Depending On The Holy Spirit | Northstar Church

“On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.”– Acts 2:1–4.

Can you imagine that scene? Take a second and try to imagine this. Imagine being at an early morning Sunday service at Northstar and suddenly there is a sound from heaven like a mighty rushing wind. You can’t feel the wind, but you can hear it. Picture hurricane-force winds that you hear, filling the entire room in which you are sitting. That would certainly wake you up on a Sunday morning.

If you are a follower of Jesus, if you have trusted in Jesus as the Savior and Lord of your life, if Jesus is your life, then the exact same Spirit who did this in Acts 2 is living inside of you right now. The Spirit of God who did this in Acts 2 dwells in you. You are not alone right now. The Spirit of God dwells in you. If you really think about that, that should wake you up every morning.

Acts 1:8 says, “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.” So, why has God put his Spirit inside of us? We see all over scripture all kinds of things the Spirit does in our lives, through our lives, for our lives. And in the middle of it all, we must not forget that the primary purpose of the Spirit in our lives is that we might be on mission with God.

“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.” (John 16:7) When we think of the Holy Spirit, this is how we should primarily think of Him: God with us, helping and empowering us to live a flourishing life that radiates the goodness of God. We are all in need of divine help if we are to become who God created us to be.

The Holy Spirit gives us insight. “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” (John 14:26) The Holy Spirit will give you insight into what you are reading and furthermore, will help you recall what you’ve read in Scripture. He brings to your mind understanding and truth. Have you ever had one of those moments when you were in a situation and a Scripture verse you read or memorized years ago popped into your head, encouraging you in that moment? That was the Holy Spirit reminding you of what you had been taught. He empowers you with understanding and the ability to recall important verses that apply to your life.

And the Holy Spirit guides your prayers.“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” Romans 8:26. Sometimes we don’t have the words. Or we have so much to say that we aren’t sure where to start. Fortunately, we have the Holy Spirit with us.

Discussion Questions

Why is it impossible to be on mission for God without the help of the Holy Spirit?
How does the Holy Spirit give us the power to know and recall the truth?