Pastor John Tilton
September 26, 2021 - W2139

“Change My Heart Oh God – Holy Spirit Move in Me”

Friends: Guardians & Guardrails

Pastor John Tilton   

September 25 & 26, 2021

Aloha and welcome, New Hope Oahu--those present and online; it is such a blessing and honor to have you worshipping with us today! We are continuing the series, "Friends: Guardians & Guardrails," about Holy Spirit, a true friend who guides and guards us! He is not ethereal or far off but dwells in us! The title of the message is, "Change My Heart, O God - Holy Spirit, Move in Me."   

"Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you—The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month, as before." Joel 2:23 NKJV 

We'll be talking about the Lord God touching us by raining down the Holy Spirit upon us. It's the Holy Spirit moving in us that will change our hearts from glory to glory! 

Scott and Erlinda Cox's testimony: Two weeks ago, we received a call that Scott and Erlinda both came down with COVID and were not doing well. Scott called me and said, "John, we both need a miracle!" So, we started a prayer chain with Aunty Claudia, who leads the video team and Bible study.  We prayed that the Holy Spirit would get them through this time.  Scott said, "Every time we think we're on the mend, it comes back with a vengeance.  This thing is relentless!"  

Scott said, "I knew when you all were praying because as tough as it was, when you all were praying, we felt better!"  At times he would text me, "I can't breathe.  I can't breathe!" They finally went to Urgent Care; but faith and prayers kept going up for them and the Holy Spirit moved! Scott called this past Thursday and said, "Pastor John, we are completely recovered and back to normal! Amen and amen!"

Scott sent me the following note on Friday: "Pastor John, we certainly know firsthand how drastically our lives changed after we learned to tune into the Holy Spirit's direction, especially when everything in the natural said we should do one thing; yet the Holy Spirit led us to do the opposite!  Moving thousands of miles away is a prime example--nothing in the natural said that it was a good idea to move here during a pandemic!  But we've seen God's faithfulness time and time again, as we seek and listen to Him--from our marriage to our finances, families, jobs, and even ministries. Everything has been better when we seek and follow the Holy Spirit!"

Your emotions, thoughts, perspective, even your words and actions, all stem from your heart.  You've probably heard the phrase, "The eyes of the heart are the windows to the soul." If that is correct, you will see things a certain way--that when you look at a person, you will see their soul, and their soul will be Christ?like because their heart has been changed by the Lord! We'll be talking about how God changes our hearts through the Holy Spirit moving in us.

1. CHANGE My Heart, Oh God!

"I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” Jeremiah 17:10 NIV 

God searches and examines our heart to understand where we are and what we're thinking about because our conduct reflects our heart--that's how God will reward us! King David was a man after God's own heart; God wants us to have a heart like David's that is after Him--not after the world. God wants us changed from glory to glory, but that's difficult to do when we have a complaining/grumbling heart! 

I recall that September 2020 was the worst time for us with COVID. People were getting laid off, businesses were closing, the finances at the church went through the floor and I worried so much! I remember that Wednesday, I got up in the morning feeling burdened, and I got on my knees and said, "Lord, help us.  I'm going to give this to you.  I can't continue to take it upon myself because I'm going to get more gray hair! Lord, take it."  That was Wednesday, September 30th.  I remember the date clearly.  

Then Scott, one of our councilmembers here, called me one hour later and said, "Pastor John, can you drive to the church?"  I said, "Okay.  Why?"  He said, "There's a donor, a member, that wants to give his tithe check."  I said, "From Waimanalo?  Okay.  Sure." 

So, I drove in from Waimanalo and met one of our members in the front of the church, and he said, "My comptroller said I need to give my tithe by today because our fiscal year closes on September 30th."  And he gave me the check that was--I wouldn't say generous.  It was generous, generous, generous, generous, generous, generous!  You know what I'm talking about?  I looked at the check and thought, "Lord, this is not a happenstance.  I was on my knees just this morning praying about our finances, and Pastor Scott calls me an hour later, I come to the church, and a member gives me this check, and my eyes bugged out!  

That is the Holy Spirit answering prayers! And the Holy Spirit has continued to place His hand upon our church, even in the toughest times.  I wouldn't want this to come off as bragging, but thank the Lord that from May 30th, when we reopened services, there has been high counts of COVID everywhere, but there has been no transmission within our church!  Amen?  Yes!

That's the Holy Spirit our Advocate, going before us and working on our behalf!  My heart is that you would daily get to know Him in a more personal way.  The Father sent the Holy Spirit to empower, help, guide, and comfort us so, it's important that we understand who Holy Spirit is and to know His attributes. " ²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control." Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

The Holy Spirit is... 

·   the Third Person of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is fully God, eternal, with us every day, and He is the power within us!

·   sent by God the Father, to be God with us.  He is not far off!  

·   our Paraclete (advocate and helper) dwelling in us. 1 Corinthians 3:16 NKJV says: "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"

2.  Holy Spirit Move, Change, and Transform Me! 

            The Attributes of the Holy Spirit:

            C omforter.  “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your                                  remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”  John 14:26, NIV

God sends the Comforter in times of duress and sickness when your mind,                                              emotions, and heart are at its lowest low and you're wanting to end it all! Holy                                     Spirit will move in such a way as to teach you great life lessons through the                               experiences you garner, and you become the person that God is calling you to be!   

The enemy's plan is to destroy, divide, and tear us apart!  But God has a plan for                           you, and even though you may have experienced a broken heart, a tired heart, a                               hardened heart, know that the Holy Spirit can give you a new heart! 

H elper.  "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be                         with you forever; John 14:16 NASB"

A dvocate. John 15:26 NIV says: “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you                             from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify                            about me." An advocate is one who goes before us and works on our behalf; He                                     supports, pleads, and defends the cause of another.  As our advocate the Holy                                Spirit will at times, even change situations and you will know that it wasn't a                         happenstance.  

N ew Heart.  “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove                                from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My                          Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My                                 laws.” Ezekiel 36:26?27 Holy Spirit will filter what people say to tear you apart,                           so it won't impact you the way it was meant to. 

G uide.  “However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For                           He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will                             declare to you what is to come.” John 16:13. When the Israelites were leaving                              Egypt, the Holy Spirit went before them as a pillar of cloud to protect them from                           the sun, and at night as a pillar of fire to give them light. He protected them and                                   will do the same for us when we call upon Him.  Sometimes Holy Spirit speaks in                     a small still voice; sometimes with a prompting in your spirit; other times, things                          will happen. 

E mpower.  "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;                              and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and                  to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 NKJV. Holy Spirit will also give you the power                         to experience joy no matter what you're going through! Like Daniel, in the lion's                           den, he had peace because the Holy Spirit was working in him. That's what we                               want to see here in our New Hope Oahu family. When you received Jesus as                                     Lord of your life, the Holy Spirit came into your heart! You can rekindle that                                fire by calling upon Him--and He will come alive in you to empower you!   

The Fruit of the Spirit

"²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23 NASB 

That's in store for all of us--that's what we get!  That's a gift from the LORD--He is in you!  Call upon Him daily.  Make Him a part of your life!

STUDY QUESTIONS:

1. How are you leaning on the Holy Spirit for guidance in your life?

2. How are you showing others what God can do in their lives?

3. How is the Holy Spirit your comforter? 

4. How are you allowing God to change your heart?

5. What factors in your life are you overcoming with God’s help?