Sermon: "Advantage Christian" - Pastor Brian Fuller

Again, I continue to take a little bit of a

break from Romans, and today we're gonna jump in the

Gospel of John John chapter sixteen, verse seven, and today's

sermon title is advantage Believers. And I think you'll understand

what we're talking about as we go along. So hear

the word of the Lord this morning from John sixteen,

verse seven. The less these are the words of Jesus. 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 go,

I will send him to you. Lord. I pray that

you would open our eyes and our ears to hear

this morning, give us understanding into your word, that we

may be changed and we would be more christ Like

as the result of hearing your word today.

In Jesus name, Amen.

I read a book a number of years ago, and

the name of the book is entitled better Off without Jesus.

And when I've said that to people before, they were like, well,

you better let me read that to make sure it's okay,

you know, because it sounds it sounds like something that

would not line up with our beliefs as followers. Of Christ.

The author is is Chuck.

Boemar, and the book had a great impact on me,

and so I will make some references today to that book.

And we actually have a couple of copies of it

on the shelf out there in the hall. And so

if the couple of quotes that I give from the

book a little later on pique your interest, there are

some out there that you can take and read. So

if I ask you to describe the physical Jesus, you

would do so based on what you've read in scripture

or maybe what you read in reliable secular history books,

because we have no firsthand knowledge of the physical appearance

of Jesus, right, I mean, even after the first century.

I believe the Book of Revelation was written by John

Like in ninety five AD, and I think he was

probably one of the very last ones that had any

first hand experience with Jesus. And of course Jesus died

and rose and ascended some sixty years even before that.

I mean, we read the words of Jesus, right, but

we don't hear his dialect. We read of his actions,

but we don't see the look on his face as

he performs them. We know that he wept. Scripture says

that we know he grew somewhat frustrated with his disciples

at times. We read about his righteous anger toward the Pharisees,

and we read about his great love and his compassion

for children and for the lost. And in Isaiah fifty three,

verse two, we read Isaiah told of the Messiah. He

said he had no form or majesty that we should

look at him, no beauty that we should desire him.

So Jesus came with with nothing, nothing of beauty to

look at. Physically, but spiritually that's a different story. People

were drawn to him. If the shroud of Turin is

actually the burial shroud of Jesus, then meyway, we may

have a rough idea of what Jesus looks like, if

indeed it is the actual burial shroud of Jesus, but

again such a rough, a rough picture of it. And

artists throughout the ages have guessed at the appearance of Jesus,

and they have depicted him as either fair skinned or

dark skinned. Some have depicted him as a westernized white

American right, and if you watch some watch some movies,

the movies depict him as having a British accent. You

know what's all that?

Do you seen those?

Many people, including me, think that the show The Chosen

could be a pretty close representation of the life and

ministry of Jesus, but the truth remains that we really

don't know. So only those who walked the earth from

his birth to his death and those who witnessed him

firsthand can attest to the actual physicality of Jesus and

those who are in heaven with him. Now, you know,

they're not going to magically appear to us and say, oh,

by the way, Jesus looks and sounds like this and

he's not white, right, That's not going to happen. So

if there was any benefit to being a follower of

Jesus around thirty to thirty three AD, it was that

you saw with your eyes and that you heard with

your ears the physical, in the flesh Jesus of Nazareth.

The only Son of God.

And admittedly that would be pretty cool.

But which is better?

Which is better being a first century disciple with the

physical Jesus or a twenty first century disciple without the

physical Jesus but with the in dwelling Holy Spirit. And

in the book better off without Jesus. Chuck Boehmar writes, quote,

as a Christian, I hold the conviction that the most

reverent thing we can do is to take jesus words

seriously and let them practically drive every aspect of our lives.

And to not take this approach would be irreverent. End quote.

For those who walked with Jesus in the flesh, put

yourself in the place of the disciples. The words of

Jesus were hard to process. For him to say it

is to your advantage that I go away.

That was crazy to them. Cookie talk.

We might say, they left everything to follow Jesus, and

now he tells them that they're better off without him,

And they had no concept of the indwelling Holy Spirit, right,

and that wouldn't happen until Pentecost, after his resurrection and

his ascension into heaven. But what we have we have

the benefits of two thousand years of teaching, of study

and commentary by scholars, and we also have documented and

experienced Holy Spirit activity right that confirms the words of

Jesus when he says, it is to your advantage that

I go away. And during the earthly life of Jesus,

what were his limitations. Did Jesus have limitations.

When he walked the earth.

He was full of God right, but he was also

fully man. And during his earthly ministry, the disciples and

those to whom he would minister, they've benefited from his

physical presence. One of the things that that chaplains learn,

if you've ever been through any chaplaincy training, that one

of the best aspects of being a chaplain's called the

ministry of presence. When somebody's going through heartache, somebody's going

through stuff in their life, the last thing they needed

somebody to come alongside and start telling them stuff to do.

Sometimes the best thing to do is just sit beside him.

And just be there.

The ministry of presence, and this is what many times

that Jesus brought to the disciples, just his presence, and

that dynamic of having the physical Jesus would have been

would have been admittedly amazing. But Jesus could not be everywhere.

Jesus the Man was not omnipresent. He could not be

everywhere all the time. There were times when Jesus was

off alone, praying away from people, as he did from

time to time, and the disciples they wondered where he was.

They couldn't find him.

And I'm sure at moments that there was some anxious

moments when they didn't know where he was.

Where were you, We couldn't find you.

Just having him around gave them peace and comfort. And

again from the book, better off without Jesus, Bomar writes,

because they were so used to the physical presence of Jesus,

his promise of a coming helper seemed ambiguous end quote.

And this is just speculation on my part, but I'm

sure they didn't want a helper. They had the real thing.

They had, the one who who was revealed to them

that he was the Messiah, the Son of God.

They didn't want nobody else.

They wanted Jesus.

To always be with them.

Because he personally counseled them, He personally taught them, He

comforted them, he gave them guidance, and when they needed alignment,

he gave them alignment in their life. And he was

invested in them, and they were all in with him.

And yet they they didn't get what he meant when

he said that he was going away and sending a helper.

Let's look at John sixteen, Verses sixteen through eighteen. He says,

in a little while or a little while, and you

will see me no longer. And again a little while,

and you will see me.

So some of his disciples.

Said to one another, what is this that he says

to us, a little while and you will not see me.

And again a little while, and you will see me.

And because I am going to the Father. So they

were saying, what does this mean?

What does he mean.

By a little while? We do not know what he

is talking about. In verse sixteen, a little while you

will see me no longer, and again in a little

while you will see me refers to the time between

his his crucifixion and his resurrection. Crucified, buried, he's gone

away for or for a few days. The resurrection, he

comes back. They see him once again. His physical presence

gave them peace and comfort. They walked with him. They

walked through the towns, They walked along the countrysides together.

They walked with him along the Sea of Galilee. They

sat with him around the fire. They witnessed him turn

over the tables of the money changers. They learned from

him as he spoke to the crowds of people.

And on and on.

And on.

The occasion.

I get asked a spiritual question from time to time,

and when somebody asks me a question, they're looking for

an immediate answer from me. Sometimes, in fact, often I

have to say, I don't know, but I will pray

with you and we will.

We'll figure it out. We'll find out what what God is.

Saying and what he means. So how cool would it

have been to have Jesus with you in the flesh

and ask him a question and always give the perfect answer.

In Mark four thirty three and thirty four, it says

of Jesus with many such parables, he spoke the word

to them as they were able to hear it. And

this is in reference to the crowds. Jesus spoke to

the crowds in Parables verse thirty four. He did not

speak to them without a parable, but privately to his

own disciples, he explained everything that's pretty cool. Being with

the physical Jesus would be amazing. And one day we

will right in Christ, those of us who are in

Christ born again. There's coming a time where we will

be in the very presence of Jesus. We will witness

his glory, his majesty. We will see him face to face,

we will hear his voice and that will be.

Too amazing to describe.

So one of these days, one of these days, so

Jesus said, it is to your advantage that I go away,

And that means that they really were better off without Jesus. Right,

If someone has the advantage, it means the benefit belongs

to them. It is it is their gain, it is

for their good. The meaning behind Jesus' words is it

is for your gain that I go away. It is

for your good, and you receive the benefit if I

go to the Father and send the helper the Holy Spirit.

I come from a tennis background, and tennis probably has

the strangest scoring system of any sport. If you've if

you've played it and have an understanding of the game,

you know that if you if you win the first point,

that's fifteen, right, I don't know where they got it.

But if you win the first point, you get fifteen.

If you win the second point, that's thirty. I don't know.

If you win the third point, it's forty, and then

if you win the next point, you win the game.

All right. It's pretty simple that way, unless unless the

game is tied at forty and they call that deuce, right,

and you have what would you say, oh, deuce, Well,

if you shouldn't, you shouldn't. You shouldn't have said that.

And in tennis you have to win a game by

two points, and so if you're at deuce, the person

who wins the next point has the advantage advantage Federer.

Would love to have said that.

A few times, meaning that if you win the next point,

you win the game. At that point in the game,

you have the advantage. And if you win the next point,

then you win the game. But if you lose the

next point at your advantage, then the score goes back

to deuce and you play until somebody wins by two.

The player who has the advantage in the game has

the upper hand in the game, and they are in

the best position to win the game at that point.

So I hope you get that if you get all

that about tennis. But with Jesus saying it is to

your advantage that I go away, he's telling the disciples

that he is putting them in the very best position

possible to accomplish great things. In fact, he says to

them in John fourteen twelve, he says this truly, truly,

I say to you, when Jesus says truly, truly, you

better sit up and take notice because what he's about

to say is pretty important. Truly, truly, I say to you,

whoever believes in me will also do the works that

I do, and greater works.

Than these will he do?

Why?

Because I am going to the Father.

That's a powerful statement from Jesus. Whoever believes in him

will do greater works than.

He because he goes to the Father.

This is this powerful, powerful stuff. We need understanding, We need,

we need insight into this to know how this applies

to us, because every single one of us who are

in Christ, it applies to you and me. It is

his will that you and I not only do the

works that Jesus did, but greater works than he. How

is that possible? How is it possible that you and

I would do greater works that what Jesus did. Jesus

said that we will do greater works than he because

he's going to the Father. So does that mean that

if he didn't go to the Father, we wouldn't do

greater things. Yes, that's what it means, because that's what

Jesus said, because he said, if I don't if I

don't go to the Father, then the Helper will not come.

And if Jesus only did great works while living in

the flesh, there would be limits because he could not

be everywhere all the time in the flesh by nature,

by nature, as the Son of God. Listen, by nature,

he lives outside of time and space. Right, the Son

of God. They're at creation. He spoke the universe, all

of creation into existence. He lives beyond time and space

by nature as the Son of God. But Scripture says

that he humbled himself. Right, he humbled himself, and he

came as a man, and he placed himself within the

constraints of time and space. He humbled himself. He put

himself as a man for thirty three years. He chose

to be limited by time and space. And as long

as he was a member of humanity, the Holy Spirit

would not be sent.

As long as he was.

In the flesh, there were limitations in building his kingdom

in the lives of all believers. In the flesh, he

could not take residence inside believers.

Amen couldn't do that in the flesh.

But if he went to the Father, he could send

the Helper, the Holy Spirit to reside in every believer.

John fourteen, twenty five and twenty six. Jesus says, these

things I have spoken to you while I am still

with you. But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the

Father will send in my name, will teach you all

things and bring to your remembrance all.

That I have said to you.

It's no secret that the things that Jesus did.

Were miraculous.

Right you'd love to hear read the stories, the accounts

the miracles of Jesus and his arrival announced that the

power of the Kingdom of God has come to defeat

the kingdom of darkness, to bring the light of life

to all mankind. Jesus himself said that the Son of

Man has come to do what to destroy the works

of the devil, to destroy the works of darkness. That's

why he came, and his arrival announced to the kingdom

of darkness.

Games Over, Boys.

And Colassians one thirteen and fourteen. Paul says these words,

he has delivered us from the domain of darkness and

has transferred us to the Kingdom of his beloved Son,

in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. In

the Kingdom of His beloved son Jesus, we will do

the same works as Jesus did in his mercy and love.

We will do the same works as Jesus in his

mercy and love. And here's where the greater works comes

in to the picture. And you need to hear this,

you need to understand it. For every one of us.

In the flesh, Jesus was one man right, he was

the son of God, but he was limited in the flesh.

He could not reside internally in the lives of his followers.

But by ascending to the right hand of the Father

and sending the Holy Spirit, no more limitations, no more limitations.

Through the dwelling Holy Spirit, Jesus now resides in every believer.

Are you happy? Because he assented to the Father and

because he sent the Holy Spirit, Jesus now resides in

every believer, and individually, we are to do the works

that Jesus did through the power and the anoying that

he provides. That's our responsibility. That's what we get to do.

We get to do the works of Jesus.

That's what I get to do. That's what you get

to do.

That's what you get to do.

That's what everything one of us gets to do. That's

what I'm called to do. That's what you are called

to do. The works that he did, later works.

Than what Jesus did.

Are all of us, all of us together, the body

of Christ, in every corner of the world. Oh, I

want you to get this. I want you to hear it.

In all the corners of the world and the nooks

and crannies of every place on earth, born again followers

of Christ doing the works of Jesus. That's something Jesus.

Could not do.

But if we are all doing the works of Jesus

all around the world, we will be doing greater works

than he did, laying hands on the sick, feeding those

who are hungry, buying shoes for those who don't have shoes,

and proclaiming salvation in Christ to all that would call

on his name. So it was absolutely necessary for the

earthly life of Jesus.

To come to an end through his.

Crucifixion, paying the price for sin, and his resurrection proved

that death could not control him, and because of his resurrection, death.

Cannot control us either. Amen.

He fulfilled all that was required to defeat death and

hell on the cross, and he lives forever in glory

and majesty, and one day, one day, we will behold

him in all of his glory and majesty, and we

will share in it. But while was still to come

was the birth of the Church at Pentecost, the beginning

of doing greater works than Jesus. Three thousand were saved

on that very first day, and after they were filled

with the Holy Spirit, they finally got it. They realized

that the Holy Spirit came to empower them to change

the world as witnesses of the power of God in

Jesus Christ.

And that's who we are.

We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to be witnesses

of the power of God for salvation. And this is

the result, and this is one of my favorite passages

of Scripture, Acts Chapter two, verses forty two.

Through forty seven.

And they devoted themselves to the apostles, teaching, and the fellowship,

to the breaking of bread and the prayers, and all

came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were

done through the apostles, and all who believed were together

and had all things in common. And they were selling

their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all

as any had need, And day by day, attending the

temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received

their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and

having favor with all the people, and the Lord added

to their number day by day those who were being saved.

The advantage of Jesus going to the Father is still

ours today. Let's pray, Heavenly Father, what a great advantage

that you have given us, of sending Jesus to live

a perfect life, to become a man, than to die

a criminal's death, to be raised again ascended to the Father.

And because he ascended and is seated at the right

hand of the Father, the Holy Spirit has been since

and dwells within all who call upon the name of

the Lord, the Holy Spirit our helper, the Holy Spirit

our counselor the Holy Spirit our convictor. And Lord, the

advantage you gave to us so that we would do

your works. And then all of us together, all of

us together, all around the world, doing the works of

Jesus you call the greater works. So Lord, I pray

that each one of us would recommit or commit ourselves

to doing the works of Jesus. Praying for the sick,

praying for the salvation of family members, buying shoes for

the shoelace, food for the hunger, just to sit and

be a godly presence with someone. Lord, May we be

faithfully obedient to your call as your people to represent

you in this world that is lost, dark and dying.

So Lord, have your way, have your way in Jesus name.

Amen.

Thank you for tuning in to today's broadcast. We hope

you are encouraged and challenged by the preaching of God's word.

You can reach us by phone at six one eight

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or our website FBC Woodlawn dot org. It's our prayer

that you answer the call of God on your life

to follow him and share your faith story with others.

Goodbye for now, and God bless you you