THE HOLY SPIRIT: OUR FRIEND, FOUNTAIN AND FUEL
By Pastor Sid Hartley
1. OUR FRIEND

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."

‘Helper’ in Greek: Parakletos = Intercessor, Consoler. Advocate, Comforter.

He is TRUTH but is full of GRACE, MERCY and HOPE.

Three important characteristics about a true friend:
† They’re full of encouragement. They believe in you when others don’t.
† They’ll always tell you the truth.
† They won’t just leave you. They stick with you through thick and thin.
† They’ll cover for you to others. They don’t expose you.
2. OUR FOUNTAIN OF HOPE

John 7:38-39, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his
heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit,
whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet
given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."

Luke 4:18-19, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because HE HAS ANOINTED
ME To PREACH the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to HEAL the broken
hearted, To PROCLAIM LIBERTY to the captives And RECOVERY OF SIGHT to
the blind, To SET AT LIBERTY those who are oppressed; To PROCLAIM THE
ACCEPTABLE YEAR of the Lord.”

Isaiah 61:3-4, " To CONSOLE those who mourn in Zion, To give them BEAUTY
for ashes, The oil of JOY for mourning, The garment of PRAISE for the spirit
of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of
the Lord, that He may be glorified.” And they shall REBUILD the old ruins,
They shall RAISE UP the former desolations, And they shall REPAIR the ruined
cities, The desolations of many generations."

God can change things, sometimes impossible things!
3. OUR FUEL FOR POWER

Acts 1:8, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Ephesians 5:18-19, "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation;
but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,"
4. CONCLUSION

How do I get filled, and stay filled, with the Holy Spirit?

John 7:37, "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried
out, saying, “If anyone THIRSTS, let him COME to Me and DRINK."
o THIRST. Become empty. Too often we are too full of ourselves, of our
OPINIONS, e.g. John the Baptist, John 3:30, "He must become
greater; I must become less.”"
o COME. Keep coming, To Church, Home Cell, into His presence. It takes
time but it’s worth it.
o DRINK. Keep drinking. Be open, believe, receive, experience for
yourself.

Never take the Holy Spirit for granted. That will erode our relationship with
Him.
*****