PREACHING OF JULY 28, 2024:

Pastor Antonio Russo

OUR NEED FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT

Let's continue with our series dedicated to the person of the Holy Spirit, talking about our need for His presence in our lives. Unfortunately, the Holy Spirit is often defined in the Church as the unknown, yet He should be the reality we know most intimately. While Jesus is in heaven at the right hand of the Father, the Holy Spirit is here on earth, eager to impact us and help us grow in revelation and knowledge of who He is.

John 16:13; 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.

The Holy Spirit, who came on the day of Pentecost, is not here to glorify Himself, but to teach us and reveal the truth. Jesus promised that He would not leave us as orphans but would send the Holy Spirit, the "Parakletos", with various functions, including teaching us all things. The Holy Spirit and the Word always walk in agreement: what the Holy Spirit reveals will never be in conflict with the Word of God. He reminds us of everything, but we cannot expect Him to do so if we haven't studied, read, or meditated on the Bible; therefore, we must prioritize reading the Word of God to honor God and the Holy Spirit.

Joshua 1:8; 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

This reading indicates the benefits we receive from reading and meditating on the Word of God; indeed, when we do so, the Holy Spirit will always guide us toward obedience to It, which, besides being our vital source, is the key that makes us prosperous and blessed. Although we live in difficult times, the Bible assures us that in the last days, which began with Pentecost, the glory of God will increase with a growing outpouring of the Holy Spirit; it will be the greatest revival the Church has ever seen. So, instead of heading toward destruction, we are moving toward increasing glory and anointing, as revealed by the Bible and prophetically confirmed by the Feast of Pentecost. In Israel, God had established three main feasts out of the total seven: Passover (Pesach), Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles, which all firstborns were required to attend by returning to Jerusalem. Passover celebrates Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, replacing the sacrifices of the Old Testament with forgiveness of sins through His death and resurrection. After Pentecost, which we have been celebrating for about 2000 years and marks the beginning of a period of increasing outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we are approaching the Feast of Tabernacles, indicated as the time of Jesus return. In these last days, the Holy Spirit operates with greater intensity, and we must stay connected with what is happening in the Church rather than focusing on social media. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is unique, but we can experience increasing and continuous fillings, as the apostle Paul exhorts us to maintain a constant fullness of the Holy Spirit; with the increase of difficulties, our Heavenly Father will increase His presence in us. The Holy Spirit is a person with emotions, not an active force; as the third person of the Trinity, He lives within us, and while the Father and Jesus are in heaven, today we live in His dispensation. The Father anoints us, Jesus is the Anointed One, and the Holy Spirit is the anointing. In the book of Acts, it is reported that we receive power, "Dynamis", when the Holy Spirit comes upon us to be His witnesses. Besides being witnesses, we have been anointed to do impossible things, not with our own strength, but with that of the Holy Spirit who lives within us and equips us to perform works that may seem impossible to men but are possible for God. Healing a tumor, making a lame person walk, restoring sight to the blind, or hearing to the deaf are works we can accomplish through the anointing of the Holy Spirit living in us. One of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to be the Witness.

John 15:26; 26 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:

The Holy Spirit testifies about Jesus, His life, ministry, death, and resurrection because He was present in all those moments, and only He can testify who Jesus truly is. When we speak of Jesus, His love, and His sacrifice, the Holy Spirit confirms to people the truth of our words because He guides us to recognize the truth versus falsehood, revealing to us the absolute truth of Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. One of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to reveal the truth, while many believers confuse their opinions with absolute truth, ignoring that there is only one truth and everything else is falsehood. Falsehood is a false reality, whereas truth is the highest level of reality that cannot be denied or hidden. Some prefer to remain in falsehood rather than confront the truth, but we have the responsibility to bring the truth to everyone, even if it may result in persecution. The truth, though uncomfortable, is what sets us free and aligns our lives with God and His Word, allowing us to change. It, being a person, is Jesus Himself, who is the life and freedom that only the Holy Spirit can reveal to us.

Romans 8:2; 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

The life of Jesus, and the Spirit who has come to dwell within us, has a greater power than death. Even as we age, months and years pass, and our bodies decay, God has placed within us the Holy Spirit, who promises that while the outer man decays, the inner man renews and comes to life day after day, sustained by the Spirit of life.

Isaiah 40:30-31; 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Even the most prepared and strong young people, who train hard like Olympic athletes, can easily fall. But we who hope in the Eternal see our strength renewed day after day. We are not merely aging; we are being renewed because the Holy Spirit of life lives within us, freeing us from the law of sin and death. Wherever the Spirit of life is present, there is life, not death.

Psalm 33:6; 6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

By the breath of His mouth, God gave life to His Word and to humanity; where there is the Spirit of God, there is no death, but life. Without the Spirit, the Word of God would be an ordinary book, but with the Spirit, it becomes a transformative word that changes us, because those who wrote the Bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit.

2°Timothy 3:16; 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

The Bible does not contain the Word of God, nor does it become the Word of God; it is the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation, written over approximately 1900 years by dozens of different authors, as stated by Paul to Timothy: "All Scripture is divinely inspired." Just as a lawyer dictates a letter and the secretary writes it down, the Word of God was dictated by the Holy Spirit and written by men. Unfortunately, today's Church is often dormant because it does not allow itself to be guided by the Holy Spirit, extinguishing it and ignoring what the Bible says about it.

1°Thessalonians 5:19; 19 Quench not the Spirit.

Turning off the Holy Spirit doesn't just mean extinguishing the fire; it means blocking His flow and movement. Many churches that began with the fire of God later replaced the Holy Spirit with order, forgetting that while order is important, true purpose lies in life, which represents our ultimate goal. Human programs and schemes often replace the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as evidenced by the precise routines we follow in church, which may not truly reflect His will. We must examine whether our decisions truly come from the Holy Spirit or are merely our own ideas, and allow ourselves to be led by Him in all things.

Romans 8:14; 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

The Holy Spirit has a deep interest in guiding us because He is committed to doing so and desires to accompany us in our lives, inviting us to grow and mature. He will never lead us into falsehood or anything that can harm us; on the contrary, He will always guide us toward the supernatural. Jesus, in His relationship with the Holy Spirit, demonstrated three fundamental aspects that we should imitate:

1. Guidance: Jesus allowed Himself to be guided by the Holy Spirit, and for us to achieve the same success, we must live in the same dependence and guidance of the Spirit.

2. Discipline: Jesus accepted the discipline of the Holy Spirit, which helped Him maintain His mission and integrity.

3. Sensitivity: Jesus was sensitive to the direction of the Holy Spirit, withdrawing to deserted places to pray and moving according to His guidance.

This means that we, too, must learn to depend completely on the Holy Spirit, following His guidance in every aspect of our lives, because He will never lead us to failure. Even though His instructions may seem difficult or contrary to our plans, He has a deeper vision and knows what is best for us. When we preach or teach, it is essential to be sensitive to His guidance and directives to ensure that what we do brings life rather than death. Our prayer life must be submitted to His guidance to experience supernatural encounters; otherwise, we risk remaining stuck in habits without real change. Therefore, it is crucial to always seek the Holy Spirit's guidance, especially in significant decisions such as new jobs or connections, because His direction is supernatural, not natural. In conclusion, let us recognize that Christianity stands out from the other 4000 religions in the world for three fundamental reasons:

1. The Cross of Jesus: No other religious leader has given their life to save people as Jesus did.

2. The Supernatural: Only Christianity brings true miracles and healings, elements absent in the gatherings of other religions; without these supernatural signs, Christianity would reduce to one of the many existing religions.

3. The Holy Spirit: Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit, a divine Helper who is "equal to Him in every way."

After Jesus' ascension, His role was replaced by the Holy Spirit, who should be our everything, just as Jesus was for the disciples. He is our Helper, Support, Advocate, Counselor, Comforter in difficult times, Strengthener in weaknesses, and Eternal Comforter.