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Belief: What We Believe Part 4

 Week 4

Statement: “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints...”
Text: John 16:5-15; Acts 2:41-47
Big Idea: To become a Christian is to become a member of God’s family when we receive His Holy Spirit. This new identity affects real life every day, not just at church on Sunday mornings.

Sermon Ideas and Talking Points:

  1. For many of us who have been in church as children, we probably have heard the phrase “Jesus is in your heart,” especially when it comes to becoming a born-again believer. But this phrase is a little misleading. Jesus is literally at the right hand of the Father right now in His resurrected body. When we are born again, we are filled with the Holy Spirit; it is He who comes into us (Romans 8:9-11; John 14:17).

  2. It seems the Holy Spirit gets the short end of the stick when it comes to honor in many churches today. How many songs do we sing about the Holy Spirit in worship? Yet, He is just as much a part of the Trinity as the Father and the Son. In the John 16 passage, Jesus explains that there is an order of submission within the Godhead. This submission of the Holy Spirit to the Son is the same language Jesus used of Himself submitting to the Father (John 16:13-14; John 12:49). Jesus’ deity is not diminished because of His submission; likewise, the Holy Spirit is not due any less recognition or honor as God because of His submission.

  3. “There have been many times when I’ve tried to lead the Holy Spirit.I’ve wanted to direct Him and tell Him what to do and when to do it. The irony is that the Holy Spirit was given to direct us. Desiring the Holy Spirit means we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. By definition, it’s ridiculous to desire the Holy Spirit for our own purposes. The Spirit is not a passive power that we can wield as we choose. The Spirit is God, a Being who

requires that we submit ourselves to be led by Him” (Francis Chan,

Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit).

  1. This link leads to an audio recording and chord charts for the popular

    worship song “Holy Spirit” in case you want to use it in your service this

    week: http://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/holy-spirit/.

  2. This disturbing story from The New York Times is about a Christian

    American young woman interacting with ISIS because they provided her with the community, or sense of belonging, she desperately wanted: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/28/world/americas/isis-online-recruiting- american.html?_r=0.

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