John 14:16-31
Notes
Transcript
I. Introduction
I. Introduction
a. Scripture: John 14:16-31
a. Scripture: John 14:16-31
And as always, I’m going to ask you to stand with me, if you are able, as we read from God’s Holy, Perfect, Sufficient and inerrant Word.
<Pray>
Thank you, and you may be seated.
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
“After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.
“In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.
“He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.
“These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you.
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
“You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
“Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.
“I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me;
but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.
II. Contextualization
II. Contextualization
a. Feast of the Passover - In the upper room with the Disciples
b. He is there for the Last Supper with them - Just washed their feet
c. He has just predicted His betrayal...”Lord is it I???” All confused - Identified the betrayer with dipped morsel of bread…and it was Judas… - really this was a final a warning to Judas…Jesus washed His feet, shared the Word with Him and warned Him…Judas had time to change his mind...Gives the betrayer permission: - “what you do, do quickly”
d. Jesus sensed that His disciples were troubled and wanted to encourage them…
NASB95“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
Let’s them know that He is where there hope is found…and that HE is the only way.
e. Jesus is still there in the upper room…reclining and relaxing w/disciples…will spend a great deal of time there with them over the next couple of chapters, in order to teach them....this is a special time....it is their very last meal together in this life....and that’s where we left off last time.
III. Major Points
III. Major Points
1. The Holy Spirit is Forever
2. God Doesn’t Abandon His Children
3. Obedience is Love
IV. Point #1: The Holy Spirit is Forever
IV. Point #1: The Holy Spirit is Forever
John 14:16-17
Explanation
a. Holy Spirit most neglected of the Trinity…John talks about Him a lot…spends several passages on the nature/role of the HS and the HS in the church and the believer.
b. In verse 16, Jesus says He will send another “paraclete” - intercessor, counselor, helper
c. He uses the word “another” - presence of Jesus is gone, so another part of God is here to live and work within us in the same way Jesus worked in and outward way to the Disciples…v. 17: “He abides with you and will be within you.”
d. Calls the HS the Spirit of Truth - Just as Jesus IS the very essence of Truth (the way, the TRUTH, and the life) - so will the HS be and will lead believers to a knowing and understanding of truth
e. The HS will be wit us forever....never leaves us
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
Illustration
God really is forever and the HS resides within us and is that close to is…and in being so eternal...He is also bigger than we could ever imagine....
In a scene from C. S. Lewis’ spiritual allegory, The Chronicles of Narnia, a young girl named Lucy is sent on a great mission by the Christ figure, Aslan, the lion. As she travels by night, she notices the great beast sitting on a hill, illumined by a full moon. Excitedly, Lucy runs to him and throws herself into his soft, silky mane. Aslan rolls over, and Lucy finds herself laying between his paws, looking up into his large face.
“Aslan, you’re bigger,” says Lucy.
The majestic creature answers, “That is because you are older, little one.”
Lucy, confused by this remark, asks, “Not because you are?”
Aslan assures her, “I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”
Application
With a flare for writing only C.S. Lewis could’ve had, he was suggesting that as we mature in our faith, the object of our devotion appears to grow along with us. This happens not because Christ has changed, but because our consciousness of Him has expanded. Dr. R. Kent Hughes writes, “Expanding souls encounter an expanding Christ.” So for those of you who are fans of Lewis like me, Aslan only appeared to be bigger to Lucy. The real change had taken place within her.
Church: it is also like this with every devoted follower of Christ. Just like Lucy, we all live with a disparity between the way we see God and the way He really is. But if we commit ourselves to Him, this gap begins to narrow over time as we practice the appropriate devotion. The more we learn of God on this journey, the bigger He becomes to us.
"Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and FOREVER! Amen" ().
Church: Jesus promised to the disciples here and as well to every believer that the Holy Spirit is forever and serves as the guide and counselor that Jesus Christ would if He were standing right here physically with us....but the HS is within our hearts and souls....what a wonderful thought that I have God right here within my soul, amen?
He is ALWAYS there church…and He will be there for all eternity.
V. Point #2: God Doesn’t Abandon His Children
V. Point #2: God Doesn’t Abandon His Children
John 14:18-21
Explanation
a. Jesus states that His “leaving” is not permanent....He meant several things
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
i. His Resurrection
ii. The coming of the HS at Pentecost (Acts Ch. 2)
iii. The Rapture of the Church
iv. His Second Coming at the beginning of the Millennial Age
b. There will not be a permanent separation. He will not leave us Fatherless....or as an orphan....Grk. orphanos, which obviously translates to orphan (lit. Fatherless....but we would take to mean parentless)....The KJV translates to mean “comfortless,” which really doesn’t make much sense if you think about it....and loses some of the significance.
c. v. 19 “because I live, you shall live also”…Jesus’ resurrection leads to YOUR salvation....in that sense you will not be abandoned....in v. 21: there will be no DOUBT about who He is: He is part of the Father, as the Father is with Him…and through the HS He is in the believer as well....His resurrection is the proof....the crux of our faith....much emphasis on the cross....but without the empty tomb we have nothing.
d. v. 21 Real love involves obedience....To “keep” Jesus’ commandments means to “implement them in your daily life.” Following Jesus shows Him your love…Jesus will “make manifest” himself to the Disciples at the Resurrection and they will know for sure at Pentecost.
f. So throughout all of the depressing things the Disciples will have to see shortly....they will NOT be abandoned....God never abandons His children.
Illustration
One of the greatest apologists in the world today is an Indian man by the name of Dr. Ravi Zacharias. By apologist, I mean that he defends Christianity....he offers “an apology”…a reason for his faith ...
but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
When Ravi was a teenager he dealt with a crisis of His faith…and of life....and he took a bottle of pills and tried to commit suicide. His mother, who was a Christian opened a Bible that some one had brought him and read to Him…and the part that struck him was where Jesus said “because I live, ye shall live also.” And laying there dying on a bed of suicide as a teenager, he made a deal with God....He prayed “God if you are real…if this verse is true....if you will spare my life, I promise to follow you and devote the rest of my life to seeking truth.” And that is exactly what he has done....as he is now in his 70s and has helped millions around the world who have struggled with their faith and led many millions more to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Application
Church: God never abandons His children....never. Here was the story of a kid....a teenager who thought his entire life had no meaning. He lacked truth....so he lacked meaning....and finding that truth that because Jesus lives....because He is Resurrected, HE could live too for all eternity…that He could find meaning.
Church: That is the hope that Jesus Christ offers us. That is the promise He made to His disciples 2000 years ago and it still stands today....His Resurrection means we can have life if we believe in Him and follow Him and are obedient to Him.
Bill Gaither wrote in a timeless song we’ve sung many times here “Because He Lives I can face tomorrow! Because He lives, all fear is gone!”.....It is true church, because HE lives, WE may truly live for eternity with Him....He has gone on ahead of us, but when the day of Pentecost came and 3,000 people got saved, the Holy Spirit came to the church and every believer, including you and me....we are NEVER alone, amen?
VI. Point #3: Obedience is Love
VI. Point #3: Obedience is Love
Explanation
a. Jesus is closing and another Judas, not the traitor…the son of James, who is probably also known as Thaddeus, asks Him v. 22 “how can you show yourself to us and not everyone else?”…This Judas can’t understand why Jesus would keep any manifestation of Himself a secret....as Messiah or anything else...
b. v. 23 Jesus answers in a familiar way: if you LOVE Him, you know Him....and He is in you…and you will truly see the truth…He is speaking of the HS when He says God will live in an obedient person. v. 24, on the other hand, those who are not obedient do NOT love Him and will not have the HS to give them special insight into the Lord....that’s why the world doesn’t understand!
b. v. 25-26…before, Jesus calls the HS the Spirit of Truth....now He says “HOLY Spirit”....holiness is the dominant characteristic of the HS. Primary function is to guide us and help us to be holiness....bringing to our remembrance the teachings of Christ....when you remember something, it is something you once knew....if you don’t know your Bible, there isn’t much for the HS to work with is there?
c. v27: Jesus leaves peace and again says “let not your heart be troubled.” …the normal Hebrew word is “shalom” peace - absence of hostility....Jesus uses the Grk. eirene....it is MORE than an absence of hostility, it is a peace that can ONLY come from God....but He tells them in vs. 28-29 that to have this peace, they must believe....and in 30, that the prince of the world (Satan) is coming....so its tim to get moving…and now they will finally leave that place.
The key to all of this beyond belief though....is obedience…not my words....His.
Illustration
"A young man was appointed president of a bank. Intimidated by his new responsibilities, he nervously sought the advice of his gray-haired predecessor: "Sir, what has been the secret of your success?"
"The secret, young man, is two words: right decisions!" replied the older man.
"But how do you make right decisions?"
"One word: experience."
"But how do you get experience?"
The old man smiled. "Two words: wrong decisions."
Application
Dueteronomy 5:33 says: "Walk in OBEDIENCE to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess"
Church: There is another way to make right decisions, and it's far less painful. That way is simple OBEDIENCE to the will of God. When we obey God's expressed, our decisions lineup with the eternal wisdom of God Himself. This allows us to avoid having to learn life's lessons the hard way.
Jesus says over and over again that the key to LOVING Him…is showing it....it’s being obedient to His commandments.....if treating others with love and respect....being honest....meeting our obligations…being honest in business and relationships....but it’s more than all of that: It’s telling others about the Gospel....it’s serving Him at church. It’s serving your fellow man....
OBEY Him....if you love Him.
VII. Conclusion
VII. Conclusion
a. Let me ask you this morning, are you following the Jesus who said these things? The Jesus who sent us the HS…who indwells us forever to help lead and guide us? The God Doesn’t Abandon His Children? You have to BE one of His children before that is so....it won’t happen if you aren’t saved. Are you showing Jesus that Obedience....because obedience is Love. Are you following that Jesus?
2. God Doesn’t Abandon His Children
3. Obedience is Love
b. Let’s Pray