06PM August 20 John 14 15 16

August 20, 2006—Evening Worship

Heaven Inspired Living in a Hell-Bent World

Comforts We Receive from God’s Holy Spirit

John 14, 15, 16

Intro:  A pessimist looks at a half a glass of water & says that the glass is half empty. An optimist looks at the same glass of water & says that it’s half full. People look at the same situations in life from different perspectives. Some people are natural pessimists & some are natural optimists. Some have been made pessimists b/c of the trials & hardships of their lives. & others have been made optimists b/c of the trials & hardships of their lives.

When we look at the world around us today, we will either be pessimistic or optimistic about the world’s condition. It’s true; there are wars & even rumors of wars. There are natural disasters & even national disintegrations among countries in the world.

But these are just symptoms of the real problem the world faces. It’s really a spiritual problem. The world, lost in sin & apart from a personal relationship w/Jesus Christ, is bound for Hell. & yet, as Christians, we are charged to live righteously—to live holy—to live God-centered lives in the very midst of such depravity & degradation. So how are Christians to live in a society that is hell-bent on being hell-bound? That seems like a discouraging situation from the beginning.

But God has given us hope! God has given us assurance! God has given us power! God has given us comfort! & the Holy Spirit is our resource for all that God gives to us. So tonight, let’s look at the comforts we receive from God’s Holy Spirit & be encouraged to live godly lives in this world!

- Notice 1st of all that the Holy Spirit…

1. Is the Counselor Who Is w/Us Forever (READ John 14:15-16).

- What a wonderful source of encouragement to know that the Holy Spirit of God, the essence of God, the Person & power of God is w/you always & forever!

- God’s Spirit does not come & go! He remains w/us forever!

- & Jesus is saying in these vv. that if we give ongoing evidence of true Bible conversion, we can be assured that the Holy Spirit will never leave us!

- Jesus said that He would pray or ask (the literal meaning of that word) God the Father to give you a Helper.

- We know that God always hears our prayers & we know that He always hears the prayers of His Son, who sits at the throne of God.

- & we know that Jesus knows how to pray! He knows how to speak to the Father. He knows how to get the message through!

- Therefore we can be assured of the fact that the Father has given us “another Helper.”

- The word “another” in that verse means another of the same kind.

- IOW God the Father would send someone just like God the Son to help His children & that someone is God the Spirit; the very essence of God w/us.

- In His earthly life & ministry, Jesus was God w/us—Emmanuel. But since His ascension to heaven, the Holy Spirit is the essence of God w/us—not visible, yet present!

- & notice that Jesus called Him a Helper in the NKJ in other translations it’s Comforter, or Advocate.

- The word literally means “one sent as an aid or assistant or a helper.” It also means “one who pleads the case of another” or “one who pleads the cause of another.”

- IOW someone who intercedes for some one else or someone who speaks in defense of another.

- & that’s where we get the idea of the Holy Spirit being our Counselor or our Comforter.

- He speaks in our defense; He guides; He intercedes; He aids us in all our trials.

- & Jesus promises that the Spirit would be w/us forever--& that literally means not only through the ages of time but for all eternity itself!

- Be comforted & encouraged b/c the Holy Spirit is w/you to aid & comfort you forever!

- Jesus also said that the Holy Spirit…

2. Is the Spirit of Truth (READ John 14:17a).

- The Holy Spirit is never referred to in Scripture as an impersonal force.

- The Holy Spirit is not at all like what is depicted in the Star Wars saga of letting the force be w/you!

- He is always described w/either an emphasis on His character – the HOLY Spirit – or w/an emphasis on His work – as here, the Spirit of TRUTH.

- The word “Spirit” here refers to the 3rd Person of the Godhead.

- This is the spiritual nature of Christ, higher than the highest angels, equal to God through the divine nature of God in Him.

- This is just one aspect of God that the unbelieving world cannot see b/c it does not know God.

- & yet, as believers, we don’t see the Holy Spirit either! But we are able to see the evidences of the Spirit.

- Just as we are able to see the evidences of the wind, we can see the evidences of the Spirit’s movement & work.

- We know Him as the Spirit of truth b/c that’s what He teaches us.

- Objectively, the Spirit is the Spirit of truth.

- This speaks of factual truth, actual truth, that which is true in reality.

- This is the truth that is true at all times & in all places.

- Subjectively, the Spirit is the Spirit of truth.

- This is the truth of personal excellence. It’s the absence of any falsehood or deception.

- & therefore the world cannot see or know Him b/c it’s caught up in the lie of the devil.

- The world is blinded, brainwashed & baffled by the destructive, deceptive, deliberate lies of the enemy of their souls.

- & since they have fallen prey to Satan’s deception, they are spiritually dead to the things of God!

- But notice that Jesus says that it’s the Holy Spirit that…

3. Is the Means by which Jesus Indwells Believers (READ John 14:17b­18, 23-24).

- Believers know the Holy Spirit as the one who illuminated their minds & opened their hearts to receive the word of the Lord & the Lord Jesus Christ.

- The Spirit is the Illuminator, the Regenerator & the Converter of the souls of men.

- & He is an inhabitant in your heart, a resident in the temple of God that God made of you!

- Your body is the temple of God! & the Spirit of God resides in His temple! It’s you!

- Now it’s true that the Godhead is made up of 3 Persons.

- It’s also true that the Godhead is inseparable! & therefore, in all reality, you are indwelt by the Godhead through the Spirit!

- At the time Jesus spoke these words, His disciples were not indwelt w/the Spirit of God.

- Notice He said in v. 17, “He dwells WITH you & WILL BE IN you.”

- & v. 23 tells us that God the Father & God the Son will make their home in the one who loves God & shows that love in ongoing evidence of obedience.

- Not only will God & His Son come to you but they will love you & live in you!

- But that v. also says that the one who does not continue to give evidence of true Bible conversion is the one who does not keep or follow the words of Jesus.

- & just in case anyone would have an objection to that or just in case anyone wanted to argue the point, Jesus said, “These are not My words, they are God’s words. If you have any problem w/what I’ve said, then that’s between you & God the Father.”

- IOW Jesus is saying, “I don’t really think you want to argue w/Almighty God!”

- Jesus goes on to say in John 14:25-26 that the Holy Spirit…

4. Is our Teacher (READ John 14:25­26).

- IOW He told His disciples that they may not have perfect recollection of every word Jesus spoke, but they were not to worry about that b/c the Holy Spirit would bring back to their minds the very words of Christ.

- You may not remember everything you’ve ever read from the Bible, but when the time comes & when the time is right, the Holy Spirit of God recalls those very Scriptures & gives them to you as ammunition against the enemy!

- Jesus specifically says the Spirit will be our teacher.

- & that word means exactly what you think it does; to impart instruction; to instill doctrine; to explain & expound exactly what you need to know – exactly when you need to know it!

- It’s the Spirit that opens the Scriptures to your heart & mind.

- It’s the Spirit that educates you to their meaning.

- It’s the Spirit that reveals the hidden truths of God & exposes the deep treasures of the word for your good & God’s glory!

- This verse does not teach that you don’t need any human teachers!

- But it does teach that the Holy Spirit of God can, does, & will open your mind & teach your heart in ways no human teacher ever could w/things no human teacher can grasp about the word & will & ways of God for your life!

- Basically, Jesus is telling His 1st disciples that He simply didn’t have enough time to teach them all they would need to know.

- It was not that He could not teach them – He could have – but not in 3 short years!

- Living the Christian life is a marathon!

- It’s a long distance run that takes time & patience & perseverance & persistence!

- & the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit of God is right there w/us all the way!

- Jesus also taught that the main function of the Holy Spirit is that…

5. He Testifies about Jesus (READ John 15:26).

- IOW the Spirit doesn’t draw attention to Himself but to Jesus.

- The purpose of the Spirit is to exalt Jesus & magnify Him.

- You hear all kinds of stories today about churches that have experiences of all kinds.

- Many of them claim that the Holy Spirit did this or that.

[One time, a man I used to work w/told me that at their Sunday night service, a ball of blue fire shot down the aisle as the Holy Spirit moved through the sanctuary! & he said that people were walking through the doors at the back of the sanctuary while the doors were closed!]

- I don’t know about you, but I’m having a hard time understanding how that testifies about Jesus!

- I don’t want to be a part of any service like that! I want to make sure that what goes on here is pointing people to Jesus!

- But I’m afraid that what many Baptists have done, has been to shy away from the Person & work & teaching of the Holy Spirit b/c there are some who misuse & abuse the Spirit’s name & nature.

- We don’t want to be accused of being in that crowd & so we stay away from teaching about the Spirit in any depth.

- We know that there will always be those who wrongly teach about any subject matter in the Bible.

- They do so b/c they are deceived – either by self or by Satan – into teaching error.

- But here is the straight scoop on the Holy Spirit—Jesus said, He will testify of Me!

- If it doesn’t line up w/Jesus’ words; if it is not pointing people to Jesus; if it does not honor Jesus—then it is not of God!

- The Holy Spirit…

6. Is the Presence of Christ in Our World (READ John 16:5­7).

- Jesus says in vv. 5-6 that the disciples were more concerned about themselves than they were about Jesus’ departure.

- They were more concerned about how His departure would affect them than they were about where He was going.

- But Jesus tells them, it is to your advantage that I go.

- It’s better for you that I go b/c unless I go the Helper will not come.

- Now don’t get confused here. It’s not that the Holy Spirit could not come until Jesus left.

- It was that He would not be sent until Jesus left.

- IOW Jesus is saying, I’ve been here w/you all this time & when I leave, I will send another in My place. One just like Me except that you will not see Him but you will know His presence b/c He will dwell in you!

- But not only that, Jesus’ death would secure the salvation of all who would believe.

- It was to their advantage that Jesus depart in the manner ordained by God!

- But when Jesus left, He did not leave us orphans as He promised in John 14:18!

- He comes to us through the Person & work of the Holy Spirit.

- He leads us & guides us & comforts us & cares for us through the Spirit’s presence.

- & as the Holy Spirit is present in this world…

7. He Convicts the World (READ John 16:8­11).

- The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin & righteousness & judgment.

- The sin of this world is that it does not know Jesus; they have not trusted Him; they do not believe He is who He says or that He can do what He says He will do.

- The world has disregarded the Savior; shunned the only way to heaven & refused to bow before Jesus as King.

- The Jews said that Jesus was a sinner Himself; that He was a wicked man of blasphemy & that He got His power from Satan.

- & yet the Bible teaches us that Jesus fulfilled the whole law & every requirement of it.

- The Bible says that Jesus’ life & death satisfied the righteous requirements of God & that Jesus Christ was indeed righteous!

- & through His life, death & resurrection, the enemy of the souls of men stood judged & condemned!

- Therefore, the Spirit convicts or convinces men that Jesus was indeed the only righteous, acceptable substitute from sinners.

- He convinces men that what He taught is truth & must be followed.

- He convinces men of the judgment to come for all those a part from Christ.

- & therefore the Holy Spirit draws men to Christ & faith in Him!

- The Holy Spirit does that b/c He…

8. Is our Guide into All Truth & He Tells what Is to Come (READ John 16:12-13).

- There was so much more that Jesus wanted to say but could not b/c His disciples would not have understood – it was all too much for them at that moment.

- But Jesus knew the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth.

- Any truth that man ever needed to know the Holy Spirit would guide him to it.

- He is our teacher but He is not cramming truth down our throats.

- He is guiding us into truth, so that we discover it little by little, bit by bit, piece by piece.

- & not only does He show us truth & guide us into all truth, but the Holy Spirit also tells what is to come.

- Now that promise is given directly to Jesus’ 1st disciples. Yet, it does have application to us today.

- Not that we are all receiving visions of the future, but the Holy Spirit does give us insight into the ways of the world & the things in which we should act & the things in which we should have no part!

- So He does His part to guide us & He speaks only what He hears.

- IOW the Holy Spirit does not speak for Himself. Just as Jesus only spoke the words of the Father, they Spirit, in perfect harmony w/the Father & Son, being the same nature, speaks only what He hears from the Father.

- & it is the main purpose that the Holy Spirit…

9. Brings Glory to Jesus (READ John 16:14­15).

- Here again, Jesus plainly says that the Holy Spirit will glorify Him.

- The word “glorify” means “to praise, magnify, honor & clothe w/splendor.”

- IOW the Holy Spirit will always, always, always point to Jesus! He will never point to Himself.

- The Spirit is like an ambassador; He is sent w/a message to proclaim on behalf of someone else.

- His message is simple – Look to Jesus! Trust Jesus! Follow Jesus! Praise Jesus!

- Jesus said that the Spirit would take of what was His & announce it to believers.

- God the Father has given God the Son all things & God the Spirit proclaims it that men may be saved.

- The Father gave the Son & the Son sent the Spirit that all those who believe would & could be saved.

- & it was all done so that God’s Son would be eternally exalted!

Conclusion:  Jesus' departure meant the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit works to prepare the world for the message of the gospel & He works w/in us that we might live w/heavenly values in a hell-bent world. Have you been encouraged by what you’ve heard tonight? My prayer is that God would strengthen you & use each one of you mightily for His glory! & that you will rely totally upon the Holy Spirit of God as your direction & guide!

Invitation:  Has God gained your undivided attention through what you’ve heard tonight? Is He speaking to you about the destination of your eternal soul? Have you sensed the work of the Spirit in you tonight? Are you willing to come in repentance & faith & receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord & Savior? Would you do that?

          Or maybe God has been speaking to you about your tendency to worry, or to doubt, or to try to work out your problems through your own power. God wants you to trust Him w/all you have & all you are! Have you been encouraged to do that through what you’ve heard tonight? The Holy Spirit of God is in all who believe & is at work to make you more like Jesus! Are you yielding to that? Would you come & commit to be yielded?

          God is calling tonight through the encouragement of His Holy Spirit. Will you come to Him & walk w/Him & live for Him beginning tonight?

Hymn 238 Breathe on Me