Holy Spirit: The Voice of Truth

How God Speaks

I'm sure you're familiar with scene from the 1992 movie classic, A Few Good Men, where a Navy lawyer played by Tom Cruise, questions a man (played by Jack Nicholson) on the stand.

The scene goes like this....

"You want answers?" Tom Cruise r replies, "I think I'm entitled to them." 

Jack Nicholson repeats, "You want answers?" 

to which Tom Cruise shouts, "I WANT THE TRUTH!" 

And then, Nicholson responds with one of the best known and most trademarked lines in film: "YOU CANT HANDLE THE TRUTH!"

        On the night before his death, Jesus told his disciples something similar, "You can't handle the truth... at least, not yet." But he promised that he would send his Spirit to them soon to make the truths that they could not know on their own, clear... so they could handle the truth.

Let’s read it together....from John 16:12-15

(NKJV)

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

God tells us only what our measure of faith can handle v.12

Jesus has told the disciples information that was difficult to accept

The coming suffering and death of Jesus.

That Jesus wouldn’t be physical present with them after His ascension

We are told that God will not tempt us more than we can bear. (He knows our limitations)

The Holy Spirit reveals the right things to us at the right time

God with-holds things from us too.

He will hold back a spouse from us until the one He wants for us comes along

He will with-hold that job as he orchastrates our lives to put things in order

We are not alone- all throughout history God has with-held things from people because it was for their own good and out of His love for us.

The Holy Spirit leads and guides us into all truth concerning who God is. v13.A

Jesus Himself is the truth

The Spirit of truth leads the disciples in the revelation of who Jesus is.

Jesus is Gods final and complete revelation of who He is. ( )

The Holy Spirit doesn’t speak to us on His own authority but, only what He is told to say to us. v13B.

a. Jesus said...My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: ()

b. Ways to recognize Gods voice

Walk with Him daily

Grow in intimacy with Him

Compare what you hear, with His Holy Word.

4. The Holy Spirit speaks prophetically to us. v13C.

a. Jesus himself instructed the disciples about “things to come”

a new worship without temples

a great evangelistic harvest

a gathering of Gentiles together with Jews

Highly effective prayer

persecution and hatred

His final coming and Judgement

b. We see the Spirit’s ministry emerge and assist the disciples

Helped them remember what He said

Helped them with spiritual understanding

Helped them to interpret and apply truths taught to them by Jesus.

The Holy Spirit does the same for us today!

C. The Spirit would guide them into all truth

Not new truth

but old truth within new and ever-changing situations

5. The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus v14A.

A. The Spirit glorifies Jesus

Reveals who Jesus is to believers

Also reveals who the father is through the son.

6. APPLICATION

A. If we want to know who God is

i. We need to look to Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith

ii. We need to listen. Really listen, to the voice of the Holy Spirit, the voice of truth.

iii. We need to know who we belong to. Our identity and who we are is found i whose we are.

iiii. We belong to Jesus, so we need to bring Him glory!