John 16:4-15 “Personal Power”

You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

Our passion is to experience and express grace. Join us.

The morning of January 3rd, 2023, Southwood's three pastors met in the lodge to pray for the

new year. Rain fell steadily outside and all of the sudden rain fell steadily inside as well.

Water poured through everywhere, pouring through ceiling tiles, down walls. There was standing

water in restrooms. It was all through the hallway, running into the main room. Later, we would learn

that a clogged drain on the roof of the lodge had caused the standing water to back up and get higher

and higher to the point that it began pouring in through the AC vents. That's never, you don't want

water in your AC vents like that. And it just kept coming and coming. I wish I had taken pictures

sooner in the process. Here's a brief video of the aftermath.

It's not supposed to rain in the bathroom.

This continued for quite some time. It was much worse earlier.

But what you would have seen had you been there that morning was three pastors totally overwhelmed,

utterly powerless to do anything to stop this water. We were running around with towels

and trash cans. That'll do it. That's going to fix it. Towels and trash cans, filling quickly. We were

texting. That's why I was on my phone there. Texting every deacon we knew. Calling our facility's

contractor, help! Somebody, somebody please come help. They gave us instructions. They told us where to look

on the roof. We got to the roof. But when they showed up, we were no drier than when it started.

We used all the towels, collected all the trash cans, found every mop we owned, but we could not

fix the problem. Thankfully, some people are less overwhelmed and more helpful in a flood than pastors.

Call someone else. The deacons helped us. Helped us fix the drain immediately and in time then repair

the ceiling and the walls and dry out the whole building and be able to carry on.

Maybe you can relate to feeling overwhelmed and powerless like us that day. Just think spiritually.

For a minute. We've been called to be ambassadors for Jesus, his witnesses in this world. To reflect his

perfect image. To see our city flourish. To teach our kids of him. To love our enemies like him. To experience

and express his grace in relationships that impact eternity. That your life and my life should be so

soaked in the glory of God that eternity is transformed. Anybody feeling overwhelmed yet? You got that?

Just imagine Jesus' disciples here in the upper room. He's sending them out to love one another.

To wash each other's feet just as he has done for them even though they're presently arguing.

They are to testify about him so that the world will know that the Father sent him to earth.

In fact, they are supposed to so abide in Christ, to abide in Christ so deeply that they will bear

fruit that lasts forever even though the world will hate them and try to kill them.

Oh, and by the way, I'm out, Jesus says.

I'm leaving you. How do you think they're feeling?

Powerless?

Y'all, Jesus has been the power of this ragtag bunch, right?

He is the leader. He is the teacher. He is the healer.

They are fishermen and tax collectors.

They don't do that kind of stuff. They're like pastors trying to stop a water leak.

But while he understands their sorrow, their overwhelmedness, their feeling powerless,

Jesus wants to fill them with confidence and hope.

How in the world is that possible if he's leaving?

He must have something astonishing to say.

Perhaps, I think, the most startling statement he ever makes to them is here the night before the cross.

John chapter 16, middle of verse 4.

John 16 · chapter mention

Jesus says to them,

Just stop there for a second.

Put yourself in their shoes.

It is to your advantage that I go away, Jesus says.

Really?

Is that possible?

What are you saying, Jesus?

He'll explain.

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.

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 the truth.

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

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 he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Don't miss the power of a personal presence.

We are going to unpack this morning a bit the person of the Holy Spirit Jesus is promising.

But notice in this passage, Jesus doesn't give his powerless followers a long list of instructions,

things to do, follow these and fix the leak.

He doesn't give them a promise either that the circumstances will improve.

You know, people will stop hating you.

No.

The water will stop eventually.

No.

He gives them the power of a personal presence.

A helper who, like those Southwood deacons, would show up and do it with us and for us.

Information wasn't enough.

Change of circumstances was false hope.

But the incredible, I mean, really unbelievable promise is a person with us.

A helper, the word is.

Not a drill sergeant to yell orders at you.

Not on the other end, a complainer merely to bemoan with you how hard things are.

A helper, paraclete, directing, exhorting, calling you from alongside.

Tough and tender.

Calling you forward and crawling through the mess with you.

We need to take Jesus seriously even when he startles us.

He is repeating this idea enough now that we ought to know it's not hyperbole, okay?

He means something.

He's told his disciples that they will do even greater things than they have seen him do.

Really?

Is that possible?

He's telling them here it'll be better for them if he leaves and sends the helper.

Are you sure, Jesus?

Are we going to trust you on this one?

He will tell them that they'll receive power.

Where is their power going to come from?

When Holy Spirit comes upon them to be his witnesses around the world.

In fact, when Jesus identifies the good gift that his father will give to them, he tells them he doesn't even name himself.

What does he say?

The Spirit.

Maybe like me, you've thought since you were a kid that if you just lived when Jesus lived and when he was walking around here on the earth, that would do it for you.

You would have strong faith, right?

I would live passionately.

I would share the good news with everyone if I would just had Jesus here with me.

Jesus disagrees.

Look at the evidence of his disciples.

When Jesus is around with them, a few people believe, but many reject him.

His followers have little faith.

Jesus has to do most all of the miracles.

But then Jesus leaves.

The Holy Spirit shows up and bam!

3,000 trust Jesus after the first sermon and the numbers keep growing every day.

Peter, who just denied Jesus before a servant girl, now stands before the leaders of the community with the authority to take his life.

And he says, do what you have to do to me, but I will not and cannot stop speaking about Jesus.

The gospel goes to the Gentiles.

Demons are cast out.

And so many come to trust Jesus that churches are planted around the known world by the power of the Spirit.

Y'all, if we are going to be and to do what God has for Southwood, I believe he's telling us he's going to have to put some Pentecostal into some Presbyterians.

Okay?

And some of you aren't going to be very comfortable with that.

Not to mention your pastor.

Actually, it is very Presbyterian.

Or it used to be, and it should be, to say that our power is from Holy Spirit.

A person, right?

We set God in three persons.

Did we forget that there are more than two?

A real person, not a mere force.

Him, not it.

Fully God.

The third person of the Trinity.

We professed that earlier, right?

I believe in God the Father.

God the Son.

God the Holy Spirit.

We're going to see more of that here.

And Holy Spirit is not just telling us what to do.

He's not just sending us on mission.

He is joining us, paraclete, helper for us.

Let's see what Jesus tells us about this incredible power.

How could we possibly be better off now, Jesus, than we would have been then?

Well, if Jesus' physical presence was localized here, his whole life in an area smaller than Alabama,

the Spirit's presence is universalized everywhere.

I'll send him to y'all so you can bring my glory not merely to Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria,

but to the uttermost parts of the earth, Alabama included, but so much bigger.

The Spirit blows where he pleases like the wind.

Secondly, this powerful person is really present inside you.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you?

He's going to be so powerfully connected within you

that you'll know Jesus in ways the disciples didn't know him to this point.

They saw him, heard him, walked around with him, but now he's going to live in them all the time.

How was it, remember, that he told them they would experience full joy just in this last chapter,

just a couple hours ago perhaps?

It would be his joy in them.

And they've heard that and now Jesus is leaving,

so it would be understandable that they would be sorrowful.

In fact, without an awareness of and reality of Holy Spirit,

without finding true life in him,

what hope is there of ever tasting this full joy?

But Holy Spirit is bringing the joy and love and peace and more of Jesus

into your heart to overflowing,

so that you will bear fruit that will last,

fruit of the Spirit.

And you thought you'd never change.

Not if that fruit-bearing Spirit lives within you.

You are full of power, child of God.

Full of power by his Spirit.

That joy from Jesus is just one example

of the other thing you have to notice about this incredible power.

Holy Spirit is Christ-centered.

Always focused on Jesus.

Always shining the spotlight on Jesus.

We as a church are committed to being Christ-centered.

Good news.

So is Holy Spirit.

He's into that.

Jesus has already been telling us this about the Spirit that he promises to send.

He said it several times in this one conversation with his disciples.

There are more in this passage.

But look back to chapter 14.

He's going to ask the Father who will give you another helper

to be with you forever.

This Spirit of truth.

He dwells with you and will be in you.

Notice verse 18.

Jesus says,

I will not leave you as orphans.

I will come to you.

He's also leaving,

but I will.

This is his Spirit in a real way.

And then down a few more verses in verse 26.

The helper, the Holy Spirit,

will teach you and bring to your remembrance

all that I have said to you.

Chapter 15.

When the helper comes,

he will bear witness about me.

Me.

Jesus says.

You see what he's doing?

He's bearing witness about Jesus.

Life with his Spirit will be life abiding in Jesus.

It is beautiful how the Trinity works together.

We're going to see that more.

But he's starting to see how this personal power

could incredibly position us even better

than Jesus himself being in the room this morning.

Have you thought about that before?

That Jesus actually decided this was better for you,

for us.

Do you live with that kind of confidence?

Like you would if Jesus was standing right here next to you?

I might preach without notes if I believed that was true.

Crazy.

You might share about Jesus with your neighbor.

You might serve the poor during fall break.

You might confess your sin to your grace group

or stay around for all of my long sermon

that I preach without notes.

We might all be in it together.

If we really believed the power that Jesus says we have.

Why do we need this incredible power?

Hopefully some of that answer is apparent already

as we feel powerless toward the glorious tasks

that we've been given.

But what I want us to think specifically here

is how Jesus tells us exactly how Christ-centered the Spirit is.

Verse 14, he says it very plainly.

He will glorify me.

Come back to the rest of the verse.

But y'all, what we all need

is for Jesus to be glorified in our hearts and lives.

Okay, that's at the core level.

That's what we need.

That word for glory that we've talked about

as having weight.

Not that what we need so much is new information about Jesus

or that what we really need is our circumstances to change.

No.

We need Jesus and his words and his realities

to be as significant to us as they really are,

to carry that kind of weight.

And this is the work of the Spirit in the hearts of people,

those who don't trust Jesus at all and those who do.

So back to verse 8.

People need Holy Spirit

because we have missed Jesus at a fundamental level.

Holy Spirit comes to help us see him the way we ought to.

When he comes,

he will convict the world

concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.

The way we often say this is that the Father

in his eternal love plans salvation

and he sends the Son

who accomplishes salvation in his life and death and resurrection

and then the Father and the Son send the Spirit

who applies that salvation to our hearts,

to you and to me.

Because without him,

we are blind to the reality of Jesus.

And so Holy Spirit comes to convict us

concerning sin

because we don't believe in Jesus.

That's actually our greatest sin.

Trusting ourselves rather than him.

So a huge role of Holy Spirit

is showing us how desperately

we all need Jesus.

He's always doing that.

Secondly, the helper convicts the world

concerning righteousness

because Jesus is going to the Father

and not being seen any longer.

This is Jesus' vindication

in his triumphant resurrection and ascension

so that true righteousness,

our righteousness,

if we believe in him,

as John Bunyan reminds us,

is where?

In heaven.

Before God.

We stand right with God

because of Jesus.

Jesus has been the one

as the righteous light of the world

exposing its darkness

because his glory is brilliant

in its purity.

It's one of the ways

Jesus has been helper.

But now he calls,

as we saw a minute ago,

the Spirit,

another helper,

meaning like him.

Holy Spirit will show the world

our insufficient righteousness

and the glory of Jesus' perfection.

Finally, we need the helper

to convict us concerning judgment

because the ruler of this world

is truly judged.

Look, actually,

what he's doing

is shining the spotlight

on Jesus again.

It's not Jesus

who was judged

and defeated on the cross

as it may have seemed,

but the ruler of this world

who was defeated

in the triumph of Jesus.

And when we look around

and we see the world hating us,

when we feel

that the forces of darkness

are stronger

than the forces of light

in the world,

Holy Spirit reminds us,

no, the light

is always stronger

than the dark.

You have power in you.

Greater is he in you

than he that is in the world.

Don't you give up

or give in.

Holy Spirit is with you.

That's been happening

since he came in Pentecost

in power.

These untrained,

ordinary followers of Jesus

by the power of the Spirit

preached sermons

and shared meals

and suffered martyrdom

and saw people

in generation after generation,

nation after nation,

bow the knee

to King Jesus

and find his joy

and love

and peace

to be true life,

to abide in him personally,

so that recent estimates

are that around 3 million people

are converting

to Christianity

every year

so that we're rushing

towards worldwide numbers

nearing 3 billion Christians.

You may see

your need of Jesus,

the glory of Jesus

right now

for the first time

and you can trust him

to save you

by the power

of his Spirit

and you're one

among billions

where he's doing

that incredible,

powerful work.

All very exciting.

I hope you're excited.

But how do we plug in

to that incredible power?

Well, the beginning of that

is that Jesus

sends his Spirit

to us,

doesn't he?

So we are on

the receiving end,

palms up,

dependent posture.

We're receiving

the Spirit,

but what actually happens?

How?

How does that happen,

Pastor?

Listen,

as Jesus makes

a massive statement,

we can hardly

comprehend this,

but look back

at verse 14.

Holy Spirit

will take

what is mine

and declare it

to you.

Jesus,

to be clear,

verse 15 says,

listen,

all the Father

has is mine.

That's what I mean,

Jesus says,

by mine,

that the Holy Spirit

will declare to you.

Let me try to unpack that.

That's a lot.

John has told us

repeatedly

that Jesus

came in the flesh

to reveal God

to us.

The very glory

of God,

all that we need

to know about God

himself is shown

to us in Jesus,

right?

That's good news.

And this,

this takes it further.

Holy Spirit

comes

to help us

get it

and keep it,

all of it.

There is the power,

all that the Father

has

in Jesus

and when we remember

then

and shape our lives

around the glorious

reality,

the true weight,

the utter primacy

of God

so that nothing

even comes close

to competing with him,

we have power

that changes

everything.

The Father

has,

everything is his,

all that is his

is in Jesus

and the Holy Spirit

declares to us

everything

that Jesus needs

for us to know.

Maybe you've heard

that to live this way

we must preach

the gospel

to ourselves

every day

and that is so vital.

How needy we are

and how gloriously

our needs are met

in Jesus.

This verse

is the closest thing

I know in the whole Bible

to expressing

that heart.

Holy Spirit

takes the full

gospel goodness.

All the grace

of Jesus

is what you need

in every moment,

every situation,

every struggle,

every opportunity,

every heartache,

every joy

and what does he do

with it?

He declares it

to you

over and over.

Not new information

per se.

Things from the Father

that Jesus has said

and that he will say

through his apostles,

notice all the truth

from Jesus.

That means a specific

body of truth.

I am strongly suspect

referring to the New Testament

that these followers

of Jesus will write.

Okay?

That's what he's declaring

to us.

Jesus has been calling him

the Spirit of Truth.

So who's he going

to tell you about?

Jesus,

who is the way,

the truth,

and the life.

He speaks all that truth

into your heart.

See, he's not just

a spotlight on Jesus,

as wonderful as that is.

He is a megaphone,

clearly,

for Jesus.

A megaphone,

child of God,

from the inside

of your heart,

declaring above

the shouts of the world

and the cries

of your pain

the truth

about Jesus.

So you hear it.

so that when you look around

and conclude

that your efforts

with your child

or your friend

are hopeless,

he declares to you

that greater is he

that is in you

than he that is in the world.

That faith is being certain

of what we do not see.

That he who calls you

is faithful

and he will keep

his promises.

And he's saying,

that's real power.

When you're tempted

to behave inappropriately

with your girlfriend,

to look at images

on the screen

that seem to offer life

and significance to you,

he declares to you

the truth of Jesus,

that she is to be treated

as though she is your sister

until she is your wife.

That if you look

at someone lustfully,

you're committing adultery.

And at the end

of the pathway

that the adulterous woman

calls you to walk down

is death

while wisdom offers

true life

and he declares that to you

and that's real power.

When you deal with sadness

and darkness

and depression

and you begin to believe

it's never going to end,

he declares that the light

of Jesus

shines into the world

and will not be overcome

by darkness.

That even in the moments

when darkness seems

to be your closest friend,

God is working

for your good

and nothing separates you

from his love.

And as a result,

that one day

he will wipe away

every tear

from your eyes

and you will know

his full joy.

And he says,

that's real power.

When you're afraid

of sharing

with your neighbor

or your family member

about Jesus,

he declares to you

that God has given you

not a spirit of fear

but a spirit

of power

and of love

and of sound mind

that the spirit

that cries

Abba, Father,

that you're accepted already,

that boldness

is the right thing

to pray for

because Jesus

is not ashamed

to call you

brother or sister

so you need not

be ashamed

of him

and of his gospel

but to be full

of the spirit

and of power.

That's real power,

he says.

By the way,

those of you

ruthlessly eliminating hurry,

raise your hand,

you know who you are.

Yep, okay,

some of you are about

to go to a class about it.

this is why

you're doing that.

It's not so you can

feel better.

It's so you can

plug in

to this

power

so you can

open this word

and hear this spirit

declare this truth

and see

the glory

of Jesus

take its proper

place in your life,

carry the weight

it deserves

in your heart.

He promises

power, y'all

and we rush

through our scripture

reading without

stopping to listen

so that we can

go about our days

improving our lives

on our own

as though we

have that power

in ourselves.

So God gives us

a day every week

to reset our hearts,

to recharge

our batteries,

to plug into

true power

and we give him

half of it

mornings,

sometimes,

a bit late,

a lot preoccupied,

but we gotta get

there to hear

a couple tips,

you know,

some practical

how-tos that will

be powerful enough

to change my life

this week

and make me

instantly a better

parent and a more

patient spouse

and a more

successful person

and all the time

we are missing

the true power.

We wonder

why we're

feeling so frantic

and so self-focused

and so powerless

some days.

Listen,

I wanna tell you

something

that is really

good news

but it won't

sound like that

at first.

This mission

Jesus gives

his followers

to see his glory

fill the earth,

to testify to him,

in case you didn't

notice earlier,

not only does the

spirit testify

about Jesus,

we do.

It's not getting

any easier

in our day,

in our culture.

The water won't

stop flooding in

but you're not

going under.

He promises

the helper

is not leaving us.

We're not fighting

on our own.

Did you get that?

You're not on your own.

Southwood,

we know a lot

and we have a lot

but what we most

need is

Holy Spirit

power.

Holy Spirit

is showing us

and our neighbors

the truth

about Jesus

whether it looks

like it or feels

like it to you

or not.

He is powerfully

drawing us to God

so that his glory

will fill the earth

so you receive

that power

to abide in Jesus

as you meet Jesus

in his word

and meditate on it.

As you meet Jesus

by his spirit

in the Lord's

supper

to empower you

for life with him.

as you meet Jesus

in his people

as you go to your

grace group

where he's present

by his spirit

living in them

right?

And you think

there's power

there's hope

there's joy for us

because the spirit

is here.

But in all those places

you get this

incredible power

by asking

by asking

by asking

your good father

you ask him

for a good gift

how much more

will he give you

the Holy Spirit

the best gift

because he has the power

to point you

to the son

who shows you

the father

so that you live

in relationship

with God

and the fullness

of his power.

You can ask

anytime.

You can ask

this afternoon

you can ask

tomorrow morning

maybe you want

to start

every day

waking up

Holy Spirit

I need you

thank you

that you're with me

I need you

more and more

come fresh

we're gonna

we're gonna ask

right now

if you'd like

as our worship

team helps you

so that I don't

lead you in singing.

Whether the spirit

lives in you

already

or not

you can ask

the father

to send him

to you

right now

to guide you

into all truth

to help you

see the glory

of the father

in the grace

of his son.

For more information

visit us online

at southwood.org