 title of our sermon this morning the ministry of the spirit the ministry of the spirit and what a Massive subject we come to when we consider the person in work of the Holy Spirit It's another Everest we stand at the foot of Everest and it's just too much mountain to climb We could preach many many many many many sermons on this we could preach many many days Certainly until someone falls out of window But we have one sermon one hour one introduction to the person in work of the Holy Spirit In our series on the essentials and so we're going to endeavor to do that I pray that you'll fasten your seatbelts take notes write things down and hopefully it'll help you and bless you as you consider This topic this morning and hopefully form a good foundation for us as we move on to other aspects of the spirits work In our verse by verse exposition of scripture once this series is complete The ministry of the spirit well through our study of the essentials We've had the joy and privilege over the last several weeks to consider the person in work of our great redeemer the Lord Jesus Christ But if we broaden our scope a little right? We know that the person or the work of our redemption is a work of our triune God It's a work involving the inseparable Inseparable operations of the three persons of the Godhead God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit God the Father plans Decrees Initiates he determines from eternity past to redeem a segment of fallen humanity Through the work of the Son and for the glory of his own name with his infinite and Immeasurable love set fully upon the Son the father elects What would be a glorious bride for the Son without spot a wrinkle or any such thing? But holy and without blemish He predestines her to be conformed to the image of the Son adorned in Splendor for her husband. He writes their names in the Lamb's book of life before the worlds began He predestines them to adoption his sons by Jesus Christ to himself a glorified assembly of redeemed saints A gift of the father's love to the Son a bride Who would live throughout the ages as a testimony of the exceeding riches of his grace? Now having set his covenant love upon those whom he had chosen The father then gives them or grants them to the Son and he sends the Son to redeem them to himself The Son then Delighting in the father receives that gift which has been given and for the joy set before him The Son then determines the undertake that which would be necessary to save them to redeem them and although Coequal and although co-eternal with the Father the Lord of glory would make himself of no Reputation he would take the form of a slave of a bond servant coming in the likeness of men and being found in appearance as a man he would humble himself and become obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross his infinite and Immeasurable love set fully upon his bride. He willingly lays down his life for her Satisfies the demands of God's justice. He secures her redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins And he reconciles her to the Father having been raised for her justification The all of those who are given to the Son Will come to him and having been given by the Father. He will in no wise cast them out The Son will lose nothing of all that the Father has given him But will raise it up on the last day and having loved his own who are in the world He would love them to the uttermost. He would love them to the very end then Once ascended once having received the kingdom Being exalted seated again at the right hand of the Father always living to make intercess intercession for his own God the Son in concert with God the Father would send God the Holy Spirit the hot the Father having Planned our redemption the Son having accomplished our redemption the Spirit would then apply the benefits of that redemption To those whom the Father has given to the Son redemption decreed redemption accomplished redemption applied The Baptist catechism in question 32 ask this How are we made partakers of the redemption that is purchased by Christ? the answer We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit the spirit of the living God Coequal co-eternal with the Father and with the Son is given to us To unite us to Christ to join us to the Son to make us a partaker of Christ in all of his redeeming benefits to apply all of the blessings of his redemption purchased at Calvary To make us alive together with Christ causing us to be born again Applying regeneration to the people of God Titus chapter 3 verse 5 Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy. He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit whom he poured out on us Abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that having been justified by his grace We should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life the spirit of God Applies the blessedness of our adoption as sons and daughters in the household in the kingdom of God Romans chapter 8 verse 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear But you received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out Abba father The spirit of God Baptizes us into union with Christ and into his body first Corinthians chapter 12 verse 13 For by one spirit We were all baptized into one body whether Jews or Greeks whether slaves are free and have all been made to drink into one Spirit it's a beautiful like a beautiful picture. We see that here. Don't we? All made to drink into one spirit all baptized into one body the spirit of God applies That work of redemption applies the work of our justification first Corinthians chapter 6 verse 11 But you were washed you were sanctified But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God And in him also when you heard the word of truth the gospel of our salvation and believed in him You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit The spirit of God works in us for our Sanctification second Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you brethren beloved by the Lord because God from the beginning Chose you for salvation through sanctification by the spirit and belief in the truth to which he called you by our gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ and Romans chapter 8 verse 11 if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead dwells in you He that raised up Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies By his spirit who dwells in you it'll be the spirit of God at work in our Resurrection when the Lord Jesus Christ raises us up at the last day at the end of the age and all of this all of this so that God By his Holy Spirit might abide with us forever Into the ages that God would abide with us These are tremendous realities Glorious realities realities that we should be meditating on praising and worshiping God for we should be thinking about They involve the person in work of the Holy Spirit our redemption is secured Through the inseparable Operations of the three persons of our triune God to the praise of the glory of his grace His miraculous work the work of the Spirit a Full expression and an affecting if you will of all that the Father planned and all that the Son accomplished So the spirit of our God is worthy of praise Spirit of our God is worthy of worship And his work in the lives of God's people is of inestimable immeasurable incalculable value. It's great. It's glory all kinds of Crazy and wacky things are attributed to the Spirit of God these days, aren't they? The brothers and I were talking yesterday, and we were talking about this Charismaniac on TBN who was Acknowledging the spirit in a teeth whitening Revival where the spirit of God whitening people in Fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy talking about white teeth Listen the Old Testament prophecy about teeth whitening was God was going to send a famine in Judgment and because they had no food their teeth would be white, right? It wasn't the spirit of God whitening people's teeth It the it's crazy the nonsense that goes on today with respect to the person and work of the Holy Spirit We should be anchored to God's word to know his truth and Worship the spirit of God for what he does which is far more glorious than white teeth, right? Now if we're interested in the person and work of the Holy Spirit in an introduction to his ministry among us in Particularly his ministry in the lives of believers then one of the best places to go in all of scripture is the Lord's teaching regarding the spirit throughout the gospel of John Turn with me to John 14 Through the gospel of John We see the spirit involved in the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ in John chapter 1 The spirit anoints our prophet priest and king the Lord Jesus Christ at his baptism in the River Jordan And then he empowers and enables the Lord Jesus Christ to resist temptation in the wilderness and to carry out his earthly Ministry what Jesus Christ does in his life is done in the power of the spirit We see the spirit involved in the salvation of the elect in John chapter 3 The Lord explains that apart from being born again of God's spirit in regeneration You cannot see the kingdom of heaven the wind blows where it wishes you hear the sound of it But you can't tell where it comes from and where it goes and so is everyone who is born of the spirit Jesus said most assuredly I say to you unless one is born of water and the spirit He cannot enter the kingdom of God in John chapter 6 verse 63 It's the spirit who gives a life the flesh profits nothing But also we see the spirit involved in the life and ministry of God's people John chapter 14 In this section of John's gospel it's called the upper room discourse the Lord Jesus Christ has gathered with his disciples On the eve of his crucifixion in an upper room To eat the Passover meal with them before he dies These are parting words of Jesus Christ to his disciples to these men whom he's about to leave behind So he'll spend time with them now to instruct them to warn them prepare them for the ministry that they're about to face in this Lost and dying world. They're going to face the hostility of this world The Lord Jesus Christ had told them listen if the world hates me or if the world hates you You know that it hated me first Why does the world so hostile because I testify of it that its deeds are evil And if the world hates you it hated me first The Lord intends to reassure them the Lord intends to encourage them with the coming Promised presence of the Holy Spirit. And so the Lord begins then in John chapter 14 verse 15 verse 15 If you love me the Lord says Keep my commandments Literally says you will keep on keeping my commandments Right. If you love me you will keep on keeping my commandments And I will pray the Father and he will give you another helper that he Notice that pronoun may abide with you forever and notice first Jesus does not refer to him as an impersonal force He's not a vague power. He's not a mystical power. He's a divine person He's a he the third person of the trinity, right? He's not seized or grasped or laid hold of you can't wield him by waving your jacket around, you know He's a person. He's not manipulated. He's not ginned up or worked up He's given By the father the father will literally cause you to have him It's what the verb communicates there in a present ongoing way The father will cause you to have the spirit Now follow along with me in verse 16 Jesus refers to him as another helper. It's interesting, isn't it? Another paracletos we often see the transliteration paraclete. Some of your translations say that paraclete Is derived from a verb in greek paracleto Meaning to encourage to exhort to call to one's side if you think about that word and what that means Due to that understanding, you'll see the word translated variously as comforter counselor encourager helper advocate And that word is used to describe the ministry of the holy spirit here in john 14 but it's also In addition to describing the ministry of the holy spirit. It's a word that's used of jesus christ himself jesus christ is going away via the cross And he will send to them another Helper like him Christ himself is a paracletos a helper John uses the same word to speak of jesus christ in first john chapter two verse one Where john says when we sin we have a paracletos an advocate with jesus christ or with god the father jesus christ the righteous So jesus is going away and he's going to send another helper to his disciples. Why would we need another helper? Why would we need that notice the connection between verse 15 and verse 16 look there with me Our helper the lord jesus christ knew that loving him And keeping his commandments verse 15 Would require divine help to ensure that we could verse 16. You see that So loving christ keeping his commandments listen Loving christ keeping his commandments. They don't earn the prayer of jesus christ for the spirit They don't earn the giving of the spirit. These things are Coincident realities if you love me in other words if you're a christian Christians love the lord jesus christ heart soul mind and strength if you love me Then keep my commandments and i'll get you help to do that by sending the spirit by praying to the father to send You the holy spirit another helper in other words these words John chapter 14 verse 15 and 16 represent a set of marks that are true of all those who follow the lord they love him They obey him and they have the spirit of god Abiding with them forever to help them do both those things Right, they're coincident realities. The lord knows that we're weak The lord knows that we are but dust He knows our frame. He knows that in our flesh no good thing dwells And so he gives us another helper the lord commands what he will And then he supplies the power the strength the help that we need to obey his commands the lord is gracious He does not leave us orphans. He comes to us right zechariah chapter 4 verse 6 Not by might nor by power But by my spirit says the lord of hosts In other words, it's not going to be by your strength. No matter how hard you grid it out No matter how hard you Clench your fists Simply not going to be by your might or by your power that you are victorious. It'll be by his spirit that you're victorious That's the way that it is Now we often in the battle with sin we forget that we lose sight of that And so what do we do in the battle against sin? We try to Clench our teeth grit our teeth clench our fists, right? I've got to have the will power I got to wake up put both feet on the ground and start fighting in my own strength and what happens what happens You fail Am I the only one? You fail and you fail and you fail and you fail and you think to yourself there have been any who have think to themselves You know this christianity thing doesn't work The lord says I have the spirit Why can't I fight sin? You're not independence upon the spirit You're not availing yourselves of the means of grace through which the spirit works to help kill sin mortify sin in the flesh We have the spirit of god to help us in the battle the lord knows that we need help. He knows that we're weak Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit says the lord of hosts That means That the grace of god that brings salvation Doesn't end with what christ has done for us But that the grace of god now continues to be concerned with what he does in us by his spirit Some people treat salvation like a shot I went to the doctor. I got a shot. I'm okay now right and back to business as usual This is the work that continues we need the spirit of god to battle sin We need the spirit of god to empower us in our mission We need the spirit of god to persevere to the end and be saved We need the spirit of god to triumph in christ We need the spirit of god's ministry among us and so the lord graciously sends us another Helper This is a work that continues Now this helper Is none other verse 17 Then the spirit of truth The spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive Because it neither sees him nor knows him, but you know him Because he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you The world verse 17 neither sees him nor knows him the world doesn't believe what it can't see Paul says the natural man doesn't receive the things of the spirit of god for they are foolishness to him Nor can he know them because they're spiritually discerned However, verse 17 those who are genuine disciples of christ Those who are christians know the holy spirit Why? Because he dwells in them And he abides with them forever. He will abide with them into the ages Right, paul would say if anyone doesn't have the spirit of christ He is none of his you don't have the spirit of god. You're not christ. You're not a christian And listen verse 17. He won't simply be with you He will dwell in you He will not physically depart from them As the lord jesus christ is about to have to do He's not going to physically depart from them. Jesus will not leave them orphans when he departs He's going to come to them by the spirit by his spirit and the spirit of god will abide with them forever Even into eternity Right, we when we go to heaven When we're on the new heavens and the new earth and we're worshiping and praising god forever In eternity with all the saints. We'll be doing that with the spirit In the power of the spirit the spirit enabling fueling motivating our worship Will be set free finally from the presence of sin completely having been set free from the power and the penalty of sin already Will be set free from its presence and now in heaven Glorified set free from the presence of sin. We will worship and praise god in the power of the spirit That is awesome Right the spirit of god fueling our worship for all of eternity Notice further. John refers to this helper as the spirit of truth in verse 17 We get a better understanding of what is meant by that in verse 25. Look at john 14 25 these things I've spoken to you while being present with you. Jesus christ says Verse 26 but the helper the holy spirit whom the father will send in my name He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you Now here if you notice the spirit Is said to be sent by the father In the name of christ We have the inseparable operations of the three persons of the godhead god the father god the son god the holy spirit You see inseparable operations in other words the spirit proceeds Both from the father and from the son the spirit testifying of the son to god's people Now here in verse 25 beginning in verse 25 his work is described As two things one teaching them all things Two reminding them of all jesus said Teaching them all things reminding them of what jesus said So the spirit's role then Is to explain or to exegete All that jesus christ had taught them Like jesus christ said of himself the spirit isn't speaking on his own authority jesus said i didn't i don't come to speak on my own authority I came to speak with the authority of the one who sent me the words that he gives me are the words that i speak The spirit comes in the same way the spirit isn't speaking on his own authority The spirit is sent to teach instruct explain all that christ had said the spirit comes to testify of him In that sense he is the spirit of truth Lord jesus christ spoke truth Now john here in beginning in verse 25 speaking specifically Of the lord's disciples the spirit would teach them The spirit would illumine their understanding the spirit would cause them to remember what jesus christ taught them during his earthly ministry And under the inspiration of the holy spirit they would go on to write the new testament until the bible canon is closed These men would write the new testament It's through though what they've written all that they've written through all that jesus christ has said to them Through all that the spirit reminded them of that we are led taught Illumined by the spirit today the spirit of truth Teaches us also today the ministry of the spirit is to teach us what christ taught That is now recorded in the completed canon recorded in your bible first chrithians chapter 2 verse 9 Paul said that i has not seen Nor ear heard nor have entered into the heart of man the things which god has prepared for those who love him It's a wondrous thought isn't it But god has revealed them to us through his spirit Well the spirit doesn't come by osmosis and whisper in your ear and plant that there in your brain What does the spirit do the spirit uses the word of god And applies the word of god to your mind to your heart renews your mind Syncs those truths down into your heart so that you have understanding god has revealed these things to us the mysteries of the gospel He's revealed them to us through his spirit for listen to the text The spirit searches all things yes the deep things of god For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him Even so no one knows the things of god except the spirit of god Now we have received not the spirit of the world But we have received the spirit who is from god So that we might know the things which have been freely given to us by god He sends us another helper that we might know you see These things we also speak not in words which man's wisdom teaches But words which the holy spirit teaches comparing spiritual things with spiritual that last statement Comparing spiritual things with spiritual literally according to the grammar. It's combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words That's sort of the meaning of what's being said the spirit combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words He renews our minds illumines our understanding through the tangible tangible and objective word of god That's been revealed And we are taught by the spirit Foot the page and look at john chapter 15 John chapter 15 beginning in verse 26 We're talking about the spirit of truth and the import of that name verse 26 But when the helper comes whom I shall send to you from the father the spirit of truth who proceeds from the father He will testify of me Well, what about those today who say they receive special words of prophecy And they get that from the spirit as if the spirit whispers in their ear and tells them some special word Which every bit of which unless it's Too broad Every bit of it is a bunch of nonsense. It doesn't come true. It's a bunch of garbage a bunch of lies That's not the spirit of truth. That's not the spirit of truth's role. That's not his Purpose that's not his intent That means that's at worst a deceiving spirit A demonic spirit Not the spirit of christ. It's a lying spirit or it's human inference You know people have a feeling or a sense. I think I want to wear a jacket today The spirit of god is telling me to wear a jacket. No It's just foolishness You don't get that anywhere from the bible The spirit of god is the spirit of truth Precisely because all That he testifies through his witness to believers Perfectly accords with the truth of god as revealed in the person and to the work of the lord jesus christ Jesus says he will testify of me. How did you get all that? Doesn't come any other way it he is the spirit of truth Not the spirit of a lie Not the spirit of a lying prophecy There are at least two important implications here for us regarding that two important implications one Means that understanding truth isn't merely an intellectual pursuit Understanding truth from the bible isn't merely an intellectual pursuit then it's not merely an academic exercise You can't study the bible like you study a math textbook. Sorry josh. You can't study the bible Like you're studying a schematic. It just simply isn't intended to reveal in that way. It's not merely an intellectual pursuit the spirit of truth is at work through the word of truth to teach us truth And that means that learning and understanding god's word is not just an intellectual pursuit but a spiritual pursuit Truth is a spiritual pursuit and we need the spirit of god to help us understand We won't understand apart from the spirit of god, right? And we need the spirit of god not just to understand But then to bring that understanding to bear on our hearts that are often hard Our minds that are often hard James chapter 3 verse 17. James says that the wisdom that is from above bears fruit It is first pure then peaceable gentle willing to yield full of mercy and good fruits Without partiality and without hypocrisy How do you know when the spirit of god is at work through the word of god teaching someone truth you see fruits You see fruits in their life No fruits no spirit All right, the spirit produces fruit in the life of a believer through the word of god It's first pure Then peaceable then gentle see the change in character Then peaceable then gentle then willing to yield Before and dwelt by the spirit of god you could not have described me as pure peaceable gentle willing to yield But now by the grace of god occasionally i am praise the lord entirely It bears fruit the spirit of god at work through the word of god He bears fruit in the believer's life first pure then peaceable gentle willing to yield full of mercy and good fruits Without partiality without hypocrisy Truth applied by the spirit is going to mature you in the faith So take encouragement from that brother take encouragement from that sister and sometimes that growth Is maybe difficult for you to see And that's what sometimes brothers and sisters are for I've sat across the table from many of you you've probably sat across the table from me where it's like I don't see it. I'm just you know discouraged But those around you see it They can see and sometimes it takes a long time to see it All right, it's a slow progress sometimes fruit comes quickly sometimes it comes more slowly Take encouragement that he who began a good work and you will complete it and he'll complete that work by his spirit The second important implication from us for us though in this is that means we need to pray Because it's not merely an intellectual pursuit But because it is a spiritual pursuit the people of god need to pray You need to pray as you read pray as you study pray as you memorize pray as you meditate pray for understanding Cry out for the spirit's help spirit of god help me understand help me remember help me retain Help me apply help me live by this truth Help me to take joy in it help me to heartily agree with it God put to death my flesh the members that are in me that revolt against this truth and help me live for you Right. We need the spirit's help We cannot do it on our own and our flesh in and of itself will revolt against what god reveals is true We need the spirit's help. We need the spirit sustaining power We need the spirit sustaining ministry in our life and god works through the means of our prayer Often somebody will say listen. This just doesn't seem to be working And what's not working is them. I'll ask You know, have you been spending time in your bible? Well, no, you know, I've got a lot of things going on right now. You know, I think a lot of stuff I'm really good at it. Well, have you been praying? Well, you know, I did a couple of minutes in the shower And then I'm gonna be you know, 39. They're not availing themselves of the means of grace through which the spirit works to Sanctify them and grow them and help them and mature them. Do you see? It's not right to think of this purely pragmatically, right? I'm gonna do this that works. It's like if I Put this nail here, then this thing is going to be held fast It doesn't quote unquote work that way, right? You need to depend upon god cry out to god humble yourself and pray Incidentally verse 26 Notice that jesus sins the spirit from the father verse 26 And he proceeds from the father and testifies of christ. Do you see that? In other words, the sending out and the proceeding from Are essentially synonymous. It's called a synonymous parallelism Jesus said I and my father are one And this is yet another example of that truth another example of inseparable operations the spirit of god in inspiration we talked about the Eternal relations of origin in our study on the attributes of god That god the father paternity the generation of the son as affiliation And the Spiration or the sending of the spirit the spirit proceeds from both father and son In verse 26 we see that in the synonymous way in which the lord talks about him being sent By jesus christ from the father proceeding from the father. Okay so now Consider with me the encouragement so far that the lord is giving us from this upper room discourse on the night before his death Regarding the ministry of the spirit He is god the holy spirit The third person of the trinity sent by the father and sent by the son He dwells in us Abides with us forever. He strengthens strengthens us to do that which we cannot do for ourselves He teaches us all things. He brings the truth to our remembrance. He testifies of the lord jesus christ And all of that encouragement all of that instruction This glorious promise to send another helper the spirit of god is given in a context It's given in a context and we can't miss that verse 26 When the helper comes whom I shall send to you from the father the spirit of truth who proceeds from the father He will testify of me verse 27 And you also Will bear witness because you have been with me from the beginning You're going to bear witness acts 1 8 you'll receive power when the spirit comes upon you and you will be witnesses to me, right? the spirit of god fuels motivates compels our witness for the lord jesus christ and Our witnessing for the lord jesus christ our mission to preach the gospel Fueled empowered enabled strengthened motivated by the spirit of god This is in the context of the disciples their ministry in this world This is a hostile world a world that is hostile to the truth of god and christ It's hostile to the preaching of the gospel Chapter 16 verse 1 next verse listen These things I have spoken to you that you should not be made to stumble You'll have another helper you have the spirit of god rely upon him Don't stumble verse 2 they will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you Will think that he offers god service These things they will do to you because they have not known the father nor me But these things i've told you so that when the time comes you may remember that i told you of them And these things that I did not say to you at the beginning because I was with you. I'm about to leave you I'm about to leave you I tell you them now so that you can be prepared and so that you will not be made to stumble So brothers and sisters when we face persecution And you will We don't face the persecution that they faced praise god by the grace of god. We don't But you will face persecution You'll face the loss of family You'll face the scorn and derision of those who call themselves your friends You'll face the Harsh looks and even the backbiting behind your back Of those who say they love the lord That cannot understand what you're doing With all your judgmental preaching You'll face persecution And when we face the hatred And hostility of this world for our faith in the lord jesus christ We are to remember the things that he has told us and remembering his words Will keep us from falling away will help us persevere in the faith will remind us to depend upon the spirit of god These things i have told you verse four aren't restricted just to his warnings here Right, but he is giving us warnings to heed. We have promises to hope in Doctrine reproof correction instruction and righteousness. We have encouragement We have comfort and we have a promise of the holy spirit again Some people just treat salvation like a shot like a vaccination There's nothing further to do You know, you got your shot You got your remedy your vaccination. You took them took the medicine at six At 12 when you walked the aisle and you said that prayer And now you don't need to do anything else, right? You're saved go about your life as normal No need to persevere no need for the lord to preserve us But the bible says that we must persevere in obedience to his word The life of a christian a christian is called to faithfulness called to obedience called to A mission of preaching the gospel to lost people in a hostile world We're called to battle with our sin And Most professing christians just entirely disregard all of that I got my shot. That's all I need. I'm going to heaven. What more should I do? I'm just gonna go to church every sunday We are to battle our sin. We are to put on righteousness. We're to put off the old man We are to preach the gospel to lost people We're to persevere in the faith And all of his words all of his encouragement here are given to sustain us Remembering his word is to keep us from falling away dependence upon the spirit is to keep us from falling away The grace of his word like a fetter is to bind our wandering heart to him And all of his word is taught and applied to us by the spirit. We desperately need the spirit of god Do you see? Desperately need the ministry of the spirit Verse five the lord says but now I go away to him who sent me None of you asked me where are you going? But because I've 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 depart I will send him to you It's amazing that The lord jesus christ departs By means of his death on the cross He's raised from the dead There's a short time that he's with them and then he ascends to the father And it's his ascension Exaltation his session at the right hand of god the father that then ushers in the sending of the spirit Jesus christ receives the kingdom in order that the spirit is sent. It's jesus christ his sacrifice Being acceptable to god the father Jesus christ receiving the kingdom being exalted that then Ushers in the sending of the spirit And his work and believers is of immeasurable value much to our advantage in every way verse seven It's to your advantage. Jesus says that I go away. You know, that's that's a difficult thing about Because our desire as christians is to be with the lord like I Look forward to the day when I see him We'll become like him for we shall see him as he is. We'll see him face to face And so as precious as the bodily presence of the lord jesus christ must have been to his disciples He's saying the presence of the spirit with them is better More advantageous to them. It's a staggering thought Our time with him on earth would be greatly limited He would be physically confined to one place Right So the lord says it's to your advantage that I go away far better to send the spirit Who will teach you all things concerning what christ has said You can go to him whenever and you can go to him wherever you want At all times you can have access to his strength his help his aid at all times And so the lord said it's advantage It's advantageous to you for me to go away for I will send another helper to you and they're going to need him And so do you and I We often are prone to forgetting how desperately needy we are And so we don't depend upon him as we should right We forget how easily and how often we forget So the lord then intends here to reassure his disciples and all those who would believe in him through their word With two aspects of the spirit's work one the holy spirit's work in the world To the holy spirit's work in the church and look with me first regarding his work in the world verse eight When he has come The spirit of god he Will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment Of sin because they do not believe in me Of righteousness because I go to my father and you see me no more Of judgment because the ruler of this world is judged. Let's make sense of this text When the spirit of god comes verse eight He has a convicting ministry to the world The spirit of god has a convicting ministry to the world elenco is the word. It's usually translated convict reprove Convince or expose that word expose is really a good translation. Matthew chapter 18 verse 15 Translates the same word. Tell him his fault His fault is told to him his fault is exposed Right. He's had a verdict rendered against him in other words the spirit of god in his ministry in the world publicly exposes Or renders a public verdict against and exposes the guilt and shame of this world and calls people in the world to repentance It's a an exposing of this world's wickedness Now in that ministry the spirit of god reproves Convinces so that many are genuinely converted And in others the spirit the ministry of the spirit hardens And results eventually in everlasting torment You have examples of that all over the bible, right? If you remember Peter preaching at pentecost and acts chapter two as peter preached Preach the word of god The people at pentecost were cut to the heart And being cut to the heart What do they do they cried out to peter men and brethren? What must we do? What must we do to be saved? They were humble the spirit of god working in them to humble them under the preaching of god Well, if you fast forward to acts chapter seven steven preaching on the temple mount Preaching to them from the word of god and the very same phrase is used the people hearing steven were cut to the heart They were cut to the heart But rather than respond with humility and what must we do to be saved? They rushed at him To stone him with stones and steven becomes the first martyr of the church Using the same phrase cut to the heart the ministry the spirit Will make you humble or hostile It'll soften or harden The convicting work of the spirit of god has three objectives to convict the world of sin Convicting the world of righteousness and convicting the world of judgment verse nine Convicting the world of sin Because they do not believe in me in the words this conviction the work of the spirit Doesn't result in mere acknowledgement. You know besides we're all sinners. I'm a sinner, but we're all sinners No This conviction that the spirit uses to save reaches into the heart and wrecks a person McShane says it is to give a person a sense of the dreadfulness of his sins And to make him feel how surely he is a lost sinner It produces a god word or a godly sorrow not to be regretted Verse 10 Convicting the world of righteousness because I go to my father and you see me no more Most people would profess their own righteousness. I'm a good person But there's only one who ever lived who deserved to be in the presence of god and that's the lord Jesus christ himself Only one who perfectly fulfilled the law fulfilled all Righteousness and unless you have his righteousness, you will never see god That righteousness was proven acceptable by his resurrection and ascension The spirit convicts the world of righteousness Because jesus christ ascends to the father where he is his Sacrifice is seen as acceptable where jesus christ is exalted by the father where jesus christ receives a kingdom which cannot be shaken Verse 11 convicting the world of judgment because the ruler of this world is judged And the world is under judgment judged here past tense speaking of the cross This world was judged at the cross And this refers to the preaching of the gospel whenever the cross of the lord jesus christ is preached the world is judged sin righteousness and judgment along with the spirits ministry to the world And that primarily through the preaching of the gospel. We also see the spirits ministry to the church look at verse 12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now However, when he the spirit of truth has come he will guide you into all truth for he will not speak on his own authority But whatever he hears he will speak and he will tell you things to come When he comes He will guide you into all truth Now based on our understanding of inspiration The truth he's leading you into Is not whether you should Take this job or take that job the truth that he's leading you into is not whether you should marry this girl or marry that girl Get a tattoo or not to get a tattoo right those things are not that's not the truth The spirit of god is going to whisper in your ear about and lead you into The truth that the spirit of god is leading you into is the whole counsel of god revealed in his word The entirety of the revealed word of god the 66 books of your bible And then it gives the explanation for this for For one he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak The spirit of truth does Exactly as jesus christ does in this respect He says i'll always speak those things which are heard from the father the spirit of truth has the same priority I only speak what christ has revealed There is a perfect unity here in separable operations a perfect unity of both word and work in the godhead There's a perfect unity in the revelation that is given Secondly it says here that he will tell you things to come Not speaking only of end times But speaking of all future revelation until the canon is complete the spirit of god Will work to tell them things to come until the canon is complete The professing christians Are always attempting to find or discern Truth apart from the word of god or apart from the illumination or application of the spirit of god of the word of god One has said that the spirit without the word is like heat without light Oil without a lamp the word of god without the spirit Is like light with no heat. It's dead. It's lifeless It's a lamp with no oil One pastor put it this way. He said the word without the spirit and you dry up The spirit without the word and you blow up put the two together and you grow up catchy Verse 14 He will glorify me for he will take of what is mine and declare it to you All things that the father has are mine. Therefore I said that he will take of what is take of mine and declare it to you The spirit of god in other words did not come to glorify or magnify himself Though he is worthy of all glory The spirit of god is given to reveal to glorify to magnify to point to The person and work of the lord jesus christ Brothers and sisters, that's the ministry of the spirit So much more that can be said the bible is full of teaching on the spirit of god You and I Having put faith in christ. We're to walk by the spirit. We're to live according to the spirit We're to do all things yielded to the spirit Be filled with the spirit paul says apart from him. We can do nothing Apart from him. We can do nothing the spirit sustains us strengthens us Helps us aids us motivates us fuels love and devotion as he plants understanding and illumines our minds illumines our heart Saints Live in the power of the spirit in the same way that jesus christ lived and operated and worked and ministered in the power of the spirit The power of the spirit is within them for their sanctification to make them holy to conform them into the image of the sun The spirit gives different gifts for ministry that we're to employ In the church to carry out god's mission among his people to wash them with water by the word Think about how the spirit Changed your life If you're in christ and have been converted How the spirit works even now in you to convict you of sin to Give you joy and hope in believing to fill your heart with the treasure that is christ That's a work of the spirit in the heart of a believer that doesn't come out of your natural flesh That's a fruit of the spirit How the spirit of god worked in the lives of believers that we see on the pages of scripture how peter peter denied the lord jesus christ three times Stood before a little slave girl at the fire and cursed Saying i've never known him. I don't know him Denied the lord jesus christ And that same peter was the one who stood at pentecost and preached in jerusalem The gospel in the same city that crucified the lord Short time before How did what happened to peter peter was empowered by the spirit of god The spirit of god came upon peter the spirit of god was at work in peter paul Formerly a blasphemer a proud arrogant insolent man Writing on the road to demascus to persecute the lord jesus christ to persecute his people to persecute the church To drag back believers to druselman be put to death And yet the lord knocks him off his high horse and acts chapter nine And the spirit of god works in paul's life And changes paul By the grace of god paul is a new creation in christ. Listen you and i are of like nature with them And we have the spirit we have the spirit If you're in christ you have the spirit And turn from your sin. This is a glorious gift. Some people say listen I want my sin Cry out To the lord jesus christ That by his spirit he would change your heart to despise your sin Now why would you want to do that because your sin is killing you You're going to go to hell for your sin Cry out to the lord He convicts the world of sin righteousness and of judgment The grace of god in christ Changes the heart of men and women He'll change your heart if you'll turn from your sin and put your faith and trust in him He'll make of you a new creation He'll fill you with his spirit. He'll take your heart of stone Out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh He'll cause you by the new spirit that he's placed within you to walk according to his statutes and judgments He'll produce fruits in you Just like he has with me and with others We are entirely undeserving of any of that grace and mercy and that lord is so gracious Grace abounding to the chief of sinners We have much to hope in amen We need to depend upon the spirit pray to god for the spirit's help as we continue to learn pray for help as we continue to live for him Let's pray Father in heaven, we are grateful to you lord for the gift of the spirit Grateful to you lord that we have your abiding presence with us To help us live heart soul mind and strength for you to love you heart soul mind and strength to Be devoted to you Lord, I pray for help for strength for a renewing of our mind And forming of our heart that we might be disciplined in the means of grace to avail ourselves of all the Help and aid that we have by the spirit Help us not to neglect those means you've commanded us lord help us to be faithful to you in them That we might be changed that we might grow in our knowledge of you and grow in our devotion to you and grow in our worship of you That we might glorify you We might praise and magnify the spirit for his work among us And thank you lord for the fruit of the spirit that we see in this church What a blessed testimony of your faithfulness and your goodness your mercy and your grace to us I pray lord that you would continue that please lord preserve us help us not to become haughty or negligent or arrogant or lack a real sense of our need But help us lord to be dependent upon the spirit's work in and among us to live for you I pray lord that your spirit that you spirit of god would be at work in those here Who are not saved that for your glory You would save them And you would do that blessed work for them That you've done for our brothers and sisters here and make them a trophy of grace And we look forward to the day lord when in the power of the spirit the spirit abiding in us We will worship you with all the saints in heaven for all eternity We love you. We thank you for this time together in jesus name. Amen