The Holy Spirit is at work to convict the world of sin, reveal God’s righteousness, and remind us of the coming judgment. As Christians, we are ushered in to be a part of the work He is doing here—pointing the world to Christ.

Scripture References

John 16:5-15 
Acts 2:37-38

Found | Austin Stone
Philippians 3:8-9 • 1 Corinthians 15:43 • Colossians 3:3 • Matthew 10:39

O God of our Salvation | The Village Church | iTunes
1 Chronicles 16:29 • Psalm 29:1-2 • 1 Chronicles

God With Us | All Sons and Daughters | iTunes
Joshua 1:9 • John 1:14 (ESV) • Psalm 68:19-20 (ESV)

Man of Sorrows | Hillsong Live | iTunes
Isaiah 53 • 1 Timothy 2:5-6 • Hebrews 5:5-9

Christ Our Savior | Grace Church Worship

Overcome | Elevation Worship | iTunes

1. Francis Chan, author of Forgotten God, writes:
“From my perspective, the Holy Spirit is tragically neglected, and for all practical purposes, forgotten. While no evangelical would deny His existence, I’m willing to bet there are millions of churchgoers across America who cannot confidently say they have experienced His presence or action in their lives over the past year. And many of them do not believe that they can.” (Purchase Book, Download Resource Videos)
What role does the Holy Spirit play in your own life? Do you believe that He works through you to reach this world with the gospel? Why do you think you have or have not been engaged with the work that He is doing in the world?

2. In John 16, Jesus tells the disciples not to grieve as He leaves them because there is something better coming. In this moment, they do not believe that having the Holy Spirit is better than the physical person of Jesus. Why is it still so easy for us to doubt Jesus when He says that the Holy Spirit is an “upgrade”? In what ways is the Holy Spirit better for us than Jesus’ physical presence? How do you minimize the power of the person of the Holy Spirit in your daily life?

3. In Acts 2:37-38, the disciples were cut to the heart by Peter’s words that affirmed Jesus as Messiah. When have you been cut to the heart by the realization of the Holy Spirit’s work in the world? Has He done this work in your life so that the reality of your sin, Jesus’ righteousness, and your lack of righteousness, pierces your heart?

4. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to be fishers of men. With the Holy Spirit as our guide, He uses us to share with others our need for Christ. Is your rod in the water as a fisher of men? When is the last time you had a spiritual conversation with a non-believers? In what situations have you found yourself too proud to be uncomfortable in order to prepare and practice being able to share the gospel with someone?

Thoughts to Consider:

– As Christians, we often devalue the distinct role of the Holy Spirit in our faith.

– When we get the Holy Spirit, we get everything that Jesus was as a counselor, helper, and guide, but the Spirit is not limited by physical body and location.

– The Holy Spirit came into this world to convict; He came to teach and convince us of Truth. He does this by convicting us of our sin, giving to us the standard of God’s righteousness, and convincing us of the reality of judgment.

– Our core sin is our lack of belief in God. This is a deeper issue of proud unbelief, or believing we know what we need better than God does.

– We try to create a standard of righteousness on our own terms, but it is God who defines righteousness; God’s standard is holiness.

– The Holy Spirit reminds us of the reality of coming judgment to point us to our desperate need for the work of Jesus.