Sermon Notes:
What is the role of the Holy Spirit in witnessing?
1. The Spirit of God always works with the Word of God.
2. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our need for Jesus.
3. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin.
4. The Holy Spirit convicts us of righteousness.
a. Jesus is the standard of righteousness!
b. The Holy Spirit’s job is to reveal and glorify Jesus.
5. The Holy Spirit convicts us of judgment.
6. Blasphemy of the Holy Sprit is a willful, knowledgeable, rejection of Christ, to where a person’s heart is hardened beyond return.
Follow-up Questions from Sunday:
Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?
Digging Deeper:
1. In Acts 1:8, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will come to give us power to be His witnesses. In what ways do you think we need the Holy Spirit to help us in sharing Jesus? How have you experienced this in your life?
2. In John 14:26 and 2 Peter 1:20-21, we read that the Holy Spirit was the moving force in writing the Holy Scripture. We also read in Romans 10:17 that faith comes to us by hearing the Word. In what ways do you think the Spirit of God and the Word of God work together in bringing people to faith in Jesus? How have you seen this happen?
3. Jesus in John 16:7-11 gives the job description of how the Holy Spirit will work in the heart of a non-believer as they hear the Word of God? In what ways do you think this information is valuable for us as believers in sharing our faith?
4. Read Matthew 12:22-32. When you read these verses, what do you think was happening in the hearts of the Pharisees that was leading them to commit the unforgivable sin? How do you think the Holy Spirit was ministering to them at that moment? What should their reaction have been?
5. What does 1 Peter 3:15; Colossians 4:5-6, and 1 Corinthians 3:5-8 teach us about our job description in sharing Jesus with others? How can we practically apply these verses to our daily lives?
Prayer:
Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with understanding of His and our responsibility in sharing Jesus. Ask Him to give you opportunities to join Him in sharing Jesus with others. Theological quote from Pastor Frank’s Seminary and his favorite professor. Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is not simply saying something bad about the Holy Spirit (or about anything else, for that matter), but is a persistent rejection of the convicting work of the Spirit, whose job it is to expose our sin and lead us to accept Christ. Jesus says about the Holy Spirit in John 16:8, “And he when he comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” My former teacher, and then long-time Talbot colleague, Mike Wilkins, writes: “This also goes along with the role of the Spirit in convicting individuals of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). As long as one rejects the Spirit, one can never find forgiveness for sins.”