The Holy Spirit is our strength to witness.  Throughout the past few weeks, we started a very basic overview of who the Holy Spirit IS.  There is so much confusion about the Holy Spirit because He is and does a lot.  

The Holy Spirit is called our 

• Comforter
• Strengthener
• Counselor
• Helper
• Advocate
• Intercessor
• Standby Power

( Romans 8: 26 KJV & John 14:26-31 AMPC)

We have already started looking at How to Receive the Holy Spirit and answered the question Is the Holy Spirit REALLY for Today?

Today, we are going to look at the Holy Spirit – our strengthener.  

Our Text 

11 “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

Luke 12:11-12 NKJV

The Strength to Witness to People

The Holy Spirit gives us the strength to witness to all types of people.  Can you simply preach the gospel and people receive Christ?  Yes!  

And today we will see why.

By the work of the Holy Spirit, men and women come to see that they need salvation.  Nothing you or I could ever say or do will convince someone that they need Christ.  That is the job of the Holy Spirit.  

8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

John 16:8 NKJV

It is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin not ours. 

Preach the Gospel not Condemnation

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel [a]of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Romans 1:16 NKJV

Preaching the Gospel is not telling people what they should do; it is telling them what Jesus has done. 

Many times Christians preach condemnation OVER the Gospel of Christ.  They will scream, “YOU’RE ALL GOING TO HELL!”  or attempt to “witness” by pointing out all the places where someone is making mistakes.  

Better yet they will try to identify with unbelievers by telling them their testimony.  

But salvation does not come by the word of your testimony but by the testimony of what Jesus Christ did.  

All three of these things (condemnation, reason, your testimony) will not work.  Only the gospel or the good news of what Jesus Christ did by coming to earth, dying on a cross, and rising three days later will bring salvation to those in need.

And this makes sense when we remember what Romans and Ephesians tell us.

17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:17 NKJV

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV

Salvation does not come by our good works.  It comes by our faith in what God has done.  Faith comes by hearing.  And hearing comes by the word of God.  That means if we want to see people saved we have to preach the word of God so faith can come. 

Preach to Hearts not Minds

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10:10 KJV

The heart or the true you is what becomes saved.  You cannot reason your way to heaven.  Without faith it is impossible to please God.  That means that we cannot preach to heads we have to preach to hearts.  

What does that mean?

You’ll see people who will try to study the Bible to gather all the facts they can to convince someone that God is real.  This is the truth.  God is made very clear in everyday life.  

I have seen people healed, legs start to grow back, money and blessing.  I have seen God work time and again and still the most compelling argument for God’s existence is nature.  

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and [a]Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

Romans 1:20 NKJV

The truth is that even the Sun, Moon, and Stars preach of God’s existence, but those without Christ are blind to it like it says here in Ephesians 4:17-19.

17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as [a]the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Ephesians 4:17-19 NKJV

It is only through the Holy Spirit that the blindness of a person’s heart can be removed.  

Preach what the Holy Spirit says

The preparations[a] of the heart belong to man,

Proverbs 16:1 NKJV

But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

It is up to us to prepare ourselves to be used by God.  The Bible says we should study (NOT casually read the Bible) to show ourselves approved (2 Timothy 2:15 ). 

This is where the Holy Spirit will help us.  The Holy Spirit will bring all things back to our remembrance.  “For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” (Luke 12:12).  

Like our text for today says, “in that very hour”.  

When we prepare our hearts to be used by God, when the time comes, we can step out with confidence knowing that the Holy Spirit will reveal to us the exact things that need to be said. 

It is not one size fits all, but the Holy Spirit’s job is to strengthen us as we step out to witness to those around us.  

The Strength to Witness Often

We as Christians should look for people each and every day to witness to.  I have heard people say, “Actions speak louder than words.  Preach with your smile.”  

Sure. But faith comes by hearing.  A smile is a start – in today’s world that will set you apart as is – but it has to continue.  

6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. 

Colossians 4:6 NKJV

“Salt” is the Word of God, and that word seasoned doesn’t mean poured on.  If you try to eat food with too much salt it becomes gross, but when you season your food it enhances the flavor.  So too when we season our conversations with the Word, we become a greater witness to those around us each and every day.

The strength to witness comes not from us by from the Holy Spirit in us.