The abiding presence of the triune God is our Peace
Jn 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Illustration
Parked on the side of the road, waiting to catch speeding drivers, a state trooper sees a car puttering along at 22 mph. Thinking the driver is as dangerous as a speeder, the state trooper turns on his lights and pulls the car over.
As he approaches the vehicle, the officer notices there are five elderly ladies inside—two in the front seat and three in the back—wide-eyed and white as ghosts.
The driver, obviously confused, says, "Officer, I don’t understand. I was going the exact speed limit. What seems to be the problem?"
The trooper, trying to contain a chuckle, explained to her that 22 was the route number—not the speed limit.
A bit embarrassed, the woman grins and thanks the officer for pointing out her error.
"Before you go," the officer says, "I have to ask: Is everyone in this car okay? These women seem awfully shaken."
"Oh," she answered, "they’ll be all right, sir. We just got off of Route 127."
In your life are you awfully shaken? No Peace?
Listen to what Jesus said to all his followers in John 14: 27:
Jn 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
How does this peace come?
John 14: 15-31 speaks about a wonderful experience that a Christian will have which brings that Peace:
Jn 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever
Then in vs. 23:
“If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
So who actually lives within you? Father, Son & Holy Spirit
With the birth death resurrection & ascension of Jesus a wonderful experience has come to stay with the Christian believer – The triune God lives in us
Lets understand it this way
Presence of God in the experience of the Old Testament
Moses wanted a theophany - the revelation of divine glory and God granted it:
“Ex 33:18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
Ex 33:19 And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Ex 33:20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
Ex 33:21 Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.
Ex 33:22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.
Ex 33:23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”
But it was only a passing visitation – not a permanent abiding presence
With the coming of the Holy Spirit as a fulfillment of the promise of Jesus - there came in a new experience for the believer
Jn 14:23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
1. This is a “for ever experience” - we will come to him and make our home with him. Not a temporal – Passing presence – the triune God makes our lives be his permanent abode
2. God in his full deity lives in us – all three persons
Jn 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— Holy Spirit the 3rd person of the Trinity
Jn 14:23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. – Father & Son – 1st & 2nd person of the Trinity
3. 2 conditions to be met in our lives for this experience:
Jn 14:23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.”
1)“If anyone loves me” – refers to a living relationship – our experience of God is a relationship – not a help seeking / answer machine
2) “he will obey my teaching” – what is so important about his teachings
Jn 14:24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
The words of Jesus – which are now recorded in the Scriptures – are from God – the first person of the trinity. God initiated them – and he spoke them through Jesus – the second person of the trinity.
With the coming of the Holy Spirit another wonderful thing has happened
Jn 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
The words of Jesus which came from God the father continue to come up on us now through the Holy Spirit. The spirit continues to inspire, challenge, convince us & change our lives through the words of Jesus which came from God. Such words have become the living word
4. Then there will be the permanent abode of God in us in his full deity as Father, Son & Holy Spirit . This is our peace which does not allow us to be troubled or afraid.
