The Blessing in His Leaving

See John 16:5-15

John 16:5–15 NASB 2020

“But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, grief has filled your heart. But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment: regarding sin, because they do not believe in Me; and regarding righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you no longer are going to see Me; and regarding judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them at the present time. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; this is why I said that He takes from Mine and will disclose it to you.

INTRODUCTION

Today we gather around a word that speaks to every heart in this room—especially those who have lived long enough to know what it feels like to lose something, or someone, you depended on.

In John 16, Jesus is preparing His disciples for a transition. He’s getting ready to leave them. And like many of us, they didn’t handle change well. They didn’t want to hear it. They didn’t want things to shift. They didn’t want the comfort of the familiar to be disturbed.

But Jesus says something that sounds strange, almost offensive to hurting hearts:

“if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you.”

In other words: My leaving makes room for your blessing.

And that’s the message today: Sometimes God has to move something out of your life to move something better into your life.

That’s why the message this morning is titled: “The blessing in His leaving.” Walk with me in text and notice...

I. THE PARADOX OF DEPARTURE — “IF I DO NOT LEAVE”

Transition: Before we talk about what the Spirit does, we first need to understand why the Spirit came. And that starts with Jesus’ departure.

Jesus tells His disciples, “I’m leaving you.” And they respond the same way many of us respond when the world changes too fast:

“Lord, what are we supposed to do now?”

“Lord, how will we make it?”

“Lord, who’s going to guide us?”

“Lord, what’s going to happen to the church, to the community, to the next generation?”

But Jesus says, “My absence is not abandonment—it’s advancement.”

He’s saying:

If I stay, you’ll depend on my physical presence.

But if I go, you’ll receive my spiritual power.

If I stay, I can walk beside you.

But if I go, I can live inside you.

And church, that’s why Pentecost matters. Jesus left so the Spirit could come. He stepped out so the Spirit could step in. He ascended so the Spirit could descend.

And for everyone in this house who has ever felt alone, forgotten, or left behind—hear this:

You are not living off memory; you are living with power. You are not surviving off yesterday’s strength; you are walking with the Spirit who never gets old.

So, Jesus says, I’m going away so that the Spirit can come. Now, look with me at...

II. THE SPIRIT’S TRANSFORMATIVE MISSION — WHAT THE HOLY GHOST DOES

Transition: Now that we understand why Jesus had to leave, let’s look at what the Spirit came to do. Jesus didn’t send the Spirit to sit quietly in the corner. The Spirit came with an assignment.

Jesus says the Spirit comes to do three things: convict of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

Let’s make that plain for our neighborhood, our families, our city.

1. Convicting of Sin — Opening Eyes

The Spirit shows the world its biggest sin: not believing in Jesus.

In our community, we see people chasing everything but God:

Chasing money

Chasing status

Chasing survival

Chasing escape

But the Spirit whispers, “Baby, you need Jesus.”

And many of us know—because we’ve lived long enough—that nothing holds you together like Him.

2. Convicting of Righteousness — Setting the Record Straight

When Jesus returned to the Father, it proved He was right all along.

The Spirit keeps reminding us:

Jesus is still right

His way is still right

His truth still stands

In a world where right and wrong get blurry, the Spirit keeps our moral compass steady.

3. Convicting of Judgment — Evil Doesn’t Win

The Spirit reminds us that the enemy has already been defeated.

For those who have lived through segregation, injustice, broken systems, and community struggle, this is good news:

Evil may make noise, but it does not have the last word.

The text also exposes...

III. REVELATION AND GLORIFICATION — THE SPIRIT STILL SPEAKS

Transition: So the Spirit convicts, corrects, and confronts. But that’s not all. The Spirit doesn’t just show us what is wrong—He also shows us what is true. Jesus shifts the conversation from conviction to revelation.

Jesus says the Spirit will “guide you into all truth.”

That means:

You’re never too old to learn

You’re never too seasoned to grow

You’re never too far along to hear something new from God

The same Spirit that fell at Pentecost is still revealing Christ to you today:

In your prayers

In your worship

In your quiet moments

In your memories

In your pain

In your praise

And the Spirit’s main job is simple: to make Jesus big in your life.

IV. APPLICATION — PENTECOST POWER FOR TODAY’S BELIEVERS

Transition: Now that we’ve seen what Jesus said then, let’s talk about what it means now. Pentecost is not a museum piece. It’s not a holiday we dust off once a year. It is a living reality.

Pentecost is not just a story—it is your story.

The Spirit who empowered the early church empowers you today:

To pray

To endure

To testify

To mentor

To worship

To keep the church alive

This proclamation is specifically for the seniors in the house, hear me: You are not the leftover generation—you are the Spirit-filled generation. You are the ones who kept the faith alive long enough for the next generation to find it.

CLOSE

Transition: And as I make my way to the close of this message, I hear Jesus’ words echoing through the generations…

Jesus said, “If I do not leave…” And I used to struggle with that. But now I understand.

Because sometimes God has to move something… so He can make something. Sometimes God has to shift something… so He can send something. Sometimes God has to take something… so He can transform something.

Jesus left… but the Spirit came. Jesus ascended… but power descended. Jesus went up… but strength came down.

And I don’t know about you, but I’m glad the Holy Ghost came.

Because the Holy Ghost will walk with you… talk with you… keep you… comfort you… guide you… lift you… hold you… and strengthen you.

Is there anybody here who can testify— I’ve made it this far by the power of the Holy Ghost.

When your body was weak— the Holy Ghost kept you.

When your children were in trouble— the Holy Ghost covered you.

When the doctor shook his head— the Holy Ghost stepped in.

When you didn’t know how you’d make it— the Holy Ghost made a way.

And if the Spirit kept you then… the Spirit will keep you now.

So lift your hands, church… and thank God for the Helper. Thank God for the Comforter. Thank God for the Advocate. Thank God for the Power. Thank God for the Holy Ghost.

Because Jesus may have gone back to the Father… but He didn’t leave us alone. He left us with POWER!

And the church said— Amen.