God gives the Best Things Ever!

The Holy Spirit is the best gift ever!
The subject of the Holy Spirit is not talked about so openly throughout the body of Christ. Some believe the Spirit is not active and only a part of the history of God’s Church. Some treat the Spirit like a mysterious active force. Some people even think of the Spirit as a dove. The Spirit makes a lot of people nervous.. Mainly becuase of what they have been told, or that they picked up on the reluctance to talk about it, or that they have seen the Spirit misrepresented.
The Holy Spirit is alive and well and is the Best Thing Ever.
The Spirit is not a actually a THING.. but a WHO. The same who that is the Father is the Holy Spirit. The same who that is Jesus the Son is the Holy Spirit. You aren’t afraid of the Father or the Son. then do not be afraid of the Holy Ghost!
When Jesus told His disciples that He would be leaving in John 16, He said “It is BEST that I go…” Because Jesus ascended, the Holy Spirit now has come. Do you agree with Jesus that the Holy Spirit is BEST?
We need to be Filled, Stirred, and Flowing in the Holy Spirit

Best Thing Ever 4 – Holy Spirit from Redemption Church on Vimeo.

Best thing Ever 5 – Holy Spirit

Sermon notes by Chris Fluitt

Redemption Church Plano Tx

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Welcome to Redemption Church. Thank you for gathering with us to do the 3 things. We worship, we receive the word, and we talk to God every time we gather.
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Best Thing Ever
We are in the 4th week of the Best thing ever series. You can check out the other weeks of this series on our website – Redemption-Church.com.
Today we want you to know that the Holy Spirit is the BEST THING EVER!
1 Holy Spirit
We talk a lot about the Holy Spirit here. But you ought to know that subject of the Holy Spirit is not talked about so openly throughout the body of Christ.
‘What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us’ A.W. Tozer
Some treat the Holy Spirit as..
Something that use to happen… They believe that the Holy Spirit was a gift to the early Church of Acts only. They teach that the Holy Spirit no longer operates in miracles or the gifts of the Spirit. It went away when the last apostle died. This is called cessationsim – that the Gifts of the Spirit have ceased. (Learn about the Gifts of the Spirit in 1 Cor 12)
A mysterious power or an “active force” like the Jedi in Star Wars would use.
A dove. It descended LIKE a dove upon Jesus at his baptism. So, many people think of a bird..
The Holy Spirit makes a lot of people nervous. Mainly because of what they have been told about it… or that they picked up on the reluctance to talk about it… or because they have seen the Spirit misrepresented.
I want to tell you today that the Holy Spirit is alive and well! The Holy Spirit is still a Gift from God, and it is the Best Thing Ever.
Not a thing.. but a who
I say Best Thing Ever, but that is not to say that the Holy Spirit is a thing or an it.
The Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, is frequently called “He” or “Him” in scripture.
Encountering the Spirit is an unforgettable experience. Receiving the GIFT is a life changing event. BUT don’t think that the Spirit is an it or a thing. The Spirit is to be thought of as a Person.
The Spirit is God! The same God that you call Father. That is the Holy Spirit! The same God that was revealed in flesh as Jesus Christ. That is the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is God! So don’t be afraid of the Holy Spirit! You aren’t afraid of the Father are you? You aren’t afraid of the Son are you? Do not be afraid of the Spirit!
Ephesians 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit– just as you were called to one hope when you were called–(NIV)
So there is ONE SPIRIT
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.(NIV)
The LORD God is that that same one Spirit.
But check out what else 2 Corinthians says
2 Corinthians 3:15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.(NIV)
2 Corinthians 3:16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.(NIV)
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.(NIV)
2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.(NIV)

In the Old Testament, Moses came down from the Mountain where He been in God’s presence. His face shown so bright that it scared the rest of the camp of Israel, so Moses put a veil over his face. This is the veil that Paul is speaking of here.
When we turn to the Lord the veil is taken away! Then through the Liberty of the SPIRIT we…

Contemplate the Lord’s Glory
Are transformed into His Image
Receive an ever increasing Glory

The Holy Spirit is God unveiled
The Spirit unveils God’s glory to you.
The Spirit transforms you with an ever-increasing glory!
Because of the Spirit, when other people see you, it unveils God to them.

It all comes from the Lord who is the Spirit! Does that sound like the Best Thing Ever or what!?

God gives us the Best. God gives us Jesus! God manifested Himself in a human body. What could possibly be better than that right!?
Wouldn’t it be great if Jesus was standing right here in the flesh? What could possibly be better than that!?
How easy would it be to introduce your friends to Jesus if He were standing right beside you!?
How easy would it be to pray and ask for His help and wisdom…? To hear His voice if He is standing beside you?
What could possibly be better than that!?

The disciples were grieving when Jesus told them that He was leaving in John 16.
John 16:5 “Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, `Where are you going?'(NIV)
John 16:6 Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief.(NIV)
What could possibly be better than Jesus standing beside you?
John 16:7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.(NLT)
“Best for you that I go…”
The Holy Spirit is better than Jesus standing beside you. The Holy Spirit is Jesus Christ inside of You!
The Holy Spirit is BEST! The Holy Spirit is to your advantage.
If Jesus where here on earth we would all congregate around Jesus… But if Jesus is inside us, through the Spirit, wherever we go, Jesus is there. The Spirit is the Best thing ever!
The Spirit gives us…
Power & Truth
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”(NLT)
The word “power” is dynamis in the Greek. Dynamis is the root word for Dynamite. The Holy Spirit is Dynamite Power!
The Holy Ghost is a power that spreads. It says you become witnesses.. telling people everywhere about Jesus, beginning in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria to the ends of the Earth.
They stood hearing Jesus say these words IN JERUSALEM. The Holy Spirit makes you a witness right where you stand and it spreads from there to the ends of the Earth.

Not just power but also TRUTH.
John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.(NLT)
The Spirit is Truth. And the Spirit will Lead you into all truth.

The deposit on our inheritance
Would you agree that Heaven is the Best thing? Anyone want to go to Heaven?
Have you ever wondered if Heaven is real? How could someone possibly know Heaven is real?
Your Bible answers this question.
Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,(NIV)
Ephesians 1:14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory.(NIV)
The Holy Spirit is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. What is a deposit?
You put down a deposit on a car so that you can purchase the car. The moment you put down the deposit the car is yours. The moment you put down the deposit you can start driving the car. That is how deposits work. NOW GET THIS.
In the example of Ephesians 1 there is a purchaser, the object being purchased, and the deposit.
The Purchaser is GOD
The object being purchased is YOU
The deposit is the HOLY SPIRIT
Do you understand the Holy Spirit is the down payment of Heaven. Just like a deposit is a portion of your payment to the car company, the Holy Spirit is a portion of your heavenly inheritance.
The Holy Spirit is a part of what you will experience in Heaven! You can experience part of your heavenly reward here on earth.
That is the Best Thing Ever!
Have trouble believing in Heaven? You need to be baptized in the Spirit! You will never doubt it again! The scripture says the Holy Spirit GUARUNTEES your heavenly inheritance.

The Holy Spirit is the Best Thing! And it is a gift.
Question: How do you obtain a gift? Do you try to buy it? Do you try to steal it? Do you try to work to earn it?
No. Gifts are given and the person merely needs to RECEIVE THE GIFT.
Receive the Gift
Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.(NIV)
The Holy Spirit is a GIFT. You can’t purchase it. You can’t earn it. You can’t be Holy enough to gain it. IT IS A GIFT. Would you like to receive the Best Gift Ever today?
In Acts 19 Paul asked some men if they had received this gift…
Acts 19:2 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”(NIV)
It is possible to believe.. To believe in God.. believe in Jesus… yet not have received the Gift of the Spirit. A great example of this is Acts 8.
I say that to say this…
You have believed. Awesome. But have you received this life changing gift?
You have repented and been baptized into the water. Terrific. I will celebrate that all day. BYT have you received this Gift of Power & Truth?
You need to receive the Gift. Have you received the gift? If you don’t know then you need to meet me in the first 2 steps of this altar today.
You need to be filled stirred and flowing in the Holy Spirit
Filled, Stirred, Flowing
Acts 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.(NIV)
The people in Acts 2 were filled with the Spirit. Acts 8, Acts 10, Acts 19 describes them as being FILLED.
All the emptiness & void needs to be FILLED by the Spirit.
Plano needs a Spirit filled church. We need a continual flow of the Spirit filling us to overflow.
Filled, Stirred, Flowing

So you need to be filled… but the Bible instructs us who have received the Spirit to stir up the gift.
2 Timothy 1:6 That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination].(AMP)
It is not enough to have the gift! You need to stir up the Gift.
Are you stirred? Worship should stir up the Gift. Pray should stir up the Gift. The Word should stir up the Gift.
Filled, Stirred, Flowing
You need to be filled. You need to be stirred. And you need to be flowing in the Spirit.
John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”(NIV)
John 7:39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.(NIV)
Do you have a river of life flowing out of you? This is the power of the Spirit.
I challenge you to be filled. I challenge you to be stirred. I challenge you to flow
Awesome benefits of the Spirit
He is our Counselor (or Helper) forever (John 14:16–17, 26).
He lives with us and in us, the Spirit of truth (John 14:16–17).
He shows Jesus to us (John 15:26).
He transforms us into Jesus’ image (2 Cor. 3:18).
He fills us with rivers of living water (John 7:37–39).
He knows all things (1 Cor. 2:10–11).
He is grieved by sin (Eph. 4:30).
He prays for us perfectly even when we don’t know what to say, according to God’s will (Rom. 8:26–27).
He makes decisions (1 Cor. 12:7–11).
He produces holiness in us (Gal. 5:16–25).
He gives us supernatural gifts (Rom. 12:4–8; 1 Cor. 12).