Alliance Church
Pastor David Welch
“Another Encourager”
Part Three – John 14, 16
REVIEW
I. The public ministry and teaching of Jesus 2-112
II. The Private teaching and ministry of Jesus 13-17
A. Forgive as I forgive
B. Love as I love
C. Hold on to the truths that encourage the troubled soul 14:1-31
1. Stop fretting and continue trusting the plan of the Father and the Son
2. Realize a future reality exists beyond this life
a) Jesus had to leave in order to prepare a place for us
b) Jesus will physically return and gather those who trust Him
3. Trust in Jesus alone for ultimate access to heaven and intimate relationship with the Father and the Son.
4. Realize that genuine disciples will accomplish the great works of Jesus and greater because Jesus ascended to the Father.
5. Demonstrate your love for God by obedience
This is not a command but a statement of fact. Love motivates us to serve the one we love.
It is automatic. If we love someone, we naturally want to please him or her. The word used here to “keep” means:
“to keep in view,” “to note,” “to watch over”; it takes on such nuances as “to rule,” “to observe,” “to ward off,” “to guard,” “to keep,” and in a transferred sense “to see to” “to apply oneself to,” “to defend oneself.”
As our love for Jesus grows our desire to please Him grows.
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God (love for God), that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:2-3
Jesus reprimanded the Ephesian church for having allowed their love to grow cold demonstrated by neglecting the deeds of love. You have left your first love.
How did he know? They had great doctrine and Theology. They were careful to avoid heresy in the church. They stopped doing the deeds associated with a “first love.” The early church DEVOTED themselves to the apostles teaching which was essentially Jesus’ teaching, genuine fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer. These are the things that demonstrate the church’s love for Jesus. Jesus calls the church to repent for their failure to maintain a first love fervor for Him.
6. Respond to the Holy Spirit promised to those who love Him. 16-26
Up to this point, John has included only a few glimpses of the Holy Spirit’s ministry. The first saw him at Jesus’ baptism resting upon Jesus and providing power for ministry.
Then in chapter three John mentions the Spirit as the necessary agent of New Birth.
John affirms the Spirit as the source of all life in chapter 6.
In chapter seven, John identifies the coming Holy Spirit as the source of the ever-flowing rivers of refreshment flowing out of genuine believers.
But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:39
Here and in chapter sixteen Jesus introduces the Holy Spirit as the source of strength and ability to carry on without His physical presence.
There are a number of characteristics concerning the Holy Spirit that attract our attention.
• The Holy Spirit came at Jesus’ request
“And I will ask the Father…” vs 16
"But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?' "But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. John 16:5-7
"When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me, and you will bear witness also, because you have been with Me from the beginning. John 15:26-27
Jesus asked them to trust in Him and the Father. Now He informs them that a third divine dimension is about to dawn upon them. In His absence He will send the Holy Spirit.
• The Holy Spirit functions in a similar way as Jesus
“…and He will give you ANOTHER Counselor…” vs 16
Someone else will come and carry on the ministry I have had with you. Not “heteros” another of a different kind (i.e. heterosexual) But “allos” another of a similar kind.
This is someone just like Me. It is two Greek words combined. “called” connected to the preposition “along side” or “beside” expressing the concept of a person called along side such as a lawyer or advocate or counselor.
This same word is used of Jesus.
My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 1 John 2:1
The verb usage broadens our understanding a bit -- “To call along side.” Thus to encourage, comfort, help, direct, strengthen, aid, enlighten. The translation “Helper” is OK if it is understood in the right sense of the term. Not someone called to help us in our agenda. This refers to someone superior sent to help our inability to get with God’s plan.
The same ministry of encouragement so effectively demonstrated by Jesus for nearly three years would now be experienced not just to the twelve, but the hundreds of thousands and even millions that would rely on His presence and power in the years to come.
There is much we do not know about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. There is much mystery and even controversy associated with His ministry. There are also some things attributed to Him that is not genuine and even counterfeited by demonic forces. The implication is that the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit would be as real to the disciples as the physical presence of Jesus had been. Was it? For all practical purposes after Pentecost there was no pinning or lamenting the absence of Jesus. The transformation of this fearful, intimidated group of disillusioned disciples after Pentecost is unmistakable.
• The Holy Spirit came to permanently indwell believers.
“…that He may be with you FOREVER;” vs 16
Fear of abandonment need no longer trouble their soul. This other counselor or encourager who will come at Pentecost will come to stay. There is no need to fear separation or abandonment. This ministry of the Holy Spirit will be a permanent one. There is no repeated Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came upon the church an comes upon every genuine believer since that time to carry out a most significant ministry commissioned by the Father and the Son.
• The Holy Spirit’s core ministry center on the TRUTH
“…the Spirit of truth…” vs 16
Of course that is also the core nature of the Father and the Son. The essential ministry of the Holy Spirit is to reveal and bring remembrance to truth.
"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. John 14:25-26
"I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. "He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you. "All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said, that He takes of Mine, and will disclose it to you. John 16:12-15
The main work of the Holy Spirit is to empower believers by the engrafting of truth into the soil of the soul. Experiences fade over time. The truth and reality of the Word of God is eternal and not effected by time. Israel experienced sign after sign, physical demonstration after supernatural demonstration yet days later lapsed into moaning and groaning, unbelief and even downright bitterness. It is not the signs that build faith it is the truth of the word of God!
• The Holy Spirit cannot be received by the world
“…whom the world cannot receive because it does not behold Him or know Him…”vs 17
Unless God grants the eyes and heart to see there is no knowledge of the spiritual world. Because the world does not perceive, the world does not know the Holy Spirit and therefore does not receive Him.
• The Holy Spirit can be known personally and replaced the physical presence of Jesus
”but you know Him because He abides WITH you, and will be IN you . (Permanently)” vs 17
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will behold Me no more; but you will behold Me; because I live, you shall live also.” vs 18- 19
The disciples were granted insight first through a perception of and a hunger for the Father, then in their personal relationship with Jesus who manifested not only the Father but the Holy Spirit as well. Thus far their experience of the Holy Spirit was limited to a close proximity to the Spirit. They observed the Spirit work through Jesus. They experienced the power of the Spirit in their own ministry as well. This had been the limited experience of people with the Holy Spirit all throughout the Old Testament. Jesus indicated a new relationship to the Holy Spirit about to unfold as prophesied in the Old Testament. The pouring out of his Spirit on all followers was about to come to pass. It is ever so tempting to confuse physical presence with reality. We feel that what can be seen and touched is real and that which is unseen is not real. Jesus boldly asserts here that His physical absence from the few becomes his spiritual presence for the many. “I will come to you!” by way of the Holy Spirit. His physical death becomes His spiritual life as well as theirs (it is the spirit who gives life).
In a crude sense Jesus assures them that even though He is about to leave them, He will still be with them in the person of the Holy Spirit. We can experience the refreshing and life giving nature of H2O in any of its three forms – solid, gas, liquid. Even though the experience is a bit different, the result is the same – life, quenched thirst.
• The indwelling Holy Spirit confirms our spiritual union with God
“In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me and I in you.” vs 20
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, Romans 8:16
And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. 1 John 5:7
The ministry of the Holy Spirit is extensive. I feel that if we really developed sensitivity to the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives we would live differently. Paul appeals to this sensitive in several places.
o Don’t you realize that your body is a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t subject it to sexual immorality.
o Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit.
o Don’t quench the Holy Spirit.
o Walk by the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
I urge us to find the balance between some of the phony baloney stuff we sometimes see in the church today and the denial of anything emotional or supernatural. I urge us to find the truth of the daily indwelling presence and prompting of the Holy Spirit and the weird stuff that results from a bad burrito or a demonic counterfeit. Somewhere the reality of what Jesus taught here must become a tangible reality in our lives.
What is your experience with the presence of the Holy Spirit? What does it look like? What should it feel like? What should we expect? According to these passages the presence of the Holy Spirit is a tangible reality. He reinforces truth in the soul. He empowers us for life. He provides a sense of our partnership and union with the Godhead. He offers encouragement and direction in the same way Jesus provided truth, encouragement and direction for His disciples. He does so much more as we will see next week.
Since His is God in every sense of the word…
Since He permanently dwells within us…
Since He personally responds to our life choices (grieved, quenched, pleased etc)…
We should cultivate our relationship a bit better than we have. He is not just a power of force. He is a person sent by Jesus to come to our aid during the physical absence of Jesus. It is his presence that generates a desire for right living and being. It is his power that makes such a life even possible The result of us allowing Him to direct and empower our life is: Love – real joy – peace – long-anger – kindness -- goodness – faithfulness -- gentleness –– self-control.
If these are not operating in our life it is because we are out of touch with the Spirit. It is his presence that enables us to live above the selfish desires of the flesh.
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21
If these are manifesting in our life it is because we have quenched or grieved the Holy Spirit by our disobedience and failure to walk with Him.
Paul urged the Galatians to keep in touch with the Spirit.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:25-26
Since the Spirit made us spiritual alive let us live our daily lives by His direction.
Are you in touch with the Spirit sent by Jesus to direct and empower you to really live?
I believe the key is love, trust, obedience and the word.
Let’s look at some remaining sections surrounding this passage.
"He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him." 14:21-24
Jesus discloses or appears to those who have and keep His commandments.
Here I feel is the key to experiencing the reality of His presence in our daily life.
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. John
We do not even know the Word let alone follow it.
How can we obey something we know very little about?
The Holy Spirit ministers through the truth to our soul.
If we ignore the truth or reject the truth we fight against his work in our life.
The Bible is the manual for right living.
It must first be engrafted into the heart then lived in the life.
Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. James 1:21
If we want to experience the presence of God in our lives, we must be devoted to learn and live the truth. You can’t get in touch with the Spirit without being in touch with His Word.
Do you want encouragement in a tough place? Listen to Jesus!
• Stop fretting and continue trusting the plan of the Father and the Son
• Realize a future reality exists beyond this life
o Jesus had to leave in order to prepare a place for us
o Jesus will physically return and gather those who trust Him
• Trust in Jesus alone for ultimate access to heaven and intimate relationship with the Father and the Son.
• Realize that genuine disciples will accomplish the great works of Jesus and greater because Jesus ascended to the Father.
• Demonstrate your love for God by obedience
• Respond to the presence of the Holy Spirit
"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. Let not 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. "And now I have told you before it comes to pass, that when it comes to pass, 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 that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go from here. John 14:25-31
