“Great Things for Grievous Times”
TOPIC:“The Greatest Experience of the Christian”
by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap
TEXT:John 14: 16, 26
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he
may abide with you forever…But the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, whom
the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things.”
During the past forty years I have traveled in crusades all over this country and I have received firsthand knowledge about the present day emphasis upon the mission and ministry of the Holy Spirit. Not only that, but I have read numerous books on the person, work, and gifts of the Holy Spirit. From this vast experience I have come to this conclusion: The Holy Spirit is the most misunderstood member of the Godhead. There are thousands of Christians who completely fail to understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church of today. Certainly the continued misunderstanding of the Holy Spirit is too evident to deny and impossible to justify.
Today we find believers confusing baptism with fullness, the gifts of tongues with spirituality, and I am constantly hearing and reading of believers worshipping, glorifying and praying to the Holy Spirit. This is wrong and must not be done. All of our adoration, worship and glory must be given to Jesus Christ. Even Jesus said of the Holy Spirit in John 16:14: “He shall glorify me.” I am literally appalled at the lack of real biblical teaching on the fullness of the Holy Spirit. A. W. Tozer was right when he stated: “Satan has opposed the doctrine of the Spirit-filled life about as bitterly as any other doctrine there is. He has confused it, opposed it, surrounded it with false notions and fears.” Tozer was right!
People are everywhere talking about the Holy Spirit and asking questions. Many are not finding satisfactory answers. Because of this, I want us in this message to look at what the Word of God has to say about the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit.
I.
To begin with, let us consider the INCOMING of the Holy Spirit as a GIFT. It was to those perplexed and puzzled disciples of His that Jesus said in John 14:16: “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.”
Now when Christ . . .