John Ch14v15-26 - Enjoying The GIft Forever

So we're going to read from John's Gospel, chapter 14, from verse 15 down to verse 27.

Just wait for the others to come back there.

So let's read John chapter 14, verse 15 to verse 27.

John 14:15

This is Jesus speaking to his disciples.

If you love me, keep my commands.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth.

The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.

But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

I will not leave you as orphans.

I will come to you.

Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me.

Because I live, you also will live.

On that day, you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.

The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.

Then Judas, not Judas Iscariot, said,

But Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?

Jesus replied,

Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.

My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching.

These words you hear are not my own.

They belong to the Father who sent me.

All this I have spoken while still with you.

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,

will teach you all things, and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Peace I leave with you.

My peace I give you.

I do not give to you as the world gives.

Do not let your hearts be troubled,

and do not be afraid.

Well, let's ask for God's help as we look at this together.

Let's pray.

Father, thank you for John's Gospel.

Thank you for this written account of the Lord Jesus Christ,

God's wonderful gift to the world.

And we pray that as we read and look at these words together,

that they would become life to us,

nourishing us and feeding us,

bringing new life and causing us to grow and mature,

causing us to become fruitful,

causing us to be the kind of people you want us to be.

By your Holy Spirit,

do an effective work in our lives today,

individually and together,

so that as we leave this building,

we will go and encourage people,

a changed people,

trusting you,

and knowing how awesome and how wonderful you are.

So would you please do that for us?

Would you bless us today?

Would you give to us what we need?

We ask for your help.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, as we've entered into this Christmas season,

and as we reflect about the birth of Jesus Christ,

I can't help thinking,

wouldn't it have been great to have been there?

I mean, yes, we have the written account,

we have John's Gospel,

which we've just been reading together,

but it's really not the same,

is it, to be reading what's on a page

and seeing the actual Lord Jesus.

I mean, could you imagine,

stretch back in your memory,

well, not your memory,

but in your minds,

stretch back and imagine,

if you were there with the shepherds

when the angel appeared

and you went to visit,

or that you travelled with the Magi

and you brought your gifts

to this baby.

Or maybe you're thinking,

I would like to have been Simeon or Anna,

waiting all those years

for the arrival of God's Messiah

and then holding the very Messiah

in your arms

to meet and see the real Jesus.

Wouldn't that be good?

Wouldn't that be better

than what we're experiencing now?

Or how about being with Jesus

as he grew up?

Maybe being his neighbour

or maybe a buddy of his at school.

Or thinking about Jesus

later on in his life

as a carpenter,

maybe working with him

on some construction project.

Or what if Jesus were to just

walk in that door right now

and move a seat

and place it right beside you

and you turn and you look

and you kind of actually

prod and touch

and you go,

yes, this is a real person.

Could you imagine Jesus

being there with you?

And then going home with you

for lunch

and sitting down at the table

and eating food with you.

Yes, physically putting food

in his mouth

and drinking and laughing

and sharing with you.

the real physical Jesus

at your dining table.

Well, the disciples

were some of those

who had that real experience

of being with Jesus.

They had spent time with him.

But here we discover

something quite extraordinary.

Jesus has something better

for the disciples

and something better for us.

Have a look.

Just jump forward

to chapter 16 and verse 7.

Chapter 16, verse 7.

Jesus is talking about

his return to his father.

He had been sent by the father

and now he's returning

to his father.

Chapter 16, verse 7.

But very truly I tell you,

it is for your good

that I am going away.

Unless I go away,

the advocate will not come to you.

But if I go,

I will send him to you.

Yes, Jesus says,

it is better that I must go.

It is better for you

that I don't stay with you.

It is better that I leave

that you don't see me

in the flesh anymore.

It is for your good

that I am going away

and you won't be able to see me.

You see,

being with the shepherds

or with the magi

or with Simeon or Anna

or even with the disciples,

it would have been

a great experience

hanging out with Jesus,

walking, talking.

But the truth is,

it is for our good.

It is actually for our best

that Jesus

is not physically present.

Really?

Yes, it is.

Yes, it is.

Christmas is a time of giving

and Jesus is giving

a gift to us.

And this gift is better

than being with or seeing

the actual physical Jesus.

Look at our text

in chapter 14, verse 16.

Back to chapter 14, verse 16.

Jesus says,

I will ask the Father

and he will give you

another advocate

to help you

and be with you forever.

Who is this advocate

that he is speaking about?

Well, look at verse 25.

All this I have spoken

while with you,

but the advocate,

the Holy Spirit,

whom the Father

will send

in my name.

The Holy Spirit

is a wonderful gift

to us,

requested

by Jesus

and given

by the Father.

He's not someone

we can

get ourselves

or request ourselves.

The Spirit

is a generous gift

from God

to his children,

to those who

love and trust

in the Lord Jesus.

So who is this gift?

What is this gift

from Jesus?

Who is the Holy Spirit?

Well, two things

about this gift

that we're going to look at together.

First, the gift

we can know

and then second,

the gift

we can enjoy.

So first,

we're going to look at

the gift

we can know.

The gift

of the Holy Spirit

is not an idea,

something in our imaginations.

He is a person

who can be known

and experienced.

Look at verse 16.

I will ask the Father

and he will give you

another advocate.

When Jesus says

another advocate,

Jesus means

another one

just like

Jesus.

Not different,

not someone else

or something else,

but another one

just like

Jesus.

He is,

as we're told

in the beginning

of verse 17,

the Spirit

of Truth.

Now a spirit

isn't visible

in a physical sense,

so Jesus

is not

with us

physically,

but he is

present with us

spiritually.

Right now,

as we gather,

he is here,

he is with us.

So often

we think

it would be

much better

if Jesus

were here

physically.

Well,

if he were

here physically,

he would be

sitting with

just one person,

but he is now

present with

every person.

The point is,

Jesus is here

by his Spirit.

The only difference

is we cannot

see him.

Close your eyes

for a minute.

Go on,

just do it.

Close your eyes.

As you close

your eyes,

you know

there is somebody

beside you.

You cannot see them,

but you know

they are there.

Well,

Jesus is here.

It's just

we cannot

physically

see him.

He sends

us another,

verse 16,

advocate.

Well,

what's an advocate?

Someone who

comes alongside

you.

Kirsty,

my wife,

is an advocate,

not just for me,

but for the

deafblind.

She works

with people

who need

someone to

come alongside

them in a

supporting,

helping,

comforting

capacity.

It means

being able

to understand

where the

person is at

and then

giving

what is

required,

what they

need.

Well,

Jesus tells

us that

the Holy

Spirit

is our

advocate.

He comes

alongside us.

He's one

who knows

us

inside out

because

he is the

one who

made us.

more

than that,

Jesus

lived a

life on

this earth

as a

fellow

human

being.

He knows

what it

is to

experience

weaknesses

and fears,

loneliness

and temptation.

He knew

joy and

happiness,

tears and

heartache.

He understood

when people

were sick.

He understood

what it was

to lose

loved ones.

And so

he comes

alongside us

now by

his Holy

Spirit and

he gives

of himself,

look at

verse 16,

to help,

an advocate

to help,

to equip

us and

enable us

to live

life in

this broken

and disordered

world,

to comfort

us in

our sorrows

and in

our struggles,

to encourage

us and

give to

us what

we need.

So he

gives us

another

advocate

to help

us.

Verse 16,

who will

be with

you.

He will

be with

you.

Remember

how John's

gospel began.

Let's

remind

ourselves

of those

words again.

Let's

go to

chapter 1

and verse

1.

Follow

along

with me.

Chapter

1 and

verse 1.

This is

how John

opens up

his account.

In the

beginning

was the

Word.

And the

Word was

with God

and the

Word was

God.

He was

with God

in the

beginning.

God

became

one of us.

But then,

verse 14,

the Word became

flesh and made

his dwelling

among us.

The Word that

spoke the

universe into

existence,

the Word that

sustains and

keeps everything

in motion,

keeping everything

together,

the Word

became

one of us.

God

taking on

humanity,

God in

flesh,

becoming

one with

us.

We could

say, and we

could describe

it like this,

that God

moved in

with us.

He took up

residence as a

person on

this earth.

Now, as

incredible as a

fact as that

is, the

God-man,

Jesus Christ,

when he was

on this

earth, was

always limited

in where he

would be and

who he was

with.

Jesus could

only be in

one place at

one time.

Not in

multiple places,

all over the

place with

different people

all at once.

One place,

one time.

But now,

let's go back

to chapter 14,

he has given

to us the

gift of

his Holy

Spirit, which

means he

now is

with us,

all of

his people,

all of

the time,

wherever we

are.

Verse 18

tells us,

he says,

I will not

leave you as

orphans,

I will come

to you.

An orphan

is someone

without a

parent,

without the

caring,

loving protection

of a mum

or a dad.

So Jesus

says,

I will not

leave you as

orphans.

I'm not

going to

abandon you.

You will

never be

without me.

There will

never be a

time when you

can say,

I am not

there.

Wherever you

are,

whatever you

do,

whatever

happens in

your life,

I am

present with

you as

your helper

coming

alongside

as your

advocate.

But it

gets better

than that.

Look at

verse 23.

Jesus

replied,

anyone who

loves me

will obey

my teaching.

My father

will love

them and

we will

come to

them and

make our

home with

them.

Just focus

on that

text,

verse 23.

All of

God,

the

Father,

the Son,

and the

Holy Spirit,

we will

come and

make our

home with

you.

God

literally

moves in

with us.

He takes

up residence

in our

life.

We

celebrate at

Christmas,

God dwelling

with us,

God coming

in person.

Well,

that is

actually true

for us.

Through this

act,

God is

saying,

I want

to get

close to

you.

We might

think of

it this

way.

The final

act of a

Christian

marriage

is that

you would

move into

the same

home as

your spouse.

It's a sign

of commitment,

of loyalty,

and faithfulness.

You are

saying,

I love

you,

I care

for you,

I'm going

to move

in with

you.

But God

is saying

to us,

I am

moving

into

you.

The

God of

the

universe,

who made

the universe,

the universe

cannot

contain

God,

God,

but yet

God

comes down

and makes

his home

in

us.

Father,

Son,

and Holy

Spirit

dwelling

within.

What an

awesome,

amazing

truth.

And this

act of

God,

we're told,

will be,

again,

verse 16,

another

advocate to

help you

and be

with you

forever.

Forever.

Jesus was

born physically

into this

world.

He was

with his

parents for

33 years.

People knew

him physically

on earth

and then

he died

and then

he returned

to his

father.

But now

because Jesus

has sent

his spirit,

there is

never going

to be a

time when

he is

not with

us.

Look at

verse 19.

Jesus

says to

the

disciples,

before

long,

the world

will not

see me

anymore,

but you

will see

me.

Jesus

knows that

his death

and his

resurrection

are coming

soon.

And when

it does

happen,

when he

does die

and when

he does

rise again

and returns

to the

father,

he says

verse 19,

the world

will no

longer see

him.

Now

whenever

John uses

the term

world,

he's talking

about people

of the

world,

people who

are separated

from God

and need

rescued.

Like that

well-known

verse in

John 3.16,

God so loved

the world.

It's talking

about people

who are living

in rebellion

to God.

He loves

us and

came to

do something

about it.

Now in

verse 19,

he says,

the world

will no

longer see

him.

Those who

have rejected

Jesus,

those who

have refused

Jesus,

will not

see him.

But because

we have the

Spirit,

if we're

trusting him,

we will

see him.

That's what

he's telling

us at the

end of verse

19,

but you

will see

me,

because I

am going

to die

and I'm

going to

rise again

and I'm

going to

my Father

and not

even death

will be

able to

break the

bond and

the unity

that you

have with

me.

In fact,

our very

death will

mean being

in the very

presence of

Jesus himself

for all

eternity,

forever.

this is

the gift

of Christmas,

the gift

of the

Holy Spirit

requested

by Jesus

and given

by the

Father.

The

presence of

Jesus

with us

in you,

alongside

you,

helping

you,

forever.

That's

the gift

we can

know.

the

second

thing we

want to

see is

the gift

we can

enjoy.

The gift

we can

enjoy.

This

gift is

not just

to be

known,

but to

be enjoyed

and experienced.

So let me

give you

two things

that we

can enjoy

this Christmas

season and

on into

the new

year.

The gift

of the

Spirit,

how we

can enjoy

his gift.

Here's the

first one.

The Spirit

reveals

Jesus

to us.

The Spirit

living in

us will

reveal

more of

Jesus to

us.

Because the

Spirit's

longing and

desire is

that we

would all

know Jesus

better.

Look at

verse 17.

He is

the Spirit

of Truth.

What does

it mean

that he's

the Spirit

of Truth?

Well,

look at

chapter 15

verse 26.

Chapter 15

verse 26.

When the

Advocate

comes,

whom I

will send

to you

from the

Father,

the Spirit

of Truth

who goes

out from

the Father,

he will

testify

about me.

That the

Spirit

will testify

or speak

the truth

about Jesus

because he

wants us

to know

Jesus

better.

And we

can only

know

someone

better

if they

introduce

themselves

in the

first place

and continue

to reveal

and tell us

things about

themselves.

They must

speak to

us.

So how

is the

Holy Spirit

going to be

speaking to

you and I

so that we

can get to

know Jesus

better?

well,

look down

at chapter

16,

verse 13.

Chapter

16,

verse 13.

He's

speaking to

his

disciples.

Verse

13.

But when

he, the

Spirit of

Truth,

comes,

he will

guide you

into all

the truth.

He will

not speak

on his

own.

He will

speak only

what he

hears and

he will

tell you

what is

yet to

come.

He will

glorify me

because it

is from

me that

he will

receive what

he will

make known

to you.

A little

bit complex

but I hope

you can

follow the

sequence here.

There's a

pattern,

there's a

flow of

thought.

And it's

this,

Jesus makes

known the

truth about

himself to

the Spirit

and the

Spirit makes

known the

truth about

Jesus to

his disciples.

Jesus makes

it known to

the Spirit

and the

Spirit makes

it known to

the disciples.

That's what it

says in

verse 15,

chapter 16,

verse 15.

All that

belongs to

the Father

is mine.

That is why

I said the

Spirit will

receive from

me what he

will make

known to

you.

Jesus to

the Spirit,

the Spirit to

the disciples.

You see,

the disciples

were given the

unique privilege

and responsibility

of receiving

truth about

Jesus,

who he is,

what he came

to do,

what it means

to follow him,

and they in

turn have

written it

down.

That's what

John has

done.

The author

of this

gospel has

written down

the truth

about Jesus

so that we

can know him

better.

You see,

the Spirit

of God

takes the

Word of God,

Scripture itself,

and makes it

known to

us,

makes Jesus

known to

us.

So if we

want to know

Jesus better,

if we are

going to enjoy

him,

over this

Christmas season,

and on into

the year,

then we've

got to open

this book,

the Bible.

And as we

open up this

book,

we will learn

more about

who Jesus

is.

Jesus will

be revealed

to us more

and more in

a deeper

way so that

we can

experience him

in our

life.

Want to

know him

more?

Want to

know Jesus

better?

Let the

Spirit of

God work

through the

Word of

God into

your life,

and I

guarantee

you will

know him

better.

So,

the Spirit

reveals Jesus

to us.

The second

part of that

gift is,

how we can

enjoy him,

is the

Spirit

deepens

Jesus'

love for

us.

He gives

us a

greater

experience

of the

love of

Jesus.

God loves

us.

He loves

me,

and he

loves you.

And in

many ways

it's true

that we

cannot make

God love

us more.

He loves

us with a

steadfast,

loyal,

and faithful

love,

a love

that is

perfect.

However,

there is a

way in

which we

can experience

that love.

A love

that moves

from the

intellectual

to the

experiential,

from the

mind,

deep down

into the

heart.

Yes,

we can

know the

love of

God with

our head,

yes,

we can

write an

essay about

the love

of God,

but we

can know

and experience

the love

of God

in our

heart.

How?

Well,

let me show

you briefly.

Go back

to chapter

14,

verse

15.

Chapter

14,

verse

15.

Jesus

says,

if you

love me,

keep my

commands.

It says

something

similar in

verse 21.

Whoever

has my

commands and

keeps them

is the

one who

loves me.

The way

in which we

express our

love to

Jesus, if

you want to

say, I

love you,

Jesus,

it's by

obeying

his

commands.

Love is

not love

unless it

is expressed

in

action.

Now,

look what he

says when

we obey,

when we

obey his

commands.

What does

he say?

Look at the

rest of

verse 21.

The one

who loves

me,

in other

words,

the one

who obeys

my commands,

will be

loved by

my Father,

and I

too will

love them

and show

myself to

them.

As we

obey,

we experience

the love of

God deep

in our

hearts.

the love

that the

Father and

the Son

enjoy with

one another

is a love

that we

get to

participate

and share

in and

enjoy as

we obey.

Now you're

thinking,

hang on a

minute,

Johnny,

that all

sounds a

little bit

like this

works

theology.

I obey,

God loves

me.

I do

better at

my obedience

and God's

going to

love me

more.

Is that

what it's

saying?

No,

no,

God loves

us freely.

He loves

us because

he loves

us.

Not because

of who we

are or

what we've

done,

but the

experience

of that

love

comes

as we

love him

in response.

Think of

it in this

term again

as we

think of

the marriage.

Kirsty and

I love

each other,

but unless

our love

to one

another is

expressed,

love is

just not

experienced,

is it?

As we

love one

another,

as we

show love,

that love

between each

other grows

and deepens

as we

serve,

as we

give

ourselves

to one

another,

that love

is now

realised.

But here's

the crucial

point.

We need

help in

obeying

the commands

of the

Lord.

And that's

what the

Spirit does.

That's what

the Spirit

does within

us.

He empowers

us to do

what God

commands.

Remember,

it's the

very presence

of Jesus

within us.

the Spirit

of Truth.

And He

loves the

truth.

He loves

to obey.

And so

the Spirit

within us

enables us

and empowers

us and

equips us

to obey.

Just as

the Father

gave commands

to His Son

because He

loved the

Son,

and just as

the Son

obeyed the

Father because

He loved

the Father,

so we have

received His

commands and

we love in

our response

and we

are invited

into that

trinity

of love,

experiencing

what the

Father and

Son enjoy

with each

other.

So the

more we

know the

love of

God,

the more

we will

obey Him

and the

more we

obey Him,

the more

we will

experience

His love.

love.

You want

to know

Jesus

better?

You want

to experience

His love

in your

life?

Well then,

let me just

encourage all

of us to

open up the

Word of

God,

not just on

your own,

with others,

and you will

get to know

Him better.

But not only

that, you will

experience His

love in a way

that you've

perhaps never

known before.

The birth of

Jesus is only

the beginning

of the story.

There is so

much more for

us to know

and enjoy.

The gift

of the

Spirit,

another

advocate,

a helper

with you

forever.

Let's pray.

Lord Jesus,

thank you

for the

wonderful

request

that you

made to

your Father

to send

another

advocate,

a helper,

the Holy

Spirit.

Thank you,

Father,

for sending

your Spirit

into our

life.

Thank you,

Jesus.

Thank you,

Father.

Thank you,

Holy Spirit,

for making

your dwelling

in our

life.

Coming

alongside,

comforting,

strengthening,

and helping.

How we

long to

know you

better.

How we

long to

experience

your love.

And I

pray that

that may

be true

for each

one of

us.

Help us,

we ask.

Thank you

for the

gift of

your Holy

Spirit to

us today

and forever.

In Jesus'

name.

Amen.

We're

going to

sing as

we close.

Amen.

Amen.