Help From The Father

Well, this past week, my kids approached me, several of them, and asked for help.

!

One asked for help with math.

Now, the first that asked for help was help with reading, my little seven-year-old.

And I can handle that, and I enjoy that.

Here's kind of a look at some of the things that we were reading.

Bill and Sam are in a mess.

A man from the mill yells at Bill and Sam.

I can handle that.

I can help him get through those words.

That was manageable.

And my daughter, who is eight, also asked for help.

She asked for help with spelling.

And here's what I had to anticipate with helping with spelling.

Hold, mild, post, mind, sold.

I got that one.

I can handle that one.

Yes, I can be a resource for help for those words.

But then I had a daughter who asked for help with math.

Let's see this one.

Eight cosine theta minus four, the square root of three equals zero.

Please put your answer in radians.

Let's just say we all need help with this one.

Now, I have a little bit of background in math, being an engineer.

And having gone through, you know, pre-calculus and calc one, two, and three,

and differential equations in college.

But I had to kind of knock off the cobwebs and clear some space for 20 years of not having

accessed this kind of information before.

And so it took some time to figure out how in the world to even begin with an equation

like this.

Now, for some of you, perhaps, out there, eight cosine theta minus four, the square root

of three equals zero is just like elementary reading.

Bill and Sam are in a mess.

But for the rest of us, this is a difficult and challenging scenario, one that not only makes

us scratch our head and think, where do I begin?

But then we begin to understand that we are people who really do need help.

Now, as I think about the help that we each have access to, the help that Jesus had been

talking about through these chapters of the Gospel of John, in John chapter 13, 14, 15,

John 13 · chapter mention

and 16, and we'll get to chapter 16 this morning, he informs us that there is a helper.

He talks about it over and over and over again.

We see it five times in this short piece of time that Jesus is spending with them.

And I'll put those up there on the screen for you to see.

Five times, Jesus refers to the helper, the helper that they have access to.

These disciples have help.

Now, the problem for us, maybe the biggest hurdle that keeps us from experiencing help

is we just don't think we need help.

We think we have things under control.

And as a matter of fact, when we don't have things under control, we make sure that we

arrange the circumstances and manage the conflicts so that eventually we can control the situation.

Or we avoid the risky aspects of life.

We avoid the things in life that require us to need help.

And so because we don't need help, we don't get help.

And because we don't need help, we don't experience the wonder of the Holy Spirit working in our life.

We never come to really know that the Spirit is there for help.

Divine help.

Godly help.

Risk-taking.

God-sized strength is at your fingertips.

It's accessible to you.

And this morning, I want not to compare the cosine theta to the help of the Holy Spirit.

They're in different stratospheres.

But I want you to understand that there is help for you in the mission that God has for your life.

And certainly Jesus wanted his disciples to understand that the mission that he was about to send them on was an impossible mission for them to handle on their own.

They would fall flat on their face without the help of the Holy Spirit.

But with the strengthening, enabling help of God working in their life, they would be able not only to meet the objectives that God had called them to meet,

to fulfill the purposes that God had called them to fulfill,

but they would move to the places that would be beyond their comprehension

with the help of the Holy Spirit working in their life.

The same Holy Spirit that worked in the person of Jesus to accomplish miracles and to cast out demons

and to calm the storm and to heal lepers and to distribute bread and fish

is the same Spirit that works in you today.

Imagine.

Imagine this morning.

Imagine this morning.

and allow him to do the work.

As we recognize our need for divine help

and as we ask for his help to flourish in our life.

Have you applied yourself to the task?

Are you enabled by his strength this morning?

When you show up in your workplace tomorrow,

will people see, have they taken notice that there is something distinctive about you?

because the Spirit is working in your life,

setting you apart, making your job and your work look different from everyone else?

In your behavior, in the way that you apply yourself to the task,

in your attitude, in your submission to your employer?

That's the work of the Spirit.

That's the work of the Spirit.

And that's what he will accomplish for you.

I want to look at the help of the Spirit, the help from the Father that he has given to us this morning.

And I want to look at these last five scenarios,

these last five statements that Jesus makes about the Holy Spirit,

the helper in our life,

and what the helper has come to do.

How does the helper help you?

Well, first of all, in verses 26 at the end of chapter 15,

we're going to pick up where we left off last week,

to chapter 16, verse 4,

we recognize that the Spirit is there to help to confirm your witness.

The Spirit helps to confirm your witness.

That is point number one.

Let me read these verses for us,

and then we'll dig into the text.

Beginning in verse 26,

But when the helper comes,

whom I will send to you from the Father,

the Spirit of truth,

who proceeds from the Father,

he will bear witness about me.

And you also will bear witness,

because you have been with me from the beginning.

I have said all these things to you,

to keep you from falling away.

They will put you out of the synagogues.

Indeed, the hour is coming,

when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.

And they will do these things,

because they have not known the Father, nor me.

But I have said these things to you,

that when their hour comes,

you may remember that I told them to you.

I did not say these things to you from the beginning,

because I was with you.

We saw last week that the Holy Spirit's primary ministry to the world

is a ministry of testifying about Christ.

It's a ministry of making Christ known to the world.

The Spirit bears witness about me, Jesus says,

and you will bear witness about me.

When the Spirit is in your life,

the Spirit will do the job of testifying to the Father,

and to Jesus.

And so as you live out your life,

your life will be a testimony,

a reflection of Jesus.

He will show up in the way that you speak,

in the way that you behave,

in the words that you use,

and in the way that you say those words.

We also saw last week that the work of the Holy Spirit

is clearest in times of persecution.

Light shines brightest in the darkest night.

In the midst of persecution,

your light will be the most radiant.

And that's when the Spirit loves to do His work.

The Spirit loves to do His work in the midst of your weakness

to help magnify the strength of God.

There's a picture that Jesus is giving to His disciples

as He moves them through these final hours.

He wants them to understand that there is a public proclamation.

That when you bear testimony of Jesus,

it's going to show up in the words you say,

but also show up in the works that you do.

As in Jesus' life,

His miracles gave testimony

and affirmed and validated

the words that came from the Father.

It demonstrated that He was authentic,

that He was genuine,

that things that He was saying were true and right.

And when we give testimony to Jesus,

we echo the things that Jesus says about Himself.

We echo that He is the way,

the truth,

and the life.

We echo that He is the resurrection

and the life.

He's the door.

He's the light of the world.

He's the good shepherd.

He's the vine.

He is the bread of life.

All of these things that Jesus says about Himself,

our life is a reflection of that reality.

We show that Jesus as the bread of life is sufficient.

He nourishes our heart.

Jesus as the vine,

we've seen He's the one that we abide in fellowship with Him.

We enjoy and are satisfied with Him alone.

There is a witness of works that shows up in our life.

And it requires divine help in order for us to show properly.

Now moving to verses 1 through 4,

we see some of the details.

Jesus wants His disciples to understand

that they're going to encounter some pushback,

some opposition, antagonism from the world.

And He gives them some specifics.

What can you expect?

You're going to need help.

Excuse me, Jesus says.

Take a drink.

You're going to need help.

But you've been given divine power.

You're able to make your way through the conflict

because I have given you strength.

I've given you divine energy.

I've given you the Holy Spirit

who can help you to overcome the opposition,

to stand in the face of turmoil.

Jesus recounts several scenarios

that they will come to bear on their life.

And He talks about the significance of not falling away.

This word here in verse 1 of falling away

is the word scandalizo,

which, as you can tell,

is our English equivalent to scandalize.

It is speaking of a trap or an animal.

The little stick in the trap,

you see the box in the comics

and you pull the stick and the box falls down.

The scandalon was the stick that supported the trap.

He didn't want them to encounter

the trap that comes when hard things confront us.

He didn't want them to be like an animal

that was ensnared in a trap.

Jesus was going to eliminate the surprise

by telling them ahead of time what to expect.

One commentator puts it this way,

the greatest danger the disciples will confront

from the opposition of the world

was not death but apostasy.

It was not death but apostasy.

Jesus puts it this way in Luke chapter 12.

Luke 12 · chapter mention

He says,

My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body

and after that have no more they can do,

but I will show you whom you should fear.

Fear him who after he is killed

has power to cast into hell.

Yes, I say to you, fear him.

And Jesus later on begins to expound.

It says,

You will be hated by all by my name's sake,

but he who endures to the end will be saved.

The true follower of Christ,

the true disciple of Christ

will be the individual

who makes it to the finish line,

who does not fall away,

but who endures through times of difficulty,

who stands the test of time,

who demonstrates the power of the Spirit

working in their life

to endure whatever conflict,

whatever hardship

that they will be confronted with.

They demonstrate that the Spirit

is working in their life.

But Jesus wants his disciples

not to be caught off guard.

Don't be surprised.

Hardship is coming.

And what makes this hardship

particularly difficult

is that in both of the examples

that Jesus gives here,

they both involve opposition,

not that comes from the world,

but opposition that comes

from the religious.

Look at this.

They will put you out of the synagogue,

he says in verse 2.

He says in verse 3,

they will do these things

because they have not known the Father.

They will think that they're offering

sacrifices to God,

he says at the end of verse 2.

These are individuals

who have some level of spirituality,

and yet they oppose you.

Now we can expect

that opposition will come from the world.

We can sort of anticipate that,

but when it comes

from within the church,

or when it comes

from religious individuals,

that's when it becomes

hard to understand.

John, in dealing with the same issue,

in 1 John,

he's writing a letter

to the church of Ephesus,

and he wants the church

who has remained

to understand

that the folks

who have left

demonstrate

that they really weren't

a part of God

in the first place.

Jesus is dealing

with the same issue here.

He wants his disciples

to understand

that the opposition

that comes

from the people

who are least expected

might perhaps

be the most

confusing

and hard

for us

to decipher.

How can

this happen

from people

within the church?

But MacArthur

puts it this way.

He says,

when I came out of seminary,

I knew

I would be fighting

battles on issues

such as inerrancy

and inspiration,

the authority of Scripture

and sanctification,

but I never

really believed

that I would spend

so much of my ministry

trying to defend

the gospel

inside the church.

From the very beginning

of my ministry,

I was aware

that the churches

were full of people

who didn't understand

the gospel.

Sometimes it's alarming

and confusing

when opposition comes,

from people

who you would expect

to be the representatives

of God's word,

even leaders

within a church.

Jesus wants

to make them aware

that this

is a certainty.

This will happen.

Don't be caught

off guard.

And this was

the disciples'

experience.

People from within

their own nation.

People from within

their own community.

People who were put

in positions of leadership

put them out of the synagogue,

put them out of the temple,

and Paul himself,

as being the major proponent

of it at the early part

of the Exodus

from Jerusalem,

thought he was doing

a service to God

by persecuting

the church

within Jerusalem.

The greatest hurdle,

as I've said,

to getting help

is knowing

that we need it.

And perhaps

the greatest reason

why we don't understand

our need for help

is because we

never have

a testimony,

we never bear

the kind of testimony

in the world

that is distinctive

enough

to receive

opposition.

I think of our witness

as students,

and I think of

the compromise

that many of the students

within this church

probably go through.

Temptation to cheat

or to plagiarize.

Temptation to do work

for a friend.

Temptation to criticize

authority.

Temptation to be part

of the bullying

that takes place

so often within

the school system.

Temptation to ignore

students who are

kind of outcasts.

But God has called us

to something distinctive.

He has called us

to something better.

He has called us

to operate within

the power of the Spirit

to demonstrate

the love of God

in the world.

Or how about

the workplace?

The compromise

to fudge

a little on your numbers

or to cut corners

in your work.

The temptation

to undermine

your boss

or another employee.

to do whatever

it takes

to get ahead.

To have that

cutthroat strategy

that is the proven

strategy

to get that promotion.

So we adopt

the world's strategies

and we don't look

distinctive.

And because we don't

look distinctive

we demonstrate

that we are taking

matters into our hands

instead of leaning

and resting

in the power

of the Spirit

to do a work

in our life.

Imagine

a life

empowered

by the Spirit

today.

You're going

to need help

but Jesus

has given

His divine helper

to help you

in the situation

whatever that situation

might be.

As a student

as a mom

as a dad

as an employee

wherever you may be

Jesus wants you

to be a witness

and He has given

His help

to confirm

that witness

in your life

to strengthen

and magnify

Himself

through

your life

through the witness

of Christ

who has transformed

you.

Secondly

we see

that Jesus

is also given

help by the Spirit

to convict

the world

of sin.

Help

to convict

the world.

We see that

in verses

5 to 11.

Let me read

that for us.

Jesus says

but now I am

going 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.

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

and when He comes

He will convict

the world

concerning sin

and righteousness

and judgment

concerning sin

because they do not

believe in me

concerning righteousness

because I go to the Father

and you will see me

no longer

concerning judgment

because the ruler

of this world

is judged

you have a helper

given to assist you

in making much

of Jesus

in this world

of making

the gospel

clear

in this world

when Jesus

talks about

this word

of convicting

He is talking

about the word

reveal

He is talking

about to expose

He is talking

about to make

light of

we are going to

get to this

in just a moment

but just because

someone's life

is exposed

does not mean

they automatically

are converted

Jesus wants

His disciples

to understand

you are not

alone

in making

much of me

you are not

alone

in exalting

Jesus

the name of

Jesus

in the public

you will have

help

and the Spirit

will convict

the world

but before He does

He lets them know

that something

has to happen

first

before He can

send the Spirit

to them

He must first

go away

He says

now I go

away to Him

who sent me

Jesus has said

this at least

three other times

in His

conversation

this night

with the disciples

and then He makes

an interesting

statement

He says

in no one

asks me

where I am

going

but sorrow

has filled

your heart

now if you are

remembering

this narrative

and you have

read through

chapters 13

to 16

recently

you might

be scratching

your head

and wondering

but wait

a second

Peter

asked you

specifically

where you are

going

at the end

of chapter 13

and Philip

asked you

where you are

going

at the beginning

of chapter 14

what are you

talking about

Jesus

none of you

has asked me

where I am

going

what Jesus

is referring

to is not

the kind

of question

that at the

surface

seems to have

some interest

what Jesus

is talking about

is the kind

of question

that is

penetrating

and is concerned

about the

individual

that they are

asking about

it is kind

of like

a dad

who has

promised

his son

hey on

Saturday

we are

going to

go fishing

well Saturday

comes and dad

gets a call

from work

that says

there is an

emergency meeting

there is things

that need to

happen

and then he

packs up his

briefcase

and walks

out the

door

and the

son says

where are

you going

but the

son has

little concern

about what

the father

is actually

doing

and more

concern

about how

the father's

decision

affects him

personally

that is what

Jesus is

talking about

Jesus

understands

that at the

heart

of the

questions

that they

were asking

initially

had more

to do

with their

inconvenience

and less

to do

with the

implications

that were

coming

so Jesus

takes this

opportunity

to say

I know

that you

understand

that something

radical is

going to take

place

I know

that you

kind of

get it

that I'm

going to

be leaving

you may

not understand

all that's

going to

unfold here

in the next

few hours

as we read

throughout the

gospels

that although

Jesus had

told them

on at least

three occasions

that he was

going to die

and he was

going to be

handed over

and that he

was going to

rise again

it says

that they

still did

not understand

the saying

it was

hidden

from them

so they

didn't

understand

that Jesus

was going

to die

but they

did kind

of get

it

that he

was going

to leave

and so

confusion

and sorrow

filled their

heart

but Jesus

wants to

turn them

from sorrow

and grief

to rejoicing

because it

is not until

or unless

he leaves

that the

Holy Spirit

can show up

in their

life

as we see

in verse

7

it is to

your advantage

that I

go away

then the

helper

will come

Jesus

wanted them

to understand

that his

departure

was actually

a cause

for rejoicing

not for

sorrow

because in

his leaving

there would

follow a

sending

a sending

and a helping

from the

Holy Spirit

that was

a mind

bending

truth

they weren't

going to

grasp that

evening

but they

would come

to understand

it later

the Spirit

he's going

to come

and not

only come

as we find

in chapter

14 verse

17

look at this

with me

for a second

not only

would he

come

but we

find at the

latter

end of

verse 17

you know

him

for he

dwells

with you

and he

will be

in you

significant

change

was going

to take

place

instead of

the Spirit

of God

resting on

a life

empowering

a life

now

because of

Christ

finished work

on the

cross

and his

resurrection

there would

be now

an indwelling

of the Spirit

in their

life

it wasn't

that the

Holy Spirit

and Jesus

can't occupy

the same

space

but it was

that the

Holy Spirit

could only

come

and could

indwell

a life

once

Jesus

had finished

his work

of redemption

on the

cross

and it

was through

the Spirit's

indwelling

that now

incarnation

would happen

in a different

way

it would not

happen through

the person

of Christ

but it would

happen through

the body

of Christ

his bride

the church

so that

wherever

the church

is

wherever a

believer is

filled with

the Spirit

there is

a representation

a likeness

to Jesus

there is

a shining

light

of Christ

that can

radiate

this world

in its

transcendence

through the

church

and through

the Spirit's

work

and when

he comes

we find

his threefold

ministry

here

in these

verses

verse 8

when he

comes

he will

convict

the world

concerning

sin

concerning

righteousness

and concerning

judgment

notice how

each of

these

point to

Christ

the Spirit

who testifies

to Jesus

will put

on display

the wonder

of Christ's

work

that will

expose

sin

sin

that fundamentally

is not

believing

in Jesus

as Jesus

says here

in verse 9

concerning sin

because they do

not believe

in me

every sin

that we

commit

is due

to a

deficiency

of faith

in God

we believe

that our way

is a better

way

we believe

that our way

is an easier

way

we believe

that our way

is a happier

way

that our way

avoids the

unwanted

pressures

that we face

and in taking

matters into

our hands

our lack

of faith

in Christ

leads us

to sin

but the

Spirit has

come to

expose

that sin

he exposes

the righteousness

of Jesus

as well

as Jesus

goes to the

Father

a representation

of the

fact that

the work

that Christ

did on the

earth

was accepted

by the

Father

the work

that Christ

did

fulfilled

the

standards

of the

Father

that Jesus

was the

picture

of righteousness

the completion

of the law

the only one

who could measure

up to the

standard of God

and in that

it helps

to expose

the inadequacy

of the

righteousness

in our life

as the

Sermon on the

Mount

so clearly

helps us

with

Jesus

takes the

Old Testament

law

and demonstrates

that what

we think

to be

the standard

of morality

is so much

deeper

he says

you have heard

it said

you shall not

murder

but I say

to you

that everyone

who is angry

with his brother

is liable

of judgment

he says

you have heard

it said

love your

neighbor

and hate

your enemy

but I say

to you

love your

enemies

and pray

for those

who persecute

you

Jesus

took the

Old Testament

standards

and demonstrated

what true

righteousness

looked like

not just

following the

letter of the

law

but it

went much

deeper

to the

heart

and exposed

the rottenness

of our soul

and the

spirit comes

to convict

the world

of judgment

because the

ruler of this

world is judged

it says

in verse 11

those who

abide in

Christ

as we've

seen

in previous

verses

will experience

the joy

of being

with Christ

and with the

father

but those

who align

themselves

to the

world

will experience

the judgment

that comes

on the

devil

and those

who follow

the devil's

footsteps

who are not

abiding in

Christ

will also

experience the

judgment of

God

there is

a lawgiver

there is

a standard

and there

will be

judgment

and the

spirit comes

to help

expose those

things in

a heart

and in a

life

he makes

the gospel

clear

he makes

Jesus

clear in

the eyes

of the

world

and we

entrust

the gospel

to the

spirit

to work

in a

life

of those

who hear

not only

to make

it clear

but to

draw them

to

affection

for the

savior

and finally

we come

to verses

12 to

15

we see

here that

there is

help to

clarify

the word

help to

clarify

the word

verse 12

says this

I still

have many

things to

say to

you

but you

cannot

bear them

now

when the

spirit of

truth

comes

he will

guide

you

into

all

truth

for he

will not

speak

on his

own

authority

but

whatever

he

hears

he

speaks

and he

will

declare

to

you

the

things

that

are

to

come

he

will

glorify

me

for

he

will

take

what

is

mine

and

declare

it

to

you

all

that

the

father

has

is

mine

therefore

I

said

that

that

he

will

take

what

is

mine

and

declare

it

to

you

we

read

these

verses

and

it's

almost

unimaginable

that

in

three

years

of

ministry

in

Jesus

speaking

and

teaching

and

preaching

to

the

to

the

masses

and

interacting

with

the

disciples

in

private

that

there

were

still

more

things

for

Jesus

to

distribute

in

terms

of

teaching

to

these

men

and

yet

they

were

weighty

things

they

were

difficult

things

things

that

were

beyond

their

ability

to

comprehend

and

beyond

their

ability

to

really

process

in

these

moments

but

the

spirit

would

guide

them

into

all

truth

the

spirit

would

speak

the

things

about

Christ

he

would

remind

them

about

the

things

that

Jesus

said

and

did

that

would

be a

testimony

to

them

of

God's

standard

for their

life in

future

ministry

but

we find

that he

would also

tell them

things to

come

he would

give them

more

information

to help

them appreciate

what

God

to

to

do

God

to

do

to

do

!

What would

they do

to deal

with the

growing

numbers

in the

church?

Well

in Acts

Acts 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6

we see

that they

elected

deacons

to help

minister

to people

who were

hurting

and people

who had

need

well

what would

they do

when

persecution

hit

when

the city

of Jerusalem

was

under

opposition

well

they

would

move

to

the

regions

beyond

Jerusalem

into

Samaria

and Judea

and the

uttermost

parts

of the

world

what would

they do

when

the

Gentiles

were

converted

what would

they do

about

circumcision

what would

they do

about

leadership

structure

within

the

church

well

the

spirit

would

inform

them

about

Jesus

and

help

them

to

understand

how

to

deal

with

those

specific

issues

they

could

lean

on

the

spirit's

help

to

direct

them

in

their

understanding

as we

think

about

our

own

lives

we

understand

that

the

spirit

wants

to

do

the

same

work

he

wants

to

lead

us

in

our

discovery

of

Jesus

in

our

appreciation

of

who

he

is

as we

find

in

verse

14

he

will

glorify

me

the

message

from

the

spirit

will

be

a

message

that

exalts

Christ

are

you

finding

in

your

life

that

there

is

a

deeper

affection

for

Jesus

day

by

day

are

you

finding

in

your

life

a

passion

to

know

him

more

is

there

in

your

heart

a

zeal

to

study

the

scriptures

and

daily

be

moving

in

maturity

and

understanding

and

appreciation

for

who

he

is

I

wonder

if

the

reason

why

we

don't

experience

the

spirit's

power

in

our

life

is

because

those

things

are

kind

of

put

on

the

back

burner

they're

not

so

important

yes

we

might

read

the

scriptures

but

when

it

comes

to

really

digging

in

and

asking

difficult

questions

it's

so

much

easier

just

to

pick

up

a

resource

of

what

somebody

else

has

said

about

a

passage

than

it

is

for

us

to

do

the

hard

work

ourselves

asking

good

questions

and

asking

God

to

help

us

make

be

more

aware

of

human

life

when

you

experience

hard

things

when

people

are

mean

do

you

realize

that

God

allows

those

things

to

happen

to

deepen

your

appreciation

of

him

your

experience

with

him

and

that

his

Holy

Spirit

is

there

to

help

you

in

those

hard

times

so

that

you

can

glorify

him

through

those

difficulties

is

there

an

affection

for

Christ

that

surpasses

every

other

joy

those

who

are

helped

by

the

Spirit

will

see

Jesus

for

who

he

is

they

will

long

for

deeper

knowledge

of

him

that

comes

through

the

assistance

of

the

Spirit

imagine

this

week

what

life

might

be

like

if

the

Spirit

showed

up

in

your

witness

imagine

how

the

world

might

be

able

to

see

how

wonderful

the

Spirit

is

when

he

sees

husbands

and

wives

who

love

each

other

the

way

God

has

designed

for

them

to

love

each

other

in

spite

of

not

being

treated

fairly

in

spite

of

not

being

respected

in

spite

of

not

being

appreciated

there

is

commitment

and

help