We know the Father, we worship the Son, but how much do we really know about the Holy Spirit?
As Jesus ascended into heaven, he left us with a gift, the greatest gift we could receive on this side of eternity. The gift being the very Spirit of God. We may be aware of his presence in the trinity, but often, we can treat the Holy Spirit as a supporting character. The truth is that it’s solely through Him that we come to know Jesus.
We just wrapped a four-part collection called ICON — a collection of messages focused solely on getting to know the person of the Holy Spirit. He is our guide, comforter, and teacher; whatever we receive through him comes directly from the Father. To walk alongside the Holy Spirit is a grand adventure. He is vibrant and fun yet deeply holy and deserving of our reverence. He is mysterious and dynamic, often represented in the Bible with different symbols.
Each week of ICON takes a deep dive into a different symbol of the Holy Spirit: dove, wind, fire, and oil. Read below for a summary of each message.
1. Welcome Holy Spirit
There is no end to what the Holy Spirit offers us — are we open to his voice? His teaching? His correction? The dove in the Old Testament links to the dove in the New Testament. As Jesus was baptized at the start of his ministry, God’s spirit came down from heaven and rested on him as a dove as the Father proclaimed “This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
At first glance, we might not understand the significance of the descendance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit as a dove ushers us into a new world and makes us a new creation.
2. Waiting on the Wind
In Acts 2, the gift of the Holy Spirit marvelously enters the room as a rushing wind. Just like wind, the Holy Spirit is invisible yet powerful. We might not be able to see him physically, but we are impacted by his presence. We feel when he’s around. We see evidence of his power throughout scripture.
The Greek word for wind is pneuma and the Hebrew word is ruakh. In the Bible, these words are interchangeable with spirit and breath. The wind is significant because it’s not just wind, it’s the breath of God. The Holy Spirit as the wind — the breath of God — creates, strengthens, and sends. Instead of fighting the wind, we can wait on the wind of God to push us forward.
3. Stewarding Fire
The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to us. Knowing the Holy Spirit means recognizing his holiness and responding with surrender. He is an all-consuming fire who leads us, purifies us, and speaks to us. We surrender to him by obeying his direction, listening to his voice, disciplining our lives to know him more, and enjoying his presence. As we surrender, he is faithful to change us from the inside out, setting us on fire with him.
Our lives are meant to look like an eternal fire, set ablaze by the Holy Spirit. God will start the fire, but it’s our job to maintain it. Just like in the Old Testament, when the priest would throw wood on the fire to keep the flame burning, we steward the fire that the Holy Spirit starts in our lives.
4. Don’t Take My Oil
Oil has many uses throughout scripture. It was used practically for medicine, healing, and fuel, and it was used symbolically to anoint people to walk in their calling. Oil also serves as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. In scripture, we see David anointed with oil — with one anointing, he went from shepherd to king. From that day on, the Spirit of the Lord stayed with him.
One moment with the Holy Spirit changed the trajectory of David’s life; one moment with the Holy Spirit changes everything for us, too. It’s the power of the Holy Spirit that transforms our hearts and equips us to walk in our purpose. Before he sends us out, he fills us up, preparing us to pour out the presence of God wherever we go.
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The Church is not the Church without the Holy Spirit. He longs not just for a moment with us, but to walk with us daily. His presence permeates every area of our lives. There is no one like Him. He is always working in us, pulling the weeds out of our hearts and transforming us to be more like Jesus.
Knowing the Holy Spirit and building an intimate relationship with him is vital to our faith journey. Download this sermon package to access everything you need to preach ICON at your church, bringing truth and clarity to who the Holy Spirit is and his role in our lives.
