John 14: 8 - 17 – Spirit of Truth
Intro: When people discover you are an only child, they immediately think you were spoiled as a child. I, of course, was very different. I was not spoiled; . . . I was just smart. Every year at this time when I was a child, I would start dropping little hints about what I wanted for my for my birthday. I would often say to my parents, “If you really loved me, you would get me . . . “ You see, I knew that if my parents didn’t get me what I wanted, I could always go to my Aunt Wilma or my Aunt Nellie and use the same line and usually, I would get what I wanted.
I. Both of John’s parents worked high-paying jobs. They saw that John had the best of everything: the best clothes, the best toys, the best schools. Yet, John would spend the rest of his life in prison for murdering a friend after a fight over a woman.
A. Vs. 15 – “If you love me, keep my commandments.” These words of Jesus surely cut Philip to the core. Of course he loved Jesus! How could Jesus even doubt this?
B. Love is hard for some to give or receive. It means sharing a bit of yourself. REAL LOVE is shown through OBEDIENCE.
C. Christ Jesus by his complete obedience to God showed love of God. He held nothing back and was willing to die to fulfill God’s plan for humanity.
II. Jesus knew obedient love would be difficult for humanity and therefore promised to not leave us alone.
A. VS. 16 – “I will ask my Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever
B. The word for counselor in Greek is PARAKLETOS – “someone called in / a character witness / an expert / an advisor.
C. You and I are to be the PARAKLETOS for others – WHY? To show our love of Christ by our obedience.
III. The Latin word used here for COUNSELOR / COMFORTER is FORTIS which means brave; someone who enables a dispirited creature to be brave.
A. The COMFORTER or Holy Spirit the parakletos, the fortis– is present for us enabling us to be brave, to stand firm in our faith and to be obedient as Christ Jesus was obedient.
B. This is not just someone to take away the hurt. --- it is someone to share the pain with you, to help you carry the burden and give you the ability to cope in strength.
C. VS. 17 – The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” People do not “know” because they live as if there is no God, leaving God out of life until things go wrong.
Conclu: “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” We have the commands of Christ and must choose to obey them. When we obey those commands and follow where the Spirit leads, we will find strength, courage and comfort. We must step out in faith and God will provide the way.
When others see you and I obediently following where the Spirit leads, they will find strength, they will find comfort!
The truth found in living in the Spirit is this: If you risk nothing, you gain nothing.
