Introduction

·        Our family attended the Truth & Life Conference last week – many praying for us; also realized I’m getting old! 5th & 6th grader Sunday School students are now freshmen in college!

·        Even in my lifetime, I have seen huge changes in technology: Smith-Corono typewriter with manual carriage and keys would jam; correction tape > automatic return; button to correct > computers > laptops > iPhones.

·        It’s hard to imagine life without computers. These inventions have become woven into the very fabric of our lives, and we take them for granted every day. We forget that this technology only began in the last few decades. Young people today have never lived without computers.

·        There’s another gift we take for granted all the time. It’s the gift of the Holy Spirit. It’s hard to imagine a time when He did not indwell His people, but for much of human history, He did not.

·        The least known Person of the Trinity

·        In fact, the Apostle’s creed, one of the early statements of Christian faith, while containing 10 statements about Jesus Christ, contains only two brief mentions of the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost).

·        Up until now, scarcely mentioned, but chs 14-16 open up understanding of HS.

Another Helper

·        Rd. v. 16

·        Predicted in OT

Ezekiel 36:26-27 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

·        Predicted in John:

John 1:33 “I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’

John 7:37-39 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ ” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified./

·        Now, it is about to happen!

·        Jesus asks – requests, as an equal

·        Helper – parakletos – to call alongside; Advocate, supporter, helper. Refers to HS (v. 26)

·        Another – of the same kind as Jesus

·        Forever – this Helper will never leave

·        He will give – when does this happen? First at Pentecost, then at moment of faith.

Ephesians 1:13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

·        THREE WAYS THE SPIRIT IS OUR HELPER:

Without the Spirit, we wouldn’t have truth (17)

·        Rd. v. 17

·        Spirit of truth – cf. chs. 15 & 16; He communicates the truth, confirms the truth

·        No Spirit, no Bible. No Bible, no truth. Not a single word has been written apart from the Holy Spirit.

·        World does not see; *Suppose you were blind

Without the Spirit, we would be all alone (18-20)

·        Rd. vv. 18-20

·        Imagine life as an orphan

·        First, Jesus resurrection; also Spirit’s coming

·        Deeper knowledge of God

·        Deeper relationship with Jesus

·        >>Truth, presence of Christ, and…

Without the Spirit, we couldn’t obey Christ (21-24)

·        Rd. vv. 21; cf. v. 15

·        Which comes first, our love for God, or His love for us? His love is not conditioned upon our love

·        Connection between love and obedience

·        Judas = Thaddaues. Rd. vv. 22-24

·        Abode (v. 23) – other translations: “make our home with him.” Contrast visiting someone vs. living with them. Through the Spirit, God actually indwells His people.

·        John Piper, when dedicating their new church sanctuary in 1991, preached from this passage, saying: “If repetition is one way of stressing importance, then this is a very important point to Jesus. The test of authentic love to Jesus is whether you keep his commandments or his word. That sends a clear message to us about the authenticity of worship. If worship is the release of love to Jesus in song and prayer and music and meditation, then the authenticity of worship is whether the worshipers keep the commandments of Jesus. What happens in this room cannot be separated from what happens outside during the week. God sees them both together and he judges the reality of what happens here by what he sees out there.”

Conclusion

·        Promise of life (v. 19)

·        Be thankful for gift of the Spirit; live by the Spirit; obedience.