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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/alex-dryburgh/the-spirit-of-god/
Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4, we're going to read verse 39. Ephesians 4 verse 39. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. The Lord will bless what we have heard and also this reading from his good word.
At this conference we've heard about the living God. We've heard about the Lord Jesus. We've heard about the Word of God. We're going to say a little now about the Spirit of God. One of the most important subjects in your Bible is the Spirit of God.
One of the most neglected subjects amongst us is truth in regard to the Spirit of God. And I'm going to emphasize today the importance of the Spirit of God. For example, in the Bible we read about the fullness of the Spirit.
John chapter 3. We read about the filling of the Spirit. Ephesians chapter 5. We read about the functions of the Spirit. His work in relation to Christ, His work in relation to the world, and His work in relation to you and I.
And we read about the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Now let me come to our brother Bert's ministry this afternoon. There are certain things that need to be revived amongst us. And one of the things that needs to be revived amongst us is this.
The day that you and I are living in. Now for example, what's the day we're living in? Well, you might say to me today, it's the day of salvation. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
It's salvation's day. But you mark my words. This is the Spirit's day. If I read my Bible correctly, I discover this. If my prayer is going to be acceptable by the Spirit, building up yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.
So if my is going to be acceptable, it's by the Spirit. If my worship is going to be acceptable, it's by the Spirit. I believe this. I believe God is the source of my worship. I believe Christ is the subject of worship.
I believe the Spirit is the strength of my worship. And as our brother taught us this morning, the sanctuary is the sphere of our worship. If my worship is going to be acceptable, it's going to be by the presence and the power of the Spirit of God.
If my gospel is going to be acceptable, not in word only, but in power in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance. And if my ministry is going to be acceptable, holy men of God speak as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
The greatness of the day that you and I are living in. Listen to what the Bible says. Righteous men and prophets desire to see the things that you saw, but saw them not. Desire to hear the things that you hear, but hear them not.
Righteous men and prophets. Righteous men and kings. Righteous men and angels desire to see the things and to hear the things that you and I hear, but never heard them. Let me say this, and the Lord taught it.
It's better to have Christ in heaven and the Spirit of God here on earth, than to have Christ on earth and the Spirit in heaven. Listen to the teaching of the Lord Jesus. It's to your profit. It's to your advantage.
It's to your good that I go away, for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come. Now let me say this, there is no inferiority in the Godhead. Will I say that again? There is no inferiority in the Godhead.
Sometimes you'll hear it, and I don't like it. The Father's first, the Son's second, and the Holy Spirit is third. I don't like it. But you might say, is that not Matthew 28? Baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The Father is mentioned first, the Son is mentioned second, and the Holy Spirit is mentioned third. That's Matthew 28. Watch 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Listen to it. There are diversities of gifts, one Spirit.
There are diversities of operations, one Lord. There are diversities of administration, but the same God that worketh all in all. The Spirit is first, the Son is second, and the Father is third. Come again.
I come to Ephesians chapter 4, I read those words. There is one Spirit, there is one Lord, there is one God and Father over all, through all, and in all. The Spirit is first, the Son is second, and the Father is third.
And then I come to 2 Corinthians chapter 13, is it? The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, the communion of the Holy Spirit, the Son is first, and the Father is second, and the Holy Spirit is third.
Now, it's Easter. Who raised Christ from the dead? Who raised Christ from the dead? Well, one brother turns to Romans 6 and he says this, he was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. And he turns to Ephesians chapter 1 and he reads this, he was raised from the dead by the mighty power of God.
It was God that raised Christ from the dead. But another brother speaks up, what about John chapter 2? Destroy this body, and in three days I will raise it. I have power to lay down my life, I have power to take it again, this commandment have I received of my Father.
It was Christ that raised himself from the dead. But I turn to Romans chapter 1, he was raised from the dead by the Spirit of holiness. I turn to 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 18, and I read a verse like this, he was put to death in the flesh, and he was quickened by the Spirit.
Who raised Christ from the dead? God raised Christ from the dead. Christ raised himself from the dead. The Holy Spirit raised him from the dead. It's the Godhead working in harmony and in unity. Now, grieve not the Holy Spirit.
If I read my Bible correctly, I discover this, the Holy Spirit can be vexed. There's a verse in Isaiah chapter 63 says this, they rebelled and they vexed the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can be vexed.
I come to Acts chapter 5, the Holy Spirit can be lied to, the Holy Spirit can be tempted. I come to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, the Holy Spirit can be quenched. And I come to Ephesians chapter 4, and the Holy Spirit can be grieved.
Now, let me put those things together. The Holy Spirit was vexed by Israel as a nation. The Holy Spirit was lied to and tempted by Ananias and Sapphira. I believe that the Holy Spirit can be quenched by an assembly, and I believe that the Holy Spirit can be grieved by you and I as individuals.
He's the Spirit of life. He can be resisted. He's the Spirit of light. He can be quenched, and he's the Spirit of love, and he can be grieved. The question is this, how can I grieve the Holy Spirit? I'm just going to keep to Ephesians chapter 4.
Let me give you four things. We won't speak on them, but let me give you the four things. We can grieve the Holy Spirit by not growing. Listen to my verse. Be no longer children. Toss to and fro with every wind of doctrine.
There's no standing still in divine things. We're either going forward or we're going backward, and if you and I are not growing, we grieve the Holy Spirit. Secondly, we grieve the Holy Spirit in our thought life.
Young Christian today get this. Your thought life, my thought life, has more to do with the formation of my character than any other member of the body. Walk not as other Gentiles in the vanity of their mind.
Let me say three things about our thoughts. We can have exaggerated thoughts about self. We can have envious thoughts about others. We can have evil thoughts, and if that marks us, we grieve the Holy Spirit.
Thirdly, we grieve the Holy Spirit by giving place to the devil. The Bible says, give this my place, but if we give place to the devil, we grieve the Holy Spirit. Fourthly, we grieve the Holy Spirit by having a wrong attitude one towards another.
Let all bitterness and wrath and clamor and evil speaking and all malice be put away, and if those things mark us, we grieve the Holy Spirit. This is not original, but I'm going to say it. Someone has said, if the Holy Spirit today was taken from earth to heaven, the church would hardly know that he is gone.
We need to have revived amongst us. This is the day, and this is the day of the Holy Spirit.