Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. I invite you to turn with me
this morning to John chapter 7. John 7, and we're going to
begin reading with verse 37. It says, In the last day, That
great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried saying, if any
man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth
on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall
flow rivers of living water. Now our text this morning is
verse 39, the next verse. And this whole verse is in parentheses. And it's in parentheses explaining
what our Lord just said. He said, if any man thirst, let
him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the
scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water. Now verse 39 says, but this spake
he of the Spirit. which they that believe on him
should receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that
Jesus was not yet glorified. Our Lord talked about them coming
to him and he talked about them believing on him and being satisfied
in him. Verse 39 says, but this spake
he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive,
for the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was
not yet glorified. God is a Trinity, and that's
something that's vital for us to always remember. God is three
persons. Father, Son, and Spirit. These three are one. They're
one. One in mind, one in will, one
in purpose. If you look back to John 5, verse
19 says, Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what
he seeth the Father do. For what things soever he doeth,
these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son,
and showeth him all things that himself doeth, and he will show
him greater works than these that you may marvel. Verse 30
says, I can of mine own self do nothing, as I hear I judge. And my judgment is just, because
I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which
hath sent me. Our Lord is saying, my Father
and I are of one mind, one mind, and they are all one in body. Father, Son, and Spirit, they're
one in body. Turn with me over to Colossians
chapter two. Colossians chapter two, look
at verse nine. It says, for in Him, that's Christ,
The last word of the previous verse, verse 8, is Christ. In
Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. In Christ, all the fullness of
the Godhead, God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit,
they are all fully set forth in one body. And the Lord Jesus
Christ said, A body hast thou prepared me. They're one in mind,
they're one in body, and they're one in spirit. Look at Ephesians
chapter 4. Ephesians 4 verse 4 says, There
is one body and one spirit even as ye are called in one hope
of your calling. One body, one spirit. John 4.24
says God is spirit and there's one spirit. 1 Corinthians chapter
12 verse 13 says, for by one spirit are we all baptized into
one body whether we be Jew or Gentiles whether we be bond or
free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. One Spirit. And back in our text,
back in John chapter seven, our Lord said in verse 37, if any
man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth
on me As the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers
of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit,
which they that believe on him should receive." Should receive. For it says the Holy Ghost was
not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified. He said
that because the Holy Ghost was not yet given. Now let me ask
us a question. How vital is it that God sends
His Spirit to us? How vital is it that God sends
His Spirit to us? How vital is it to our salvation? How much does our spiritual life
depend on God sending His Holy Spirit to us? Well, look at John
chapter 6. Verse 63 says, it is the spirit
that quickeneth. The flesh profiteth nothing.
The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are
life. It's the spirit that quickeneth.
John chapter 4, we quoted it, let's read it. John chapter 4
verse 24 says, God is a spirit. and they that worship Him must
worship Him in spirit and in truth, must. Look at John 3,
verse 5, Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, that's
of a truth of a truth, I say unto thee, Except a man be born
of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom
of God." That's pretty clear, isn't it? That's pretty clear. James said the body without the
Spirit is dead. Over in John 16, verse 7 says,
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you
that I go away. For if I go not away, the Comforter
will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send
him unto you. The Lord said, it's expedient. The Comforter is the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Ghost. And he said, it's expedient.
And what that word means is, the means to the end. It's the
means to the end. He said, I must go away that
the Comforter, the Spirit, might come. I must. Now look with me
at Romans chapter 8, verse 9 says, but you are not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit. If so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, he's none of his. He is none of His. How vital
is it that God send His Spirit to us? It's life and death. It's life and death. It's not
just religion. It's not just right and wrong. It's life and death. And I'm
telling us the truth right now. It's life and death. So here's
my next question. And this is a vital question
to me. Have I received God's spirit? Have I received God's spirit? If it's vital that God send it,
here's my next question. Have I received it? In our text over in John 7, Our Lord said, If any man thirst,
let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the
scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water. But this spake he of the Spirit
which they that believe on him should receive. Have I received
God's Spirit? You know, somebody might say,
you ask them, did you receive God's spirit? And they might
say, well, I did feel real happy. I did get all caught up in the
moment. Something did overtake my emotions. I was laughing. Then I was crying.
Is that what happens when somebody receives God's spirit? Is that
what happens when somebody receives God's spirit? Is that what happens? when somebody
receives God's Spirit? Let's find out. Turn with me
over to Revelation 1. Revelation chapter 1, look at verse 10. John writes,
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day and heard behind me a great
voice as of a trumpet. Verse 16 says, And he had in
his right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth went a sharp
two-edged sword, and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his
strength. And when I saw him, I fell at
his feet as dead. As dead. What did God's Holy Spirit cause
John to do? fall down at the feet of Jesus
Christ like a dead man. That's what it caused. Turn with
me over to Ezekiel chapter 1. Now this is Ezekiel, the Lord
God came to Ezekiel and He describes what He saw. Verse 26 says, And
above the firmament that was over their heads was the lightness
of a throne, and the appearance of a sapphire stone, and upon
the lightness of the throne was the lightness as the appearance
of a man above upon it. And I saw as the color of amber,
as the appearance of fire round about within it. From the appearance
of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins
even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it
had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow
that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance
of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the
likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell
upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake. And he said
unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto
thee. And the Spirit entered into me,
when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard
him that spake unto me. The Spirit of God came to Ezekiel,
And what did it cause him to do? Start dancing in the aisles? No, he fell on his face. And the goodness of God's spirit
picked him up and set him on his feet and he stood there and
he listened. Emotions are not the evidence
of God's spirit. Emotions are not the evidence
of God's Spirit. They are not. Well, what is? What is? Because it's vital that
I receive His Spirit, right? What is the work and what is
the evidence of God's Holy Spirit? Well, turn back with me over
to John 16, one more time. John 16, verse 7 says, nevertheless,
I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that
I go away. For if I go not away, the Comforter
will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send
him unto you. And when he is come, he will
reprove," and that word reprove means convince, the world of
sin. Have I received God's spirit? Well, let me ask you this. Are
you a sinner? Are you a sinner? I'm talking
about sin. I'm talking about true sin. Sin so vile, so stinking, so
wretched, you can't even put it into words. Are you from the crown of your
head to the sole of your feet, nothing but wounds and bruises
and putrefying sores? Only the Spirit can convince
a man or woman of that. A man or woman by nature left
alone and his or her flesh is going to say this. They're going
to say, I hear what you're saying. I hear it, but you're describing me way
worse than I really am. I'm not nearly as bad as you
say I am. But if you ask a sinner whom
God's spirit has come to, You ask him, are you that bad? Are
you as bad as we just described it? Are you that bad? And he'll
say, I'm convinced of it. Yes, I am. I'm convinced of it. John 16 verse 8 says, when he
is come, he will convince the world of sin and of righteousness
and of judgment. He'll be convinced. Convinced. And that convincing is going
to bring fear. That's why John fell like a dead
man. That's why Ezekiel fell upon
his face. Fear. fear because that sinner is going
to know I'm a sinner. I am a sinner. My name is Gabe
Stoniker and I'm a sinner. Righteousness is what's required. And I am convinced through God's
word and through God's spirit that there is none righteous. I'm convinced. So let me tell
you the next thing I'm convinced of based on God's word. Judgment
is coming. Judgment is coming. I'm a sinner
and I don't have righteousness in and of my flesh. So therefore
judgment is coming. Have I received God's spirit? In our text, our Lord was in
a place preaching to a crowd of people who had not received
God's Spirit. What was the confirmation of
that? What was the proof that God's Spirit wasn't there? We
need to know that. Would you like to know that?
This is life and death. Would you like to know what was
the proof that God's Spirit wasn't there? I need to know that. Hold
your place in John 16 and go back with me to our text over
in John 7. Look at the end of verse 39 with me, this is what
it says. For the Holy Ghost was not yet
given because, and here's how you and I can know, because that
Jesus was not yet glorified. How can it be confirmed that
God's Spirit is not in a place or not in a person? Here's how
it can be confirmed. The Lord Jesus Christ will not
get all the glory. And when you see that happen,
it can be confirmed to you. If the Lord Jesus Christ is not
completely glorified in all His works, in all that He has done,
all that He has accomplished, all that He has finished, then
God's Holy Spirit is not in that place or in that person. Let me show you how I know that.
Turn back over to John 16 again. John 16 verse 13 says this, how
be it when he, the spirit of truth is come, he will guide
you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself. Whenever you hear God's truth,
when God's spirit sends God's word in truth, You will not hear
anybody leaving that place saying, boy, God's spirit was here. Man,
we had the spirit today. Oh, the spirit was lively in
this place today. You won't hear that. Verse 13
goes on to say, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he
speak, and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me,
for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you."
God's Holy Spirit glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. That's His
work. You know that the Spirit has
performed His work when people walk away from worshiping God
saying, isn't Jesus Christ glorious? Isn't he glorious? Isn't his
word glorious? Isn't his sacrifice, his death,
isn't it glorious? Isn't the fact that he died for
my wretched sin, isn't that glorious? God's Holy Spirit glorifies the
Lord Jesus Christ. That's how you know. Look over
at chapter 15, verse 26 says, when the Comforter is come, and
that's the Holy Spirit, when the Comforter is come, whom I
will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which
proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. He's gonna testify of me. When
God's Spirit is inside a sinner, He stops that sinner from saying,
I, I, I. And that sinner starts saying,
he, he, he, he. Oh, he chose me. I didn't choose myself. He did
all the choosing. He, he saved me. I didn't save myself. He called me. He drew me. I didn't come on my own. I didn't
come to Christ on my own. The Word says no man can come
except the Father draw him. He drew me. He will keep me. I can't keep
myself. He's got to keep me. If I make
it to glory, all the glory goes to Jesus Christ. every bit of
it. In our text it says, Jesus was
not yet glorified, and that's talking about His death, His
burial, and His resurrection. And that's what God's Spirit
talks about. His death, His burial, and His
resurrection. And that's what every sinner
who has received God's Spirit talks about. His death, His burial,
and His resurrection. He shall testify of me. Christ. Christ. Christ. Now I have one more question
for us this morning. The first one was, how vital
is it that God sends His Holy Spirit to us? How vital is it?
And we see it's life and death. Through God's Word, it's living
or dying. And the second question we asked
was, have I received God's Spirit? That's life and death. That's
living or dying. And I have one more question
for us this morning. Is God's Spirit in the place
where I'm currently worshiping? Is God's Spirit in the place
where I am currently worshiping? Is the place where I go to hear
from God through His Word, does God get all the glory here? The God, Jesus Christ, does he
get all the glory? Because your soul is on the line.
And my soul is on the line. Turn with me over to 1 John chapter
4. 1 John 4 verse 1 says, Beloved,
believe not every spirit. And that's a preacher. And a
preacher is gonna either be preaching in the spirit of God or another
spirit. Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits. Try the
preachers. Don't assume. Try me. I'm preaching to you this morning.
Try me. You open up the word of God and
see if what I'm telling you is the truth, and if it's not, quit
listening to me. Try the spirits, whether they
are of God. Because many false prophets are
gone out into the world. Is God's Spirit in the place
where I currently attend? Is the truth of God's Word there
or is it a house of lies? Which is it? The answer to that
question is life or death. Verse 2 right here in 1 John
4 says, Hereby know you the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesseth
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God." Now, it
doesn't just say every spirit that confesseth that Jesus has
come in the flesh, it says Jesus Christ. That's not only His name,
that's His office, that's who He is. God manifests in the flesh. It was the highest God who came. Every place and person that glorifies
Jesus Christ as the highest God is of God. Is that us? Do we give man any part in the
work of salvation? Some people say, well, if you
want to be saved, you've got to do this or you've got to do
that. Do we give man any part in the work of salvation or is
it totally in the hands and in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ? Is God's spirit here? Because
verse three says, every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. And this is that
spirit of antichrist whereof you have heard that it should
come. And even now already is it in the world. Antichrist is
not some beast that's going to appear at the end. Any heart
that says, I, I was baptized, I accepted Jesus, I made my decision. Any heart that takes the glory
of the work of salvation away from Christ is antichrist. If the preacher does not glorify
Christ, he's not of God. If the message does not glorify
Christ, it's not of God. And if a heart does not glorify
Christ, it's not of God. The Holy Ghost has not yet been
given. But listen to this, listen to this. If a sinner has seen
the glory of Christ, if a sinner has seen the glory of his love,
that he would choose to save sinners like us, that he would
live for us, that he would die for us, If a sinner has seen
the glory of His grace and the glory of His mercy, if we have
seen Him high and lifted up, and if we love His majesty and
love His authority and love His power, then it means we have
received His Spirit. Is all your hope of salvation
in Christ Jesus alone? If it is, then you have received
the gift of God's Holy Spirit. And we give Christ all the glory
for that. Until next Sunday morning, may
the Lord bless His Word. You have been listening to a
message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport Sovereign Grace
Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like a copy of this
message or to hear other messages of Sovereign Grace, you can write
to our physical mailing address at 905 Yadkin Street, Kingsport,
Tennessee 37660 or log on to our website at kingsportsovereigngracechurch.com. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 10.45 a.m., and 6 o'clock
p.m. Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m. Please tune in next Sunday morning
at 8.30 for another message of God's free and sovereign grace.