The Holy Spirit and Oreo Cookies
John 14:15-31
JN 14:15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- 17 the Spirit of truth. 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. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 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."
JN 14:22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"
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. 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.
JN 14:25 "All this I have spoken while still with you. 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. 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.
JN 14:28 "You heard me say, `I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, 31 but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
"Come now; let us leave.
One of my favorite snacks is Oreo Double Stuff cookies. I love dunking them in milk or in my coffee. You see the good thing about an Oreo cookie is that you can’t have the creamy icing without the cookie. I like the icing more than that cookie, that’s why I like the Double Stuff kind.
In this passage we see something like the Double stuff cookie. Jesus says if we love him we will obey his commandments. Obedience never produces love, but love with produce obedience. You see Love and obedience go together like this Oreo cookie. But in this passage, Love and Obedience would be the cookie. The creamy inside would be like the Holy Spirit, you see just like the Oreo Double Stuff is just a cookie without the creamy inside, we are hollow in our love and obedience without the Holy Spirit. That’s why tonight I want us to look at the inside, the double stuff of God’s Spirit working to make us complete.
I want us to focus on three characteristics of the Holy Spirit.
1. Who is He?
1. Another Comforter. I heard a story about a little girl coming up from Sunday School. Her Mother asked what she learned, she says Jesus said don’t worry I will send you another blanket. Mom was a little confused by the response asked the teacher what the lesson was about? Jesus said Don’t worry I will send another comforter. Some translations say Comforter, some say Counselor. But the Holy Spirit is more than that. The New Century Version says another Helper, Today’s Message Bible says another Friend. So we can see that the Holy Spirit is sent to us as a friend, counselor, comforter, and helper.
2. He is also the Spirit of Truth. He is going to come just as Jesus did, without the flesh. And He will speak only the Truth. He brings light, revelation, and reality to the Word of God. It is the Holy Spirit who helps us know Jesus. He helps us by revealing the Truth to us, and he does so by the Word of God.
3. I see the Holy Spirit at work when I read the Bible. You know that at times we could read a passage, even know it word for word, but then that one time we read it again and we see something different. That is the Holy Spirit working in us.
Where does He live (17-20)
1. He lives in the hearts of believers/Christians. That is why the world does not know Him
2. He is the seal of the promise that Jesus would never leave us and that He is coming back for us. Eph 1:13-14 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession--to the praise of his glory.
The Holy Spirit can impact our lives
1. As a teacher verse 26
2. As a peacemaker verse 27
3. Enabler/empowers us. Verses 28-31
Just like the Double Stuff inside the Oreo cookie that makes the difference, it is the Holy Spirit in us that makes the difference. It’s what on the inside that counts, the Holy Spirit in us that can make the difference in the world. Time to let out.
