Title: These Are The Good Old Days
Bible Book: John 14 : 12-18
Author: Adrian Rogers
Subject: Holy Spirit; Christian Living; Christ in the Believer
Objective:
Introduction
John 14:12–18
Well, amen. Would you be finding, please, John chapter 14? In just a moment, we’re going to look at verse 12. But, I don’t think there’s been a one of us that has not, at one time or another, wished that we could have lived back in Bible times. We wish - oh, we wish - and we think and we dream: “Would it not have been wonderful to have been back there in the days of miracles, in the days when Jesus was walking the shores of blue Galilee? Would it not have been wonderful to see His miracles? And oh, how grand and glorious it would have been to have lived back yonder in the good old days!” Well, folks, I’m here tonight to tell you this: these are the good old days. And, that’s the title of the message tonight: “These Are the Good Old Days.” I had rather be living now than be living then.
Let me give you the text for tonight: John 14 and verse 12: Jesus said, “Verily, verily” - now, when He says, “verily,” that’s important. When He says, “verily, verily,” that’s verily, verily important. That means “pay attention; pay attention.” It means “amen, amen.” It means “emphasis, emphasis” - “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believed on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go [to the] Father” - or, “unto my Father.” So, what our Lord is saying is, “It is better that Jesus go away than that Jesus remain.” That means that it is better for us to be here while Christ is in heaven than it would have been for us to have been here when the Lord Jesus walked on this earth. Now, why did He say that? Well, He says if He goes away, He is going to send the Holy Spirit. Let’s continue to read. He says in verse 13 - “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye…ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 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” - He’s speaking of Himself right now - “and shall be in you” - He’s speaking of the Holy Spirit now - “I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you” (John 14:12– 18) - He’s speaking both of Himself and the Spirit.
Now, let me tell you why it is better that Jesus is in heaven and the Holy Spirit is in us. Let me give you four ministries of the Holy Spirit tonight - if you’re a child of God, four wonderful ministries. And, we’re actually going to be looking in the very heart of the Gospel of John, in John chapters 14, 15, and 16. We’re going to see the ministry of the Holy Spirit to every believer; and then, we’re going to understand that it is better for us now than it would have been to have been with Jesus when He walked the shores of Galilee and the streets of Jerusalem. Now, here are four things that the Holy Spirit does.
I. The Holy Spirit Is the Residing Spirit
First of all, He resides in us, that He might restore the presence of Jesus in us. Now, Jesus was with them; but now, Jesus is in us. Look again in verses 16 and 17: “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not…but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you” - now, watch this - “and shall be in you.” (John 14:16–17) If you’re a child of God, if you’re born again, the Holy Spirit of God is in you. In the Old Testament times, and in the time when Jesus was walking this earth, the Holy Spirit was a presence with men. Now, He is going to be in men. And, Jesus said He’s going to abide in you, and the word abide means that He’s going to dwell permanently in you. He said, “I will not leave you comfortless.” (John 14:18) Well, comfortless can be specifically translated “I will not leave you helpless orphans.” That is, “I’m not going to leave you to fend for yourself.”
Now, He says, “I will be in you, and He will be in you.” Now, Jesus is not confused. He is not saying, “I will go away.” And yet, He says in verse 18: “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14:18) Make up your mind, Lord: Are you going or are you staying? The answer is yes. Now, learn this about the Holy Spirit; let me give you this definition of the Holy Spirit: the Holy Spirit is Christ in the Christian. Do you understand that? The Holy Spirit is Christ in the Christian. And so, Jesus goes away in bodily form, but Jesus comes again in spirit - form to live in us.
Now look, if you will, in verse 16: “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter” - “another Comforter.” (John 14:16) Now, the word Comforter we’re going to look at in a moment, but let’s just look at the word another. The word another is a Greek word that means “another of the exact same kind.” There are two Greek words that are translated “another.” One Greek word means “another of a different kind.” So, let’s say that you had a horse and you’re going to get another form of transportation - you get a car. That’s another of a different kind. But, let’s say you have one car and you’re going to get another one just like it. That’s another of the same kind, you see. Now, the word He uses here is the Greek word that doesn’t mean “another of a different kind”; it means “another of the exact same kind.” That is, “I’m going, but I’m not leaving. You’re going to receive another just like me.”
But, why is it better - why is it expedient - that He go away? Why is it better that the Lord Jesus go away? He says, “It is expedient for you that I go away.” (John 16:7) And, I’m going to show you that in just a moment over in John 16. He says, “[It’s better] for you that I go away.” (John 16:7) Well, when Jesus was here - when Jesus was here on this earth - He could only be with one person at a time. Mary and Martha, when Lazarus was sick, they almost scolded Jesus. They said, “Lord, if you had been here, Lazarus never would have died.” (John 11:32) We never have to say, “Lord, if you had been here, this or that.” He’s always with us, you see. That’s why it’s better for us. That’s why these are the good old days. In the days when Jesus was here in the flesh, if He went home tonight with Brother Bob, He couldn’t go home tonight with me. But, He’s going home tonight with Brother Bob, and He’s going home with you, Newby, and He’s going home with me all at the same time. He is my own personal companion, and He is your own personal companion. He is not now limited by time. He’s not now limited by space. I have all of Jesus there is in me, and you have all of Jesus there is in you. And, I don’t have any advantage over you, and you don’t have any advantage over us.
So, what is the ministry of the Holy Spirit? He is the residing Spirit, that He might restore the presence of Jesus not with us but in us.
II. The Holy Spirit Is the Revealing Spirit
Now, here’s the second ministry of the Holy Spirit: not only is He the residing Spirit, but He is the revealing Spirit. He is here to reveal the person of Jesus to us. Now, not only does He bring Jesus in us, but He also reveals Jesus to us. Look, if you will now, in verse 26 - John 14 and verse 26. Look at it: “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.” (John 14:26) Now, look, if you will, in chapter 15 and verse 26; he says this: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.” (John 15:26) Then, look, if you will, in chapter 16 and verse 13: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself” - that is, He’s not going to be the originator of what He says - “but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” (John 16:13–14)
Now, in these passages, the Holy Spirit is called the “Comforter,” and that’s the Greek word Paracletos, which is really translated in another place “Advocate. So, what is a paraclete? Well, a paraclete is a combination of two Greek words: para, meaning “alongside,” and cletos, “to call.” He’s someone called alongside of us. If you were to go into court, you’d want a lawyer alongside of you. You’d call him; you’d say, “You come and stand here and help me.” He is your paraclete. This word is translated in 1 John 2, verse 1 - it’s translated “advocate”: “if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1)
Now, in Old Testament times, a paraclete, an advocate, a Comforter - all of them the same, just different ways of expressing the same person - was someone who would stand up for the tribe. They were divided into tribes. They had big families. And, they were very jealous about the family name; very careful about the family name; and very careful that the family not get into any lawsuits, any difficulties; and very solicitous for all of the members of the family. So, the tribe had an advocate, a paraclete, a comforter, that he was there to watch for the interests of the family and to plead the family cause and to protect the family name. And, that is what the Holy Spirit does for Jesus: He is the advocate of Jesus.
Now, don’t get the idea that the Holy Spirit is your advocate. He is Jesus’ advocate. Now, you have an advocate. Who is your advocate? Jesus. You see, every one of us is related to two advocates. And remember, that’s just a fancy name for “lawyer.” Every one of us is related to two advocates. We have an advocate. That’s Jesus. He’s my lawyer. You might put it down - in 1 John chapter 2, verse 1: “if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1)
Now, everything in heaven is done legally. Why doesn’t God just kill the devil? No, God’s going to deal with the devil legally. He does everything legally. And, Satan is a condemned criminal, but God is working out a judicial process. But, right now, the devil in the whole scheme of things is tantamount to and corresponds to a prosecuting attorney. He is called in the Bible “the accuser of [the] brethren.” (Revelation 12:10) He’s watching you. He’s watching you. He’s watching you to accuse you before the Father, just as he accused Job before the Father. He accused Job of being selfish and self - serving and only serving God because God had bribed him and bought him off. And, he is called “the accuser of [the] brethren” (Revelation 12:10) in the book of the Revelation.
Well, suppose I sin. Satan is quick to point that out, and he says, “Well, there’s your servant Adrian Rogers, God. You say he loves you and all of this and he’s righteous and all of that. How could he be righteous and have lost his temper like that? Why, he deserves judgment. And, if you don’t judge him, you’re not righteous because you’re supposed to be holy and you’re supposed to judge sin.” And so, he accuses me, and he’s the prosecuting attorney. He’s the D.A. And, he has pointed out my sins, and he demands that I be judged - not that he is all that concerned in righteousness, but he just simply wants to see me suffer and he wants to embarrass God.
But, about that time, my advocate steps up - and my advocate is Jesus Christ - and He says, “Father, let me handle this case. I admit that he sinned. I admit that he failed, but he’s in the process. He’s a growing Christian, and I will chastise him, Father. But, so far as those sins are concerned, Father, for those sins I died.” And, He holds up those nail - pierced hands. And, He is my advocate, and He says, “Father, I’ve already paid for those sins, and he can’t come into double jeopardy. Those sins have been paid for. He is my child.” And, He pleads my cause, and He pleads His blood. And, He is my advocate. “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1) So, I am related to Jesus, and He is my advocate. He pleads my cause.
But, who pleads Jesus’ cause? The Holy Spirit. Now, as He pleads my cause before the Father, the Holy Spirit pleads His cause in my heart. He is the Advocate. He is the One who is protecting the name of Jesus in me. He is the One who is taking the things of Jesus and making them real to me. He is the revealing Spirit, and He is the way that I can know Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit of God who is the advocate of the Lord Jesus in my heart testifying to me just who the Lord Jesus is.
Now, just keep your bookmark there in John, and turn to a very interesting passage in 1 Corinthians chapter 2. Just fast - forward a few books and you’ll come to 1 Corinthians and look with me in chapter 2. And, I’d like for you to turn to this because here’s a verse that we often use. It’s a wonderful verse. We often use it in funerals to tell how wonderful heaven is going to be - and indeed, heaven is going to be wonderful, but this is not really what this verse is talking about. Listen to it in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 9: “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” - and so, that’s often read at funerals, isn’t it? “Eye hasn’t seen, ear hasn’t heard, the heart has not comprehended what heaven is going to be like.” But, when we die, we’re going to heaven, and then we’ll see all of these things, we’ll hear all of these things, and we’ll know all of these things. But, that is not the meaning of that verse. Look in the next verse - “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:9–10) - not God will; He already has. What the eye cannot see, what the ear cannot comprehend, what the heart cannot know we can know by the Holy Spirit. You don’t have to wait ’til you die to know the things that God has prepared for them that love Him. But, how are you going to know these things? The Holy Spirit of God, who is the residing Spirit, is the revealing Spirit. He is the One who makes these things known. And, it doesn’t deal with the sweet by and by but with the nasty now and now. You can know these things right now.
Now, go back to John chapter 16. Look again in verses 13 and 14: “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. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” (John 16:13–14) Now, the Holy Spirit of God is here to take the things of Jesus and to make them real to you. That’s the only way you can know Jesus. Apart from the Holy Spirit, you can only know about Jesus. By the Holy Spirit, you have Christ in you. And, the Holy Spirit is revealing Christ to you, and, therefore, when you pray, you don’t pray at Him - you don’t launch a prayer. You pray with Him, to Him.
He is real to you. And, I don’t want to sound… Well, I don’t want to sound like I think I’m special, but Jesus is real to me - He’s real to me. I thank God He is. I know Jesus. I know Him just like I know any of you, only I know Him better. How is that? Those of you who know, you know what I’m talking about because what I’m saying is true to you, also. How do you know the Lord Jesus? How is He real to you? Because the Spirit of God, who is the revealing Spirit, has taken the things of Christ and He’s shown them to you. And, He, in you, is the advocate of Jesus pleading the cause of Jesus, protecting the name of Jesus.
Now, we have a lot of movements today in the religious world, and some of them are centering around the Holy Spirit. Beware of any movement that has the Holy Spirit as a figurehead. I’m not denigrating the Holy Spirit. He is God of very God. But, let me tell you what the office work of the Holy Spirit is: the Holy Spirit does not speak of Himself; He is not the originator of His thoughts, nor does He glorify Himself. He takes the things of Christ and shows them unto us. And, if you see a parade going down the street and you think that the Holy Spirit is leading the parade, it’s the wrong parade. But, if you see a parade going down the street and the Holy Spirit standing on the sidelines and pointing out Jesus leading the parade, that’s the right parade. I mean, He is pointing out the Lord Jesus. He is glorifying the Lord Jesus in your heart and in your life.
III. The Holy Spirit Is the Reminding Spirit
So, the Holy Spirit, number one, He is the residing Spirit, and He makes the presence of Jesus real in us, that He restores the presence of Jesus. And, He is the revealing Spirit:
He reveals the person of Jesus to us. Now, here’s the third thing He does: He is the reminding Spirit. Go back to chapter 14, and look, if you will, in verse 26: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things” - that’s one thing. How many of you have ever forgotten anything that you’ve learned? You know, I have a good memory; I have a great “forgetery.” Now listen - “he shall teach you all things” - and now, watch this, and here’s the good part - “and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John
14:26) Now, this is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to the subconscious. He is the residing Spirit. He is the revealing Spirit. He is the reminding Spirit. He brings these things to your remembrance.
Now, He quickens your mind not only to learn the truth but to recall the truth. And, there are times when the Holy Spirit of God will step into your heart, into your mind, into your subconscious and give you a word. Here’s a verse; I love this verse: Isaiah chapter 50 and verse 4: “The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned” - and by the way, I often pray this; I often quote this because, as a preacher and a speaker, this is one of the great verses in my own heart in my life - “The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he [awakeneth] morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear [like] the learned.” (Isaiah 50:4) The Holy Spirit wakens us, opens our understanding, speaks to us, gives us recall, so that we can speak a word in due season. And, we’ve all had this happen. Sometimes when we need a special word from God, we feel so inadequate. The Holy Spirit says, “Say this.” Sometimes when we’re witnessing to a person and they bring up an objection, the Holy Spirit will say, “Here’s a scripture to use,” and just minister to your subconscious. When emergencies come, the Holy Spirit makes us incredibly adequate.
Let me turn - turn with me now - to Luke. You’re in John; just turn backward to Luke, if you will - just the book to the left - and look in Luke chapter 12. And, here’s the kind of ministry that I’m talking about now, where I’m talking about Him being the reminding Spirit. Luke chapter 12 and verse 11 - look at it: “And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say” - now, listen to this next verse - “For the Holy Ghost [will] teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.” (Luke 12:11–12) That’s so great. The Lord says, “Now, you’re going to get in trouble if you follow me.” And, I’ve reminded you many, many times that Jesus didn’t come to get you out of trouble; He came to get into trouble with you. And, you will get in trouble if you follow the Lord Jesus. “All [who] live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12) And, in the last days, it’s going to get worse.
I want to ask you a question: What would you do if they put you up against the wall and they said, “There’s a cross. There’s a Bible on the ground. Spit on it; curse Christ, or we’ll kill you”? What would you do? You’d say, “Kill me.” I believe that’s what you’d say: “If that’s necessary, just kill me” - “For…me to live is Christ…to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) What if they said to you, “All right. Now, we’re going to put your wife up there, and we’re going to begin to abuse her and then mutilate her until you deny Christ”? Then, what would you do? Suppose they were to take your children or grandchildren and begin to dismember them before your eyes, say, “Just deny Christ or else.” Or, suppose they put you in one… What would you do? You say, “Pastor, I wish you wouldn’t bring up questions like that.” Well, I really shouldn’t because our Lord said, “Don’t think about those kind of things. Don’t think about them. Don’t worry about it. Don’t worry about it. That’s my responsibility. The Holy Ghost will tell you what to do when that time comes. He will minister to you. He will give you wisdom. He will give you the tongue of the learned. He will give you the mind of Christ. He will show you what to say during those times.” And, that’s a wonderful promise - isn’t it? - from the Word of God.
IV. The Holy Spirit Is the Reproving Spirit
He is the residing Spirit. He is the revealing Spirit. He is the reminding Spirit. One other thing: He’s the reproving Spirit. Turn to John chapter 16, and look in verse 7, if you will.
Our Lord there is giving us another wonderful promise in John chapter 16 and verse 7: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away” - that is, “It’s better 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. And when he is come” - the Holy Spirit - “he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.” (John 16:7–11)
Now, our Lord has given them the Great Commission. He’s told them to go out and to witness in all of the world. They’re to turn the world upside down. He has given them a mission impossible. They’re going out against the imperial might of Rome, and they’re going out against the wisdom of intellectual Greece. And, they’re going out against the stiff - necked bigotry of His own, of the Jewish people of that day - a religious bigotry. They’re going out against all of this. Now, here’s the General. He gives them marching orders. He says, “We’re going into battle.” And then, the General departs, and He says, “It’s better for you that I go away because I am the General, but I am sending you an ally who will be with you. And, you’ve got to bring this world to an understanding, a knowledge, of me - the people of this world. And, these men need to learn three things:
number one, they need to learn the nature of sin; they need to learn the nature of righteousness; and they need to learn the nature of judgment. They need to learn something about sin, which is the curse. They need to learn something about righteousness, which is the cure. And, they need to learn something about condemnation if they persist in their sin and do not take the cure.” And so, the Holy Spirit of God brings this conviction through us.
I am so dependent upon the Holy Spirit when I preach. I would be petrified - as a matter of fact, I would quit the ministry immediately - if I thought it depended upon my logic, my oratory, my ability, my persuasion, my personality, or whatever to put you under conviction of sin. That’s totally, absolutely impossible. But, the Holy Spirit of God in me, taking the Word of God - even when I stumble and fail, and maybe I’m not as keen or quick or concise as I ought to be - yet the Holy Spirit of God takes poor, faltering, stumbling, failing words, and He adds His power. And, He is the One who convicts. He is the One who reproves. Thank God for that. I stand on this when I preach the Word of God and when I witness: “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.” (John 16:3) Look again in verse 8: “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” (John 16:8)
And so, all we are is the voice of the Spirit. It’s the Holy Spirit of God who is speaking in us. He is the residing Spirit. He is the revealing Spirit. He is the reminding Spirit, and He is the reproving Spirit. He is the One who reproves the world. He’s the One who brings this conviction. That’s the reason that if you would be a soul winner, it is so vitally important that you be filled with the Holy Spirit of God.
Sometimes if you want to do some good reading, read the biography of Charles Grandison Finney. You may not agree with all of the theology of Finney, but Finney was a man greatly anointed of God. Read his revival lectures some time. Read some of the things that happened with this man. And, as I read, I think, “I need to be more like Finney was because he was more like Jesus, I believe, than Adrian is.” But, Finney had the anointing, the power of God on him.
He used to hold meetings and sometimes go into places of business. One time, he went into a factory. It was a garment factory, and they had all of these sewing machines - just rows and rows and rows of sewing machines. And, many, many people worked in this factory. And, when Finney walked into the factory, there was a woman who was sewing. She was at her machine, and she made a smart remark - sort of a cynical, caustic, halfway funny, humorous remark - about the man of God and about revivals and so forth. And, some around her just began to titter or laugh a little bit. But, Finney walked in. He never uttered a word. He knew what was going on, and he just looked at that woman. There was something about the presence of God, the power of the Spirit, just in the very life of that man that just the very presence of that man brought that woman under great conviction immediately. She got so nervous that the thread broke in her machine.; and then, she couldn’t get it threaded again. And, she finally just broke down and began to weep, and conviction began to spread and go through that factory. And, Finney had not preached - just the Spirit of God in him, just his very presence, the God in him, somehow had seemed to have a convicting spirit of sin and judgment and righteousness.
The owner of the factory, who was not a Christian, realized that something unusual was happening. The owner of the factory said, “We’re going to close the factory. God is at work. It is more important that people attend to their souls than that we make these garments and these clothes.” The factory closed, and almost every one in that factory gave his or her heart to the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s the power of God.
We need to see more of that today. We need, when people come into our buildings, they need to know, when they come to Bellevue, into our Sunday school classes, into our homes, that God is here. We just sometimes club people with the Bible and browbeat them or try to think that by our ingenuity or our cleverness that we can talk them into being saved. But, I long to see the Holy Spirit of God convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He is the reproving Spirit.
Conclusion
So, I want to say, folks, that it is better for us right now to have the Holy Spirit in us than to have Jesus in literal bodily form walking side by side with us. I hope you believe that. “It is expedient for you that I go away” (John 16:7) - “The works that I do [you’ll] do…and greater works than these [that I do will ye] do; because I go [to] my Father.” (John 14:12) Thank God for the Holy Spirit, and yield your heart and life to the Holy Spirit of God. The proof that you are filled with the Spirit is not that you speak with tongues; the proof that you’re filled with the Spirit is that you live like Jesus because He, the Holy Spirit, is Christ in the Christian.
Father, I pray that you will help us to be aware of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives and not to forget His presence in us. Lord, you had to remind those in Corinth and say, “What? know ye not that your [bodies are] the temple of the Holy Ghost…?” (1 Corinthians 6:19) Help us, Lord, not to be mindless of His presence but, O Lord, to give Him honor as He honors Jesus in us. In His dear name, the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Now, look at me. We’re going to conclude the service tonight with a gospel invitation, and Brother Jamie is going to lead us in just a moment singing an invitation. You cannot have the Holy Spirit in you until you’re saved. As a matter of fact, being saved means receiving Christ. And, when you receive Christ, you really are receiving the Holy Spirit because you can’t receive Christ in physical form. He has ascended and gone to heaven so to receive Christ is to receive the Spirit of God. And, the Bible says, “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, [he’s] none of his.” (Romans 8:9) You don’t get saved and then receive the Holy Spirit. Being saved is receiving the Holy Spirit, and receiving the Holy Spirit is being saved. And, you do that by faith. If you would pray, “Lord Jesus, you died to save me. You promised to save me. You want to save me. You will save me if I trust you, and I do trust you now. Come into my heart. Forgive my sin, and save me.”
“Pastor, does that mean that I’ll have a feeling or will I get a chill? Will I laugh? Will I cry? Will I get warm?” No, the Bible doesn’t say anything about any of that. It may show up in your emotions, but it’s not a matter of your emotions; it’s a matter of faith. You just receive Christ by faith. Trust Him. Forget about your feelings. Just trust Christ. The fact is that He died for you. You put your faith in that fact, and the feelings will come along. But, if you try to put your faith in feelings, the whole thing just comes apart. Put your faith in God’s facts. Trust the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit of God will begin to reveal Jesus in you. And, as you grow, you’ll learn more and more about Jesus and more and more about His Word.
In just a moment, I’m going to ask the ministers of our church to stand down here at the front. And tonight, if you want to give your heart to Jesus, leave your seat and come forward and just tell one of these ministers, “I want to be saved,” and we’ll take a Bible and lead you to Jesus. Or, perhaps you have been saved and you want to come tonight and say, “I’ve been saved. I’ve come to make it public. I want to make an appointment for my baptism. I want to be baptized and added to the fellowship of this church.” Or, maybe you have a membership elsewhere and you’d like to transfer your membership to Bellevue. Now, we’re not looking for mere joiners. We’re not trying to pull you away from another church. But, if it’s God’s will for you to be here - this is where the Spirit of God speaks to you; this is where you feel the presence of Christ real in your heart - we invite you to come and say, “I want to be a member of Bellevue.” And, the minister will tell you how you may become a member.
So, some are coming, saying, “I want to be saved.” Others are coming, perhaps, saying, “I have been saved, and I want to be baptized and added to the church.” Others are coming, saying, “I’m saved and baptized, a member somewhere else, but I want to place my membership here.” Let’s stand together as we sing.
