Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Opening Illustration - New York City uses 11, 000 Megawatt-hours of electricity on average each day.

One megawatt represents the amount needed to power 100 homes!

New York City uses 11, 000 Megawatt-hours of electricity on average each day.

One megawatt represents the amount needed to power 100 homes!

(1 Megawatt = 1,000 KiloWatt = 1,000,000 Watts) So New York uses 11 Billion Watt-hours per day!

That’s a lot of POWER!

And I doubt Benjamin Franklin’s would have even have dreamed that his desire to understand electricity would have ever led to our utter dependance on it today!

Like Franklin, the disciples couldn’t have possibly understood the power of God that would soon be at their disposal.

A power so great that it would turn their world upside down.

The small band of disciples, this timid, fearful group of followers of Jesus would soon be bold as lions.

Like Benjamin Franklin’s lack of understanding of the power of Electricity (I doubt he would have scarcely comprehended what his country one day would be critically dependent on electricity) So, the disciples couldn’t have possibly understood the power of God that would soon be at their disposal.

That power would turn the world upside down.

The small band of disciples, this timid, fearful group of followers of Jesus would soon be bold as lions.

Main Idea - Do you Realize what God Gives You?

I have a question for you this morning, how would you categorize the church today?

Your life today?

Is it like the disciples, hours before Jesus’ death?? Fearful and timid?

or like the disciples we see in the book of Acts?

Bold and fearless for Jesus and His gospel?

I’m afraid that all too often the church and we as individuals are more like the pre-resurrection disciples than the post.

I can certainly say that of myself at times.

So, what gives?

Why the difference in the disciples?

How can they be so timid and then, within months be fierce and fearless for Jesus?

I believer there are two reasons.

One of which is our focus this morning.

First, the Resurrection of Jesus...

Second, the full-blown ministry of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the Disciples...

Remember, Jesus’ departure from His disciples is imminent, it is within hours and He is working hard to prepare and encourage them.

He takes the time to let them know that although He is leaving them, He is not leaving them alone.

He is leaving His Spirit with them and they will be shocked at all the POWER they will have coursing through their lives as a result of His presence!

They will no longer live by the flesh, but rather by the Holy Spirit of God Himself.

This is the amazing promise for all believers since Pentecost!

Listen to Paul...

Now, You, if you are a believer in Christ.

If you are His follower, you have His Spirit dwelling in you as well.

And it stands to reason that you and I, as modern day Christians should be just as bold, fierce and fearless as the first century disciples.

But sometimes we need a little encouragement to get there in our thinking.

So, this is what we are going to spend our time on today!

I want to remind you by way of God’s Holy Scriptures that you Have God dwelling in you and that should mean something profound to you!

Main Idea - Do you Realize what God Gives You?

I mean think about this! God has not left you.

Jesus has promised to be with His disciples even to the end of the age!

There is so much the Bible has to say about God’s Spirit - please take the time to study this important subject for yourself.

In fact, why don’t you prayerfully pick someone to study this subject with?

You will be amazed!

But for now, allow me to take you though this text and see what Jesus, Himself has to say about the ministry of His Holy Spirit.

Things that He thought His disciples would need to know as they faced His imminent departure.

Three things that God gives you in the Holy Spirit...

1. God Gives You a Holy Helper (vs.

4-7)

That’s right!

You are not on your own...

God Gave You a Helper (vs.

4-7)

Just as a way of reminder from the last sermon on the prior passage so we can get a little context lets quickly review verses 1-4...

Verse 1 - “To be forewarned is to be forearmed.”

And this is exactly what Jesus is doing for His disciples.

He didn’t want them to be blindsided when real and painful persecution began to crush in on them!

He loved them and wanted to protect them.

But I want you to notice something, He didn’t remove them from the immense challenge.

Just how immense would their challenge be?

Verse 2 - They would be put out of the synagogues!

They would be persecuted and killed by those who believed they were serving God!

Illustrate -

They would be killed by those who believed they were serving God!

Verse 3 - Why would they do this horrific things?

Because they were ignorant of the true God!

The true Father and Son! (Saul before He became Paul) This means there is hope!

There was hope back then for guys like Saul/Paul, and there is hope for people today!

This means there is hope!

There was hope back then for guys like Saul/Paul, and there is hope for people today!

Verse 4 - Who is “their” of “their hour”?

Their hour refers to the hour of those who are doing the persecuting.

For example, Jesus, at this time is about to face the wrath of the Jewish and Roman leadership.

In this period of time, it appears as if they (and Satan) have the upper hand.

When Christ hangs on the cross and dies, it appears as if the enemies of God have won!

“Their hour” has come.

This is what Jesus means.

Jesus is telling his disciples that they will have “their hour” as well.

They WILL face persecution, they will endure the wrath of a world system, influenced by Satan that will punch them hard and repeatedly without warning simply because of their affiliation with Jesus.

While it is true that there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved, it is just as true that there is no other name under heaven by which His disciples will receive persecution.

In essence, Jesus didn’t focus on this reality during His ministry, but now He is giving them His word that they will be persecuted for His name sake.

His promise of persecution did come true for the disciples.

They did receive abuse for their faith in Christ.

Abuse and even death as we already discussed.

Read “Foxes Book of Martyrs for a more detailed account...

Jesus gave them His word that they would suffer for His name and it happened, it came true.

Jesus doesn’t lie.

If He says it will happen, it will happen!

But look at the last half of verse 4...

In other words, He didn’t need to focus on their impending suffering because He was there to protect him, guide them and help them.

But His presence was soon coming to an end.

He would leave them to the harsh realities of what it means to be a Christ follower.

But wait?

Didn’t they ask Him?

Peter did!

Peter asked where He is going in...

Thomas too! Thomas asked Jesus where He is going in...

So why did Jesus say, “none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’”

The only conclusion that we can reach is, no one IN THAT MOMENT is asking this question.