What is your favorite sport? (field hockey, crew)
Do you have a memorable coach?
What were qualities about these coaches that made them magnificent? (dedication, personal attention) (Ms. Buggy, Mrs. Kanopka)
Imagine your coach leaving right before one of your most important games of the season
Imagine how helpless you would feel
Jesus’ disciples faced a similar predicament –
Night before Jesus dies on the Cross, He tells them that He will die, be raised again, and then go to heaven
Remember: they had given up 3 years of their lives to follow Jesus; their leader was leaving; they weren’t “Christian pro’s” (fishermen, tax collectors, normal)
Jesus doesn’t leave them alone – He gives them a promise that is ours as well – if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have the Holy Spirit.
2 main things: Who the Holy Spirit is – and then the tools that the Holy Spirit uses to draw us closer to God
First, let’s READ John 14:15-18, 23-27 – to hear what Jesus has to say about the Holy Spirit
This is great news to the disciples who thought they would have to go on alone after all that Jesus had taught them; facing real opposition (remember, all of them but one was killed for believing in Jesus)
We will most likely NOT face death in our lives because of our faith – but we need the SAME assurance that Jesus gives these disciples
Go back to the sports analogy. Imagine if your coach’s instruction, encouragement, and discipline were living inside of you.The Holy Spirit is God living inside of you. This is so much better than a coach!
The Holy Spirit is part of what’s called, the Trinity – God the Father, God theSon, God the Holy Spirit
No perfect analogy to describe this concept
Let me tell you a personal story of how the Holy Spirit has helped me
My junior fall semester in college I spent in Latin America – beauty and poverty
My time there was really difficult emotionally
Stuff I experienced there affected me really deeply.
One of the lies I was believing while I was there: I am ALONE.
One of the first things Jesus says about the Holy Spirit – Spirit of Truth
What’s the opposite of truth? LIES
What are some of the things Jesus says to counter this LIE of being alone?
Truth #1: v.16 “this Counsellor will be with you forever”
REMINDER – I have to write things on my hand all the time. One of the ways the Holy Spirit sends us messages and reminders of truth is through reading the Bible. Sometimes I’ve read a part of the Bible, and felt like the ink was still wet – like God was speaking directly to me. That is the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit also works to give us PEACE in the midst of difficult circumstances. Jesus says specifically in the verses we just read that He gives peace that is different than the world gives.
What does that mean? The peace in this world, we usually have to work for – it takes effort on our part to get peace and quiet in our lives, and it is often beyond our controlThe peace the Holy Spirit gives comes OUT OF our relationship with God that is NOW at peace. If we have accepted Jesus into our Lives – we KNOW who’s in control, and we KNOW He is good.
This last part of my talk is to talk about the TOOLS that the Holy Spirit can us to draw us closer to God
- as I mentioned, reading the Bible reminds us of truth and teaches us more about God – imagine if someone you really loved had written a bunch of love letters, it would be silly to store them all away and never read them – The Bible tells us about who God is, how He feels about us, and what He’s done for us. If the Holy Spirit is our coach, reading the Bible is like reading the play-book
- We’ve been talking about having a relationship with God, and this happens by getting to know Him – just like you would with any new friend. Remember how maybe the first time you talk to a friend on the phone it’s kind of awkward, you’re not used to their voice – but if you talk to them often – you get to recognize their voice! It’s like that with God – the more time you spend listening to Him in prayer and reading His word, the more you will recognize His voice. He will tell you when you are wrong, and when you are right. And most of all, He will remind you, like I said, that you are loved by Him
- Another tool: Fellowship. Fellowship is simply a fancy word spending time with other Christians. The purpose is to encourage us in our faith and relationship with God. Just like God designed us to be in relationship with Him, He desires us to be in relationship with each other – relationships that are based on Him. It’s like spending time with your teammates. You can’t play a game very well if you don’t know your teammates. It also makes the game so much more enjoyable. If they are Christians, they also have the Holy Spirit, so like in a game, they will also remember the “coach’s” instructions and encouragement.
- Lastly, God calls us to love one another – not just our teammates, but others who don’t know God. And one of the ways we can love them is to tell them about God and what He has done in our lives. One thing that is so fantastic about the Holy Spirit is that it can create change in us that others notice before we do – and that can make them want the peace and the joy that we have because Jesus is King in our lives. Remember how a leader told Rihanna how much she had changed since her last camp? That’s the Holy Spirit at work in her!
Guys – I want you to know that you are not alone. Like Heather said, the invitation to know God is waiting for you. And once you RSVP, the Holy Spirit begins working in your life and will be with you forever
I’m going to close with Isaiah 43:1-3 “This is what the Lord says – he who created you, O Jacob; He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, you God, the Holy One of Israel.”
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