1. Introduction
• Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus invitation and promises “I will give you rest” “You shall find rest for your souls”
• So many people have no peace – soul is in turmoil, anxiety, fear, worry, stress, striving.
• Rest is a gift that comes by faith. (Hebrews 4:3) By trusting God and His Word.
• Rest is a fruit that comes from ¬ to the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22)
• Exodus 33:14 “My presence will go with you and it will give you rest” God promised Moses rest – came with the presence of God tangibly expressed. Israel were led and directed by the cloud of God’s presence. The presence of God distinguished them from all other people.
2. We can Grieve and Quench the Holy Spirit
• Grieve = NT 3076 = to distress, make sad, fill with sorrow and pain (opposite of joy). We grieve the Holy Spirit by actions and attitudes that hinder Him being Himself in us.
• Quench = NT 4570 = to extinguish a raging fire. We quench the Holy Spirit by actions and attitudes that hinder Him doing what He wants through us.
• We need to develop sensitivity to the Holy Spirit – what He likes and dislikes.
• We can grieve the Holy Spirit and quench His power without realizing it.
Examples of People Grieving the Holy Spirit
(a) Judges 16:20 Samson: He did not know the Lord had departed from him. Samson grieved the Holy Spirit be sexual sin and lust uncontrolled.
(b) Psalms 95:10 Israel grieved the Holy Spirit continually and lost their power to inherit. Israel grieved the Holy Spirit by unbelief, complaining and ignorance of Gods ways. Israel remained bitter instead of changing.
(c) Luke 2:43,46 Mary and Joseph were not aware that Jesus was no longer with them. They supposed that He was still with them – made assumptions.
(d) Luke 19:41-44 Israel grieved the Holy Spirit – they did not recognize the time of visitation. They grieved the Holy Spirit by unbelief and clinging to tradition.
• In each of the above people were not aware of what they did but all experienced loss.
3. Developing Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 5:10 “And try to learn in your experience what is pleasing to the Lord (ampl)”
• To find out what people like we must: spend quality time with them; listen to them; observe them.
• We learn what pleases the Holy Spirit from experience and from the Word of God.
• Find out what He likes – Do that!
Find out what grieves Him – Don’t do that or put it right quickly.
Ephesians 5:17 “Do not be vague, thoughtless, foolish but understanding and fully grasping what the will of the Lord is”
• Discovering what another person likes and dislikes is a process of trial and error.
• We need to find out what pleases the Lord.
(a) The Holy Spirit Likes: Practice Doing These Things
(i) Welcome His Presence
• Talk to him. Speak words of welcome. Holy Spirit I welcome you!
• Take Him as He wants to come – Joy, Peace, quickened verse, promptly to apologise.
(ii) Childlike Trust Matthew 18:3
• Let go control – control of people, control of your world.
• Don’t try to fix up everyone and everything – let God be in control.
• Trust is developed as you let go attempting to control life and reacting to it.
(iii) Express Gratitude Psalm 100:4
• Don’t take the Holy Spirit for granted – express thanks and appreciation to Him.
• Gratitude places honour and value upon the Holy Spirit and acknowledges what He does.
(iv) Practice Listening to the Holy Spirits Voice
• Listening is an art to be learned. Holy Spirit speaks as a flow of pictures, thoughts and impressions from within.
• To listen you must focus – give the person your attention.
(v) Ask Questions Luke 2:46
• If you want to learn – develop the skill of asking questions.
• Ask the right questions – Lord what are you teaching me? Not why??
• Luke 2:46 “They found Him in the temple sitting in the midst of the teachers both listening to them and asking questions.”
(vi) Accept His Silence Luke 2:48
• Sometimes God does not speak to us or explain what He is doing.
• Jesus did not explain to His parents that He needed to stay behind in Jerusalem.
• God tells us what we need to know, when we need to know it. Don’t react.
(b) The Holy Spirit Dislikes: Stop Doing These Things
Ephesians 4:29 – 5:5 “ Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God……”
• We can easily grieve the Holy Spirit by how we react because of things God allows to happen.
• Where we react we lose the peace of the Holy Spirits abiding presence Colossians 3:15
• We need to enquire and ask the Holy Spirit to show us how we have grieved Him!
(i) Deal with Bitterness a root that defiles Hebrews 12:15
• Bitterness = long standing resentment, becoming a grudge and ill will towards others.
(ii) Deal with Anger a root that destroys Proverbs 29:22
• Wrath = passion, bad temper, outbursts of anger.
• Anger = smouldering resentment and reaction to people, life.
• Clamour = loud angry talk about personal grievances and injustices.
(iii) Guard Your Tongue a force of life and death Proverbs 18:21
• Corrupt communication = words that pollute and defile.
• Evil speaking = to slander, speak destructively against another person.
• Filthiness = unclean conversation, crude jokes, clever undertones.
(iv) Malice ill will towards others
• Malice takes delight in inflicting injury on another.
• Dwells on wrongs and wants the other person to suffer.
(v) Deal with Grief Ephesians 5:3
• Covetousness = idolatry
(vi) Deal with Sexual Sin Ephesians 5:3
• Fornication and all uncleanness.