John 16:5-15
Intro: Remember when life was complicated? And then, technology fixed it.
You see, life used to be complex. You used to have to rise from your seat, walk to a television, and turn the channels. Sometimes, you even had to adjust the antenna. Now, you have one of these: universal remote. It controls everything ¡V your video monitor, surround sound, cable, tivo, satellite, dvd, blue ray, CD player, and microwave! You do have one, don't you?
Problem is, not everyone is exactly sure about how to use all of its features. Or is that just me? This really began with VCRs, with that annoying blinking 12:00 that 85% of Americans were unable to stop. From there, it just grew. Now, you have your choice of either a universal remote, or trying to figure out which remote it is that you're supposed to be using!
It's funny how you could survey about something so common, and find that most people didn't really know how to use it. I'm betting that, this morning, if we were to survey around most Christians would have a pretty thick fog when it comes to what, exactly, the HS does. He's something all Christians have in common. He’s a pretty familiar topic in the Bible, but most folks just don't understand Him. We know He’s there. We’re just about 85% not sure why He’s there.
"Led by the Spirit" is a Bible term. But what does it mean to be "led by the Spirit"? We’d probably get a lot of different answers if we were to take that question around the room.
So, I want us to look at part of the Gospel of John this morning - ch 16. It’s some of the last teaching Jesus did with His disciples just before He was crucified. Right in the middle of it are these words about the Holy Spirit. Now, we have an advantage today, because we have that Spirit. He was a new concept to the disciples as they listened about Him for the first time. Still we manage to have developed a lot of misconceptions about the Spirit today. This passage we’re looking at touches on some of those:
1. We have to "pray Him down." v7 - He’s sent, not coaxed! Jesus sent Him. That’s His promise. We don’t get the benefit of the Holy Spirit by getting ourselves worked up into a frenzy and convincing Him to do something among us!
2. He replaces Jesus or His work. v7 again. The HS isn’t "the part of the trinity for today." He’s part of the work that Jesus is continuing in the world. When the Spirit does something, it’s also the work of Jesus. In fact, there’s a place in Acts 16 where the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus are used interchangeably.
3. He mysteriously reveals truth today. v13 If He guided the Apostles into all truth, and guided all the other writers of the Bible the same way, how can there be any more truth to add to that? We need to be very careful when we start saying that the Spirit tells us things. Does He, really?
Once in a while, it’s good to just take a passage of Scripture that teaches us about some important truths we need to know and step back and soak it in.
Chapter 14 speaks about Who He is and the work He does inside of Christians. In Ch 16, we look at the work He does not just in us, but in the world as well. So, what we have here is a great opportunity to better understand the HS and the role He has in our world today - it’s a chance to put away some misconceptions and to get closer to understanding Who He is and what He does.
Understand...
I. He Comes to Continue the Work of Jesus
Imagine being the disciples that evening: You’ve known Jesus for some 3 years. You left everything behind to follow Him and learn from Him. Now He’s talking about leaving, and the thought of Him going away is sad -- not because you care about where He’s going, but because you care about Him leaving you. Your teacher and mentor is going to be leaving, it seems. So Jesus wants His followers to understand...
(A. For your good) This chapter in God’s plan is for their good
It’s easy, isn’t it, for us to say, "If only Jesus were here to see and touch and hear."
Ill - One Christmas at Pape, MO we had the kids gather around a birthday cake to sing
"Happy Birthday" to Jesus. April, age 4, said, "It’s hard to sing Happy Birthday to Jesus when you can’t see Him." April was just being honest and saying out loud what some people think but are afraid to say. Why? Because there are times when we can excuse our devotion by saying that Jesus isn’t here like He was then.
Question: What’s even better than having Jesus right here physically living with us?
John 16:7
But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
Having the HS come and live inside is better than having Jesus right here physically with us! Jesus had a greater work to do than just travel around for another 3 yrs. He’s the One Who said, "It’s better for you that I go."
When the HS came, He could be personally with each one of the disciples. Up till now, that couldn’t be. Jesus singled out 3 of them, and occasionally spoke to them one-on-one, but He was never the personal trainer that each of them would have in the HS.
Until now, there were lots of things they didn’t understand, couldn’t understand (v12). But later, with Jesus finishing His earthly ministry, the HS would come and give them supernatural understanding. We'll look at that in a little bit.
These things were for their good. It was better than Jesus staying with them.
Asked which would be better this morning, to have the HS or to have Jesus physically living here, most of us would say, "Well to have Jesus right here, of course!" Funny, that’s not what Jesus said.
B. To Glorify Jesus
Have you noticed we’re not Central HS Church?! That’s not by accident. We may not fully understand how the Father, Son, and HS are 3 yet one, but we can at least recognize that Jesus is the head of the Church and the focus of her activity.
Colossians 1:18
And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
Anything that gets away from that gets away from the reason that the Spirit is here. The ministry of Jesus brought Him glory, so it makes sense that the work of the HS would continue to bring Jesus glory.
He’s not Jesus’ replacement. He’s the way we have Jesus now. The HS comes to carry on the work of Jesus.
II. He Comes to Convict the World
John 16:8 (HCSB)
When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment:
The HS not only works inside the believer, but His work will also be in the world.
The word for "convict" is a legal term - it’s the pronouncement of a verdict, or the proof that leads up to it; the thing that proves a person’s guilt. In other words, the HS is the prosecuting attorney Who presents God’s case against humanity’s sin -- an inescapable case so that sin can’t just be brushed off or evaded.
John 16:9 (HCSB)
about sin, because they do not believe in Me;
He comes to convict the world about sin. The world rejected Jesus while He was present, but later, through the written word, the HS would expose the guilt of man.
John 16:10 (HCSB)
about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me;
He comes to convict the world about righteousness. From now on, the world would see righteous living in God’s people, not just in Jesus. The HS helps God’s people to be righteous people, and that life is convicting in an unrighteous world. Have you ever noticed that?
John 16:11 (HCSB)
and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
He comes to convict the world about judgment. When the world understands that Satan is judged, and that He’s eternally separated from God, that will be convicting. When the world believes that the same separation exists between Jesus and every human who chooses to continue in their unbelief, it will be convicted. The HS is like a flashlight. Through the word He inspired, He shines a light on our dilemma and exposes our need for a Savior.
He’s a convict-or.
Wait a minute! I thought that the HS was the Comforter and Helper! This sounds more like someone Who makes you uncomfortable!
Isn’t God mean for this? Isn’t it terrible that He says folks are bad, when they’re really not that bad?! After all, listen to the words the Bible uses to describe the person who hasn’t yet accepted Jesus: creatures appointed for wrath; not a people; children of the devil; God’s enemies; ungodly; slaves to sin; do not know God; separate from Christ, foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.; far away; alienated from God; dead in your sins; dead in transgressions and sins. Why must there be so much negative talk? Isn’t that kind of cold and unloving?
No, because if people aren’t convicted that’s where they are, they won’t change from that. So, we shouldn’t hesitate from doing the same when it’s with the same goal in mind: to turn people to Jesus!
Ill - What if a doctor knows that someone has some terrible, life-destroying disease, and it’s treatable. Should he tell the patient? I mean, it’s probably going to ruin his day! It’s liable to make him real upset. He might even panic at first, until the doctor tells him about the cure that he has for it. Why ruin an otherwise OK day?
People need the Lord! And people need to see that they need the Lord. You don’t have to berate them with what a terrible reprobate they are! You don’t have to get in their face and yell it. For someone to be convicted simply takes:
1. Being convinced there's a standard between right and wrong
2. Being convinced there's a divine Person Who set the standard.
When we preach and teach that Jesus is the Son of God, it's no small matter! Because when people are convicted that Jesus is God in the flesh they know of His right to be the Divine Standard, and they know that they haven’t lived up to it - neither have we.
The HS comes to convict the world. - and us!
III. He Comes to Lead Into Truth
Sometimes significant words are spoken and we don’t realize at the time just how important they were.
Ill - Perhaps the most famous speech in the English language contains a line that says, "The world will little note nor long remember what we say here..."! It wasn’t until some time later that Pres. Lincoln’s address at Gettysburg became appreciated. John 16:13 is like that.
John 16:13 (HCSB)
When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.
Realize just how significant this is! All truth! The "Helper" is also the Spirit of truth, and He would lead these men into all truth!
I know there are plenty of people who have something to say. I know there are plenty of things that have been written for us to read. Don’t make any mistake about it. The Bible claims to be enough for us. We don’t have to have someone’s commentary, a supplementary book written by an angel, or some new word from God. Jesus already made a way for us to have what we need:
2 Peter 1:3
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Jude 1:3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. The Bible claims to be enough.
When God’s Holy Spirit takes 11 men and guides them into all truth, the outcome is everything those men wrote and taught. They were given the supernatural ability to give us all truth. That means there’s no new HS truth being revealed today! That means:
quote - P.T. Butler - "The only divine criteria by which judgment between true and false doctrine may be made is the final and complete revelation of Christ made in the written documents of the Apostles, inspired by the HS, which we know as the NT."
Where a word from God is concerned: "If it’s true, it’s not new. If it’s new, it’s not true," because the HS has already led the writers of this book into all truth.
OK. That's just a snapshot of the Holy Spirit. It's hardly a full biography! What can we do with it? Let’s take these verses now, and what they mean, and let’s see how we can do something about them:
Application:
1. Welcome the Bible’s full authority into our lives
We’re all at different levels of spiritual maturity. We’re all growing up at different rates. So, for all of my life in the Church there have always been some who had a loose attitude toward certain features of the Bible. "I know what it says, but..." "Well I feel like..." "Well, I think..." Yeahbuts.
We dishonor the Lord Jesus and we dishonor the HS Who inspired the Word when we refuse to accept what it says. Jesus said in Jn 17 "Your word is truth." How can we regard it as anything less? How can we say to Jesus, "I love You and believe in You," then turn and say that something He meant to say isn’t true.
We need to take the Bible as our authority, when that’s easy to do, and when it’s not.
The next time you’re around someone who’s discussing spiritual matters, listen for this in yourself and the people around you. Do you say, "I think.." "I feel..." or are you letting God’s word serve as your authority?
Ill - My dad used to tease my mom, who was always referring to what "they say." Dad said Mom had a hotline to the "theys." In other words, Dad would have liked to have heard some more authoritative sources cited for information.
Who are we? Why should we consider ourselves a more respectable or authoritative source than God's word?
Hebrews 4:12-13
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
2. Honor Jesus and continue His work
That’s what the HS is there to do. Everything He does is an extension, another way to continue the work of Jesus until He returns. That work is the same work we’re involved in here, "to bring every person to completion in Christ." If we want to honor Jesus, we’ll continue what He started. The HS is doing just that. With His help, so should we.
3. Stop resisting His conviction!
We shouldn’t fear embracing conviction that comes from the HS. It’s a scary thing because it usually means change. But we need to stop shunning it. If you read something in the Scriptures that you find troubling, don’t just try to blank it out of your mind.
Ill - BYKOTA class in Hillsboro was doing some study and they reached a difficult discovery: The idea that God actually hates people is a hard pill to swallow, yet there are at least 12 different passages of Scripture that apply that very attribute to God.
Now, rather than trying to explain it away or try to ignore it, what should we do? What should be the outcome of such a discovery? Why not let it convict us that there are people very close to us who are on a collision course with the wrath of God? Why not let that truth convict us that we need to get out of our easy chairs and into the lives of our friends and family who need Jesus?
The practical outcome of conviction that comes from God is action - holy action.
Ill - How many of you would like to get in the ring and go a few rounds with Mike Tyson? I’m afraid I’d probably take a dive early on! He’s a big man! But do you realize when we stand convicted and then refuse to act, we’re fighting with the HS -- and He’s a lot bigger than Mike Tyson!
Today, if you feel the tug of the HS at your heart, it’s not a bad thing. The fears that are tugging at your heart and telling you to put off Jesus again are from the Evil one, not God. Don’t resist the HS. You’ve heard from the Word that He inspired today. You feel a push to do something about it. That’s called conviction, and if that’s what you’re experiencing, that’s a direct work of God happening in your life right now! Don’t resist it.
Conclusion:
The Spirit is doing His work all over the world today. Everywhere the word is being read and taught,
the HS is continuing the work of Jesus, convicting hearts, revealing truth.
Wouldn’t it be great to have Him in an even deeper and more personal way today? There’s something better than Jesus standing here and speaking to you, and that’s having His Spirit actually taking up residence in you. That promise is for everyone who will accept Him.
