THE HOLY SPIRIT: HOSPITALITY

Sermon Notes, June 5, 2016

Rev. Garry McGlinchy

Pastor Garry continued his series on the Trinity with a message titled “The Holy Spirit: Hospitality,” based on John 14:15-21.  Hospitality is sharing your home and heart; creating space for and welcoming others to enter your life.  Many Christians desire more of the Holy Spirit in their lives.  If this is true, we need to make room for the Holy Spirit by offering the hospitality of obedience.

The Giving of the Holy Spirit (verses 15 and 21) Obedience to Christ’s commands is the evidence that we love Him.  Our love for Christ opens us up to the giving of the Holy Spirit to us.  The level of our commitment to God determines the level at which God invests the Holy Spirit in us. (2 Chronicles 16:9)  Human obedience is the welcome mat of hospitality for the Holy Spirit.  It is in our humble obedience that we create space for the Spirit in our lives.  Let go of the spiritual junk food we hold onto.  If we allow spiritual garbage there is no room for the Holy Spirit.  And we need the Holy Spirit more than anything else. 

The Purpose of the Holy Spirit (verses 16-17a)  Jesus tells His followers that the Holy Spirit’s purpose is to serve as their “Advocate.”  Some translations use different words here in this passage: “comforter,” “counselor,” “helper,” or “friend.”  The word Advocate is essentially a combination of the words Comforter and Counselor.  The Greek word is paraclete which literally means “a person summoned to one’s aid.  (para, “by the side of,” and kaleo, “to call.”  Along with the description of “Advocate,” Jesus also assigns to the Holy Spirit the description of “The Spirit of Truth.” (v. 17a)  With that said, the purpose of the Spirit, then, is to bring aid to the disciples and align their lives obediently with the truth of God’s will and word.  This lines up with what Jesus says about the Holy Spirit in John 16:13.

The Nature of the Holy Spirit (verses 17b-19)  Jesus’ first disciples knew, from their reading of the Old Testament, that the Holy Spirit comes upon people.  However, Jesus brings a whole new radical definition to what they know about the Holy Spirit.  Verse 17 says “…. He lives with you and will be in you.  God places Himself within those who love Him and obey His commands.  The fancy word for this is “indwelling.”  The Holy Spirit within followers of Christ enables us to live faithfully obedient lives until Christ returns.

The more we experience the indwelling Holy Spirit in our lives, the more we encounter His comfort, help, and guidance in the life of truth.  The Holy Spirit is given more and more to those who love Christ enough to obey His commands.  Our loving obedience to God opens us up to a greater outpouring of His Spirit in our lives.  When we are obedient we can have faith.

Of course, disobedience has consequences as well.  Disobedience stifles the movement of the Spirit in our lives.  It may be in the area of giving, or addiction, or gossip, or fearfulness, or laziness.   In order for the Holy Spirit to truly guide us in the life of truth, we need to be honest about the areas of our lives where we are disobedient.  We need to name them specifically.  We need to decide today that we will do whatever it takes to obey what Christ has called us to do or abstain from doing.

If we are going to experience the spectacular nature of the Holy Spirit not just upon us but in us, and if we are going to experience the purpose of the Holy Spirit which is the help disciples live lives of truth, then we must make room for more of the Holy Spirit by offering the hospitality of loving obedience.