New Covenant Blessings Produce Thankfulness!
Notes
Transcript
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25 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father.
26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.
28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Setting the Stage
Setting the Stage
Well, Jesus continues teaching the eleven the comfort and clarity that is coming to them in the giving of the HS…
Because of His finished work, that is very imminent.
This morning, as we continue in Chapter 16, I want us to look first at what Jesus says in…
25 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father.
Figures of speech = symbolic language or…
Remarkable Sayings
Remarkable Sayings
A few things to think about in light of the context…
#1 – Meant to Comfort
#1 – Meant to Comfort
The context is:
The disciples are confused.
What Jesus is teaching is not in disagreement with Scripture, but it is in disagreement with traditional understanding.
What Jesus is saying is according to the OT, but the OT is still mysterious.
What is revealed in the OT is enough for one to be saved by faith in the promises, even if the promises were not as clear to OT saints as it is to NT saints.
We spoke about that when we looked at how the least in the Kingdom of God could be greater than John the Baptist.
Greater in their understanding of the gospel and the person and work of Christ.
Jesus has been teaching with parables, but explaining those parables to the disciples in more intimate settings.
But, Jesus has been using symbolic language, even when speaking to the disciples.
And, even when Jesus explains His parables to the disciples…
It is enough for them to intellectually understand and believe…
But, it is not with great clarity and exposition of the epistles.
Anyone who has read the NT knows that there is a vast increase of doctrinal clarity when you move from the gospels to the epistles.
The eleven understand enough to believe, and trust Christ.
But, they are at seed form in their understanding.
And, that seed form is going to grow into a full grown tree after the resurrection and the giving of the Holy Spirit.
So, what Jesus is telling them is meant to comfort them.
I’m not leaving you with the elementary-like understanding that you currently have.
I will speak plainly to you after the resurrection, but even more so through my presence with you via the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit.
So, let’s ask this question…
#2 – Why the Clarity with the HS?
#2 – Why the Clarity with the HS?
Because it is a promise by God to be fulfilled in the New Covenant.
The NC and all promises/blessings are offered in Jesus Christ.
Let me read from Ezekiel so we can hear the words of the New Covenant…
25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
Now, what is meant by sprinkle with clean water?
This is symbolic language for the regenerating work of the HS, which is a promise that is accomplished by Christ…
And applied and distributed by the HS.
Paul states this NC promise like this…
5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
Then the NC promises…
26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
This again is a picture of the regenerating work of the HS.
Heart in the OT describes the mind, will, and affections.
Mind = knowledge
Will = choosing based on knowledge
Affections = our motions towards things based on will, which is based on mind.
This is why we are told by the Apostle Paul to renew our minds with the knowledge of God and His will for us.
Paul’s constant prayer for the saints is that they grow in their knowledge of God for the purpose of walking in a manner worthy of the Lord.
Then we read…
27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
What is the cause of our knowing, understanding, and obeying?
The HS guiding us by indwelling us, and communicating with our spirit that we are the children of God.
Guiding us and granting us understanding of His Word…
Not just intellectually, but willfully, and affectionately.
That have been renewed by the HS in regeneration…
And, are continually being renewed in sanctification.
And, finally I want us to see the…
#3 – Promise Kept & Clarity Gained
#3 – Promise Kept & Clarity Gained
From the OT to the Gospels to the Epistles, have we gained clarity.
Let me just ask some questions that were more mysterious in the OT, has some more clarity in the Gospels, but were revealed more clearly in the Epistles.
Clarity of understanding given and gained because of the giving of the HS to the church and indwelling every believer.
Questions:
How can God be just and at the same time pardon sinners?
OT —> God will provide a sacrifice.
Gospels —> Christ is the Lamb of God
Epistles —> the Eternal Son of God incarnated, lived a perfect life and died for the sins of His people as a once for all sacrifice. He is the sacrificial lamb of God.
How can a holy God reconcile sinners to Himself?
Will He weaken His Law’s demands?
Will He sweep sin under the rug?
Will He just look the other way/wink at sin?
No.
He will die on the Cross as the God-Man.
Therefore, His Law is good and holy, and justice is upheld.
How can God create a people to obey Him without failure, which produces curses and exile?
He can create a Covenant with a Federal Head in which the FH’s behavior represents those whom He represents…His bride.
So that:
He can atone for their sins by a sacrifice of infinite value.
He can impute to their credit, His righteousness, to those whom He represents.
How can God create a people who love Him when in actuality we are totally deprave and spend our lives suppressing the truth of God?
He can regenerate those people.
Give them a new heart to love Him by the renewal of:
the mind
the will
the affections
Indwell them with the presence of Christ by the giving of the HS who:
Works in His people to desire to obey the Lord.
Works in His people to pursue obedience.
Speaks to those people, internally to their spirit, that they are the children of the most high God.
Stays with them, as a seal and a guarantee of their eternal inheritance that will be shared forever with their Federal Head, who is Jesus Christ.
These are all truths that have been revealed since the ascension and the giving of the HS…
That have given the world such clarity that we have the NT…
And, the world has been, and is still being turned upside down by the preached Word of God.
Dear Christian…
Christ has purchased our ability to understand with spiritual eyes.
With a new mind, new will, and new affections.
The HS enables us to understand.
Which is why Paul says to the Corinthians…
13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
Another comfort that Jesus is giving them is the comfort of…
Prayer
Prayer
26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.
Another benefit of the NC is that God will our God and we will be His people.
Of course that is only possible by union with Christ.
It is only possible because of the finished work of Christ.
And, so we pray in His name.
But, the way is made possible because of Christ.
Christ is saying your access to the Father is not restricted.
Asking in my name acknowledges that is only because of Jesus that we can truly pray.
But it is not meant to teach some restrictive chain of events that must occur for prayers to be heard.
Like we must pray to Jesus and then Jesus goes and asks the Father.
Because we love the Son the Father loves us, and the doors to the throne room of God have been removed for all those in Christ.
16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
The Father loves us because of our union with Christ.
Christ is not coming down the Mt—>hearing us—>then climbing up the Mt to talk to the Father.
No, the work of Christ is that He came down the Mt, and now makes the way for us to go up the Mt with Him.
The thunderings have been silenced by the Cross.
What a comfort this is!
In Christ:
We don’t have to clean our self up to speak to the Lord.
There is no madate to reform our self before we enter the throne room to speak to our Father.
We don’t have check lists to go through before we pray to the Lord.
We don’t have to make sacrifices in order to enter into worship.
We don’t have walls that keep us from getting to close to the Lord.
Separate court areas where we can go no further.
In Christ, the Father loves us…
—> And the way has been completely opened…
—> And path has been cleared of all obstructions.
Let’s think about this...
Let’s think about this...
How much do we have to be thankful for today?
I just want to share with you some of the things, I’m thankful for:
The Gift of the fulness of Salvation in Jesus:
A Federal Head that Represents me perfectly
A Federal Head that Has Finished the Work
A Savior that Protects me
A Savior that provides my every need
Redemption that cannot be lost
Forgiveness
Reconciliation
Clothed in Christ’s righteousness
Indwelt by the HS
Can never be exiled from the New Covenant
Citizen of the Kingdom of Christ
A perfect sinless life awaits…No More Sin!
The gift of the Church:
Christ provides His bride with the blueprint for a healthy church.
He gifts and enables us to serve Him.
I believe GBFC is a healthy church, and not because of me.
Fellow elders
I cannot tell you how much I love, respect, and enjoy spending time with Mark and Lyndon.
They teach me so much through our friendship.
And, we lead as elders through our friendship.
Every decision is made with an eye and loyalty to Christ over one another and anyone else.
We’re not perfect, but we want to honor the Lord with every decision.
We have some younger men who are pursuing that calling.
It thrills my heart to see younger men desire to preach, teach, counsel, and serve the Lord by serving the church in humble leadership.
Deacons
Such unselfish service
Such unselfish giving of their time and energy for this body of believer.
Ministry leaders/Teachers/Those who serve
So thankful for the selflessness to serve.
Willingness to give hours to prepare and serve.
Members
Your attendance means more to the body than you can ever know.
Your prayers for this church family, your leaders…it means so much and is so needed and appreciated.
Attenders & Guests
So thankful that you would even consider coming here.
So thankful that you took the time to be with us as we serve the Lord.
We pray God’s blessings on you and hope we will see you again many times.
We have a great opportunity to express all that we are thankful for this coming week.
I want to challenge you to tell your family and friends how thankful you are and for what you are thankful.
What a way to celebrate Thanksgiving!
Celebrating all that we have and awaits us in Jesus Christ.
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
