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"The Work
Of The Holy Spirit" • 2.2.20 • Calvary Christian
Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- The Lord's words to His disciples had hardly been comforting. They
would bear the fruit of abiding in the Son and the world would hate, persecute
and even seek to kill them!
- He needed them to know this in
advance so that they wouldn't be stumbled when it took place. This was to be an
expected outcome of their relationship with Him.
- "A servant is not greater than
His Master." When one lives for Christ in a Christ rejecting world, they
should expect to be treated as their Master was.
- He hadn't needed to tell them
this at the beginning because He was with them. That thought is hanging in the
air, reminding them that He is about to "going away."
- As that consumes them, Jesus
breaks the silence and is about to give them a preview of the great benefits
that are about to be theirs through the administration of the Holy Spirit.
- The section before us is one of the
most instructive passages regarding the activity and work of the Holy Spirit
found in the Bible, taught from the Messiah's lips. Let's begin in verse 5.
Text
• John 16:5,6 : "But
now I
go away
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." :
Despite what Jesus knows of His immediate future, the fact that He is returning
to His Father is never lost on Him. It was the first thing on His mind.
- The circumstances
will be unbelieveably awful as Jesus bears in His own body, the wrath of God
against the sin of His people, but the end of it all will be a return to
heaven's glory!
- Jesus is
going away to heaven and there isn't a single question about that? Peter had
asked Jesus where He was going in John
13:36 and Thomas had made a similar statement in 14:5.
- Their earlier
questions were concerned with why they could not follow Him and were not
necessarily concerned with His destination.
- The words
were there, but the heart to understand was not. Not one had asked Him
questions about His destination. It's unfortunate that they did not!
- The sense
seems to be that Jesus wished that they would of. I can't help but think of
Jesus waiting to be asked certain questions by His disciples.
- Imagine the
content that we would have to study if they had! This was a missed opportunity,
but in all fairness, these men didn't have the heart to know in this moment.
- Jesus had
told them many things which had overwhelmed their hearts with sorrow, a word
that is related to one that is in mourning. That emotion flooded their hearts
until it poured over.
- For those who
have been in similar straits, we can relate to how hard it is to focus.
- People share
their deepest feelings and our minds cannot move off of our deepest loss.
- The disciples
had no bandwidth for any other emotion or curiosity to take root. They are sad
that He's leaving and too sad to even want to know where He is going! Verse 7.
• John 16:7 : "Nevertheless
I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not
go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him
to you." : In spite of how
the disciples felt at the moment, the truth was that the Lord going back to
heaven worked to their advantage. It was "expedient" for them.
- The original
speaks of "bearing together" or to "carry along with." They
will bear up under their mission in a far better way without Jesus being with
them physically.
- Had any other
person said this, one might be tempted to scream out "Blasphemy!"
This was Jesus telling the disciples that their mission for Him would be better
served without Him!
- This reminds
me of when someone breaks up with another person! "You'll be better off!"
- In this case,
it was indeed the truth! Jesus leaving them brought them a great advantage! His
going away would initiate the ministry of the Holy Spirit!
- Prior to the
Lord's ascension to heaven, the Holy Spirit was active upon the Earth, but only
came men selectively and temporarily.
- He would
"come upon" men for certain seasons and tasks, generally related to
Israel's deliverance. Once His job was complete, from Earth's eyes, He
seemingly "exited" from the scene.
- He has always
been active, but not really in the lead role. Now, with Jesus leaving, He would
take a much more permanent role among every believer. Jesus going away insures
His coming.
- Why is it
that the Holy Spirit could not come prior to the Lord's ascension? It's not
that they could not occupy the same space at the same time! "This planet
isn't big enough for the two of us!"
- To make
matters a little worse, Jesus doesn't explain why this is the case. I'd suggest
that we have the answer at the end of verse 7. "I will send Him to you!"
- This is the
Lord's desire and pleasure to give His people the Help that they would need in
the form of a person with the same capabilities as Himself!
- The Holy
Spirit, being part of the Godhead is equal to the Father and the Son. Jesus
calls Him "another" Helper in John
14:16.
- When we were
there, we understood that this Greek word expressed the idea of another of the
same kind. That is who Jesus wants to send!
- When Jesus
returned to His rightful place in heaven, He promised to use that position
"to send," to "thrust forward" the Holy Spirit. Perhaps we
could leave it at that.
- This is the
King's right to do what He wants for the benefit of His friends and His
Kingdom!
- Jesus, by
virtue of wanting to resource His church and not to leave His disciples on
their own, sent the Holy Spirit because He wanted to and because without Him,
they would never have made it!
- That much is
true, but there is a corresponding reality that astounds me as I consider it.
- His return to
heaven will have meant that He had provided the atoning blood that would make a
way for a human being to be clean in the sight of God, ready to receive the
Spirit's presence!
- If the Lord
does not go away, there is no chance that the Helper could inhabit the hearts
of the redeemed! This is why He must depart, a word that speaks of setting out
on a journey.
- His journey
will coincide with the Holy Spirit being sent to them in a quick, expeditious
manner! When did Jesus send Him?
- According to Acts 1:3, Jesus spent 40 days with the
disciples, speaking of the "things
pertaining to the Kingdom of God." That was when Jesus ascended before
their very eyes.
- Just ten days
after His ascension, fifty days removed from His resurrection, the Holy Spirit
came with power upon the disciples at the Feast of Pentecost. (Acts 2)
- It was only
then that they began to understand their advantage! Unlike Jesus who had
necessarily left, the Holy Spirit would remain with them and all who call
Christ "Lord," perpetually.
- Jesus had promised
that the Holy Spirit would abide with them forever in John 14:16.
- The Holy
Spirit will not leave until the Lord's church is no longer on Earth! And that
leads us to a second advantage that the disciples were about to discover.
- Jesus, in
taking on human flesh, accepted the limitations of human kind, declining the
use of His divine attributes, most notably the attribute of omnipresence.
- The Holy
Spirit has come without any such limitation! As you read through Acts, you'll
find the Spirit working in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and even to the ends of
the Earth simultaneously!
- Jesus
traveled throughout Israel and was often away from areas for great lengths of
time. The Holy Spirit's power is available right here in Colton and right there
in Fontana, Redlands, etc.!
- Nobody has to
wait their turn for the Holy Spirit to be finished in one congregation!
- Wherever
people are gathered with the express intent to magnify the Name of Jesus, He
will be there to assist them! This leads to a third advantage that the
disciples would experience.
- Jesus was a
wonderful teacher who taught like no other. When He taught, He taught under the
authority of His Father, for that particular season and audience.
- The Holy
Spirit will teach His people intimately and individually! Jesus promises His
disciples that He would do so as one that abides with them and "in"
them! (John 14:6,7)
- One
theologian called the Holy Spirit, "God On Call!" He is the immediate
One, who will minister to the Lord's people, the first of which would be the
disciples and every believer since!
- A fourth
advantage though would be related to the Holy Spirit's ministry to the world.
Verse 8.
• John 16:8-11 : "And
when He has come,
He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not
believe in Me; of
righteousness, because
I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is
judged." : There isn't a
great bombshell in verse 8, but I
love this confident assurance of the Son: "And when He has come!"
- This is not a
hypothetical situation. This is not a hopeful scenario. This is happening! The
Holy Spirit will come in the future to these disciples and in the past to you
and I.
- The Holy
Spirit will be an aid to us, but He will also be working in the world, to
prepare their hearts to hear us!
- Jesus
explains His ministry to the world, defined by the word "conviction."
The word refers to "rebuke" or "reproof." Conviction means "bringing
to light," or "to expose."
- It has the
force of "calling one to account." It doesn't merely mean the
suggestion to a person, but the full sense of putting that person in a position
where they must agree!
- He has come
to make an airtight case that cannot be denied by any person! He is the
prosecutor with a universe of evidence against the defendant!
- The language
indicates that when He comes, this work of conviction is what He will
repeatedly occupy Himself with. He will work in three categories: Sin,
righteousness and judgment.
- Sin, as Jesus
notes, will specifically be related to the world's failure to believe upon Him.
- Remember that
the world's other sins are related to this primary sin. This sin of not
trusting in Christ leads to all other offense against Him.
- The Holy
Spirit then, by inference, is always calling people to account for the life of
Christ!
- They are
responsible for what they know about Jesus. Someone may not want to believe
because of a poor example or a poorly run church. The Holy Spirit points to
Christ's perfect example!
- No matter the
objection, the Holy Spirit corners a person so that they have no other recourse
but to finally surrender or refuse the offer of Christ.
- The Holy
Spirit assumes the same responsibility with righteousness, which relates both
to moral integrity and the need for salvation.
- Remember that
the "world" is not under the law of God. That was given as a covenant
contract between God and His people.
- The Romans
didn't care about Sabbath, or coveting. These were concerns among the Jewish
people. Paul will explain to the Romans that the Gentiles do not have a law.
- They do,
however, act according to the law by nature and are thus, a law unto themelves.
(Romans 2:14) The Holy Spirit will
use their law and standard of moral integrity to convict them.
- And when they
are illumined by Him to recognize the limits of their morality, He will turn
their attention to Jesus, who is the final portrait of righteousness that the
Father expects!
- The Holy
Spirit will witness this to them. They will know that there is something more
than morality and integrity. There is a need to be right with God and that only
happens through Jesus!
- How else
could a person come to consider, much less believe this, except by God's own
intervention to convince Him that it was so?
- Finally, the
Holy Spirit will convict regarding judgment. Aside from what we have hear, the
word is also translated "condemnation," "damnation" or
"accusation."
- Any tribunal
is set up as a court of decision, separating the guilty from the innocent.
- That is the
root and first meaning of this word. It is to separate by rendering a decision.
The Holy Spirit is always convincing men that they will one day have to give an
account before the Judge!
- Incidently,
isn't this exactly our expectation? Listen to the world talk about someone
after they have died. If they like the person, there is the intrinsic thought
of reward.
- If they do
not like the person, there is the equally present thought of punishment! Each
person, when they are alone and are quietly considering their lives, knows that
recompense awaits!
- The Holy Spirit will convince them of
this because the ruler of this world, Satan, is judged already! The NIV puts it
like this: "the prince of this
world now stands condemned."
- What does
this mean? If the ruler of a
lifestyle is already under condemnation, how will that fare for someone who
follows the same path? "A servant is not greater than his master!"
- The Holy
Spirit will convince a man that the way that he is living will lead inevitably
to condemnation and ultimately ruin!
- The Holy
Spirit will stand between a man and hell until that man has resolved to ignore
His voice. He will not strive with men forever, but no man will be lost that
hasn't been informed!
- People must
climb over Christ, His Spirit and His church if they will go to hell! Verse 12.
• John 16:12,13 : "I
still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has
come,
He will
guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but
whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." : You don't have to wonder what the disciples'
emotional state was. Verse 12 tells
us everything we need to know.
- This is our
7th week covering the material beginning in John 13. The actual content took a few hours. Think of the
monumental news that these men were absorbing.
- Jesus was
leaving them and they could not follow. They would still work for Him, and
would do work on a wider scale than He had done and by the way, there was a
betrayer in their midst.
- No wonder
Jesus limits His speech. No wonder they lack the ability to carry any more
truth. These men are mentally exhausted, but this wasn't the end.
- The Spirit of
Truth will come to guide them into all truth! Whatever Jesus would not be able
to share with them now, they could rest assured that the Holy Spirit would
share it with them later!
- He will
"lead" them into all truth! The Holy Spirit will be the disciples and
the believer's guide through life! The Holy Spirit will know the way into every
part of the truth!
- Whatever He
communicates will accord with the truth! He cannot lead one in error!
- He will
always take on this role, so that when a believer wants to know the truth
related to His walk with the Lord, the Spirit will be present to lead the way!
- The Holy
Spirit will not speak "of Himself." The NASB translates it "on
His own initiative." He will relay the truth that He has heard.
- That which
explains the truth regarding Jesus will be made plain to His disciples. The
Spirit will communicate what the Godhead intends to relay about Christ to them.
- Then, notice
that last phrase: "He will tell you things to come!" The Holy Spirit
was going to announce to them, the disciples, what would come to pass. What
does this mean?
- First, part
of the disciples ministry would be to report to God's people what they should
expect regarding the future. God wants His people to have knowledge regarding
the future.
- It won't be
crystal clear or comprehensive. It will be complete! What is contained in God's
word is sufficient for our knowledge and efficient in encouraging holiness!
- That is the
reason that God gives His annointed men a glimpse into future things. It is
never for setting dates or creating fervor among men.
- Prophecy
reminds people that God's redemptive plan requires men and women who belong to
Him to be ready for His imminent return!
- Second, for
the Holy Spirit to relay these coming things to the disciples was a benefit of
friendship with the Lord!
- He had just
told them that they are His friends by virtue of sharing diving truth from His
Father with them! A Master doesn't share such things with servants, but
friends! (John 15:15)
- When God came
down to judge Sodom and Gommorah, it was assumed that His relationship to
Abraham would necessitate that He share what He was about to do. (Genesis 18:17-19)
- When God met
with Moses, He did spoke to Him "face to face, as a man speaks to His
friend." (Exodus 33:11)
- The Lord
allowing that to continue through His Holy Spirit reveals the abiding
friendship that He had with the disciples and with us! Their writings are our
heritage!
- His Spirit
continually blesses His people with insights into history and current events!
V. 14.
• John 16:14,15 : "He
will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father
has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you." : Would you look at that first phrase in verse
14 again? "He will glorify
Me!" The Holy Spirit, the person, not the force, will continually glorify
Christ.
- This bears
repeating in this age of experientialism which seeks to elevate the Holy Spirit
beyond what He intends. He is not here to bring glory to Himself! He will
"glorify" Jesus.
- Listen to
these definitions of the word "glorify:" "To praise, extol,
celebrate, do honor to." To "glorify" means to "make
renowned, render illustrious."
• "To cause the dignity and worth of some person
or thing to become manifest and acknowledged." BLB
- This is what
the Holy Spirit wants to do! He want to present Jesus as the antidote for their
sin, the cure for their unrighteousness and the escape of pending judgment!
- In the
church, the Holy Spirit wants His people to worship the Son, to live brightly
for His glory and to call unbelievers to believe the witness that has already
been present in them!
- His gifts are
an expression on that! We have HIs gifts, given to us by His sovereign
decision, for the purpose of advertising the riches of Christ! Do you see how
this makes sense?
- The Holy
Spirit will take, better translated to "receive," of what is Christ's
and will declare it them. All that belonged to Father belongs to the Son and the
Spirit distributes it to us!
Conclusion
- Let's stand and let's pray!
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