[0:00] We're going to go for a few moments this morning, chapter 11, chapter 16, and I want us to take up reading at verse 7, and look at the passage between 7 and 15, and we're going to read it together.
[0:16] Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you, and when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment, concerning sin because they do not believe in me, concerning righteousness because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer, concerning judgment because the ruler of this world is judged.
[0:48] 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.
[1:05] 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.
[1:23] We have no idea how horrified the disciples must have been when Jesus began to tell them that instead of him becoming a king in Judea, that the very opposite was going to happen to him.
[1:53] He told them that he was going to be arrested and mocked, and he was going to be treated with cruelty. He was going to be put to death on a cross by the Gentiles.
[2:08] And this was going to happen immediately. The disciples were utterly horrified because their whole lives had been changed by Jesus.
[2:21] We have no idea about the way in which they were able to look back to their lives, and they were able to look before I came to Jesus, before I met with him, and now my life has been totally changed forever.
[2:36] So for them, Jesus' departure was simply something they could not cope with. And in these words, these last words, before Jesus was arrested, he's having to bring comfort to the disciples and reassure them that not only were they going to have to put up with his departure, but that it was going to be good for them and necessary for them for him to go.
[3:07] Now, they didn't understand that. Just like we don't understand when things take place in our lives, and we know God is in control and that he's doing something, but we just don't understand.
[3:19] It doesn't make sense. For them, this didn't make sense. If he was Messiah, then his place was on the throne in Jerusalem. If he was Messiah, the next step was going to be to evict all the enemies of the Jews.
[3:34] But that, according to Jesus, was the very opposite of what he was going to do. He was going to give himself, he was going to surrender himself into the hands of his enemies.
[3:48] That simply was absurd as far as they were concerned. And it meant also that the center of their very being, the one whom they had come to love and to live for, was going to be taken away from them.
[4:06] But Jesus said, it is necessary in order for the kingdom of God to be spread all over the world. And that's the work I'm giving you to do.
[4:18] And because in one sense, I am going to be taken from you, that does not mean that I will be away from you.
[4:29] Now that doesn't make sense, does it? And that's what the disciples couldn't get hold of. They said, what does he mean? We read that a little while and you will not see me, and again, a little while and you will see me.
[4:41] It just didn't seem to make sense. It makes sense for us because we know, we're able to look back and know that Jesus rose from the dead and that he ascended to the Father and that he, even at the same time as he sits at the Father's right hand in heaven, he's also amongst his people present here.
[4:59] And everywhere would his people gather together. We know that, but the disciples didn't. They couldn't grasp it and they couldn't get a hold of it at all. And he said, one of the ways in which Jesus brings this comfort is to introduce the Holy Spirit.
[5:17] It's important that we remind ourselves, first of all, that God is three as well as one, but also about who the Holy Spirit was.
[5:28] Because Jesus, this was Jesus' way of explaining to the disciples that whilst he himself bodily wasn't going to be present with them in the days to come in this life, yet God in the person of the Holy Spirit was going to accompany them in everything that they did.
[5:48] And it's always important for us to remind ourselves that the same truth exists in the 21st century as it did in the 1st century. That God accompanies his people in the person of the Holy Spirit.
[6:04] Sometimes we lose sight of the person of the Holy Spirit and what he does and what he is. Just let me remind you of two things. First of all, never, never refer to the Holy Spirit as it.
[6:20] The Holy Spirit is not an it. It is not a power or a force. The Holy Spirit is a person.
[6:30] Jesus calls him he. He will dwell within you. He will come into you. He will guide you into all truth. So the Holy Spirit is a person.
[6:41] Let's remind ourselves also that the Holy Spirit is God. No less God than the Father. No less God than the Son. The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son and everything that is true about God is true about the Holy Spirit.
[7:00] He is eternal. He is unchangeable. He is perfectly holy. He knows the end from the beginning. God is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God.
[7:11] God is the Holy Spirit. And it is always a challenge in every age to try and grasp as much as we can the Trinity. We can never grasp it in its completeness.
[7:21] No doubt. When we get to heaven, we will understand the Trinity a lot more than we do today. And yet enough has been given up to us to be getting on with.
[7:33] And yet we always come to the point where you have to say, I can't understand anymore. How can God be one and God be three at the same time? He just is. And there's times that you just have to simply accept God at his word without understanding it intellectually.
[7:49] It's not something that we can dissect and analyze. It's something that God reveals himself to us as. God is three and God is one. And here is Jesus and he's saying one person of the Trinity is going to be taken away from you.
[8:03] But God will still accompany you and fill you and empower you in the work that I'm giving you to do. God in the person, not this time of me, but in this time in the person of the Holy Spirit.
[8:19] And he's going to do three functions. And here in this passage, Jesus explains what these functions are going to be.
[8:32] He's going to, first of all, work in the world, the world at large, the world for whom Jesus came to save. That's the first thing.
[8:44] He says when he comes, he will convict the world. So that's the first thing he's going to do. The second thing Jesus goes on to tell them is that he is going to work among the disciples.
[8:58] And this time his work is going to be different. He's going to guide them. Verse 13. He will guide you into all the truth.
[9:09] So this time attention is taken away from the world at large. And this time the attention is being placed upon the disciples. And what Jesus says about his 12 disciples, he can equally say about you and I today if we're following him.
[9:24] So he will guide. We can expect today that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all the truth. We're going to find out a little bit what that means a little later on.
[9:37] But let's just mention the third work that the Holy Spirit is going to do. Because if you look at verse 14, Jesus talks about yet another work. He says he will glorify me for he will take what is mine and declare it unto you.
[9:52] So this time this third element of the work of the Holy Spirit is to bring glory to Jesus Christ. So he's working first of all in the world.
[10:03] Second he's working in the disciples. And thirdly he's bringing glory to Jesus. First with reference to the world. Then with reference to the disciples. And then with reference to Jesus.
[10:17] Let me put it in terms of the light that we were talking about with the children earlier on. You can put it this way. The first element of his work could be described as a spotlight ministry.
[10:36] The second element of his work. This time working in the disciples to guide them. Could be described as a headlight ministry. And then the third element of his work.
[10:51] Bringing glory to Jesus could be described as a floodlight ministry. So keep these three lights in mind.
[11:04] Spotlights. Headlights. And floodlights. Let's look at the first element very quickly. The spotlight.
[11:17] Imagine you had committed a crime. And it was serious enough. To get the police after you. And all their forces. Including helicopters. You see that on the TV sometimes.
[11:31] And imagine the helicopter was coming after you. You're running through the woods. And running through a field. And the helicopter. Is flying above your head. And he is turning on.
[11:41] He has turned on his spotlight. As soon as that spotlight hits you. You know the game is up. Because you know that no matter how fast you run.
[11:56] The helicopter is above you all the time. And that spotlight is on you all the time. And they know where you are. So you might as well just stop where you are. There's no escape.
[12:06] And then as soon as it does hit you. A voice comes from the megaphone. And says stop. You are under arrest.
[12:17] Stop now. Before something worse is going to happen to you. It's a warning. That is exactly. The way that the Holy Spirit operates.
[12:30] In the world. Because the word means. The word. When we read about the word convict. It means to expose. Who we are. What we are. And where we are.
[12:40] In relation to God. That's what the Bible means. When it talks about being convicted. And he convicts us. Of three separate things. He convicts the world.
[12:51] Of three. So right now. And you know. I find this. Such an encouragement. As a preacher of the gospel. It's encouraging me. To me to know. That all over the world today.
[13:03] That God's word is being shared. And when it does. It goes out with power. And as God's word goes out. As the good news. That Jesus died for us. Reaches the ears of people.
[13:15] The Holy Spirit. Is taking that word. That message. And he's driving. He's using it like a spotlight. To say to that person. Stop. You're under arrest.
[13:26] God has found you. He's known where you are all the time. But he's stopping you. Now. Where you are. And he wants you to come back to him.
[13:38] You're under arrest. The great thing about the gospel is. That when God arrests us. It's not to put us into jail. It's to forgive.
[13:48] Every sin. That we have ever committed. Please remember that. Jesus says. I have not come into the world.
[13:59] To judge the world. But that the world. Through me. Should be saved. Gospel is all about salvation. It's all about God's.
[14:11] Indescribable. Extraordinary love. For the very last people. That you would ever expect him. To have anything to do with. Jesus. But the first thing he does. He goes after them. You can put it in another way.
[14:22] Like the lost sheep. And the shepherd. It's exactly the same image. It's using. It's exactly the same truth. Using a different image. This time the image of the shepherd. Where he leaves his 99 sheep.
[14:33] In the wilderness. And he goes after the sheep. That was lost. In order to. Arrest that sheep. But what he does. Is he picks it up. And he puts it on his shoulders. And he takes it back home. And he says to his friends.
[14:45] Rejoice with me. For I have found. The sheep. That was lost. Now let's look at the three things. That the Holy Spirit. Convicts the world about.
[14:56] And the. Reasons attached. To those three things. Let's look at them with me. In these verses. He says this. He's going to convict the world. Concerning sin.
[15:07] Verse. Verse 8. Read it with me. Verse 8. He's going to convict the world. Concerning sin. Sin. And righteousness. And judgment.
[15:19] But then he opens that out a little bit. In the next verse. And he says. Concerning sin. Because they do not believe in me. Then. Concerning righteousness.
[15:30] Because I go to the Father. And you will see me no longer. And concerning judgment. Because the ruler of this world. Is judged. So let's look at these three things.
[15:41] These are the three words. When I mention them to you. They're probably the last three words. That an unbelieving world.
[15:52] Wants ever to think about. They are the very things. They are the very subjects. That make us feel. The most uncomfortable.
[16:03] In this world. And most people will do anything. To avoid them. And to change the subject. And to think of something else. And to distract themselves. That's the last three truths.
[16:15] That they want to come into contact with. Sin. Righteousness. And judgment. What's the connection. Between all of these three things. Well sin is what we are. Isn't it? The Bible tells us.
[16:26] That sin is a great disease. It tells us how. Sin came into the world. In the first place. Through the disobedience. Of our first parents. Adam and Eve. And from that moment onwards. Sin crept.
[16:38] Into. The world. And invaded. Every corner. And went under every stone. And flooded. Every part.
[16:48] Of this world. Recently I was. Recently I was down. On the tongue flats. Have you ever been down. To the tongue flats. The sand flat. That there is. I always find that.
[17:00] A fascinating. I try to get down there. When the tide is coming in. You ever been down there. When the tide is. Because that's one of the only places. You can actually watch. The tide physically coming in. You think the tide comes in slowly.
[17:11] You go down to the tongue flats. And you'll discover. How wrong you are. Because the tide there. Comes in. Really fast. You can see it creeping in. Creeping over the sand.
[17:21] You can watch it. And as it does so. It creeps. Into every little corner. And fills the wee holes. In the sand. And then it covers the stones. And the shells.
[17:32] And that's the way sin. Crept into the world. Invading every single area. That there was. Nobody in here today. Can say that they're not a sinner.
[17:44] I don't even think that you would try. Because you recognize yourself. You can even be an atheist today. And say yes. There are many wrong things. In my life. You would have to say that. So sin is what we are.
[17:58] Then righteousness. Is what we should be. Righteousness is the measuring line. It's the standard. As to what we should be. And so it's almost worse.
[18:10] Than telling us. That we're sinners. Because the moment we think. The moment somebody. Suggests to us. That we are guilty of sin. You know what the first thing we do is. We look at someone.
[18:20] Who we think is worse than ourselves. We compare ourselves. With someone who is. You'll always find somebody that way. Wouldn't you? You'll always read the paper. And you'll find some criminal somewhere. And it's easy that way.
[18:32] Isn't it? Do you think. That it gives you an excuse. To think. Well. Look at all the good things in my life. And look how much. Oh look how much worse. I could be. But when you think about righteousness.
[18:45] God's perfect standard. Of righteousness. Then. That is what really shows you. For what you are. That's what to compare ourselves with.
[18:57] Then Jesus. Then Jesus says. The Holy Spirit will convict us. Of judgment. And judgment is where we will be. Or every one of us. Paul tells us.
[19:08] We must all appear. Before the judgment seat of Christ. Because we're sinners. And because we've fallen short. Of God's perfect standard. We are guilty before God.
[19:20] And we will be judged before God. Every one of us is accountable. To God. So these three. The connection. Between these three words. Sin. Righteousness. And judgment. You know what the connection is?
[19:31] It's me. I'm a sinner. I'm not righteous. And I will be judged. And that's what God wants to show us. But not because he wants our destruction.
[19:44] And our condemnation. He shows us these things. Because he's gracious. And because he wants us to be saved. He wants to show you the way of escape. He wants to forgive your sin.
[19:56] And change your life. And open your heart. And make you into a new creation. That's why he wants to convict. So don't go pointing the finger at God. And saying. Look at that. That's just an example of the ruthlessness of God.
[20:08] And how intolerant God is. It's not intolerance. God has to be intolerant. God is by nature intolerant. Not just of the things. That we think he's intolerant of.
[20:19] But the things that we think are small. And slight. And insignificant. Every single one of us. Falls short. Of the glory of God. But let's look even further.
[20:30] I'm watching the clock. Let's look even further. He wants to convict the world concerning sin. Because. They do not believe in me. What happened when Jesus came into the world?
[20:43] What happened when he preached? Oh there were plenty of people who were filled with amazement at his miracles. And they were also amazed.
[20:53] At his teaching. He taught as one with authority. And not as the scribes and the Pharisees. There was no shortage of people. Who would listen to Jesus. Yet.
[21:04] At the end of the day. What happened? They gathered in front of Pontius Pilate. And they said. Away with him. We will not have this man to rule over us. Crucify him.
[21:16] That was the end result of three years. And the most powerful ministry that the world has ever seen. Isn't that shocking? Isn't that absolutely appalling?
[21:27] That the son of God himself. Came into this world. The very person who you would expect. The world would fall at his feet. In adoration and in worship. And instead of that.
[21:38] They want to get rid of him. They hate the sight of him. And yet. Here is the grace of God. Jesus says. When I go away.
[21:50] You would expect fire from God. To come down and consume this unbelieving world. And yet it didn't. When I go away. The Holy Spirit will convict them.
[22:01] In a way that they've never been convicted. Even by me. Isn't that wonderful? Isn't that extraordinary?
[22:14] And then he says he'll convict them of righteousness. Righteousness. The righteousness he's talking about. And then he'll look at verse 10. He says righteousness. And he says because I go to the Father.
[22:28] Again. He's framing this conviction around himself. He's saying because I go to the Father. And you will see me no longer. What did he mean by that?
[22:40] Well here's what I believe he meant. Whilst Jesus was on the earth. Everyone who looked at him. And heard him. And witnessed what he was able to do.
[22:50] They had a perfect example. Of how God demands. That we should live. And that's why the scribes and the Pharisees. Who had grown up and had spent years.
[23:03] Telling themselves. Assuring themselves. That they were the best in the world. The cream of the law. The most righteous people in the world. Whenever they came into contact with Jesus. They felt so uncomfortable.
[23:14] Because they realized. They knew. That Jesus put them to shame. For the scam and the hypocrisy. Of their religion. But now Jesus is saying.
[23:27] I'm going. I'm no longer going to be in the world. And yet. The Holy Spirit. Is going to convict. The world. Of how.
[23:39] They should live. What God demands. Of this world. And he goes on to say. He goes on to talk about judgment. In verse 11. Judgment. He says. Is because the ruler of this world.
[23:50] Is judged. And what that means. Is that. The cross. Spelled. The end.
[24:01] Of Satan's rule. You know. You very often think. Quite rightly. Of course. Of the cross. As being. The place. Where Jesus carried. My guilt.
[24:12] And my sin. And of course. It was. The cross. But the cross. Was also. Looking at it. In another sense. The place. Where Satan. Was defeated. Decisively.
[24:26] And what that means. Is that the world. Today. And I leave this. With you. If you're not. A follower. Of Jesus. The world. Today. Is divided.
[24:36] Into two sides. There's the winning side. And there's the losing side. There is God's side. And there is Satan's side.
[24:50] And. Whilst. It appears. Right now. That Satan's side. Is so victorious. Thriving.
[25:00] In many places. Ultimately. He. Will be. Destroyed. Now. Which side.
[25:11] Are you on? You may not be accustomed. To hearing. That kind of challenge. But that's the truth.
[25:23] You're on one side. Or the other. Which is it? The winning. Or the losing side. Now.
[25:34] It may be that. When we talk today. And when we read these words. Of Jesus. That the day would come. When the Holy Spirit. Would convict the world.
[25:44] Of sin. And righteousness. And judgment. That you too. Have an incredible sense. Of unease. And discomfort. And perhaps it is.
[25:56] That you wish. That this sermon. Was finally over. So that you could. Turn your mind away. From what we've been talking about. Because you know. That it applies. To yourself. Let me ask you this question.
[26:08] Could it be. That the reason you feel. So uneasy. Is because God. Is talking to you. Please. Give that some thought.
[26:20] And don't run away. That's the last thing. You want to do. Because if God. Is speaking to you. He speaks to you. In grace. Because he wants to change you.
[26:30] And change your life. And bring you. Into his kingdom. And give you. The greatest gift. That you could possibly. Ever have. In this world. God. He does that. By convicting us. Of our sin.
[26:42] Of his righteousness. What we. What we're not. And his judgment. And then he tells us. That there's a way. To be right with God. And to have our sin. Forgiven.
[26:55] That's the first thing then. And I see the clock. Is really moving. Very fast this morning. So we're probably. Not going to get. Very far. Further forward. What about the second thing. The way in which he.
[27:05] Operates. Within. His disciples. We read that. In the following verse. In verse. Verse 13. When the spirit of truth comes. He will guide you.
[27:16] 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.
[27:26] This time. We're not talking about. The spotlight ministry. But we're talking about. The headlight ministry. Have you ever. Have you ever. And I'm certainly not.
[27:37] Suggesting this for a moment. Don't ever try this. It happened to me. By mistake. One time. I was driving along. And a black. Dark night. Headlights on. And by mistake. I switched them off. Does that ever happen to you?
[27:49] You hit the wrong button. You hit the wrong dial. And you switch your headlight. I was absolutely terrified. I panicked. Because the whole place. Went black. Has that ever happened to you?
[27:59] And it's then that you realize. How essential. Your headlights are. For keeping you on the road. Well here is Jesus. And he's saying. That in order to keep you on the road.
[28:10] And to keep you guided. Guided in all the right directions. Then the Holy Spirit is my representative. In this world. In order to guide you. Into all the truth.
[28:22] The Bible describes the Christian life. As a journey. It goes from one place to another. Where God began to speak to us. And open up our hearts. To our death. And beyond our death.
[28:37] And what God promises us. As Christians. Is not just that our sins. Are forgiven. Not just that we are raised. To newness of life. And that God changes. Our very being.
[28:47] But that from the moment. You come to faith in Jesus. God dwells. Within you. I want you to stop for a moment. And just to think. About that.
[29:01] Extraordinary truth. That right now. God dwells. In you. If you're a follower of Jesus. And that's of course. What it means. That's why. That's why I love that term.
[29:11] Follow. Jesus. When you take. When you talk about being a Christian. Well. Actually that can mean quite a few things. To quite a few different people. All over the world. But when you talk about being a follower. Of Jesus.
[29:22] You're much more specific. Because that's the term that Jesus used. Follow me. He says. And I will make you fishers. Of men.
[29:32] He said to Levi. Follow me. And that's what he says to us today. Follow me. Now if you're a follower of Jesus. Then the Holy Spirit. Dwells. He lives.
[29:43] He abides. Within. Us. And he does so to make sure. That our choices are the right ones.
[29:55] That our attitudes are the right ones. And that we will go where he wants us to go. And do what he wants us to do. And learn what he wants us to learn.
[30:05] And discover what he wants us to discover. Of course as soon as we begin talking about that. You're opening up a whole area of questions.
[30:18] How do I know. That I am doing God's will. How do I know right now. That I am in the place. Where God wants me to be.
[30:33] How do I know. When I get an offer of a job. If it's right. Whether God wants me to take it. Or whether God wants me to refuse it. How do I know. If you're a young person.
[30:43] You start going out with somebody. How do I know. That this is the right person for me to marry. Well let me say first of all. That if that is a concern to you.
[30:55] That's fantastic. Because it means that. The uppermost concern in your life. When it comes to all your decisions. You want to glorify God.
[31:07] That is the starting point. And let me tell you. If that is the basis. By which you live your life. And upon which your choices are made.
[31:18] Then believe me. You don't need to worry about you being guided. You will be guided. Into all the right decisions. Now that doesn't mean to say that we make all the right decisions.
[31:29] We don't. We fall. We stumble. We fail. In so many different ways. And yet somehow or other. God is even able to work all things together for good. To those who love God. According to his purpose.
[31:42] That is the way. That's the extent. The scope. In which the Holy Spirit. Guides the people. Of God. So don't let it be a source of concern. Don't lose sleep.
[31:53] Over the question of guidance. How do I know. And don't concern yourself too much. With this question of God having a plan for your life.
[32:06] I wouldn't concern myself with that at all. Because God. Not only has a plan. But he will complete that plan. You can be absolutely sure. That what God wills.
[32:17] He will do. That is. God. He completes what he begins. He will guide you into all the truth. But let me just say this. And I'm going to say this in closing.
[32:29] I'm going to miss out the third part. I'm going to say this. That whatever you do. Make sure you live by the Bible. And make sure your decisions and your choices.
[32:43] Are the Bibles. Are what are made. In the light of the Bible's guidance. Because the Holy Spirit. Never. Contradicts the Bible.
[32:54] And if you today. Are hovering. Over perhaps. A choice. Or a decision. A direction.
[33:06] Which you know. To be wrong. Whatever you do. Don't say. It's God. That is leading you. The most important question today.
[33:18] When it comes to guidance. Is this. Am I prepared. In everything. In all that God. In all my decisions.
[33:29] And my choices. To do. What God. Wants me to do. To do. The right. Thing. No. Matter. What.
[33:43] You get that right. And you don't need to worry about guidance. God will guide you. He's promised. Am I prepared. To do the right thing.
[33:54] Because that. Is God's will. When the Bible tells me to do something. That is God's will. The way that the Bible tells me to live. That is God's will.
[34:05] My obedience to God. Is paramount. In the way. That I live. You get that right. And then everything else. Will fall. Into. Place.
[34:16] Let's pray together. Our Father. We've been thinking this morning. About the work of the Holy Spirit.
[34:28] And the Bible tells us. Not to grieve. The Holy Spirit. In whom we have been. Or with whom we have been sealed. We give thanks. We give thanks. Oh Lord. That he has come. To take up residence.
[34:39] In us. And we pray Lord. To practice his presence. In everything that we do. We ask that you will make us obedient. And that you will make us willing. To surrender to him.
[34:51] And to his will. For he will never guide us. Into the wrong places. And everything. That he wants for us. Is what is right. And for our good. Bless.
[35:01] Bless oh Lord. Our study of your word this morning. Bless it to every one of us. And we pray that you will fill our hearts. With your own presence. And with your power. In Jesus name. Amen.