“WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THE SPIRIT DOING?”

Part 1 John 15:18–16:4

• THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS…• A MIND • Romans 8:27 (NIV) And he who searches our

hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

• THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS…– A MIND

• A WILL • 1 Corinthians 12:11 (NIV) All these are the

work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he wills / determines.

• THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS…• A MIND • A WILL • EMOTIONAL FEELINGS • Galatians 5:22–23 (NIV) But the fruit of the

Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

• John 15:26 (NIV) “When the Advocate (The Holy Spirit) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.

BECAUSE THE HOLY SPIRIT LIVES WITHIN WE ARE TO…•WALK IN THE SPIRIT •Galatians 5:16 (NIV) So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. •WORK IN THE SPIRIT•Philippians 3:3 (NIV) We who serve God by his Spirit…

BECAUSE THE HOLY SPIRIT LIVES WITHIN WE ARE TO…•WALK IN THE SPIRIT •WORK IN THE SPIRIT•WORSHIP IN THE SPIRIT•John 4:24 (NIV) God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

BECAUSE THE HOLY SPIRIT LIVES WITHIN WE ARE TO…•WALK IN THE SPIRIT •WORK IN THE SPIRIT•WORSHIP IN THE SPIRIT•WITNESS IN THE SPIRIT •Acts 1:8 (NIV) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

THE HOLY SPIRIT AS THE COMFORTER ENCOURAGES THE CHURCH (JOHN 15:18–16:4)

John 15:18–16:4 (NIV) 18“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours

THE HOLY SPIRIT AS THE COMFORTER ENCOURAGES THE CHURCH (JOHN 15:18–16:4)

also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have

THE HOLY SPIRIT AS THE COMFORTER ENCOURAGES THE CHURCH (JOHN 15:18–16:4)

hated both me and my Father. 25But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’ 26“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. 1“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away.

THE HOLY SPIRIT AS THE COMFORTER ENCOURAGES THE CHURCH (JOHN 15:18–16:4)

2They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you,

THE HOLY SPIRIT AS THE COMFORTER ENCOURAGES THE CHURCH (JOHN 15:18–16:4)

Note the progress in the world’s opposition: –hatred (John 15:18–19)–persecution (John 15:20), –excommunication, and –even death (John 16:2).

THE HOLY SPIRIT AS THE COMFORTER ENCOURAGES THE CHURCH (JOHN 15:18–16:4)

WHY DO PEOPLE HATE US AS CHRISTIANS?•WE ARE IDENTIFIED WITH CHRIST (VV. 18, 20). •WE DO NOT BELONG TO THE WORLD (V. 19). •THE WORLD IS SPIRITUALLY IGNORANT AND BLIND (V. 21). •THE WORLD WILL NOT BE HONEST ABOUT ITS OWN SIN (VV. 22–24; 16:1–4).

HOW DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT ENCOURAGE BELIEVERS WHEN THEY ARE EXPERIENCING THE HATRED AND OPPOSITION OF THE WORLD?•The Spirit witnesses to us primarily through the Word of God. •The Spirit also witnesses to us through us during times of persecution (John 15:26–27).•The Spirit also witnesses through us during times of persecution •The Spirit witnesses to us by giving a peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:6-7)

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