Ways that the HS works in a person’s life
The work of the HS is not limited to followers of Jesus
The work of the HS in the disciple is not better, more powerful but different than that of a person who has not yet become a disciple.
There are ways that the HS works in the life of every disciple
There are consistent things that the Holy Spirit is doing
The same things that he has been doing for centuries
Things that he has been doing in every person’s life – regardless of where, when, who
For many, the person and work of the HS are blurry at best
Unthought of and often miss understood
It is common for people to want to figure out where Jesus and the HS fit into their lives
The Gospel is not about where Jesus and the HS fit into our lives; ratherit is about where we fit in the unfolding work of Jesus
It is common for those who have not yet become a disciple to describe themselves as:“spiritual but not religious.”
They don’t have a problem with the idea of “the spirit.”
What the “spiritual but not religious” have a problem with is Jesus
Jesus is too restrictive
Jesus is exclusive
The problem is the “spiritual but not religious” don’t understand the consistent work of the HS that we’re going to look at today – That is conviction
Before we look at the work of the HS,I saw this somewhere recently, and I copied it down
"The Maker of all human beings is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of the make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart. This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units, code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically termed, "Sub-sequential Internal Non-morality," or more commonly known by its initials as "SIN."
Symptoms of “Sub-sequential Internal Non-morality” include but are not limited to: Loss of direction; foul vocal emissions; amnesia of origin; lack of peace and joy; selfish, violent behavior; depression or confusion in the mental component; and rebellion.
The Manufacturer is providing factory authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this SIN defect. The Repair Technician, Jesus, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required. Call toll-free the number: P-R-A-Y-E-R. Once connected, please upload your SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician into the heart component.
As an added upgrade, the Manufacturer has made available to all repaired units direct monitoring and assistance from the resident Maintenance Technician, the HOLY SPIRIT.
WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids the Manufacturer’s warranty, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded.
The HS is the resident Maintenance Technician
How strongly you sense the CONSISTENT things that the HS is doing and the SPECIFIC things that the HS is doing is in your control.
Rheostat – Dimmer Switch
Two weeks ago – Consistent work of the HS to teach/bring about OBEDIENCE
Last week – Consistent work of the HS to create the Fruit of the Spirit – Love, joy, peace …
Today I want to talk about the consistent work of the HS – Conviction
*** Doesn’t today’s topic sound like fun?
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” (John 16:7-8 ESV)
When the HS comes, He will “convict.”
There’s a tough word
Court word – “Is there enough evidence to convict?”
After someoneis found guilty, they are “convicted.”
The gavel comes down – “Guilty.”
I want you to think about the word a little differently
“Convict the world concerning sin.”
When the HS comes,he will be like the “Rumble Strip.”
You’re getting off the side of the road
The HS will be like the screeching of brakes
Or how about - Pain Sensors
My mom with nine kids – “My shoulder hurts when I do this.”
“Well stop doing that.”
That’s what was happening in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve ate of the fruit
- They started hearing the noise of the rumble strip
- Then their brakes were screeching
- Then they felt this pain of being naked and afraid
- It was the first time that they’d felt those feelings.
A vivid memory at WWU – right about this time of the year in 1980 – Dorm room, phone on the wall, furniture – even the smell
One more picture of the HS – conviction of Sin
Getting ready to run the BM
This is Randy Pierce – He’s one of the millions of runners who have run the Boston Marathon
Pierce is completely blind
Imagine walking to your mailbox blind
Now imagine running around a track blind
Now imagine running around a city blind – for 26.2 miles
Train for hours – 500 miles of training
Imagine 500 miles – 9 minutes a mile – 4,500 minutes
Now imagine
You keep running, but you have no idea how long the next hill will last
Going downhill – where the bottom is
Guide – someone who runs along –Talking consistently
Here’s another picture – desert marathon
Look at the front of his shirt – how many face plants do you think that he’s taken to get that dirty
OK – Get up! Let’s go
Can you imagine Pierce saying – “Shut-up!” “Stop talking!” “Leave me alone!”
How many times have you “face planted” and the HS says get-up
One time on vacation near Yellowstone – We got a phone call
I’m talking to myself – “Every vacation this happens!” We get a phone call that disrupts vacation.
Go on a bike ride – I’m grumbling about the situation – I hear the HS – “Matt this is not about the situation, this is about you.”
Ah – God I’m on vacation – do you have to do this now?
“Convict the world concerning righteousness.”
People get confused about righteousness
Righteousness has countless facets to it
Let me just talk about one – the HEART
We think that righteousness is about doing the right thing – doing everything right
Righteousness – practical sense – is about the HEART
Right action with the wrong motive
This happened to me just recently … I was doing something good/even sacrificial – the problem was that I made sure that other people knew about it
“When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:3-4 (ESV)
Vern - “If you don’t complain there’s a blessing in it.”
Wrong action with the right motive
Your heart was completely right/pure/honest
You said something that you shouldn’t have
“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV)
The HS is always at work – reminding – “The Lord sees your heart.”
“Convict the world concerning judgment.”
The truth is all of us will have our day in court
We can pretend that it won’t happen
We deny it, ignore it, push it down the road
We can form an appeal
BUT Judgment is coming
This idea is one of the draws of agnostic/atheist thinking
NO JUDGMENT - I die, and it’s over
“We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” 2 Corinthians 5:10 (ESV)
“We must all appear.”
There are no exceptions
Everyone means everyone
Right after the church shooting in Texas the Speaker of the House tweeted:“Reports out of Texas are devastating. The people of Sutherland Springs need our prayers right now.”
He was blasted – the names people called him – the things people said – the words people used
- “Screw your prayers!”
- Of the cruelest ironic things, you could say, you said “prayers” They Were Murdered In A CHURCH by a gun man.What is WRONG with you?
- They were literally IN CHURCH PRAYING!!!
My thought reading the things people were writing to and about him and others who had shared the need for prayer: “Is there no fear of God?”
“I don’t care about judgment … I’ll face God … I’m not afraid of Him.”
The Apostle Peter
“In the past you wasted too much time doing what those who don’t know God like to do. You were living immoral lives, doing the evil things you wanted to do. You were always getting drunk, having wild drinking parties, and doing shameful things in your worship of idols. Now those “friends” think it is strange that you no longer join them in all the wild and wasteful things they do. And so they say bad things about you. But they will have to face God to explain what they have done. He is the one who will soon judge everyone—those who are still living and those who have died.” 1 Peter4:3-5ERV
For the unbelieving this a judgment regarding spending eternity with God or spending eternity away from God
For the disciple of Jesus, it’s a different kind of judgment ---Judgment of rewards
“Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (ESV)
Conveyor belt – everything piled on it
Sorting garbage
The conveyor belt in heaven won’t have angels sorting through the pieces of my life
Instead – everything will be piled on the conveyor belt
It will go through a giant furnace
What comes out the other end will be the things that I did with my heart right
“If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he will be saved, but only as through the fire.”
The HS is constantly – convicting/reminding you will have to answer for that
There have been occasions, in the time, I’ve pastored when I’ve said NO to officiating a wedding
“I’m going to stand accountable to God for what I do as a pastor, and I don’t want to answer God for this.”
This week – the HS will speak to you about some area
He’ll speak to you about your heart
He’ll speak to you about your words
He’s working to train you
He will convict concerning SIN
He will convict concerning Righteousness
He will convict about Judgment
Are you ready for him to CONVICT you this week?