He Won't Grab Your Jaw: The Holy Spirit Is a Perfect Gentleman

Sermon outline

The Holy Spirit is a person, a perfect gentleman who will not force Himself on you, so acknowledge Him, cooperate with Him and yield to Him, and He will counsel, guide and fill you every day.

1. The Holy Spirit is a perfect gentleman: you must cooperate

   Many think the Holy Spirit will shake them, force their mouth open and make them speak in tongues. He does not impose His will the way Satan does; you must cooperate willingly, by an act of your own will. Raise your hands, sing and praise when the church does, open your mouth in faith and speak even two or three words, and He fills you as He gives utterance.

   Illustration: People waiting years for a bolt of lightning to strike their head and run down to their arms and feet before they will raise their hands or jump; and the man who will not lift his hands in worship in case he creases his new suit, forgetting the laundromat can press it.

   “The Holy Spirit is not going to grab your jaw.”

   • Acts 2:4

2. I will counsel you with My eye upon you

   God promises to instruct and teach you in the way you should go and counsel you with His eye upon you, telling you which deal to take, whom to avoid, and whether to marry that person. Only those who have received Jesus can receive the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, whom Jesus said it was expedient to send, so no Christian is left alone.

   Illustration: At a meeting in England, when the Holy Spirit began to fall and people prophesied and spoke in tongues, one woman dived under a desk and held her head until it was over. A child of God should not be afraid of God's anointing.

   “A child of God afraid of God's anointing? No, no, you cannot be afraid.”

   • Psalm 32:8
   • John 16:7
   • Hebrews 13:5

3. In you, upon you and with you: acknowledge His voice

   The Holy Spirit comes inside you, comes upon you and is with you. Many already hear Him but do not acknowledge Him, saying 'something told me'. Learn to say 'the Holy Spirit led me, prompted me, spoke to me'.

   “What is that something? It's the Holy Spirit.”

4. We will come and make Our home with him

   Jesus said that the Father would love the one who keeps His word and that They would come and make Their home with him, so God is not far away but dwelling in you. A believer is a doer of the word, not someone labouring under the law, because you are a product of God's love: you did not become a Christian because God cornered you or frightened you. That love sets you free from inferiority, fear and the opinions of others.

   Illustration: A mother of four still replaying what a boyfriend said about her twenty years ago, or someone still bogged down by what their last church said.

   “The day you were born again, you became a love child.”

   • John 14:23
   • James 1:22
   • John 3:16
   • Romans 5:5
   • 1 John 4:18

5. The Comforter, not a bully

   The Amplified Bible calls the Holy Spirit Comforter, Counsellor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener and Standby, sent in Jesus' name to teach you all things and bring His words to remembrance. That name matters, because Jesus is the only way to the Father. Jesus gave His peace and said 'let not your heart be troubled', so do not worry about money, resources or promotion: you are God's headquarters.

   “The Holy Spirit is not a bully. He's a comforter.”

   • John 14:26-27
   • John 14:6

6. Whatever you ask in My name

   Jesus chose and appointed you to bear lasting fruit, and whatever you ask the Father in His name, healing, finances or something greater, He will give. You are not bothering God by asking big.

   “Sometimes people think, well, if I ask God this, this is too much. I'll be worrying Him. No, you're not.”

   • John 15:16

7. A beautiful personality who walks with you

   If you talk to the Holy Spirit He will talk to you; if you acknowledge Him He will guide you, in exams, at work, in business, in dreams, visions and prophecy. Say good night and good morning to Him, ask Him to wake you to pray or to help you pray, and listen when He warns you against false doctrine or a visit. You are never alone, even when a spouse, partner or children leave, so make Him the senior partner in your business.

   Illustration: He sometimes asks the Holy Spirit at night to wake him to pray, and hears a knock on the door in the morning that turns out to be the Spirit getting him up. He also says that in earlier years the Holy Spirit used to help him solve cases.

   “When you sleep, you should say, good night, Holy Spirit. When you get up in the morning, you should say, good morning, Holy Spirit.”

8. He is here: become aware of Him

   After members testify of being filled at Friday's prayer meeting, he reminds the church that you cannot see oxygen but would die without it, and God is a Spirit present everywhere. The more you yield your mind and intellect to Him, the more He possesses and fills you, because you cannot reach God with your intellect, only with your spirit.

   Illustration: You cannot see oxygen or carbon monoxide, but you see their effects.

   “The more you give to him and yield to him, the more he possesses you.”

   • John 4:24