1 of 4 Who Is The Holy Spirit Bill Hall 20140216

Who Is the Holy Spirit? Bill Hall Eastside Church of Christ, Athens, AL February 16, 2014 (Morning Lesson) Link for formatted documents. (Copy and Paste) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZE8HommqoyIN4WtIbl_nfI60kH8SlERwUDJLuqChfWg/edit?usp=sharing WARNING: AI WAS USED IN EDITING PORTIONS OF THE FOLLOWING. THERE MAY BE ERRORS. SUMMARY: In this clear and foundational lesson, veteran preacher Bill Hall explores the identity and primary work of the Holy Spirit. The sermon emphasizes that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, not an impersonal force. Hall explains the Spirit’s essential role in revealing all truth to the apostles and confirming that truth through miraculous signs. He stresses that the Bible we hold is the fully revealed and confirmed word of God. A practical and encouraging message that strengthens faith in Scripture. Listen to audio: https://audio.com/eutychus/audio/1-of-4-who-is-the-holy-spirit-bill-hall-20140216 Listen to audio from original source: https://www.eastside-church.com/library/sermons-only/2014/02/16/who-is-the-holy-spirit Watch on YouTube from original source: https://www.youtube.com/live/6MAJb--SwF0?si=8Pvanb2Etu69hjB-&t=2257 Introduction and Personal Remarks I'd like to turn in your Bibles to John chapter 14. Just noticing not this last song, but the song before. And I don't remember the exact words, but "forget the channel and focus on the God of heaven." And that's what we're here for this morning. My first responsibility this morning is not to preach the gospel. My first responsibility is to worship the Lord. And you're not here to hear a guest speaker. You're here to worship the Lord. And I'm thankful to be a channel and I hope I'll be an effective channel. But I hope that our focus will be upon his word and upon him and our Lord to authorize this word. But having said that, let me just say, I surely am glad to be here. I got to thinking this morning, my first meeting at Eastside was 50 years ago. Some of you sure have aged since then. I understand that. There's just not many places where you go where you've been holding meetings for 50 years. But that is the case. Sam Binkley was here and some of you were here. And what a joy to be back with you. I'm glad Charlotte can be with me. I appreciate the concern you've expressed about Sewell. And of course, we're concerned about that. We just hope it's a bump in the road. Not a big bump, but I hope it's just a bump in the road. And he'll be right back into his work again. I will tell you this, yesterday I talked to him and he said, well, I guess I've done pretty well. He said, last time I spent a night in the hospital, I was a baby just born. Now, I wonder about that because he did have some surgery sometime back and he may have forgotten, but he may have gone home. I don't know for sure. Glad to see Steve and his family there. Always a joy. We have such a great relationship. And that's true of so many of you. I appreciate the East Side Church and always enjoy being with you. Well, I've been assigned to preach some lessons on the Holy Spirit, and I'm glad to do that. Don't expect anything particularly new, but I do hope that we can confirm conclusions maybe we came to many years ago, and also maybe to help some who may be struggling with some of these questions. But it's not my purpose to somehow come up with something fantastic and new, and I don't think you want me to do that. So, we're going to do our best to present lessons that will help us on the Holy Spirit. And let me just start out by saying that our first lesson will center upon the primary purpose of the Holy Spirit in man's redemption. And that's the revelation and confirmation of truth. General Facts About the Holy Spirit But before we start there, we need some general facts about the Holy Spirit. First of all, we need to think of the Holy Spirit as a being. Just as God the Father is a being, and our Lord is a being, so the Holy Spirit is that. He is not just some gaseous substance floating around in the air. I went to a funeral sometime back, and the man speaking said, the Holy Spirit, right now, moving in and around these pews, comforting us who are sitting in these pews. Well, obviously, his concept of the Holy Spirit was of some kind of gaseous substance and just floating out here and doing mysterious things to people. No, he's a being. He can hear, he can speak, he can guide, he can bring to remembrance, he can glorify. That's why I had you return to John 14:26. Look at verse 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 things that I said to you.” Here is activity. He will bring to your remembrance these things. He will teach you these things. So let's remember always that the Holy Spirit is a being, and when we speak of the Holy Spirit, we should use pronouns like he and him, not it. And if somehow I ever in these four lessons say anything about the Holy Spirit and refer to him as it, I will have made a terrible slip of the tongue, and I hope you'll be forgiving if I do that. So the Holy Spirit is, keep in mind, a being, and never let that slip. He's one of the Godhead, or we sometimes say one of the three who make up deity. That's who the Holy Spirit is. Let's just be sure we remember that. Let me point out that the Holy Spirit was active in Old Testament days. Turn to Genesis chapter 1. He had a part in creation. Verse 1 of Genesis 1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” The Spirit of God. So he was there in creation. And the second thing I want us to see, and we're not going to cover much of this because this is not our main purpose, but the Holy Spirit guided those who erected the tabernacle and the various furnishings of the tabernacle and the making of the priest's garments. Turn to Exodus chapter 35. Look at verse 30 of Exodus 35:30. And Moses said to the children of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom and understanding and knowledge and all manner of workmanship to design artistic work, to work in gold and silver and bronze” and so forth. And here's the man who's going to lead the way in the erecting of the tabernacle. And he had the Spirit of God to help him in that work. And I'm turning to 2 Peter chapter 1. Surely it's no new thing to us that the Holy Spirit was the one who gave the message when the Old Testament scriptures were written. 2 Peter chapter 1, look at verse 20: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation.” Let me pause to say that's a verse that's been badly misunderstood. People will say, see, we're not to give interpretation of the scriptures. The scripture is not of any private interpretation. But the reference here is not the interpretation of the reader. It's the interpretation of the writer. What he's saying is when Isaiah wrote and David wrote and Jeremiah wrote, they were not writing their own interpretation of things. Well, if they were not writing their own interpretation of things, where did they get that message? Verse 21, “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but the holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” Was the Holy Spirit active then in Old Testament times? And we've just touched the surface a little bit. Yes. But our primary interest is in the Holy Spirit's work in the gospel age. And that's where we're going to place our primary focus as we study these lessons. And as we've already said, the primary role of the Holy Spirit in man's redemption was to reveal and confirm the truth of God. Let me put it this way. You would not know today that Jesus died for your sins, that he was buried, that he rose from the dead, that he ascended to heaven. You would not know what to do to be saved. You would not know how to live as a Christian. You wouldn't know anything about the church. You wouldn't know about the hope of heaven or the dangers of hell had it not been for the Holy Spirit. Now, let me ask you, is the Holy Spirit's role in our redemption an important role? The Revealing of Truth All right, let's look first at the fact that the Holy Spirit's work was to reveal truth. And let's go right back to John chapter 14. Jesus is speaking to his apostles. May I emphasize that? He is speaking to his apostles. He's not speaking to me. And you'll see that if you look at verse 25 of John 14, Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.” Now, that's not me. That's the apostles. “These things I have spoken to you while I have been present with you.” Now, verse 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 things that I said to you.” So Jesus had already told the apostles many of the things that they were going to be out teaching, but he didn't trust their memory. I'm glad of that. Aren't you glad of that? Do your memories ever fail you? Mine do, getting more and more common in fact. Yes, our memories fail us. Jesus didn't trust their memory. He said, I'm going to send the Holy Spirit who will bring to your remembrance all those things that I've taught you. But let's go on to chapter 16. Look at verse 12. “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” A good teacher teaches people as they're able to absorb what he's teaching them, and Jesus understood that. And he said, I have many things to tell you, but you cannot absorb it now, if I may use that term. Look at verse 13. “However, when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak; and he will tell you things to come.” I have many things to tell you. You can't bear them now, but the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth. What did we say was the primary role of the Holy Spirit in our redemption? The revealing of truth. But let me emphasize that what truth was revealed to them was not partial truth, it was all truth. Now, to 1 Corinthians chapter 2. You may remember that in the first chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul deals with the fact that we don't have our faith standing in man's wisdom, that man's wisdom will fail. But that doesn't mean that Paul has not preached wisdom. Look at verse 6 of 1 Corinthians 2: “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him.’” Paul, do you speak wisdom? Yes. It's the wisdom of God in a mystery. I'm going to let the word mystery frighten you. The word mystery in the scripture simply refers to something formerly hidden, but has now been revealed. A long time ago, I received an illustration from somebody, and I've used it ever since. It wasn't mine. I wish I'd thought about it. But before I come, I always put something in my pocket. It's hidden. Your eye can't see it. I can shake my pocket. Your ear can't hear it. And I have no doubt in my mind, I could go around this room and let every one of you guess 10 guesses as to what's in my pocket. And in the imagination of your mind, you do not know what's in my pocket. It's a mystery. The only way you can ever know is if I choose to reveal it to you. I always do. I find it a piece of a jigsaw puzzle. Now, if anybody comes out and says, that's exactly what I thought it was. Now the mystery has been revealed. What was in God's mind for the redemption of his people was hidden. Nobody with his eye could look into God's mind. No one with his ear could hear what was in God's mind. And nobody in the imagination of his heart could know what was in God's mind. The only way you could ever know would be if God chose to reveal it. Now look at verse 10. Chapter 2, verse 10: “But God has revealed them to us through his Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” God chose to reveal those things that had been formerly hidden in his mind. He revealed those things through the Spirit. And he did so to somebody called us. It doesn't tell us who would be among them, but we don't know otherwise who the us are. Look at verse 12: “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” And you may have a translation that says combining spiritual things with spiritual words. Are we learning something about the Holy Spirit? There were all those things hidden in God's mind having to do with our salvation, but they were hidden. Even angels desire to look into those things. We're told in 1 Peter chapter 1, but those things hidden in God's mind, he revealed by means of the Holy Spirit to a group called us who in turn spoke those things, but they didn't speak them in their own words. They spoke them in words given to them by the Holy Spirit. Now let's go to Ephesians. I want to go to chapter 3, beginning with verse 1: “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation he made known to me the mystery.” Paul, how did you get it? How did you get this knowledge of the mystery? Well, I received it by revelation. A revelation is simply the noun form of the word revealed. That which was hidden in God's mind was revealed to me. I received it by revelation. Well, Paul, how can we get it? He says in parentheses, verse 3, “as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.” Aren't you thankful? Not only did they speak what the Holy Spirit gave them, they wrote it down. Paul, how did you receive it? I received it by revelation. How can we receive it? I wrote it down. And when you read, you will understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. Now look at the next verse, verse 5: “which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets.” Now we know who those are. Us. The holy apostles and prophets. That would be the New Testament prophets. Now let's pull all that together. What was hidden in God's mind, the mystery was revealed to certain ones. And now we know the holy apostles and prophets. They spoke that message in their generation. They wrote it down so it could be preserved for us. And they spoke and wrote not in words of their own choosing, but words given to them by the Holy Spirit. So what's the first primary role? The revealing of truth. But how would anybody know it was the truth? Couldn't they just have made up this message and gone out to try to sell the world on this message that they've come up with? How would anybody know it was the truth? And so the Holy Spirit, who was revealing this message to them, also gave them the power to perform great miracles. They spoke in tongues, they healed the sick, they on a few occasions even raised the dead. I remember one occasion when Paul struck a man with temporary blindness. And through these miracles, people would know these men are speaking the truth. And those miracles, even though Philip was not an apostle, the miracles that Philip performed were so different to those that were seen in the old sorcerer. Do you remember that in Acts 8? That anybody could distinguish between the true and the false. So they went forth with the revealed word of God and confirmed it with the miracles that they performed. The Confirmation of Truth Turn to the book of Mark. Look at chapter 16 and let's begin with verse 15: “And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’” So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. The Lord confirmed the word through the accompanying signs, through the miracles that they performed. And I might take you one more along this line, go to Hebrews. I want to go to chapter 2. Hebrews 2, let's start with verse 2: “For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will?” What I hold in my hand is the revealed and confirmed truth of the Lord. That's the most precious possession that you own. Revealed and confirmed by the Holy Spirit. And let me make this little point with you. When the Holy Spirit gave them power to perform those miracles, it was not to confirm what Moses had spoken 1,500 years earlier. That's already confirmed. Those miracles that were given to them were performed to confirm revelation being given to them at the time. Now, if God were giving us some new revelation over here, I guess we would need miracles. Are you with me? But since they were guided into all truth, there's no more truth to be given to us. So what we have is the final. And it will be revealed through the Holy Spirit and confirmed by the miracles that he performed. And that's the basis of truth. It doesn't matter what vision you may think you've seen. It doesn't matter what some preacher tells you. It doesn't matter what seems right to you or to me. Even if an angel appears to you, if it results in anything other than what you can read in the Bible, it's false. It's a lie. This is true. All that's beautifully illustrated. Go to 1 Kings chapter 13. While you're turning to it, I might remind you that we or an angel from heaven. Do you remember that? “Preaching the other gospel to you. And that which we preach to you, let it be a curse to even an angel from heaven.” In 1 Kings chapter 13, the kingdom of Israel has divided. If I were to ask you, what were the two southern tribes? You'd say, well, that's the kingdom of Judah. But what about the 10 northern tribes? Well, that's the kingdom of Israel. Jeroboam is their king. And to keep the people from going to Jerusalem, in his mind, and God had told him, if you'll follow my commands, I'll establish your kingdom like that of David. If you'll just... Jeroboam lost his faith. Told the people don't go down to Jerusalem. He built two calves of gold, put one of them in Bethel and one in Dan, and built altars. And in chapter 13 of 1 Kings, we see a man of God coming out of Judah to curse that altar that Jeroboam has built in Bethel. Start with verse 1 of 1 Kings 13: And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord. And Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord. And said, “O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’” Did you notice “by the word of the Lord”? Three times. He came by the word of the Lord. He spoke by the word of the Lord and he cursed that altar by the word of the Lord. What do we have? We've got a man with revealed truth. Besides that, it was confirmed that it was revealed truth. Look at verse 3: And he gave a sign on the same day saying, “This is the sign which the Lord has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart and the ashes on it shall be poured out.” Look at verse 5. The altar also was split apart and the ashes poured out from the altar according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. And besides that, Jeroboam stretched out his hand and said, arrest him. When he did it, he couldn't draw it back. And he said to the man of God, pray to God that he'll restore my hand. He prayed to God. His hand was restored. What does this man have? He has the truth of God revealed and confirmed. Confirmed twice—of the ashes pouring out of that altar and by the healing of Jeroboam's hand. He's got the revealed and confirmed truth of God. Jeroboam said, go home with me. That'd be a temptation. I expect he'd never eaten as good a meal as he would have eaten at the king's house. I like this man so far. No, he said, I can't go home with you. The Lord who sent me told me not to eat bread or drink water in this city and to go home a different way from the way I came. And he headed home. There was an old prophet. Heard about all this. Gave him a donkey race. He goes after the man of God. He tells him to come back and eat with him. The man of God again tells him the instructions of the Lord. The Lord who sent me told me not to eat bread nor drink water in this place and to return another way from the way I came. Oh, but an angel spoke to him. In verse 18, he said to him, “I too am a prophet as you are. And an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’” He was lying. The man of God went back. Hey, the old prophet did speak. He said, you will not be buried in the sepulcher. I used to feel sorry for him. I do still. The subject. But he's without excuse. What did he have? He had the revealed and confirmed word of God. And you could be sure if God's instructions to him were ever going to change, they would have been reversed with the same strength with which they were originally given. It wouldn't be by some old man saying an angel. Are you getting this? What do I hold in my hand? The revealed and confirmed truth of God. I used to say, this is the strongest appeal. No, it's the only appeal. It's the only source of truth. Revealed and confirmed by whom? The Holy Spirit. And we allow somebody to come along and say, well, but I just have this wonderful feeling or somebody comes along and says, yes, but I've seen a vision or somebody comes along and yes, but an angel appeared to me or some charismatic preacher begins to tell us something different from what you read here. If you accept that, you're without excuse. This is true. The revealed and confirmed word of God. What was the Holy Spirit's primary role in our salvation? To reveal and confirm the message, the truth of God. Closing and Invitation Now this afternoon, we're going to talk about the apostles and the fact that the apostles were enabled to do their work. They could not have done their work without the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. And that's what we'll be looking at at three o'clock this afternoon. We're just going to try to lay a foundation and then draw some conclusions that I hope will help us wonderfully on Tuesday night. And I hope you can be present for all those services. Thank you for listening this morning. You have listened well. Now, one question that we need to ask. What does the revealed and confirmed word of God tell a sinner to do in order to be saved? Well, in Acts chapter 2, we hear Peter and the other apostles preaching. The people are convicted. They've come to the conclusion that the one whom they crucified is Lord and Christ. They're pricking their hearts. They say, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Listen to the revealed and confirmed truth of God. “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” I have no doubt in my mind, right behind me is water. There would be garments here. And if you want to be a Christian, then instead of listening to what men say or some tract you've picked up somewhere, come repenting, confessing your faith and be baptized in Christ. We would love to see you respond this morning. Scriptures Used in the Lesson John 14 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.” (v. 25) “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 things that I said to you.” (v. 26) NKJV: “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 things that I said to you.” LSV: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all things that I said to you.” Genesis 1 (relevant: v. 2) “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” NKJV: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” LSV: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth has been formless and void, and darkness [is] on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God is brooding on the face of the waters.” Exodus 35:30-31 (with adjacent vv. 31-33 for context) “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom and understanding and knowledge and all manner of workmanship to design artistic work, to work in gold and silver and bronze.” NKJV: “And Moses said to the children of Israel, ‘See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze…’” LSV: “And Moses says to the sons of Israel, ‘See, YHWH has called by name Bezaleel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and He fills him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all work, to devise designs, to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze…’” 2 Peter 1:20-21 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but the holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” NKJV: “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” LSV: “knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Writing comes from its own interpretation, for prophecy was not brought at any time by the will of man, but men spoke from God, being carried on by the Holy Spirit.” John 16:12-13 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak; and he will tell you things to come.” NKJV: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” LSV: “I have yet many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear [them] now; and when He may come—the Spirit of truth—He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak from Himself, but as many things as He will hear, He will speak, and He will tell you of the coming things.” 1 Corinthians 2:6-13 (relevant verses with context) “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory… But God has revealed them to us through his Spirit… These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” NKJV: “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory… But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit… These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” LSV: “And wisdom we speak among the mature, and wisdom not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age… But God revealed [them] to us through His Spirit… which things also we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Holy Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” Ephesians 3:1-5 “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles… how that by revelation he made known to me the mystery… which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets.” NKJV: “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles… how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery… which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets.” LSV: “For this cause, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you nations… that by revelation He made known to me the secret… which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it was revealed now to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit.” 1 Peter 1 (context from vv. 10-12 – angels desiring to look into these things) Acts 8 (Philip’s miracles contrasted with Simon the sorcerer) Mark 16:15-20 “And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe…’ So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven… the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.” NKJV: “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe…’ And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.” LSV: “And He said to them, ‘Having gone into all the world, proclaim the good news to all the creation; he who has believed and has been immersed will be saved, and he who has not believed will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those believing…’ Then indeed, the Lord, having spoken to them, was received up to Heaven, and sat at the right hand of God… and the Lord was working with them, and confirming the word, through the signs following. Amen.” Hebrews 2:2-4 “For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast… how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will?” NKJV: “For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” LSV: “For if the word being spoken through messengers became steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a righteous repayment, how will we escape, having neglected such great salvation? which a beginning [of] receiving [to] speak through the Lord, was confirmed to us by those having heard, God also bearing testimony with both signs and wonders, and manifold powers, and distributions of the Holy Spirit, according to His will.” 1 Kings 13:1-5, 18 (with adjacent verses for context of the man of God, the sign, the withered hand restored, and the old prophet’s false claim of an angel) Acts 2:38 “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” NKJV: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” LSV: “Repent, and let each of you be immersed in the Name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Additional Scriptures for Study on the Holy Spirit John 14:16-17 “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” NKJV: “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” LSV: “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may remain with you throughout the age—the Spirit of truth, whom the world is not able to receive, because it does not behold Him, nor know [Him], but you know Him, because He remains with you, and He will be in you.” John 15:26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” NKJV: “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” LSV: “And when the Comforter may come, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father—He will testify of Me.” John 16:14-15 “He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” NKJV: “He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” LSV: “He will glorify Me, because He will take of Mine, and will tell [it] to you; all things, as many as the Father has, are Mine; because of this I said that He takes of Mine, and will tell [it] to you.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” NKJV: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” LSV: “Every Writing [is] God-breathed, and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction that [is] in righteousness, that the man of God may be fitted—having been completed for every good work.” Acts 5:3-4 (equating lying to the Holy Spirit with lying to God) “But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.’” NKJV: “But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.’” LSV: “And Peter said, ‘Ananias, why did Satan fill your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back of the price of the possession? Remaining, did it not remain yours? And having been sold, was it not in your authority? Why have you laid these things in your heart? You did not lie to men, but to God.’” Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” NKJV: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” LSV: “Having gone, then, disciple all the nations, immersing them into the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Detailed Outline of the Lesson: Who Is the Holy Spirit? Bill Hall Eastside Church of Christ, Athens, AL February 16, 2014 (Morning Lesson) I. Introduction and Personal Remarks Greeting and focus on worship: “forget the channel and focus on the God of heaven.” Speaker’s primary responsibility is to worship the Lord, not merely preach. II. Purpose of the Series and This Lesson Assigned topic: Lessons on the Holy Spirit. Goal: Confirm long-held conclusions and help those struggling with questions (no new or fantastic ideas intended). Focus of this first lesson: The primary purpose of the Holy Spirit in man’s redemption — the revelation and confirmation of truth. III. General Facts About the Holy Spirit A. The Holy Spirit is a personal being, not an impersonal force or gaseous substance. He can hear, speak, guide, bring to remembrance, and glorify. Use masculine pronouns: he and him (not “it”). Reference: John 14:26 “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 things that I said to you.” B. The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons who make up the Godhead (Deity). C. Activity of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament Active in creation. Reference: Genesis 1 (v. 2) Guided the construction of the tabernacle and priestly garments. Reference: Exodus 35:30 Inspired the writing of Old Testament prophecy and scripture. Reference: 2 Peter 1:20-21 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation… for prophecy never came by the will of man, but the holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” IV. Primary Role of the Holy Spirit in Man’s Redemption (Gospel Age) Without the Holy Spirit, we would not know: That Jesus died, was buried, rose, and ascended. What to do to be saved. How to live as a Christian. About the church, heaven, or hell. Therefore, the Holy Spirit’s role is vitally important. A. The Revealing of Truth Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to the apostles (not to all believers directly). References: John 14:25-26 and John 16:12-13 The Spirit would teach them (the apostles) all things and bring Jesus’ words to remembrance. The Spirit would guide them (the apostles) into all truth (not partial truth). He would speak what He hears and tell things to come. The “mystery” (formerly hidden wisdom of God) has now been revealed. Reference: 1 Corinthians 2:6-13 God revealed these hidden things through His Spirit. The apostles spoke and wrote not in human wisdom, but in words taught by the Holy Spirit. Paul received the mystery by revelation and recorded it for us. Reference: Ephesians 3:1-5 The mystery was revealed by the Spirit to the holy apostles and prophets. We receive it today by reading what they wrote. Supporting note: Angels desired to look into these things (referenced from 1 Peter 1). B. The Confirmation of Truth Miracles were given to confirm the revealed message as true. Examples: Speaking in tongues, healing the sick, raising the dead, striking with blindness (Acts 8 reference for Philip vs. sorcerer). These signs distinguished true messengers from false ones. Scriptural support for miraculous confirmation: Mark 16:15-20 — The Lord confirmed the word with accompanying signs. Hebrews 2:2-4 — God bore witness with signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Miracles confirmed new revelation at that time, not previous revelation (e.g., not Moses’ law). Since the apostles were guided into all truth, no further revelation or confirming miracles are needed today. Illustration from the Old Testament: The man of God in 1 Kings 13:1-5, 18 He had revealed and confirmed truth (sign of the altar splitting and withered hand restored). He was without excuse when he disobeyed based on a false claim of an angelic message. Application: The Bible (revealed and confirmed by the Holy Spirit) is the only source of truth. Visions, feelings, or angelic claims contradicting Scripture are false. V. Conclusion and Invitation Summary: The Holy Spirit’s primary role in salvation was to reveal and confirm the truth of God. What the revealed and confirmed word commands a sinner to do: Reference: Acts 2:38 “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Invitation: If you desire to become a Christian, repent, confess faith, and be baptized today. Water and garments are ready. VI. Preview of Next Lesson How the Holy Spirit enabled the apostles to do their work. Alternate Titles Strong, Clear Alternatives The Holy Spirit’s Primary Work: Revealing and Confirming Truth John 16:13 “However, when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth…” The Holy Spirit and the Revealed Word 1 Corinthians 2:10 “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.” Who the Holy Spirit Is and What He Did John 14:26 “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 things that I said to you.” The Holy Spirit’s Role in Our Redemption Hebrews 2:4 “…God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will.” Revelation and Confirmation: The Holy Spirit’s Main Work Mark 16:20 “…the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.” Slightly More Descriptive Options The Person and Purpose of the Holy Spirit Ephesians 3:5 “…which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets.” The Holy Spirit: Revealer and Confirmer of Truth 2 Peter 1:21 “…holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” How the Holy Spirit Gave Us the Truth John 16:13 “However, when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth…” The Holy Spirit and the Inspired, Confirmed Word Hebrews 2:4 “…God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit…” Understanding the Holy Spirit’s Primary Function 1 Corinthians 2:13 “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches…” Concise, Sermon-Style Titles The Holy Spirit: Revealer of All Truth John 16:13 “He will guide you into all truth…” The Holy Spirit and the Word of God 2 Peter 1:21 “…holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” The Spirit Who Revealed and Confirmed the Gospel Mark 16:20 “…confirming the word through the accompanying signs.” Knowing the Holy Spirit Through His Work John 14:26 “He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” The Holy Spirit’s Greatest Gift: Revealed Truth 1 Corinthians 2:10 “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.” Emphasizing the Foundational Nature Laying the Foundation: The Holy Spirit and Divine Truth Ephesians 3:5 “…as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets.” The Holy Spirit’s Essential Work in Salvation Hebrews 2:4 “…with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will.” From Hidden Mystery to Confirmed Truth – The Holy Spirit’s Role 1 Corinthians 2:10 “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.” The Person of the Holy Spirit and the Word He Gave John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit… he will teach you all things…” The Holy Spirit: He Revealed It, He Confirmed It Mark 16:20 “…the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.” SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION SUGGESTIONS Here’s a curated list of keywords, phrases, and search terms specifically chosen to make Bill Hall’s 2014 sermon easy to find on Google, YouTube, church websites, sermon archives, or audio libraries. Primary Keywords & Exact Phrases (Best for SEO) "Bill Hall" "Holy Spirit" "Eastside Church of Christ" Athens "Who Is the Holy Spirit" Bill Hall "Holy Spirit" "revelation and confirmation" Bill Hall "Holy Spirit" "revealed and confirmed" Bill Hall sermon Bill Hall "Eastside" "Athens AL" "Holy Spirit" 2014 "the Holy Spirit is a being" Bill Hall "Holy Spirit" "guide you into all truth" Bill Hall "revealed and confirmed truth" Bill Hall Strong Supporting Search Phrases Bill Hall Holy Spirit lesson Eastside Athens "primary purpose of the Holy Spirit" Bill Hall "Holy Spirit" "revelation and confirmation of truth" sermon "Holy Spirit" "John 14:26" Bill Hall Bill Hall "50 years ago" Eastside Church of Christ "Sam Binkley" Bill Hall Eastside "Holy Spirit" "not it but he" Bill Hall sermon "Holy Spirit" "Old Testament" "tabernacle" "creation" Bill Hall "1 Kings 13" "man of God" "Holy Spirit" Bill Hall "Acts 2:38" "Holy Spirit" Bill Hall invitation Broader but Effective Terms Church of Christ sermon Holy Spirit Bill Hall Athens Alabama Church of Christ Holy Spirit lesson Bill Hall gospel meeting 2014 Holy Spirit "the Helper the Holy Spirit" Bill Hall "mystery" "revealed by the Spirit" Bill Hall sermon "signs and wonders" "gifts of the Holy Spirit" Bill Hall Recommended Title + Author Combinations (for best results) "The Holy Spirit’s Primary Work: Revealing and Confirming Truth" Bill Hall "The Holy Spirit and the Revealed Word" Bill Hall Eastside "Who Is the Holy Spirit" Bill Hall 2014 "The Holy Spirit: Revealer and Confirmer of Truth" Bill Hall Tips for Maximum Search Visibility Use these in: Sermon title on website or audio file Description / show notes Tags / metadata YouTube video title and description Church bulletin or archive page Top recommended full search string (copy-paste ready): "Bill Hall" "Holy Spirit" "Eastside" "Athens" "revealed and confirmed" These terms directly reflect the speaker’s name, location, date, key doctrinal emphasis (“revealed and confirmed”), and memorable illustrations from the sermon, making the lesson much more discoverable by people searching for Church of Christ teachings on the Holy Spirit. Here’s a strong, effective set of tags for this Bill Hall sermon podcast on Audio.com. These are optimized for discoverability, combining specific keywords from the sermon, Church of Christ context, and common search terms people use for Holy Spirit studies. Recommended Tags Primary Tags (use these first): Holy Spirit Bill Hall Church of Christ sermon revealed and confirmed revelation of truth confirmation of truth Holy Spirit personhood Bible inspiration miracles confirmation John 14:26 Acts 2:38 Additional Supporting Tags: Holy Spirit lesson who is the Holy Spirit Holy Spirit being guide into all truth mystery revealed 1 Corinthians 2 Ephesians 3 Mark 16 signs Hebrews 2 miracles 1 Kings 13 non-miraculous age faith in Scripture gospel meeting sermon veteran preacher biblical authority Tips for Audio.com: Add 10–20 tags total (Audio.com usually allows a good number). Put the most important ones at the beginning: Holy Spirit, Bill Hall, Church of Christ sermon, revealed and confirmed. 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