You Won't Even Know I'm Gone

April 13, 2003

Morning Service

Text: John 16:5-15

Subject: The Work of the Holy Spirit

Title: You Won’t Even Know I?m Gone

When you were in school did you ever wonder why you had to learn some of the things you were learning? I took three years of art in school because I wanted to paint and draw and sculpt things. Who cared who the French impressionists were and when they lived and what they did? Who cared about all the classical artists? I just wanted to do hands on things. In English class, why did we have to conjugate all those verbs? Who cares what the past perfect or present perfect or future perfect tense of a verb is. I can communicate OK without all that stuff. And here comes the big one. Why did we have to learn all the XYZ stuff in algebra and geometry? I remember thinking that I would never use this. Give me something I can use in real life. For the life of me I couldn’t understand what significance these things would have in my life.

As I matured and began to go through phases of my life the evidence of the purpose of these things began to come to light. As I began in the carpentry trade, it didn’t take long to see that much of the deductive reasoning we were taught in geometry class was being put to use in construction. Also many of the geometric proofs and equations have been effective in building homes. For instance, it is quite necessary to know what constitutes "square" in order to begin a house. If you start out of square, you stay out of square. Geometry is used to figure rafters, concrete, drywall etc. Everywhere you turn in construction, geometry is there.

I’m glad for the English classes as well. I could only wish I had paid a little more attention, but at least I do know the difference between similes and metaphors. I know about double negatives. I don’t use them no more! (Just kidding)! I have a good understanding of the basics, which allows me to communicate with you better. Even my speech classes taught me things I thought I would never use. Even though at the time I could not understand it.

Oh yes. History class has been important also. It has helped me win at Trivial Pursuit more than once.

We see today, in our text, a teacher telling His students things they could not understand, but would later. Jesus is telling His students, the disciples, about the coming of the Holy Spirit and His ministry. Jesus had already told them of His pending suffering and death. It was hard for them to accept. Now He is telling them that He is going away.

Wouldn’t it be great if Jesus could have lived forever on earth and continued His ministry of healing and salvation? That’s what the disciples thought too. But there was a reason that Jesus had to leave. Today I want to help you get a grasp as to why Jesus returned to the Father and sent the Holy Spirit, and explain what the ministry of the Holy Spirit is and how it affects Christians.

I. Jesus had to go away. He had predicted His own death. His going away was not in the nature of man because "It is appointed for men once to die".

Jesus was going to the Father by His own will. John 10:18, "No one takes it (my life) from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it up again." Everything Jesus had done in His earthly ministry had moved Him to this point. John 13:36 Peter asked Jesus, "Where are you going?" He had forgotten what Jesus had been teaching him in those three and one half years of schooling he had been through. He was thinking on a physical plane and not the spiritual. Thomas was thinking the same way in John 14:5. They apparently did not understand what Jesus had just told them in John 14:2-3, "In My Father’s house are many mansions (dwelling places): if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." They didn’t ask about the mansions. They didn’t even ask about the Father’s house. Sorrow had so gripped their hearts that they were concerned only about their future and not about the future of Jesus. (Verse 6.) They didn’t ask questions because maybe they didn’t want to hear the answers. When we know something is coming that we won’t like we just don’t talk about it, like it will go a way. Jesus is communicating to them that His departure is a necessary step in their spiritual growth process.