Bible Study Notes 5/14/2024

Word Alive! Bible Study ©2024

Spring Series: Experiencing The Holy Spirit In & With Us © 2024

Concord Baptist Church of Boston in Milton

Conley Hughes, Jr., Senior Pastor

Tues., 7 & 14 May, 2024 - Lesson 1, Parts 1 & 2 pp. 11-24

Quiet Time: H&M Blackaby, Experiencing the Holy Spirit

Coming To Know The Holy Spirit – One of the glaring elements missing in the lives of some Christians, is the knowledge and awareness of the Holy Spirit. For some, the Holy Spirit is an after-thought, when it comes to understanding a life of faith in Jesus Christ. This often is due to a lack of teaching; and to the approach a person has to their faith. Unfortunately, some Christian faith orientations, do not emphasize fellowship with the Holy Spirit. In Experiencing the Holy Spirit, father and son authors, Henry and Melvin Blackaby, says our knowledge of the Holy Spirit’s work in us, is crucial. They offer this observation: “Apart from the Holy Spirit, God’s great salvation is no relevance to us. Apart from the active work of the Spirit in our lives, we would neither know God, nor have the ability to respond to Him. Divine truth is not something we discover; it is revealed by the Holy Spirit.” Nicodemus was told that to enter the Kingdom of God, he had to be born of the “water and the Spirit.” (John 3:5, NIV) A new birth in Christ occurs through the Spirit’s work, which is far removed from (or above) any human ability. In addressing the Christians in Corinth, the Apostle Paul taught the Christian believers to understand, their knowledge and fellowship with God comes only through their acknowledgement of the Holy Spirit. (Read, 1 Corinthians 2:9-12, NLT). The Holy Spirit is far greater than any human engineering search engine. It is the Spirit who searches our hearts and knows our thoughts. (Read, John 16:13-15). The Spirit knows “everything” and knows the deep thoughts of God the Father. When God created the human family, he did not leave us alone, to navigate our world. As some early theologians would maintain, “God is not an absentee landlord, who places people in a house; but never comes to their aid, when repairs are needed.” God sent His only Son to redeem  and rescue us from eternal destruction. The Holy Spirit was sent after the earthly departure of Jesus, to “lead and guide us into all truth.”  John tells the Christian, the world can’t recognize the holy Spirit, because many in the world don’t have a relationship with Him. It is possible, some who say they are believers, do not genuinely know the Spirit, because they have not experienced a new birth. Jesus said, “Not everyone who calls out to me, Lord! Lord! will enter the kingdom of heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.”  (See, Matthew 7:21, NLT). It is the Holy Spirit who directs us to do the will of God, and to live according to His truth. We cannot possibly conceive nor understand God’s purpose for our lives; unless, we have been made alive through the Spirit. Jesus told the disciples their knowledge of the Holy Spirit would occur because of their belief in Him. It is the Holy Spirit who enters our hearts, and teaches us what we need to know about Christ, and God’s great plan and work for people in the world. (Read, John 14:15-17; 26, NLT). Early Christians confronted with false teachings that had circulated among believers, were told the Holy Spirit had directed them into the truth; as a result, they did not have to concede to false doctrines. When we acknowledge the Holy Spirit’s presence, we will grow deeper in our faith, and we will be able to discern the truth from what is in error. (Read, I Jn. 2:20-23, NLT).

Coming To Know The Holy Spirit, Part 2 – A lack of spiritual maturity, is due in large part to not maintaining fellowship with the Holy Spirit. The awareness of the Spirit living in us, comes through listening to the Spirit’s voice; and seeking guidance into a deeper and confident knowledge of Jesus Christ. It is not enough for any of us to simply know about the Lord. We must come to know Him. Our Christian faith is not merely predicated on the knowledge about God; but we believe in a relationship with the Lord, that is personal and corporate.  Each person becomes acquainted with God through faith and from where we are in life.  As we grow spiritually, we also encounter the presence of God in fellowship with other believers in the faith.  Paul told his Christian friends in Philippi, “Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.” (See, Philippians 2:12b, NLT). The early Christians were also warned of the importance of corporate fellowship. The admonition in the Letter to the Hebrews, says: “Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.” (See, Hebrews 10:25, NLT).  The spiritual qualities which become evident in our lives, and the growth we can attain in fellowship with other believers, are a witness to our fellowship with the Holy Spirit. In their book, Experiencing the Holy Spirit, Henry and Melvin Blackaby reminds us as Christians, that when we desire the presence of the Spirit and Lord, God’s work has begun in us. They suggest: “… If you find yourself experiencing a desire to seek God…God is already at work in you. The fact that you’re searching for Him is an indication that God is pursuing you and drawing you into a relationship with Him that’s real and personal.” The Psalmist feeling that he is waning in his relationship with the Spirit of God; speaks of the desire to regain intimacy with the Lord. (Read, Psalm 63:1, NLT). It is only through our relationship with the Holy Spirit, that we can attain closeness to God. It is possible for any of us to adversely affect our fellowship with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has come to remain in us, so that we might remain in Christ – and have fellowship with the Savior. There is within every true believer, a desire to have intimacy and fellowship with the Lord. Because our Savior lives in us, it is impossible not to be aroused with a sense of guilt, when we stray from His teachings. The psalmist spoke of both the desire that was evident in him to have his fellowship restored with God; and he was transparent about his deep anxiety for the sins that caused him to drift from God. (Read, Psalm 42:1-3; And, Psalm 42:4-7, NLT). In the Old Testament times, the Spirit did not remain at all times. The Ministry of Jesus as Lord and Christ (Messiah) has brought the “indwelling” of the Holy Spirit, who resides in us. John the Baptist said Jesus would fulfill this! (Read, John 1:32-34, NLT). Jesus assured the perpetual life of the Holy Spirit in His believers. The Holy Spirit gives life now and for eternity (Read, John 4:13-14, NLT). Our faith in Jesus brings the Spirit to us!

Key Idea:

What We Believe!

1. “The Holy Spirit is in you and accompanies you!

Key Verses:

I Corinthians 2:9-12, NLT

“This is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” But it was to us that God has revealed these things by His Spirit. For His Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. Ane we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.”

John 16:13-15, NLT

“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own but will tell you about the future.  He will bring me glory by telling you whatever He receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, “The Spirit will tell you whatever He receives from me.”

John 14:15-17; 26, NLT

“If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.  He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you… But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative – that is, the Holy Spirit – He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

I John 2:20-23, NLT

“But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you His Spirit, and all of you know the truth. So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either.  But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the father also.”

Psalm 63:1, NLT

“O God, you are my God. I earnestly seek for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there’s no water.”

Psalm 42:1-3, NLT“As the dear longs for the streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before Him? Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, “Where is this god of yours?”

 Psalm 42:4-7, NLT “My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be. I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of great celebration! Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again – my Savior and my God. Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you – even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mt. Mizar.” 

John 1:32-34, NLT “Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting on Him. I didn’t know He was the One, but when God sent me to baptize with water, He told me, ‘The One on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest, is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that He is the chosen One of God.”

John 4:13-14, NLT

“Jesus said, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty, again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling stream within them, giving them eternal life.”