Sermon Notes: Possessed by the Holy Spirit

Today begins our series on spiritual warfare.

This series will take us all the way through October and will include Halloween.

It is important for us to lay a clear biblical foundation so, as we study about our enemies, we can see what they can and can not do.

There are two worlds: the physical world and the spiritual world.

The physical world is separate, but not disconnected from the spiritual world.

You can do things in your body, that will impact your spiritual self.

For example, when you were born, you were born with a living body, a living mind and a present but dead soul.

Jesus tried to explain this to Nicodemus

Reading

Joh 3:1 KJV There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
 2  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
 3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
 4  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
 5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Pray

How do you become born again?

Joh 3:15 KJV
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

When you become born again, you are saved from the consequences, or the punishment, of your sin.

When you told Jesus Christ by faith that you believe He died for you, and asked Jesus Christ to forgive your sin, you were born again.

At that instant you were saved the Holy Spirit of God entered into you and lives inside of you ever since.

Joh 14:15 KJV If ye love me, keep my commandments.
 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.note
 19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
 22  Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
 23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
 25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The Holy Ghost (also called the Holy Spirit, also called the Comforter) enters into you and provides you with many good and powerful spiritual blessings.

Joh 16:4 KJV But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.
 5 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?
 6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

The Holy Spirit is a person and is one with the Father and with Jesus, the Son

1Jn 5:7 KJV For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

When you have been born again you are filled with the Holy Spirit and He is sealed inside you

Eph 1:12 KJV That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
 13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
 14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

If you have ever used Tupperware, or Rubbermaid, you understand about sealing something inside a container.

That lid provides a temporary seal until the time when it needs to be opened, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption or the Rapture

When you are saved, the Holy Spirit is sealed inside your soul, which is sealed inside your body.

1Co 6:19 KJV What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
 20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

We can make the Holy Spirit happy with our thoughts, words, and actions, or we can make the Holy Spirit sad

Eph 4:30 KJV And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

When you are engaging people, you are engaging only two types of people:

People that have the Holy Spirit and those that do not have the Holy Spirit.

1Jn 4:1 KJV Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
 2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
 3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
 4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
 5  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

When you are saved, the Holy Spirit is in you, and with you, and communicates with you every day.

Heb 13:5 KJVLet your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
 6  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

God loves you for many reasons but primarily because God created you, and He purchased you with his own blood, and he had forgiven you in salvation, and He is preparing a place for you to live with Him forever, and He lives inside you right now, and He will never leave you.

1Jn 4:18 KJV There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

There is nothing to fear, even when the world gets scared at news events, or politics, or the price of living, or even of Satan himself.

We do not fear because,
greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

END