Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

This is a continuation of the previous lesson when we looked at the Possession's that we "have" in Christ.

All of these wonderful truths are capped off by the fact that we are "sealed" by the holy Spirit of God.

Illustration: How in days past they use to seal letters with hot wax and then pressed their seal into the hot wax.

In a similar sense we are sealed, but not with wax.

We are sealed by the Spirit of God.

Who is the Holy Spirit? - A distinct person of the Godhead

1. Knowledge is Ascribed to Him

2. He has a will

3.

He has feelings

4.

He Prays

R.A. Torrey - “…what a holy joy must come into our hearts when we grasp the thought that there is a divine person, one who never errs, who is willing to take possession of us and impart to us such gifts as He sees best and to use us according to His wise and loving will.

So many times we have the idea that we need to get a grasp of the Power of the Holy Spirit when the reality is we need to surrender our will and allow the Holy Spirit to get a grasp on us!

How do I know that I have the Holy Spirit?

Feelings?

Tongues?

Miracles?

-

What is the Charismatic movement and When did it get started?

Started in the early 1900’s and was originally rejected by a majority of Evangelicals

R.A. Torrey said Pentecostalism is “emphatically not of God, and founded by a sodomite.”

G. Campbell Morgan called Azusa Street Pentecostalism “the last vomit of Satan.”

Merrill Unger represented the predominant view in the 1960’s when he called the Charismatic Movement “widespread confusion.”

He said: “When the Word of God is given preeminence and when sound Bible doctrine, especially in the sphere of the theology of the Holy Spirit is stressed and made the test of experience, the claims of charismatic Christianity will be rejected.”

Many of the evangelicals that have adopted a positive view of the Charismatic movement do not call themselves Charismatic.

The term “third wave” was coined in the 1980s by Fuller Seminary professor Peter Wagner.

The Third Wave is characterized by the following:

* An acceptance of “tongues speaking” as legitimate even though it is mere gibberish

* An openness to divine healing as something promised by God

* A yearning for experiential worship that involves yielding to sensual contemporary music

* A focus on charismatic style spiritual warfare, including the concept of territorial spirits that must be identified and bound by prayer before evangelism can be successful

* An openness to the continued gift of prophecy

* An ecumenical mindset

How is it different from the true Bible doctrine of the Spirit of God?

1.

The Sign Gifts were real languages (not some Heavenly Prayer language)

2. They were for the Jew to authenticate the church

3.

They were bound by Apostolic Direction

No Women Speaking, By Course, Interpretation, No Confusion, etc…)

I.

There is the Promise of the Holy Spirit

“that holy Spirit of Promise”

The Holy Spirit ministered differently in previous dispensations but Jesus promised that in the Church (after the transition period of the Apostles and Miracles of the early church) the Holy Spirit would literally indwell the believer.

Old Testament Example:

Joseph was filled and used

Saul was filled and the Spirit departed from him

David prayed something similar - possibly in relation to what he had witnessed in Saul’s life

New Testament Promise (Baptism of the Holy Spirit):

One for the Jew - Pentecost

One for the Gentile - Cornelius’ house

There are thousands of promises in the Word of God, but one of the most amazing is that during the Church age (right now), God promised to send his Holy Spirit to live inside the believer - to literally indwell!

II.

There is the Possession of the Holy Spirit

“after that ye believed”

There is a sequence here that tells us how we recieved the Holy Spirit.

Contrast this with being “filled with the Spirit”

The Holy Spirit dwells in our vessel!

III.

There is a Payment of the Holy Spirit

“the earnest of our inheritance”

The down payment on what we will eventually inherit was and is the Holy Spirit of God.

The Bible promised that the Holy Spirit would come and dwell in the believer.

The Bible promised that we would be partakers of the benefits of such a possession and we know since we have what has already been promised we will posses what has been promised for us in the future!

“until the redemption of the purchased possession”

This is not referring to a future “Salvation” it is referring to a future reality and full experience of the Redemption that we already possess!

Illustration: Putting an Earnest deposit down on a home when you get ready to buy one.

Conclusion:

Thank God we are sealed with the Holy Spirit!

Thank God we do not have to hope we are saved!

Thank God we can know we are saved!

Illustration: SOMEONE ASKED AN ASTRONAUT, “How does it feel inside the space capsule?”

The Astronaut replied, “it really makes you think, when everything is done according to the lowest bidder.

It really makes you think!”

Thankfully our security is not left to the “lowest bidder” it is resting on the Holy Spirit of God!