The Counselor (John 15:26-16:15)

We're gonna be in the Gospel of John.

We're gonna be at the very end of chapter 15.

You know, it always feels weird for some reason when we cross over a chapter in one sermon for some reason.

But remember the chapters and the verses, those were not inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Those were put in later on, just so we can say, turn to John chapter, you know, verse whatever, and uh and we can all literally be on the same page.

But if you don't have a Bible, please raise your hand.

We would love to bring one to you so you can follow along with everything uh that I'm saying here today.

You know, I feel like this passage in particular, I've been mentioning it, I feel like, for a month of what's to come here.

Because Jesus kept telling the disciples to do things that were impossible for them to do on their own.

You know, I kept mentioning this passage of the Holy Spirit because we can't follow the loving commands of Jesus without the Holy Spirit.

It's just impossible for us to do that on our own.

You know, as Ben mentioned last week, we're taking a few months to go through what Jesus probably taught in a matter of an hour or two, maybe even shorter, possibly, um, on this last evening before his crucifixion.

So these disciples are hearing about these impossible things, but then Jesus is immediately giving them the promise of the Holy Spirit afterwards.

So I didn't want us to lose sight of that as we're learning about all of these hard things that we as disciples are going to be going through, that the promise of the Holy Spirit is coming.

And that's where we are today in this passage.

You know, um, he's been telling them these hard things that he's leaving and that they can't come with him.

He's telling them to love and serve one another as he has loved and served them.

He's telling them to abide in him for everything, because they can do nothing without him.

And that they will suffer.

Remember last week, he was telling them they will suffer persecution and that the world is going to hate them.

But he keeps sprinkling in throughout the Gospel of John, especially since chapter 13, he's been sprinkling in that a helper is coming, that the Holy Spirit is going to come and dwell in them.

You know, and in our passage today, we're gonna get another sandwich.

We're gonna get the Holy Spirit.

Then he's gonna talk about them being persecuted and hated, and then we're gonna get the Holy Spirit again.

So we're gonna get that kind of on both ends today.

So I'm really excited about this passage.

So if you are able, would you please stand for the reading of God's word?

And this is just something we do out of respect that this is God's uh inspired word.

So we're gonna be starting in chapter 15, verse 26, and we're gonna read through 16, 15.

When the counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me.

You also will testify because you have been with me from the beginning.

I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling.

They will ban you from the synagogues.

In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he's offering service to God.

They will do these things because they haven't known the Father or me.

But I have told you these things so that when their time comes, you will remember I told them to you.

I didn't tell you these things from the beginning because I was with you.

But now I'm going away to him who sent me.

And not one of you asks me, Where are you going?

Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

Nevertheless, I'm telling you the truth, it is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don't go away, the counselor will not come to you.

If I go, I will send him to you.

When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment, about sin because they do not believe in me, about righteousness because I am going to the Father, and you will no longer see me, and about judgment because the ruler of this world has been judged.

I still have many things to tell you, but you can't bear them now.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.

For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears.

He will also declare to you what is to come.

He will glorify me because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.

Everything the Father has is mine.

This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.

Let's pray.

Lord, we thank you so much for your word.

We thank you for this section of John that we're in, where you're speaking to your disciples, where you're preparing them for what's to come, where you're assuring them of so many different things.

And Lord, as your disciples here today, your followers, the followers of Jesus that are in this church right now, Lord, I pray that you would speak to us through these words to your disciples, that we would be able to internalize these things and gain all that you desire for us to have.

Would you soften our hearts to your word?

Would you mold us and change us to be more and more like Jesus so that we can be abiding more deeply in Jesus day by day, we pray.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

He may be seated.

You know, so last week uh Ben was talking a lot about persecution.

And if the world hates Jesus, then the world's gonna hate the Father as well.

And if the world hates Jesus, then it's also gonna hate us as well.

And today we'll get into how the Holy Spirit shares that same oneness with Jesus and the Father.

And they all desire that same oneness with us as well.

You know, not that we become God by any means, but God desires us to become more and more like Jesus.

In John 17, 20, so we're not quite there yet, but this is where Jesus is headed as he's talking to his disciples.

He's gonna pray a prayer for his disciples that'll say, I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word.

So that's that's us today.

May they all be one as you, Father, are in me and I am in you.

May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me.

I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one.

I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.

You know, we've already talked so much in this section of John about oneness, and that that same idea, that same theme is really coming in heavy today in the passage that we're in.

But now Jesus is including in the Holy Spirit in that oneness.

So you're gonna get tired of me saying oneness today.

I'm just gonna give you a heads up because it's over and over.

But if it's repetition in the Bible, it's because we need that repetition.

We need to pound it into our heads.

Um, so that's just a warning of what's to come.

But let's jump in here on verse 26.

He says, when the counselor, now your translation may say comforter, helper, helper, or advocate.

We're using the CSB.

But it says, when the counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me.

You know, if nothing else.

Grasp the unity of the Trinity here today and in this verse.

You know, the Holy Spirit is continually proceeding from the Father and testifying about Jesus.

So they all work together.

They all work in unity, they never contradict one another.

Now look at verse 27.

You also will testify because you have been with me from the beginning.

You know, this may be a nod to their apostleship, and some people think that, but the world will hear of Jesus because of his disciples testifying about him.

You know, the same is true for us today as well.

But don't forget, verse 26, it's the Holy Spirit testifying of Jesus in us and then through us.

So it's the work of the Holy Spirit in us that even makes it possible to rightly and accurately testify about Jesus to the world around us.

Jesus goes on, chapter 16, verse 1.

I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling.

Your translation may say to keep you from being offended or ensnared.

You know, all these things Jesus has been talking about since way back in chapter 13 is to keep them from stumbling.

Again, do you see the care that Jesus has for his disciples?

For these disciples that are about to go out of this place and sin against him.

Look at the care that he has for these guys.

You know, this is an amazing example of the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.

The unconditional love that he has for each and every one of us.

You know, his love is obviously not based on performance, is it?

It's not based on the success of sinning less.

That's a good thing, but it's not, his love for us is not based on that.

He loves and cares for us enough to spend his last evening before the cross ministering to his disciples and focusing on others.

Jesus knows what he's about to face, but he continually chooses to focus on others.

So he goes on, continuing to prepare them and to help them from stumbling.

Look at verse 2.

They will ban you from the synagogues.

You know, if they aren't already in shock, I think this would do it, wouldn't it?

The cultural implications of this are something that I don't think we could possibly understand as Americans.

You know, this would affect every part of their life in a way that would make everything in their life more difficult.

They'd be these religious outcasts where their family members, they would be ashamed of them.

They would actually cut them off and act as if they never even knew that person.

And remember, John's writing this, and he's already gone through this.

You know, he had already experienced everything that Jesus is telling them, probably remembering when these things first happened to him as he's pinning this letter through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Now look at the second half of verse 2.

It says, in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to God.

Yeah, I think the perfect example of this is Saul, you know, Paul the Apostle.

He would be the prime example of this.

So upset that people were following Jesus and were no longer, you know, steeped in the law, dependent upon the Jewish leaders, that they were killing the followers of Jesus and thinking that they were actually serving God's purposes.

You know, and history tells us that all in this room with Jesus right now, except for John our author, would die for the cause of Jesus.

Each one of them would end up being a martyr, except for John our author.

You know, there's a chance that John wrote this after all the other disciples had been martyred.

You know, I just think about the emotion that John must have felt as he's writing these words after all of what Jesus predicted had already come to pass.

But the disciples Jesus is talking to in this passage, you know, just think of the bombs that are being dropped on them as Jesus continues to tell them these things.

I mean, they went into this evening, if you remember, arguing about who would have the highest rank in Jesus' earthly kingdom.

There's so much wrong with that.

But now Jesus is telling them that he's going away, that they're gonna be excommunicated from their culture as they know it, and people are gonna start to try to kill them thinking that they're honoring and serving God the Father.

You know, put yourself in their sandals for a second.

You know, that would be like, picture this.

It'd be like me telling you as you come in here today that this is the last day of everyday life as you know it.

Today is the last day that we're gonna meet as a church.

You're gonna lose your home tomorrow.

All your assets are gonna be frozen tomorrow.

And the people in this town are gonna try and kill you because you are a Christian.

And that all starts tomorrow.

And you walked into this service this morning just expecting an everyday Sunday service, you know, and like tomorrow is gonna be just like every other day.

How would you be doing right now if I told you all of those things?

That's pretty serious stuff, isn't it?

You'd probably have a lot of questions, wouldn't you?

That's what the disciples are going through right now as Jesus is telling them all these things.

And remember, they don't have the comforter, counselor, helper in them yet, the Holy Spirit in them yet.

So put yourself in their shoes of what they're going through as Jesus is telling them all of those things.

You know, and Jesus goes on with the why here in verse 3.

So look at verse 3.

They will do these things because they haven't known the Father or me.

You know, the people like Paul that we talked about that would carry these things out, these people are very religious people.

They're religious zealots that are willing to outwardly follow the law to a T, but inwardly are so far from God.

You know, Paul called himself, if you remember, the Pharisee of Pharisees before coming to Jesus.

You know, he called himself basically a life filled with law, a life filled with religion.

So much so that they added to the law because they wanted extra things that they could do on their own.

With the appearance of being the most devoted of followers of God.

Yet Paul's heart was so far from God.

And that's why so many in the Jewish faith just missed Jesus completely.

They missed their long-awaited Messiah that they couldn't wait to come.

And they completely missed him because they didn't know the Father, and they obviously didn't know Jesus as well.

You know, they were more interested in what they could do and how they appeared to others than knowing God on a heart level.

Think of how this must have grieved God's heart.

His chosen people are going to have his son killed and then his son's followers killed.

You know, and we can't sit here today and think for a second that this was a thing of the past.

You know, what we're talking about right now is really the definition of legalism.

It's like saying, you know, I'm going to obey the laws and keep up appearances, but have no heart-level relationship with God.

I'm going to study, I'm going to memorize scripture, I'm going to win every debate that I get in, but have no relationship with Jesus.

I'm going to judge every other Christian and every other church because they don't meet my standards, but not have a relationship with Jesus.

You know, legalism is like knowing everything about a person, but never meeting them.

Knowing everything about God, but having no relationship.

When you think about that in every other regard, that's called a stalker.

I've seen the t-shirts already.

Stalkers for God.

But Ben can have his greeting cards.

I'll have the t-shirts.

If you remember from last week, sorry.

Verse 4.

But I have told you these things so that when their time comes, or when the time comes, you will remember I told them to you.

Again, since chapter 13, preparing, assuring his disciples, getting them ready, so that when they do begin to suffer and get kicked out of the synagogue and have threats on their life that they don't begin to question.

You know, oh man, if what if we're what we're doing is wrong?

Like what if we got something incorrect?

Or even worse, you know, was Jesus really the Messiah?

They're going to be able to look back once all of this starts and say, yep, this is exactly what Jesus was telling us about on that last night.

This was part of what he was preparing us for.

You know, and it'll be the Holy Spirit inside of them reminding them of these things.

The spirit of truth reminding them of everything that Jesus told them.

He goes on in the second half of verse 4.

He says, I didn't tell you these things from the beginning because I was with you.

So up until this point, you know, if they faced opposition, Jesus was right there, able to tell them, like, don't worry, this is why these people are wrong, this is why these things are happening.

And he would walk them through anything that they came up against, any resistance.

And he was the one taking the brunt of it anyway.

He was the one taking the brunt of the persecution and the accusations that people were bringing to them.

But they're about to start taking the brunt of it themselves.

As Jesus will be going away, they're gonna need a helper to walk them through and to remind them of the truths that Jesus spoke to them.

Look at verse 5 with me.

But now I'm going away to him who sent me, and not one of you asked me, Where are you going?

So Peter did ask, if you remember, chapter 13, verse 8, uh 13, verse 36.

He said, he did ask Jesus this question, but he didn't wait long enough for Jesus to answer.

Instead, he asked a follow-up question that was concerning himself.

He said, Why can't I follow you now?

I will lay down my life for you, if you remember.

Even Thomas's question that he had in 14.5, it wasn't about Jesus, but how the disciples could get to where Jesus was going.

But none had asked, What's going to happen to you?

Jesus, how are you going to get there?

They never asked, Jesus, are you going to be okay in all of this?

Like, what's going to happen to you in all of this?

It was very self-focused, their questions and the thoughts that they were having.

And Jesus points that out, but he keeps unselfishly, notice, unselfishly ministering and looking at the needs of his disciples.

Verse 6 Yet because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

Now, what's interesting here is the word filled, it's the same exact word, different tense, but same exact word that Jesus used in chapter 15, verse 11, when he said, I have told you these things so that your joy may, that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete.

That word complete and filled, same exact word.

You see, Jesus wants his joy to be their joy and their joy to be filled to the brim.

But right now, his disciples are filled to the brim with what does it say?

With sorrow.

He's trying to teach them joy in every circumstance.

He wants us to have joy in every single part of our life.

You know, he doesn't want things like change.

He doesn't want things like the fear of the unknown or the fear of the future or even fear of persecution.

He doesn't want any of those things to steal our joy.

And he doesn't want any of that to affect the way that we're we're living our life.

He doesn't want us to live in fear.

You know, he just told them, peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.

I do not give to you as the world gives.

Don't let your heart be troubled or fearful.

In Matthew 6 27, he told them, can any of you add one moment to his lifespan by worrying?

Jesus doesn't want a bunch of followers that look like they've been sucking on limits.

He wants us to have joy in every Single circumstance of life.

And he wants his disciples to have joy right now and joy the next day and the next day, regardless of what the world's gonna throw at them, regardless of what the enemy's gonna throw at him, regardless of circumstance, he wants us to be filled to the brim with his joy.

And then look at verse 7.

More reassuring words to come here.

Nevertheless, I'm telling you the truth, it is for your benefit that I go away.

Because if I don't go away, the counselor will not come to you.

If I go, I will send him to you.

God never leaves us or forsakes us, does he?

You know, if Jesus stayed on earth after his death and resurrection, can you imagine the line?

You thought Disneyland was bad, but can you imagine the line to Jesus?

You would probably have to wait for years just to have a meeting with him and talk with him.

So Jesus says, it's actually better that I go so that the Holy Spirit can come live inside of each and every one of you individually.

You know, as these disciples split up and they go their different ways, as we see in the book of Acts after Pentecost, they're gonna have the counselor, comforter, helper, advocate in them, wherever they go.

That's gonna be speaking to them, guiding them, helping them, advocating for them at all times, individually.

You know, that makes me think of back in chapter 14 when Jesus said, Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do.

And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.

You know, we talked a lot about when we went through that, that the meaning of it was a greater scope of ministry that they would have.

They would have a larger territory, they would have a longer ministry than Jesus did.

And that only happens with the Holy Spirit in them as they walk by the Spirit.

You know, they could not have done that with Jesus only in one physical spot at one time on earth.

So Jesus says there's a helper coming.

He's gonna be in you, and you're gonna have him all the time.

And all of the disciples, including us here today, are gonna have that same benefit of the Holy Spirit being inside of each and every one of us.

You know, we're so spoiled as Christians.

As soon as we committed our life to Jesus Christ, we've had the Holy Spirit in us.

We don't know what it's like to follow Jesus without the Holy Spirit in us.

And I am so glad.

I don't want to know what that would be like because we get to see what the disciples did before the Holy Spirit and after the Holy Spirit, and it's a very big difference of what we see them doing.

And then one more thing here.

Uh, this word counselor that we see here in verse 7, it has another connotation to it beyond what we've been using so far.

And I want to dig in here a little bit because it's gonna help us understand where Jesus is going from here.

So the word counselor in the Greek dictionary says, summoned, called to one's side, especially called to one's aid.

One who pleads another's cause before a judge.

See the legal implications that are coming in?

Uh, counsel for defense, legal assistant, and advocate.

You know, and I point this out because I want us to see the legal side of this title of the Holy Spirit.

Yes, he is our counselor in the sense that he aids us, he guides us, but he's a counselor in the legal sense as well, our defense counselor.

That's for believers, not the world, but that's for those that follow Jesus.

Now, in verse 8 through 11, we're about to see the Holy Spirit's role in the world.

In verse 12, he'll switch back to talking regarding the disciples again.

But look at verse 8.

When he, referring to the Holy Spirit, when he comes, he will convict, notice that's another legal word there, the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment.

So as we define counselor in legal terms, for believers, he's for the defense, he's an advocate in our defense of righteousness through Jesus Christ.

But for the world, he's the prosecutor.

Bringing to light the guilt, convicting them of guilt.

You guys following along?

You kind of seeing the legal sense that's going on here?

Because this is really going to help us as we continue on.

But first I want to show you enduring word commentary has a great quote here regarding these three words that we see of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

And I want to put it up behind me.

It says, Sin is the truth about man, righteousness is the truth about God, judgment is the inevitable combination of these two truths.

Interesting, isn't that?

You can't combine sin and righteousness.

They can't exist together.

There must be judgment.

This is why we can't knowingly rebel and defy against God, you know, ignoring certain commands and then obeying other commands and expect to be in fellowship with him.

There's judgment for sin.

Now, for believers, Jesus was already judged for our sin.

When we came to follow him, we took on or we accepted his judgment in our place, I should say.

But the world will be judged and convicted because they don't know him.

But look at the work of the Holy Spirit regarding the world in verse 9.

So the Holy Spirit will convict the world about sin because they do not believe in him.

The Holy Spirit is the one that brings sin to light, exposing sin and guilt, convicting the world of it.

You know, before Jesus, individuals hold all of their sin on themselves.

You know, a debt that they cannot pay, but they keep holding on to the bill.

And will until they finally ask Jesus to take that bill and to pay that debt for them.

And until then, the Holy Spirit will convict them of it.

Let them know.

Like you have a debt that you cannot pay, and it's called sin.

So the Holy Spirit convicts about sin because it says here, they believe not on Jesus.

You know, have you heard that quote?

I don't know who it's from, but it says, We can bring Christ to man, but only the Holy Spirit can bring man to Christ.

We testify of Jesus, but the Holy Spirit convicts and then leads to salvation.

Verse 10.

He convicts about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, and you will no longer see me.

So Jesus is the perfect righteousness of the Father, proven by his ascension to the right hand of the Father.

Something he could only do if he was perfectly righteous.

Jesus is the perfect righteousness of God.

Before it was the law, right?

How am I doing in regards to the law?

Now it's how anyone is doing in comparison to Jesus' perfect righteousness.

And everyone falls short and needs the perfect righteousness of Jesus.

There is none righteous, no, not one.

And the Holy Spirit convicts the world of that and of its need for Jesus' righteousness.

In verse 11, it says, excuse me, he also convicts about judgment.

Because the ruler of this world has been judged.

So we've talked a lot about we live in Satan's kingdom physically while we're on this earth.

Jesus has allowed for God's kingdom, when we have given our life to Jesus, to be in us.

But the ruler of this earthly kingdom has been judged, it tells us right here.

And everyone that doesn't have the kingdom of God inside of them will have the same fate as their earthly leader.

And the Holy Spirit will convict the world of the judgment to come if they do not come to a believing faith in Jesus Christ.

And think about this: in God's mercy, he gives us our whole lifetime before judgment.

In any other legal system, you do the crime, you do the time, right?

And if it's a good legal system, it should be right after the conviction that you do the time.

You know, if you're convicted of murder, prison immediately.

They don't wait ten years to see, you know, if you reform, you know, and if you're doing a lot better than they let you off.

No, you commit the murder, you go straight to prison.

But God gives us our lifetime to ask Jesus to pay our debt, to ask Jesus to pay our time, to pay our penalty, to serve our death sentence that we deserve.

I mean, could you imagine if the first time we sinned we were immediately sentenced to an eternity in hell?

Mankind would stop because every little toddler in the world would be gone and there were, you know.

He gives us an in-between.

He gives us an in-between of our first sin and eternal judgment, and that's called our lifetime.

Now, the ruler of this world has been judged.

So why would we want to follow him into that same judgment that he has already taken on?

It's kind of like Satan is still in the courtroom with an orange jumpsuit on and handcuffs and bailiffs on both sides, and the Holy Spirit is saying, you can go with him to eternal judgment, or you can follow Jesus all the way to eternal perfection for the rest of eternity.

And it's like he's saying, You decide if you want me to defend you or prosecute you.

It's up to you.

Just a simple decision.

And the whole trial consists of one question Have you accepted the forgiveness of Jesus or not?

Shortest trial of all time.

Don't even need witnesses.

It's just that one question.

There's one way to be innocent, and there's a million ways to be guilty.

You know, that should really be a no-brainer, shouldn't it?

But Jesus goes on.

Now speaking again about the disciples.

So he changes gears a little bit.

He says, verse 12, I still have many things to tell you, but you can't bear them now.

I mean, their minds are already reeling, aren't they?

Filled to the brim with sorrow, as Jesus just said.

So could you imagine if Jesus just continued and told them everything that they were going to go through all in this evening?

So Jesus just gives them what they can handle.

He gives them what's needed, and he lets them know that the Holy Spirit will fill in the rest later.

He will guide them to all truth later, as he says here in verse 13.

Look at it with me.

When the Spirit of truth, now just remember real quick, Jesus is truth, right?

He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

So when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.

For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears.

He will also declare to you what is to come.

So he, the whole the Holy Spirit, is going to do everything Jesus did for his disciples in this same regard.

Yeah, I think this is another way of Jesus saying that the three persons of the Godhead will always be in agreement.

You know, when the Holy Spirit would come to indwell them, they could be sure that he would not contradict anything that Jesus had said.

And they both, Holy Spirit and Jesus, would never contradict anything the Father has said.

You know, so that somebody couldn't say, Well, the Holy Spirit told me to do blank, blank, and blank.

And it contradicts something that God, the Father, uh, or Jesus had said.

You know, a pastor, a friend of mine, once had a lady walk up to him after service and said, During service, the Holy Spirit told me that I'm to marry you.

And my pastor friend said, I think my wife would have something to say about that.

Obviously, the Holy Spirit didn't tell her that, because the Holy Spirit isn't gonna tell a woman to go up to a married man and say, Divorce your wife and marry me.

You know, it's just like that that doesn't that doesn't mesh, you know.

So what Jesus is saying is the three are never gonna contradict one another.

In the last line of verse 13, it says, He will also declare to you what is to come.

Just like Jesus is doing right now with his disciples.

Just like he said in chapter 15 that he would do for his friends.

Just like he has for us regarding end times and what is to come, and how to recognize the birth pains that are to come.

25% of the Bible, roughly, is prophecy.

One of the biggest themes in the New Testament is Jesus' return and what is to come.

He will also declare to you what is to come.

He goes on in verse 14.

He will glorify me because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.

Everything the Father has is mine.

This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.

What did Jesus just say about the Holy Spirit?

He will testify about me.

He's gonna point people to Jesus and continually guide Jesus' followers to Jesus.

You know, in verse 15, Jesus is once again pointing to the oneness.

There's that word again in the Godhead.

One God, three persons, never any contradictions between the three.

You know, and I want to end with this because we keep talking about oneness.

It keeps coming up since chapter 13.

You know, over the years I've often thought about what God desires in us.

And there's so many good answers to that.

We find so many of those things in Scripture.

But if Jesus were to come back today, what would he be thrilled to find his followers doing?

You know, I think from chapter 13 through our text today, Jesus just sums it up really nicely of what he wants his disciples to be doing.

I think he would be thrilled to find his followers surrendered to the Father's will, abiding in Christ and walking by the Spirit.

That's the theme that just keeps coming over and over and over as Jesus keeps talking to his disciples.

You know, he's been touching on this in a lot of different ways.

So surrendered to the Father's will, desiring what God desires, and praying for what God desires, and then doing what God desires.

The second one is abiding in Christ, staying near to him, depending upon him for everything, and recognizing that we can do nothing without him.

And then the third is walking by the Spirit, allowing God in us to live through us.

Allowing him to be our guide, counselor, comforter, helper, advocate, all of those titles that the Holy Spirit has.

Allowing him to do through us what we cannot do on our own.

And I think very importantly, as we've seen through all of this, doing all of those things in love.

Because we love God so much, not out of fear of what happens if we don't, but because we love God so much that those are just natural outpourings of our life.

You know, if you're here today and you've never accepted that forgiveness that Jesus is offering, if you've never thought about kind of the eternal courtroom of that one question of, are you a follower of Jesus Christ?

Has he forgiven you of your sin?

Have you accepted his righteousness and allowed him to pay the debt for your sin that you've accrued over your lifetime?

If you haven't done that, just simply ask him today, Lord, would you forgive me of my sins?

Would you cleanse me and wash me?

And I want to follow you for the rest of my life.

That's really it's as simple as that.

And then you follow Jesus.

And if you make that decision today, come up afterwards.

We would love to chat with you about that, pray with you, and and and talk to you more about what it looks like to follow Jesus in your life.

Would you please pray with me?

Lord, I thank you so much once again for your word, the truth of your word that's inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Lord, of desiring your will above ours.

Surrendering ourselves completely to what you have for us.

Abiding in Jesus more nearly, more closely on a daily basis as we become more and more like Him.

And walking by the Spirit on a moment-by-moment basis, just allowing you to guide and to steer our life, allowing you to speak to us and to show us what to do next in every situation.

Or would you continue to help us in all these things?

Or as we've seen, Jesus has had a lot of loving commands in the last couple chapters here to his disciples filled with your love and your care for each one of us.

So would you show us how to live in that?

Would you show us how to reflect that to everybody that we come across?

And Lord, as we are gonna be hated by this world, already are, and probably it'll become more intense as time moves on.

Would you just show us how to walk in that?

That we would never allow the enemy to steal our joy.

That we would just have the recognition in our minds of you on your throne at all times, and that the circumstances of our life, the circumstances of this world will never change that.

Show us how to walk by your spirit in all of these things and to be joyful followers, and that the world would see us and know that we are your followers because of the love that we have for you and the love that we have for one another, we pray.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.