Wait for the Holy Spirit
John 14:15-17, 26
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.Acts 1:3-11
3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Before Jesus was crucified, he spent intimate time with his disciples and promised that God would one day send a Helper, who is the Holy Spirit.
After Jesus died and resurrected, he appeared to his disciples for forty days. This is when he told them to remain in Jerusalem and to wait for the Holy Spirit to clothe them. He promised them that when the Holy Spirit comes, they will remember what he told them and that they will be empowered and be witnesses to others.
But why did Jesus ask them to wait for the Holy Spirit? Why did he ask them to wait in Jerusalem instead of going back to their hometown or elsewhere?
The disciples of Jesus had learned a lot already. They understood a lot about life and the mission God had given them because Jesus himself had taught them. They were privileged to have Christ as their teacher, mentor, and pastor. So in a lot of ways, they were prepared and qualified with their experience, and they had seen all the miracles Jesus had done as well. They had dedication and commitment, and they had even given up their jobs and families.
So they were well qualified in knowledge, experience, dedication, and commitment.
Compared to modern day Christians like us, their experience and exposure were something greater than what we have, but Jesus still asked them to wait for the Holy Spirit to come.
We can understand from this that these qualifications alone are not enough. Without the Holy Spirit, they would be powerless and unable to bear good fruit.
But what about us? How can we relate to this story?
For Christians, there are some that have been to church for a long time, that have served in many areas, and that have put in work to reach out to non-believers. But it is not uncommon to feel like life is empty – that we don’t experience change, fruit, or power.
We may think that it’s because we lack knowledge or commitment. But it may very well be because we have not yet experienced the Holy Spirit. Many times we go our own way instead of waiting, so we need to wait for God’s Spirit to clothe us.
How can we wait? There are two ways:
1. The first way is to gather together with an expectation of the Holy Spirit.
Whenever we meet, let’s meet with this expectation. Whether it be Sunday worship, house church, House of Prayer, or any other meeting, let’s expect the Holy Spirit to come and work.
To his disciples, Jesus didn’t give a specific time or day of when the Holy Spirit would come. There were around 70 disciples at the time, and they would gather everyday waiting. And when they gathered, they would worship God with expectation to receive the Holy Spirit. Every morning, they could have thought positively that this would be the day the Holy Spirit would come.
In the same way, we need this eagerness and desperation. So let’s wait and expect the Holy Spirit to come. It could be today, tomorrow, or any day, but whenever it may be, let’s think positively with an expectation that the Holy Spirit will come.
And let’s also try not to miss opportunities to gather together. We never know when the Holy Spirit will arrive, so we may actually miss out on experiences if we do not show up.
2. The second way is to rely on the Holy Spirit and seek him for guidance.
Jesus promised to not leave us alone – that he would send a Helper. He promised to always be there with us. So while we wait for the Holy Spirit, we can still rely on Jesus and seek him for guidance. We can express this through prayer by asking for guidance.
We may think we know the answers in response to our circumstances, but we should still pray for guidance. Knowledge, experience, and dedication don’t guarantee that we will bear fruit and receive power. If we don’t pray, we may not remember what God speaks to us. In the end, we will always need guidance from God.
How can we apply this? We can ask for guidance in everything. For a haircut, for what to eat, for life decisions, for everything. We shouldn’t see ourselves as adults in God’s presence – we are his children. If we always knew the answer, we would never need to ask God. So let’s not rely on ourselves, but rely on God and have a relationship with him. He will be our Helper.
This guidance can come in different ways – through peace, comfort, healing, or restoration. You can receive guidance through conversation with others. You can get conviction during worship. You can learn from family, from children, and from your spouse. You can receive insight in many different ways if you have an open heart to God.
So let’s pray constantly. While working, studying, eating, reading the bible, or whenever – let’s have an open heart and mind to the Holy Spirit, and we will experience life becoming different.
Discussion Questions:
Is there anything in this sermon that spoke out to you?
Are there any steps you would like to take to expect the Holy Spirit more often?
Are there any specific areas you need to rely on Him, to seek guidance from the Holy Spirit, and to pray? If so, let’s have time to pray for it.
