The Spirit of Truth

Well, keep your Bibles open.

We're going to do something a little different as we open up God's Word today.

I want you to get out your phone.

And I want you to check.

You connected?

How many bars you got?

Are you using our Wi-Fi?

I hope not, because we're live streaming.

We need the bandwidth.

We need the bandwidth.

You see, we depend on these unseen connections all the time.

Have you ever had no connection on your phone?

Just inexplicably, just no reception.

Maybe for a whole day.

Well, I can tell you, that will make me afraid.

Through that little device, that's how we keep our connections with people.

I was at a training day for church staff a couple of years ago.

It's a little loud, Jase.

Can you just drop the volume of this down?

I will only get louder.

So I was at a training day for church staff, and they asked us all to turn off our phones.

It was to experience two hours of disconnected time.

And the goal was to help us both feel the anxiety of not having our phone on, not being connected,

to feel what we might miss out on,

but to also encourage us to reflect and talk about self-care.

And so we were talking about self-care for a couple of hours, and we were one hour in.

And it was great.

My phone was off.

Everyone was relaxed.

And then this appeared on the screen.

Nick Freestone, please call senior minister.

Urgent.

And everyone laughed.

They thought it was part of the training.

But I knew it wasn't, and I ran outside because I was terrified.

I turned on my phone, and I called Steve.

My eldest daughter, Isla, had broken her arm at preschool.

My wife, Sam, who's leading the service today, had also had her phone off,

happened to have her phone off at the same time, and we'd both miss calls to be able to be there with Isla,

to be there in the ambulance with her, but also we met her at the hospital.

That's how disconnected we were.

Disconnecting from people is a fearful thought.

So when I had the idea to leave Facebook, I was worried.

I contacted everyone on Facebook who I connected there with to say,

hey, I'm going, message me or call me from now on.

And then it came to actually switching it off.

And I felt afraid.

I feared disconnection.

What might I miss from not being here?

And how would I be known by people if I wasn't on Facebook?

It actually, I'm ashamed to say, took me weeks to finally do it.

Because disconnecting from people makes me afraid.

I'm someone who wrestles with social isolation.

According to studies, social isolation is the fastest-growing negative contributor

to mental health issues in our city.

It can develop into illnesses like chronic anxiety and depression and more.

And COVID-19 contributed to this rise.

We're all disconnected from each other and isolated physically.

But social isolation was a problem before 2020.

And it hasn't stopped being a problem after COVID.

And while online tools like social media can connect people in a way that,

when they can't be connected,

just like those live streaming at home today unable to be here,

when online relationships replace the real-world ones,

it contributes to building social isolation.

I can tell you that in Chatswood, where we are,

the high number of us living in high-rise,

our multi-ethnic and multi-lingual nature as a community,

those things also restrict our natural opportunity for building relationships.

So, suburbs like ours in Sydney have high rates of social isolation.

One in seven people in our city are socially isolated physically,

or they feel socially isolated no matter what.

Chatswood is poor, not in food or water,

but in life-giving relationships that we were created for.

Our busyness and our closeness packed into our skyline

hides a disconnectedness that needs a solution.

These studies suggest joining special interest groups or sports teams or clubs

in person or even online, or go get a pet.

But those things alone can't curb the rise of social isolation.

What we actually need are tangible relationships of love.

Many of us are fearful that we'll never find those.

Or if we have them, we're desperately afraid that we might lose them.

All people in Chatswood need help staying connected in an unbreaking way

to at least one life-giving relationship of love.

And in today's part of the Bible, that Mel just read,

Jesus was speaking to his disciples in a moment where they were grieving

because they feared disconnection from Jesus,

who loved them and who they loved in return.

He had been telling his disciples that this very hour,

he would disconnect from them.

One of them would betray him.

Another would disown him.

They grieve losing connection with Jesus

and their safety and their identity together with him.

So look at your Bibles.

Put your phone down.

It's all right if you're still looking at it,

checking to see what Nick's going to do with your phone.

Pick up your Bible.

We're going to look at chapter 15.

If you scan back just to the paragraph before from verse 18,

there Jesus describes how the hate and violence against him

and his message, when he's gone,

that's going to shift and pull towards the disciples.

They don't just fear losing their best friend,

they fear the hatred of the world turning against them

when Jesus is gone.

If you flick back even further to chapter 13,

how will these men be known when Jesus goes?

I imagine them wondering,

we can't follow him where he's going.

Who are we if Jesus is gone?

Jesus is redefining their identity,

no longer through the proximity to Jesus,

not even friendship with him,

but defined in their relationships of love with one another.

Jesus understands their fears,

losing his protection,

losing their identity as his disciple,

and losing his love.

One way you can see their fear is more than just grief,

is in verse 5 of our passage today.

So have a look, verse 5 of chapter 16.

Jesus says there,

none of you asked me where are you going?

If you've been with this in the last few weeks,

you might remember that Peter actually did ask exactly that,

word for word,

Jesus, where are you going?

Did Jesus forget?

Is there an error in the gospel?

Imagine a little child wakes up one morning

and sees their parent already dressed

and walking out the door going to work.

The little child yells out,

where are you going?

What the child is feeling is,

why are you leaving me?

They don't care where the parent is going.

They fear disconnection from their loved one.

This is how Jesus can say that no one asks where he is going,

because Jesus hears Peter's grieving heart cry out,

why are you leaving?

So, Jesus promises that he will give them someone

to keep them and all his followers to come,

a connection with him when he is gone,

of love, security, and identity.

So, Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will come.

He's already promised this in previous chapters.

Dan, two weeks ago, when he preached,

he described it as God's ongoing presence with us.

Jesus' ongoing presence with his disciples.

But here, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit by a new name,

three times, the Spirit of Truth.

And this is crucial,

because the Spirit of Truth

is how our isolated humanity need,

what our isolated humanity need.

Because the Spirit of Truth connects us to Jesus

through the Bible.

Jesus promises that this connection will come,

but only if he gets up from this meal

with his disciples and goes to the cross.

So, here is how this Spirit of Truth,

how Jesus says the Holy Spirit

will connect us to him

in a life-giving relationship of love.

When he comes,

the Spirit of Truth will do three things.

Convict the world,

witness to all the truth about Jesus,

and glorify Jesus.

So, first,

the Spirit of Truth comes

to convict the world.

Securing convictions

is the role of the prosecutor.

You've probably seen it on TV.

You might have even been in a courtroom,

and you've seen a prosecutor at work.

In that moment,

they're not an advocate

or a helper,

as we've heard the Holy Spirit described so far,

even in our passage today in verse 7.

So, how does the Holy Spirit also act,

not just as a helper or an advocate,

but also as a prosecutor?

Have a look at verse 8.

When he, the Holy Spirit, comes,

he will prove the world

to be in the wrong

about sin, righteousness, and judgment.

It's a nice sunny day today,

so it's easy to imagine.

But imagine

someone going out for a swim at a beach.

It's calm.

It's warm.

The sun is,

but that great balance of

warming you up,

but not beating you down.

And a swimmer goes out

just past the little waves

and swims out easily.

He's having a great time.

But then a lifeguard blows the whistle,

calls out in the megaphone,

not safe!

The swimmer hears

and tries to swim back,

but there's this outgoing current

against them.

They thrash against it,

but they're too weak to fight it.

They become afraid.

They begin to panic.

They accept their fate,

and...

I'm just going to leave it there.

You have to wait

to find out what happens.

The Holy Spirit is a helper

and a prosecutor

who warns all people,

all sinful people,

of their error,

like a lifeguard

alerting a swimmer.

See, people in Chatswood

don't know that they're drowning.

An abundant life

that they need,

they're not going to get

in the mall.

They're not going to find it

on their screen.

Not even in their deepest relationships

with those around them.

They need a relationship

with the God

who created them.

And the whole reason

that Jesus came to earth

was to offer that connection

to all people,

those same people

who don't know

they need that connection.

Jesus calls out to the swimmer

through the Holy Spirit

with a message of conviction.

You're not safe!

The Spirit needs to warn us

in the first place

because all people

get their response

to sin and unrighteousness

and judgment

completely wrong

without Jesus.

I read this week

that Tim Keller,

when he had little kids at home,

was watching them

watch cheesy Bible cartoons

on TV.

I don't know if you've seen

the kind of cartoons

I'm talking about,

but they're oversimplified

children's stories.

And he overheard

this teaching

in those cartoons.

They summarized the Bible

like this.

man's attempt

to find

and connect

with God.

And Tim Keller says,

that's the Bible

backwards.

Instead,

the Bible is

man's constant

running from God,

away from his love

and authority.

And it's God's

constant pursuit

of people

to show them

his love.

Do you hear the difference?

many of us

Christians

hear the warning

of our sin

against God,

our need to be righteous

before him,

and the coming judgment

of sin

that leads to death

and hell,

and we try to avoid it

by our strength

of mind

and will

on our own.

A follower of Jesus

is not

like a swimmer

who can beat

the current.

but one

who feels

sin's power

over them

and calls out

to the lifeguard

for help.

Jesus says

in our passage

today

that we cannot,

in verse 12,

bear this truth

alone.

The warning call

of the Holy Spirit

calls out

our inability

to swim

against the

undertow

of sin,

trusting in our

own good behavior

our own power

to change

ourselves,

our own ability

to prove

ourselves

worthy of life

beyond judgment

day.

And the Holy Spirit

reveals

how Jesus

meets

those needs

for purity,

for righteousness,

and to be pleasing

before God.

Even before

we've asked

to be saved.

Even before

we know

we are drowning.

and if you've

ever wrestled

against God,

if you've heard

about God

in the Bible

or you've heard

about Jesus

somewhere along

in your journey

or maybe even

right now

today,

you're discovering

sinfulness,

your unrighteousness,

your fear

of judgment,

your worry

about disconnection

from God,

that is a sign

that the Spirit

of truth

is at work

in your life

right now

through conviction.

And it will happen,

the Spirit

will work

even before

you know

Jesus yet,

even before

you are

His follower.

What an amazing

power.

you don't

receive the

Holy Spirit

and a connection

with God

of life-giving

love

by sorting

out your life,

making better

choices,

measuring up

to the way

that would

please God

enough.

Instead,

the Spirit

acts before

we know

we need Him

and convicts

us,

the world

and all people

of their

desperate need

to connect

with God.

Jesus shows

us

that

when the

Spirit of

truth

comes

into our

lives,

it will

warn us

of our

need for

connection

with God

and

guide us

into what

is true,

into all

the truth,

where we

will find

ourselves

lifted

safely

out of

the water,

having done

nothing

to save

ourselves.

The Spirit

of truth

will guide

us to

Jesus

loved,

secure

and His

through

truth.

So,

look at

this verse

that I

believe

shows us

why Jesus

gave the

Holy Spirit

a new

name

in our

passage

today,

the Spirit

of truth.

Look at

verse 13.

But when

He,

the Spirit

of truth

comes,

He will

guide you

into

all the

truth.

truth,

the truth

Himself,

Jesus,

the way,

the truth

and the

life.

Jesus

is showing

us how

the Spirit

of truth

connects us

to Him

through truth,

through all

the truth

and all

the truth

about Him.

for those

who don't

like hearing

the same

word over

and over

again,

truth,

truth,

truth,

truth.

This might

be hard

on your

ears,

but bear

with me.

Because truth

is a thing.

Babies

yearn to

eat

because food

exists.

Before

ducklings

have ever

heard,

seen,

or been

told about

the water,

they yearn

to swim.

So many

true things

exist

to fulfill

the created

yearnings

in people.

A yearning

for truth

pulls

on everyone.

Truth

from God,

our Creator,

would meet

our created

yearning

for truth

in a way

that truth

found within

ourselves,

or even

truth found

out there

in the

world,

cannot.

And this

is the

kind of

truth

that the

spirit of

truth

guides us

toward.

So what

kind of

truth is

it?

The

spirit of

truth

will reveal

all

the

truth.

Many

English

translations

like the

New

Living

Translation,

you might

have that

translation

in front

of you

from the

Greek,

NLT,

they miss

one word

in this

passage.

See if you

can spot

it.

I've put

it on the

screen for

us.

The

spirit will

come and

guide you

into

all truth.

The

word that's

missing

is the

the.

Doesn't

seem that

important,

does it?

The

Greek

that this

is translated

from

literally

says all

the

truth,

not all

truth.

And here's

why it's

dangerous to

miss this

word.

The spirit

of truth

does not

guide us

into all

truth about

everything.

There is a

collection of

truth, that

is the truth

that we need.

And this

means that

studying the

world and

people,

whether it be

science,

whether it be

some other

pursuit,

we can

find truth

in the

world that

isn't written

down in

the Bible,

that isn't

what Jesus

is talking

about here.

Instead,

this passage

is talking

about a

specific

collection of

truth that

creates

connection

with God.

Also,

the spirit

of truth

does not

guide us

into all

truth in

an ongoing,

evolving sense,

where the

adding to

or the

taking away

from the

truth is

expected or

acceptable.

To add

to the

truth

is to

read all

truth in

our Bibles

and then hear

Jesus saying,

2,000 years

from now,

someone will

get special

information from

me,

some new

truth that

will change

the meaning

of my words

in the Bible.

No,

that's not

what Jesus

is saying.

Anyone who

adds to

the Bible

is trying

to gain

power over

us rather

than yielding

to all

the truth.

This is not

all the truth

as the spirit

reveals,

but their

truth.

And an

invasive

movement in

our city

and its

suburbs,

in its

churches,

is to

read all

truth and

then decide

for themselves

what that

is and

subtract

from the

truth.

Take the

Bible's

teaching on

gender and

sexuality,

for example.

How do

modern minds

in our city

think about

those topics?

There are so

many more

as well.

But consider

this,

100 years

ago in

our city,

and you

can,

sadly,

you can look

this up,

the thought

in our city

was that

there were

people groups

who were

less evolved

than others.

That was

what people

thought.

That's

unthinkable

today.

That's not

the truth.

truth.

But in

another

hundred

years,

what will

our society

be laughing

about or

embarrassed by

that we

think is

all truth

in our

city right

now?

If your

modern mind

looks at the

Bible and

sees fit to

reject bits

of it,

then you're

rejecting the

all-the-truth

nature of it.

all-the-truth

is instead

referring to

a body of

truth that

Jesus will

give to

his followers

that will

detail all

humanity needs

to connect

with him.

So what is

this all-the-truth?

It's really

simple,

actually.

It's all-the-truth

about Jesus.

All-the-truth

that the

Spirit would

provide was

not new

truth,

but all

that Jesus

had said

and done

already

and would

say and

do

before

leaving.

Illuminated

by the

Spirit of

Truth.

So have a

look at

verse 26.

The Spirit

of Truth,

He will

testify about

me,

and you

must also

testify,

for you

have been

with me

from the

beginning.

The Spirit

of Truth

worked

uniquely

through the

apostles.

That is,

the disciples,

plus Paul,

who Jesus

met with,

as they

taught and

wrote down

all Jesus

said and

did.

And when the

apostles had

all died,

the new

church,

the followers

of Jesus,

gathered up

all of their

teachings and

writings,

even some by

others who

referred to

their teachings

and writings,

gathered them

into a book

that we

call the

New Testament.

Our Bible

contains all

the truth

that Jesus

promises here.

That's what

Jesus has in

mind the

whole time.

Eyewitness,

testimony,

remembered,

recorded,

and shared,

empowered by

the Spirit

of Truth.

There is truth,

there is a

collection of

truth,

that is all

the truth

we need to

connect with

God,

and it's

all about

Jesus,

because all

the truth

in the Bible

reveals Jesus,

and in it we

find a

connection to

Him and a

life-giving

relationship of

love.

And when the

Spirit of Truth

comes,

number three,

He will glorify

Jesus.

Or another

way to say

that is He

will help us

see the

glory of

Jesus.

have you

ever fallen

in love

with someone?

Maybe you'd

like to,

maybe you

haven't yet.

Let me

describe what

happens in

that moment.

When we

fall in love,

we see the

glory of

that person.

The word

glory here

means weight.

weight.

And it's

more than

just like

their quality

or their

beauty out

of ten.

It is

their

importance

and their

significance.

Seeing glory

leads

to love.

The Spirit

of Truth

reveals Jesus'

weight in

the Bible.

importance,

His

significance,

and His

beauty.

The Spirit

does this

so we

would fall

in love

with Jesus.

So,

I point

this out

to ask

the question,

do you

love

Jesus?

Is He

the greatest

love in

your life?

That's

what the

Spirit of

Truth

does.

The

disciples

saw

face-to-face

Jesus'

glory.

His

love

toward

them

was

astounding.

His

works

were

incredible.

He

spoke

and they

heard

and felt

God

and they

loved

Him

back.

But with

Jesus

leaving,

it's now

the Holy

Spirit's

role.

The

Spirit

of

Truth

helps

us see

what the

disciples

got to

see in

person.

Glory

that makes

us love

Jesus.

Look

with me

at

16

verse 1.

All

this I

have told

you,

says

Jesus,

so that

you will

not

fall

away.

Jesus

is

promising

that

this

spirit

of

truth

will

keep

us

connected

to

Him.

And the

more literal

translation

of

fall

away

here

is an

abrupt,

shocking

disconnection,

not a

slow slide

away from

faith.

Jesus

had already

said

Judas

would

betray

him.

Judas

is already

gone

at this

point.

He

also

predicted

that

Peter

would

deny

him

three

times.

Tonight!

That

night!

And

sadly,

he predicts

one more

final fall

away that

includes all

the disciples.

Look right

down to the

end of the

chapter there,

verse 32.

A time

is coming

and in

fact has

come

when you

will be

scattered

each to

your own

home,

you will

leave me

all

alone.

Jesus

leaving

his

disciples

will

begin

with

them

leaving

him.

Everything

the disciples

were afraid

of,

their

disconnection

with

Jesus,

no longer

being safe

with him,

losing

their

identity

as his

followers,

starts

with their

choice to

leave Jesus

all alone,

to face

the mob

and the

trial and

the slaughter

of tomorrow.

What

love

Jesus

has.

Knowing

that his

leaving will

start with

our and

their unbelief

in him.

He

willingly

promised

them a

life

life-giving

relationship

of love

to be

forever

connected

and present

with them

through the

spirit of

truth,

on the

night

they will

all break

relationship

with him.

Jesus

leaving

was to be

left alone,

submitting

to execution

on a

cross,

with all the

sin and

unrighteousness

on his

shoulders,

dying and

facing all

the judgment

of all

who have

abandoned

him and

given up

their connection

with God

and he

did it all

to pursue

a connection

with us.

all who

don't even

want that

connection

with him

yet.

He

yielded

his right

to life,

to offer

it to us,

uncondemned,

pure and

pleasing to

God,

and rose to

life to

restore the

connection to

all who

would believe

in him.

And the

fact that

Jesus,

spoiler alert,

rose from

the dead

and restored

his relationship

with his

disciples face

to face,

even Peter

shows just

how far he

will go to

pursue those

who fall

away,

to provide

an eternal

life-giving

relationship of

love with

him.

Friends,

Jesus is the

relationship you

need to break

out of any

social isolation

that you feel.

It's the

connection you

need that

resolves your

social need

through spiritual

means.

No matter

where you're

at on your

journey of

receiving the

Spirit's truth

in your life,

whether it's

convicting you

of your need

with sin,

unrighteousness,

and judgment,

breaking your

hope of connecting

to God your

own way,

or as the

Spirit witnesses

to Jesus,

his works,

words,

and love

toward you

in the

Bible,

building up

your love

for him,

even when

you fail

him,

he will

never break

off connection

with you.

If you have

received the

Spirit of

Truth through

believing in

him as the

Spirit of

Truth reveals

all the

truth in

the Bible.

when the

Bible is

open to

you,

and there

might be

every day,

it might be

every week,

it might be

not very

often yet,

but ask the

Spirit of

Truth to

show you

Jesus,

and trust

the Spirit

of Truth,

not yourself,

to keep and

enjoy your

connection with

God,

a life-giving

relationship of

love that

can start

even today.

In him you

are never

isolated,

always in

love,

and eternally

connected to

the God who

pursues you,

even through

your seasons of

sorrow and

grief,

through the

Spirit of

Truth.

See,

Jesus knows

you need

connection,

Chatswood.

He is where

you will find

what you need.

You can't

find him your

own way,

only through

the Spirit

of Truth.

So explore

the Bible,

find Jesus,

and the

Spirit of

Truth will

connect you

to Jesus.

Let's pray.

Lord Jesus,

thank you for

promising and

sending the

Spirit of

Truth to

guide us as

we read and

explore the

Bible.

convict us,

guide us,

and help us

to fall in

love with

you as we

see your

glory.

Amen.