Sprited: Spirit With Us, Christ Church Sermon, June 1 2025

[Music]

You're listening to a message from our

weekly worship at Christ Church in Bethl

Park, Pennsylvania. We're a United

Methodist congregation with the mission

of building inclusive community, sharing

Christ's transforming love. To learn

more about the church, including how you

can join us for worship online or in

person, visit

christummc.net. Thank you for listening.

[Music]

Today's scripture is John

John 14:16–17

14:16-17. And I will ask the father and

he will give you another advocate to

help you and be with you forever. The

spirit of truth. The world cannot accept

him because it neither sees him nor

knows him. But you know him for he lives

with you and will be in you. Hear what

the spirit is saying to the church.

Thanks be to God. Thanks so much. Well,

good morning everyone.

This weekend, I'm excited to kick off a

new sermon series that is called

Spirited. And during this sermon series,

we're going to be looking at the work of

the Holy Spirit in our lives, in the

church, and in the world. Now, as I was

working on the sermon series, I thought

it would be good to ask a few people

what how they would define the Holy

Spirit. What do they think of when

someone asked them who the Holy Spirit

is? And I got a lot of pretty cool

answers. For some people, uh the answer

was something mysterious like a a

glowing presence or a rushing wind or a

warm feeling that's unexplainable during

worship. For others, the Holy Spirit

seemed like this abstract idea, right? A

distant power that they didn't

completely understand. For others, they

said the Holy Spirit they look at as

like a friend, someone that they could

talk to when they were trying to figure

out what the next step they should take

in their life was. And some people

actually said the Holy Spirit's kind of

like uh Jiminy Cricut from Pinocchio,

you know, like the little thing sitting

on your shoulder telling you what you

should or should not do. As you can

tell, there's lots of different answers

or ideas about the Holy Spirit. Maybe

even a little bit of confusion about the

Holy Spirit. Well, our passage today

from John 14, Jesus hopefully helps

clear up some of that confusion because

he doesn't talk about the Holy Spirit as

being an it. He calls the Holy Spirit an

advocate, a helper, a comforter, a

teacher sent by the father at Jesus's

own request to live with us and in us

forever. So, who is the Holy Spirit?

Well, first and foremost, the Holy

Spirit is not just some uh force out

there. It's not like electricity. It's

not some magical energy. The spirit

thinks and feels and speaks and acts.

The spirit loves and guides and helps

lead us. The spirit is part of the

trinity, right? Father, son, and holy

spirit. That means the holy spirit is

fully God. Just like God the father is

with us. And just like Jesus walked

among us, the Holy Spirit is God in us,

present and active and personal. In the

United Methodist tradition, we fully

embrace this idea that the Holy Spirit

is present and active and personal. In

fact, John Wesley, the founder of

Methodism, taught that the Holy Spirit

is the active presence of God working in

our lives from beginning to end. And

Wesley described the spirit in three

powerful ways. He said, 'The spirit is

at work in our lives even before we know

it. Drawing us toward God, prepping our

hearts to respond to God's love. He also

said, "The spirit assures us of God's

forgiveness once we accept Christ,

giving us peace with God and confidence

that we are accepted and made right with

God through Jesus." And then the spirit

continues to work in us, shaping us to

become more like Jesus every single day,

empowering us to love God and love

others more deeply. Wesley believed that

the Holy Spirit wasn't just a doctrine

to be studied, but a living presence to

be experienced in our own lives. The

spirit warms our heart, stirs us to

action, comforts us in sorrow, convicts

us when we sin and mess up, and empowers

us to live holy lives. So as we begin

this new journey of understanding that

the Holy Spirit is actually a living

presence that we are supposed to

experience, our goal is to not just

learn about the Holy Spirit with our

head, but to know the Holy Spirit in our

hearts. The spirit is not far away. The

spirit isn't waiting for us to become

perfect before showing up in our lives.

The spirit is already near to us whether

we realize it or not. The Spirit is our

guide when we're unsure, our strength

when we're weak, our comfort when we're

hurting. The Holy Spirit is God with us

and in us and for us. And in the words

of Wesley, may our hearts be strangely

warmed by the Holy Spirit's presence in

our lives, especially when it's 44

degrees outside on June 1st.

You see, when we walk with the Holy

Spirit, we begin to understand the

foundational truth that the Holy Spirit

is fully God. The spirit isn't some

secondary figure. The spir the Holy

Spirit isn't some spiritual sidekick.

The spirit is not Robin to God being

Batman. That's not how it works. The

spirit is a third person of the Trinity.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These are

not three gods. One God, three persons,

united in purpose, equal in nature, and

working together in perfect love. We see

it throughout scripture. In fact, in

Genesis chapter 1, we read that the

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

spirit of God, the spirit of God is

hovering over the waters. You see, the

Holy Spirit wasn't added at a later

date. The Holy Spirit was there from the

beginning, active in the creative work

of God. Now, fast forward to Jesus's

baptism in Luke chapter 3. It is a

Luke 3 · chapter mention

beautiful picture of the Trinity. You

have Jesus the son being baptized. You

have the Holy Spirit descending from

heaven like a dove. And you have God the

Father saying, "This is my son with whom

I'm well pleased." All three persons are

present at the same time, unified and

involved in the work of salvation. Now,

that matters because it lets us know

that the Holy Spirit isn't this vague

force out there somewhere or it's not an

optional part of the Christian life. The

spirit is just as divine and just as

essential as the father and as the son,

equal in power and wisdom and love. So

to know the spirit is to know God. In

the Methodist tradition, we affirm this

rich understanding of the trinity.

Wesley again the founder of Methodism

never saw the Holy Spirit as separate

from our life of with God or our mission

for the church. He taught that the

spirit works in harmony with the father

and the son in every part of salvation

from awakening God's love to making us

new in Christ to helping us become more

holy every single day. Wesley described

salvation as a journey of grace with the

Holy Spirit actively involved in every

step on the journey. Now that journey of

grace includes three types of grace.

Pervenient grace which is where the

spirit gently draws us to God even

before we realize it. That's the spirit

being there before we know the spirit's

there. which leads us to justifying

grace, which is the spirit assuring us

that we are forgiven and made right with

God through our faith in Jesus. Then

leading us to sanctifying grace, which

is the spirit working in us, in our

hearts, helping us to grow in love and

empowering us to live holy lives every

single day. And Wesley then talks about

the practical work of the spirit in our

daily life, guiding us, convicting us,

encouraging us, empowering us to do

good. For Wesley and for us as United

Methodists, the doctrine of the Trinity

isn't just for books or creeds to be

read or talked about in church.

The Trinity and the Spirit is the

lifegiving truth that fuels our passion

for holy living, giving us a deeper

connection with God every single day.

But it takes a little bit of work on our

part. So when we say that the Holy

Spirit is part of the Trinity, we're

declaring that the Spirit is God with

us, God in us, and God working through

us. Again, the Spirit is not a

background figure. So just like we

worship God the Father and God the Son,

we are to worship God the Spirit with

awe, with gratitude, and with trust.

That's what the spirited sermon series

is all about. Now, I want to dig a

little deeper this morning on what it

means for the Holy Spirit of God to work

in us. As I've said before, salvation is

more than just a moment. It is a

journey. And the Holy Spirit is the one

that walks with us on that journey every

step of the way. Salvation is this

dynamic relationship we have with God

made possible by grace brought about by

the power of the Holy Spirit. Wesley

believed and I would agree with him that

the spirit doesn't just show up at one

point in our lives. The spirit is

constantly at work from beginning to

end. That is what it means to be on a

journey of grace. And it all starts with

that pervenient grace. Now prevenient is

a fancy word that simply means to go

before means the spirit is stirring our

hearts and awakening our conscience and

inviting us to be ready to respond to

God's love when that moment arises. In

John 16:8, the spirit Jesus says the

John 16:8

spirit will convict the world concerning

sin and righteousness and judgment. Now

that conviction isn't about shame. That

conviction is about opening our eyes.

The spirit is nudging us, letting us

know that there is more to this life

than we see on our own. The spirit calls

us to truth even when we don't yet

recognize the spirit's voice. For

Wesley, pervenient grace was evidence of

God's mercy. It meant that no one is

ever too far from God to be reached.

Think about that for a second. No one is

ever too far from God to be reached

because the Holy Spirit is already in

their life. Which brings us to that

justifying grace, that next step on the

journey. When the spirit helps make us

new, when we come to faith in Christ,

when we confess our sins and we trust

and put our trust in in Jesus for

forgiveness, then we experience

justifying grace. That moment that we're

made right with God, we're forgiven.

We're reconciled. We're adopted into

God's family. In Romans 5, Paul writes

that through faith, we are justified

that God's love has been poured out into

our hearts through the Holy Spirit. It's

the Holy Spirit that assures us that we

are saved, giving us peace and

confidence that we actually belong to

God. Now, this isn't just a legal

declaration. It's actually a relational

change. The spirit helps us not just to

know about God's love but to feel God's

love deep in our heart. The spirit is

whispering to us, you are forgiven. You

are

free. You are

mine. Allowing us to move to that final

step, that sanctifying grace, which is

the spirit helping us

grow. You see, salvation and the spirit

don't stop at that moment we receive

God's forgiveness. It's an ongoing

process. The spirit doesn't just clean

house and then leave. The spirit moves

in and helps renovate our heart. That's

what Wesley called sanctifying grace.

It's the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit

making us more like Jesus. In Galatians

5, Paul gives us the fruit of the

spirit, right? Love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Those are not fruits that we can produce

in our own power. Those are evidence of

the spirit living in us and shaping us.

Wesley believed that the spirit the

spirit empowers us to live holy lives.

Now listen to this. Not by striving

harder, not by doing

more, but by yielding more to God's

presence. This is where it's important.

It's not about us doing more or striving

harder. It's about us yielding our life

more to God's presence. Sanctification

is a lifelong process, but the goal is

crystal clear. The goal is perfect love.

Loving God with all we are and loving

others as Christ loved us. Remember that

included his willingness to die for

other people. Just

imagine being able to respond in every

situation the way Jesus would respond.

What would that look like? Now, I don't

know about you, I'm not quite there yet.

I was there this morning when I woke up.

Then I got out of bed and it was all

done. Right? That's just how it works.

The bottom line, though, is this. It's

the heartbeat of Methodism is our

understanding of salvation. We are a

life saved by grace by Jesus, then

transformed by grace, the

spirit, which God gives us to do what

we're called to do. So what does that

mean for us today? Where does the rubber

meet the road? Because the Holy Spirit

is more than just about theology and

doctrine. It's about real

life. Number one, when we are in a

relationship with the Holy Spirit, we

realize we're not alone. In a world

where people feel isolated, overwhelmed,

uncertain, the Holy Spirit is God's

constant presence with us. Jesus called

the spirit a comforter. That's exactly

what the spirit is. The Holy Spirit

doesn't leave us to face life's

challenges all by herself. When we don't

know what to pray, the Holy Spirit

intercedes for us. When we feel weak,

the Spirit gives us strength. When we

feel confused, the Spirit guides us into

truth. This isn't just a nice theory. It

is an actual promise. We're never

without help. We're never without hope.

The spirit is with us every step of the

way. Which leads us to the second point.

We can

change. It's one of the most encouraging

truths of the Christian faith. We don't

have to stay the same. The Holy Spirit

is in the business of transformation.

The spirit takes our brokenness, our bad

habits, our wounds, our weaknesses, and

begins to make something beautiful out

of all of those. You see, it isn't about

becoming perfect overnight.

Sanctification is about daily becoming

more like Jesus through the Spirit's

work in us. If we're struggling with

patience, the spirit grows patience in

us, right? Usually by putting us in

situations that require us to use

patience, right? Are we wrestling with

anger and bitterness? The spirit softens

our heart. Do we want to love more like

Jesus? The spirit empowers us to make

that kind of love happen. As Methodists,

we believe in the real lasting change

that is possible through the spirit. Not

by our own strength, through the spirit

of God, which lets us know that we

actually have a purpose. Because the

Holy Spirit doesn't only work in us. We

are told that the Holy Spirit works

through us. Every believer is given

spiritual gifts, special abilities,

passions. We're empowered by the spirit

to build up the church and to serve the

world. Now let me tell you what that

means. That means that your life

matters. Your story

matters. You have something to offer and

the spirit will show you how to offer

it. Maybe your gift is encouragement.

You know, lifting others up with your

words. Maybe it's teaching or serving or

or leadership. Maybe it's simply the

ability to listen to somebody and show

compassion. Maybe it's just your

willingness to show up and be present.

Whatever it is for you, the spirit

equips you not just to attend church,

but to be the church. You see, once we

accept Christ for ourselves, our job is

to share that with others. So today, I

want you to ask yourself a couple of

questions. Am I open to the spirit's

work in my

life? Am I responding to God's grace or

am I resisting it? And am I walking

daily with the spirit or or just going

through the motions? You see, the good

news is we don't have to earn the Holy

Spirit's presence in our life. We simply

have to welcome the spirit in. And as we

pray and as we listen and as we obey,

the spirit will guide our thoughts,

shape our character, direct our steps.

And then in the words of Wesley, the

spirit of God not only begins but

carries on the work of grace in our

soul. That means no matter where we are

on the journey, whether we're starting

out, whether we're struggling, whether

we're growing, whether it hasn't even

begun yet, the Holy Spirit is with us

and in us. And the best part is the

spirit is not finished with us yet.

From the beginning of creation to the

everyday moments of our life right now,

the Holy Spirit has been at work forming

and saving and transforming and

empowering

us. The spirit is our comforter, our

guide, our strength, our friend. This is

not just a truth to understand. It is a

relationship to enter into. The spirit

longs to fill our life with power and

with love and with purpose and with joy.

Now, in the United Methodist tradition,

we have what's called a book of worship.

And if you look through that book of

worship and look at a lot of the

different liturgies we have, you will

see a short prayer that is all through

there. And the prayer is this. Come Holy

Spirit, come. It's a really simple

prayer, but it's a powerful prayer. It's

a prayer of invitation. It's a prayer of

openness. It's a prayer recognizing our

deep need for God's presence in

everything we

do. So I want to encourage you to make

this your prayer. Come Holy Spirit,

awaken my heart. Come Holy Spirit, guide

my steps. Come Holy Spirit, grow the

fruit of the spirit in my life. Come

Holy Spirit, empower me to live boldly

for you.

May we never forget that the Holy Spirit

is not just with us. The Holy Spirit is

in us and is ready to lead us to a life

of grace and love and

holiness. Come, Holy Spirit, come. Let's

pray. Lord, we are so grateful that you

have done so much for us. You sent your

son to walk among us to give us an

example of how to live our life here in

this world. And then you sent your

spirit to empower us to be like Jesus.

Help us to receive that gift of grace

that comes from a relationship with

Christ and then connect with the spirit

to empower

us to be more bold for you.

to do what you have asked us to do to

become more like Jesus every single day.

May we realize there's nothing we can do

on our own, but with the Holy Spirit's

help, we can become the follower you

want us to be. Come, Holy Spirit,

come. Amen.