02/09/2026
SUNDAY SERMON
Living and Serving Through the Power of the Holy Spirit
Scripture reading: John 14:16-17
Jesus Christ’s disciples were in a state of uncertainty and were concerned that they would be left alone when He departed. However, Jesus assured them that they would receive another Helper from the Father, a Helper who would always be with them. They therefore needed to wait, trust Jesus Christ, and go where He had instructed them to wait.
In our daily lives, we use our phones so frequently that, at times, it seems almost impossible to live without them. Yet, for a phone to remain useful, it needs to be charged regularly. If it is not charged, eventually its battery will run out and the phone will switch off. A phone therefore needs a charger to remain powered and functional.
In the same way, we continually need the Holy Spirit in our lives. We need Him to remain connected to God, to receive power, and to experience Him as our Helper. Without a relationship with the Holy Spirit, we become like a phone that is not being charged. We try to continue functioning while our spiritual strength is being depleted.
Every born-again Christian, regardless of age, needs the Holy Spirit, and He is available to all believers. He is here to abide with us forever (v16), not occasionally. His help is not limited to what we consider spiritual matters, we can also seek His guidance in our everyday decisions. Consult Him in everything. As we grow in our relationship with Him, we also become increasingly able to recognise His presence and guidance in our lives.
In Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit came upon those who were gathered, there was no laying of hands. They were gathered in expectation. This reminds us of the importance of having hearts that are ready and willing to receive from Him. The Holy Spirit works in us and through us so that God’s purpose may be fulfilled through our lives. The Holy Spirit does not need our help to be our Helper. We should not try to help Him to help us. Rather, we must surrender and allow Him to lead.
Jesus Christ knew that the disciples’ mission had to continue after His departure, but He also knew that they could not fulfil that mission through their own strength. The Helper had to come so that the mission could continue. Peter, who had previously denied Jesus Christ, later testified about Him after receiving the Holy Spirit. This reminds us not to rely on our own wisdom or strength. We must learn to depend upon the Holy Spirit for help.
John 14:26 presents the Holy Spirit as our Teacher. We must therefore allow Him to teach us all that we need to know. We should not depend only on sermons from the pulpit for our spiritual teaching, we must also develop a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to teach and guide us.
Colossians 3:17 teaches us that whatever we do, whether in word or deed, should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet we cannot live this way through our own ability alone. We need the Holy Spirit to help and empower us.
Allow the Holy Spirit to search within you and bring about the change that is needed. When we experience His work personally, we begin to understand His value in our lives. Allow the Holy Spirit in every area of your life. Depend on Him, listen to Him, and allow Him to lead you.
He is not only the Helper we need in moments of difficulty, He is the Helper we need every day.