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TEXT: Acts 19:1-2
SUBJECT: Children's Sermon on the Holy Spirit
Children,
For the last several months, I've preached on about our Lord Jesus Christ. I told you about His offices--Prophet, Priest, and King; His natures--human and Divine; and His states--humiliated and exalted.
After the sermons, I talked to some of you, and happy to find out how carefully you listened and how much you understood. If you remember these things--and think about them--you'll know more than most adult Christians.
Today, I'm not going to speak much on the Lord Jesus, but on Someone every bit as important. Who's that? The Holy Spirit.
Long ago, the disciples in Ephesus knew somthing about the Bible, but had never even heard of the Holy Spirit. You've heard of Him--I know that. But you need to know Him better. With God's blessing, let's look now at the Holy Spirit.
IS THE HOLY SPIRIT A PERSON OR A THING?
In some places, the Spirit seems to be a thing. In Joel 2:28, God says "I will pour out My Spirit"--like water from a bowl. In I Thessalonians 5:19, we're told "Do not quench the Spirit" as though the Spirit were a fire to be put out.
Are these verses true? Yes they are--every verse in the Bible is true! But they're figures of speech. They don't describe the Spirit Himself, but what He does. Just as water is poured into a bowl and fills it up, so the Spirit would be poured down from heaven to fill up the Church. And just as water puts out the heat and light of a fire, so our sins quench the work of the Holy Spirit in our souls.
The Holy Spirit, then is not a thing.
The Holy Spirit is a Person. Words like "He, Him, and His" are used of the Spirit, but never "it or its". John 16:13-15 is a very good example:
"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore, I said that He will take what is Mine an declare it to you".
If I say, "There he is", do you look for a person or a thing? You look for a person, of course. And so, when our Lord says, "He, His, and Him" about the Spirit, you know the Holy Spirit is a Person.
Like other persons, the Holy Spirit:
Thinks--"It seemed good to us and to the Holy Spirit"--Acts 15:28.
Speaks--" He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches"--Revelation 2-3.
Feels--"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit"--Ephesians 4:30.
Thinking, speaking, and feeling are not done by things, but by persons. Thus, the Holy Spirit is a Person.
WHAT KIND OF PERSON IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?
That's an easy one. The Holy Spirit is a Divine Person. He's not a human; He's not an angel. He is God. The Bible says so in Acts 5:4-5. Peter is rebuking the first public liar in the Church. Do you know who that was? Here's what he said to him:
"Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God".
Lying to the Holy Spirit is the same as lying to God. Do you know why? Because the Holy Spirit is God!
The Spirit shares in all the attributes of God. In other words, whatever God is, the Holy Spirit is too. For example:
1.God is omnipresent (or everywhere at the same time). So is the Holy Spirit. "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your Presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there. If I make my bed in [the grave], behold You are there. If I take wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me..." (Psalm 139:7-10).
2.God is eternal (no beginning or end). In Hebrews 9:14, He's called "the Eternal Spirit".
The Spirit is also holy, of course, and loving, and patient, and powerful, and everything else God is. But I chose these two traits because they belong to God only. Others are holy or loving, but only God is eternal and omnipresent. And so is the Holy Spirit--because He is God.
WHAT DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT DO?
Because the Holy Spirit is God, He does everything God does. Did you know, He
1.Created all things? Psalm 104:30a: "You send forth Your Spirit and they are created". In Genesis 1:2, we find "The Spirit of God hovering over the face of the deep", putting His work in order.
2.Sustains all things. Job 33:4: "The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath (or Spirit) of the Almighty gives me life". Psalm 104:30b has Him "renew[ing] the face of the earth".
3.He saves. "It is the Spirit who gives life" said the Lord Jesus in John 6:63. And here, the "life" He gives is "spiritual life" or "eternal life".
HOW DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT SAVE?
The Holy Spirit did not die for you on the cross! Jesus Christ did that. Jesus Christ--and no one else!
What the Spirit does to save you is this:
1.He convicts you of your sin. He doesn't make you sin--you do that, along with Satan and the world. But He makes you feel guilty about your sins. He lets you know you can't save yourself and that you need a Savior.
Speaking of the Holy Spirit, our Lord said, "When He has come, He will convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8).
He will make us know that we are sinners, that Christ is righteous, and that without the Lord Jesus, we must fall under the judgment of Go!
2.He reveals Christ to you. He makes you know that Christ is the only Savior. He makes you know that Christ died for you. He makes you know Christ will welcome you when you believe in Him. I can preach these things; you parents can teach them to you; you can read about them in books--even the Bible. But only the Spirit can make Christ real to you.
3.The Holy Spirit gives you the faith to believe in Jesus Christ.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT?
You should believe what He says about Christ. To not believe in Christ is to say: The Holy Spirit is a liar! For all we know about the Lord Jesus comes from the Spirit--"He shall testify to Me" said our Lord. If you want to honor the Holy Spirit, believe what He says about Jesus Christ.
You should love Him and His Word. The Bible is the Holy Spirit's book. Though Paul and Peter and Moses wrote the words of the Bible, they were not their words--but the Spirit's!
"No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private origin, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (I Peter 1:20-21).
You should "Walk in the Spirit". This means to think about Him, to talk to Him in prayer, to listen to Him in Scripture, and to do the things that make Him happy.
You should never "grieve the Holy Spirit of God". To "grieve" someone is to hurt his feelings or to make him sad. Ephesians 4:30 says "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God". We do that in many ways, of course.
--By ignoring Him.
--By saying bad words or doing bad things or thinking bad thoughts.
--But most of all, we "grieve God's Spirit" by having bad attitudes--by being bitter and angry; by screaming or calling names; by being hateful; and by not forgiving others.
If the Holy Spirit is God, you ought to love Him enough to not make Him sad. I pray you will. And I will too. For Christ's sake. Amen.
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