holy Spirit teaches
John 14:23-29 is used to advocate a wide variety of ideas outside the Bible and yet supposedly from God. Jesus taught us to pray to our Father. Some say that the Holy Spirit taught also to pray to Mary. Others claim that the Holy Spirit told them to perform specific tasks which may sometimes seem unwise or of doubtful origin. What exactly will the Holy Spirit teach us? The answer is “all things.” Sometimes we doubt whether or not what someone else claims is indeed from the Holy Spirit. We need patience to wait for the Holy Spirit to lead all of us to come to a common understanding. That may not happen in this life. Notice too that the Holy Spirit will also remind us of the teachings of Jesus. Upon that there is remarkable consensus among Christians.
It’s do not teach
Some people call the Holy Spirit it rather than He. Is the Holy Spirit a person or merely something like God’s energy? John 14:23-29 tells us that the Holy Spirit teaches. Other passages show that He makes choices (1 Corinthians 12:11), guides people into truth (John 16:13), reveals Jesus (John 16:14), convicts of sin (John 16:8), can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30), can be blasphemed (Matthew 12:31), possesses a rational mind (Romans 8:26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:11-13) and can be lied to (Acts 5:3-4). All that is suggestive of a personality rather than a mere divine force. He is also distinguished from yet related to the Father and the Son (Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14) suggesting a third personality with divinity. It is a divine mystery that we call the Trinity.
Who is with us
Have we ever wondered who is with us? In a world of selfishness, who is really for us? If we love Jesus and are obedient to his teachings, both he and the Father make their home with us (John 14:23-29). Putting that together with the rest of the context then, that means that all three members of the Holy Trinity are with us. The Holy Spirit is promised along with the presence of the Father and the Son. God makes his home with us. How do we prepare for God to live with us? The answer is also given. We love and obey him. How do we love Jesus? He taught that we do so by loving our neighbors in actions, feeding the hungry and thirsty, taking in the foreigner and clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned.
Outro/Take Home
The Holy Spirit is God and if we obey Christ. How will we live knowing that Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwell with us?
