[0:00] We're going to begin our worship by singing to God's praise. We're singing in Psalm 91. This is in the Scottish Psalter, page 351. Psalm 91. We'll sing from verse 1 to verse 5.
[0:16] He that doth in the secret place of the Most High reside under the shade of him that is the Almighty shall abide. I think especially for the young ones going through to the hall next door.
[0:27] Verse 4 of this Psalm you'll see up on the wall next door. There's feathers, there's wings that young people made up, and in the middle is this verse. His feathers shall thee hide, thy thrust under his wings shall be. His faithfulness shall be a shield and buckler unto thee. So remember that God is a shield and that we find refuge under his wings. We'll sing verse 1 to 5 to God's praise, and we stand to sing.
[0:57] He that doth in the secret place of the Most High is night, under the shade of him that is the Almighty shall abide.
[1:17] Under the shade of him that is the Almighty shall abide.
[1:33] I owe the Lord my God will save. He is my refuge still. He is my fortress and my hope. And in He is my fortress and my heart. And in him trust thy will. Assuredly he shall be safe, and in deliverance from subtle power.
[2:08] He shall be safe, and in deliverance from subtle power. He shall be safe, and in deliverance from subtle power.
[2:22] And from subtle power. And from the noisome pestilence. His feathers shall be my His faithfulness shall be a shield and buckler unto thee.
[2:55] His faithfulness shall be a shield and buckler unto thee. Thou shalt not need to be afraid.
[3:09] For ever shall the night, nor for the night. nor for the arrow thou thou be Thou shalt thou come to thee. Thou shalt not need to be afraid. Thou shalt not need to be afraid.
[3:23] Thou shalt not need to be afraid. For ever shall the night. nor for the arrow thou thou thou thou.
[3:43] Thou shalt not need to be afraid.
[3:55] I will come to God in prayer. Let us pray. Lord our God, our Father in heaven, we do thank you for this, your day. We thank you to be able to gather together, to come and worship you, to sing praise to you, to hear your word together, and to seek your blessing on all that we do.
[4:16] We thank you for the promise that you are here with us, and we thank you for the promise that you give us help, that you give us a refuge even in times of trouble.
[4:29] We thank you that even as we have sung of in this psalm that there may be many things that we are afraid of. From the youngest here to the oldest there will be things that may leave us feeling scared in life.
[4:43] But we thank you that we have you to come to, that we have you as one to help us, to be with us, to give us guidance, to give us strength in the midst of all that maybe makes us afraid.
[4:56] And so we pray, Lord, that you will help us to know you are there for us, each and every one of us, that we can come praying to you, even the simple words, any words that we have, Jesus will hear for us.
[5:11] And we thank you that you are able to answer prayers for us too. And so we thank you, Lord, for every good thing that you give to us. We thank you for a time of holiday for our young people, for the schools and the Sunday school.
[5:26] We thank you for all who come and go during this time, both going away from ourselves as a congregation, visiting family and friends away or spending time on holiday in different places.
[5:39] We ask you protection over everyone who is usually here with us, but not today. We thank you too that visitors come to us and that we have visitors in our midst today. And we will see maybe more visitors over these coming weeks.
[5:52] We thank you for these times we're able to share together. And we pray that you will bless us all together. Bless the young ones as they will go through to the hall in a few moments. Lord, be with them there as they enjoy learning more of your word.
[6:07] And bless us here too in the church as we continue in our worship of you. So be with us, Lord, as we commit ourselves to you. Watch over us and all our loved ones as we ask all in Jesus' name and for his sake. Amen.
[6:22] It's good to see young ones in the congregation today, different parts of the church. Hands up, young ones, so I can see where you are. You're all scattered all over the place today. It's good to see you all here today.
[6:34] I hope you're enjoying your holidays. I hope those who are visiting with us are enjoying their time with us as well. It's always good to have visitors here. Today in the service, we're going to be looking at what Jesus promised his disciples as he was about to leave them.
[6:50] We're looking at John chapter 14 together today where Jesus has gathered his disciples together in a room. And he's teaching them about all the things that lie ahead.
[7:01] And this is just the night before Jesus dies, which makes it even more significant for us, I think, because it reminds us that even as Jesus has all that lying ahead of him, that he was still concerned about those he loved, his disciples and others.
[7:19] And what he wanted for them was to know that he had help for them. That even though he was going away from them, that he was going to give them a helper. And that's what we're going to be thinking about this morning in the service.
[7:32] The helper is the Holy Spirit. Now, what kind of things do we need help with? All through our life, we need help with different things.
[7:43] When we're young, we need help maybe getting dressed and eating our food and all of these kinds of things. As we're getting older, we'll need help maybe in school because we're finding things hard.
[7:54] We'll ask our teacher to help us. When we think of coming to Sunday school and even going next door today and doing a craft together, maybe you'll have to help. The teacher's there for help making the craft and different things.
[8:07] And even as we get older, we rely on help from others as well. Whatever we're doing in life, we need help. Whether it's going through times that are difficult for us or times even that are happy for us, we need help from different people too.
[8:23] Think about playing sports and being in a team. You often rely on people there to help you. For example, if you're playing football and you're playing in a team and you make a mistake, you need your teammates to be on your side to help you out.
[8:39] I was playing football on Friday night and I'm seeing a couple of people who are playing with me. I've lost count of the number of times I had to help them out because they'd made a mistake. Maybe it was the other way around as well.
[8:51] But when we're playing sports, we often make mistakes, but we have people there to help us. But what about when we're by ourselves, when there's nobody else around?
[9:02] When we're maybe afraid of different things. Maybe even last night you were lying in bed and you were afraid because you were hearing the heavy rain outside. Or when there's thunderstorms, you can be afraid and you think there's nobody there to help me.
[9:16] There's people who are unwell and maybe they're feeling alone and afraid and they feel there's nobody there to help them. Well, that's the promise that God is giving in his word here, that there is someone to help us.
[9:28] That he doesn't want to leave us alone, but that even when we feel that we're by ourselves, that he has given us a helper, the Holy Spirit. And just like the wind sometimes where you feel the wind in your face, but you don't know where it comes from.
[9:44] That's the way the Holy Spirit is described in the Bible. Like a wind. You can't see it, but you know he's there. And we know he's there just by believing in God, by believing in Jesus that he has promised to give us his helper.
[10:00] So we like to have people around us to help us. But there's times when we may be feeling alone, but we have to remember that Jesus has promised that he is there for us always.
[10:13] No matter what time of day or night, no matter whether it's a happy time or a sad time, no matter whether it's things that we see as impossible to get through, that he is there to help us.
[10:27] We have a helper. And that is great to know that we have God with us through his Holy Spirit. And may we all know his help day by day as we go on.
[10:41] But we're going to say the Lord's Prayer together. Let's say the Lord's Prayer. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.
[10:52] Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
[11:03] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen. Well, we'll again sing to God's praise.
[11:18] This time in Psalm 107. It's in the Sing Psalms version on page 144. Psalm 107.
[11:30] We're going to sing from verse 10 down to verse 20. And again, this Psalm speaks of people who will find themselves in situations where they're afraid, but they cry out to God, and the Lord is able to help them in their fear.
[11:49] Some sat in darkness and in gloom and chains of iron held. They scorned the ways of God most high, against his words rebelled. And so he made them labor hard in bitterness and shame.
[12:02] They stumbled and they could not rise. To help them no one came. Then says, then to the Lord they cried for help. So we'll sing from verse 10 down to verse 20 to God's praise.
[12:17] And, please. Let's sing. This song. Let's sing. brethren There's a song.
[12:29] Let's sing. For the otherwise. All right. Let's sing. We'll sing far away and care. God of God strony reconciliation O ye may that live our heart in bitterness and shame.
[13:14] They stumbled and they could not rise to help them, no one came.
[13:31] Then to the Lord they cried for help, he saved them from their doom.
[13:49] He broke away their cruel chains and brought them out of gloom.
[14:06] So let them thank them for his love, the deeds which he achieves.
[14:24] Because he breaks the spirits of bronze and iron bars he gives.
[14:41] Summer through their rebellious ways, and for their sins they dear.
[15:00] All kinds of food revolted them, the gates of death grew near.
[15:17] Then in despair they sought the Lord.
[15:27] He saved them from their doom. His word went forth with healing there, and kept them from the tomb.
[15:56] We'll turn to reading God's word in the Gospel of John, chapter 14. We're going to read from verse 15 down to the end of the chapter.
[16:09] Just note at the beginning of this chapter, it speaks about a word that's repeated in our reading further on. Verse 1, Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me.
[16:25] These are well-known words to us all perhaps, but it reminds us of just what Jesus is saying to his disciples at this time. When they are afraid, let not your hearts be troubled.
[16:38] Then in verse 15 we take up our reading. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him.
[16:58] You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more.
[17:12] But you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in you.
[17:23] Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.
[17:37] Judas, not Iscariot, said to him, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world? Jesus answered him, If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
[17:57] Whoever does not love me does not keep my words, and the word that you hear is not mine, but the Father who sent me. These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you, 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 that I have said to you.
[18:22] Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
[18:36] You heard me say to you, I am going away, and I will come to you. If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
[18:48] And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming.
[19:01] He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.
[19:14] Amen, and may God bless that reading from his word. We'll again join together in prayer. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for your word that is often a word that speaks to us in times of different need.
[19:32] We thank you that there is always something new each day, something fresh, something that we may have read many, many times in the past, and yet it brings new significance in certain times in our lives.
[19:47] And we pray that that will be the case with your word to us today, that as we read words that may be very familiar to us, as we read a passage that may be heard on many occasion, that today it may be a day that it has a new significance, it has a fresh meaning, it gives us even a greater understanding of all that you have done for us.
[20:13] For we know how often our lives change in different circumstances, changes that we can see coming sometimes, but other times it's changes we have not anticipated and not prepared for.
[20:27] We know our lives can change so quickly. We are reminded of it day by day. We are reminded of it week by week in our lives, both in our own personal experiences or in the experiences in our communities or our nation or the world as a whole.
[20:45] We know, Lord, that we have seen so many significant changes even in this past year already. We see changes taking place all the time. But we thank you that as we come to your word, that we come to the one who does not change, the one who is the same always, the same yesterday, today and forever.
[21:07] And so we thank you that in all our changes that we come to you in prayer. We come offering up our praise to you at Thanksgiving, but also our requests and petitions for ourselves or others around us.
[21:21] If we are feeling the way hard, oh Lord, we thank you that we can come to you in prayer, reminded of even the words that we have read, that you will be with us, that you have provided a helper for us, that you have made your home, it says, with your people.
[21:38] And that's such a beautiful image for us to think, oh Lord, that you dwell not just with us, but in us. And so we thank you for the great love that you have shown towards us and the great love that is available to all who will call upon you.
[21:55] The great love and grace and mercy that has helped your people down through all the ages of life. We thank you that we can testify to it so many of us that by your grace, oh Lord, we would not be here ourselves in the way that we are.
[22:13] But we thank you, oh Lord, for your compassion that when we were lost, when we had gone astray, even as we sung of in Psalm 107, we had wandered away in desert paths, we had sinned against you in so many ways that you still showed mercy and love towards us.
[22:31] We thank you that you have heard the cries of your people and that you have rescued, that you have saved. Lord, we pray that there will be those who may call upon you today, those who may cry out to you even as a psalmist of old and know that great power of salvation, know that great peace that you are able to give.
[22:52] We commit then all of these things to you and our people to you, those who have particular needs, those who are hurting through the loss of loved ones. Even in these past days, oh Lord, how we know that grief has touched our communities so sorely.
[23:08] And we continue to remember all associated with us who are going through times of grief, not just this week, but even in the last number of weeks. And we pray for families, oh Lord, who are mourning and grieving.
[23:22] We remember in this past week the family of Lena McLeod. We commit them to you, her children, John and Erica and Muriel and their families and the grandchildren and the wider extended families too.
[23:35] Lord, we ask your blessing on them, your comfort towards them. That we think too of the family of Willie Mashey, that we remember them, oh Lord. And after seeing such a massive turnout yesterday at the funeral, we thank you that in such times that there is your word to speak to us.
[23:55] And we pray that your word will be blessed to all who are there and especially to the family at this time, to Kathleen and to John and Roddy, to Roddy and Nan and all their family too, to Willie's mother and brothers too.
[24:10] Lord, may you surround them with your love and your grace and your peace in the midst of such a sore time. May they know the helper, the comforter, the one who is called alongside.
[24:22] May they know your nearness with them. We do commit our own families and friends to you and all that goes on in our congregation and in the wider church as well.
[24:33] We thank you for the camps going on just now and again we pray your blessing on these camps. We think of Ken Craig Jr. taking place in this week.
[24:43] We thank you for safe travel for them yesterday and pray blessing today as they attend the church in Cunissie. May they hear your word there and rejoice in it and be with them in the week ahead in all that they do.
[24:56] Keep them safe as campers and leaders together. We pray for the festival week ahead in our town as well when so many people will come and visit our town.
[25:08] We pray for the opportunities that there are to reach out with the gospel for the lunches taking place on Thursday and Friday for Giga. We pray for the cruise ship the days that the church is open in this coming week.
[25:21] We pray for the breakfast next Sunday morning and any opportunities we have to speak with people who are visiting our town that you will give us words to speak of the greatness of God the goodness of him towards us and the goodness we have and the mercy we have in Christ Jesus.
[25:40] We pray Lord that our town will be a blessing our church will be a blessing to many in these days. We ask you to continue with us now in our worship throughout the day be with us here and in the rest of the day too bless Scott as he leads us this evening and all of us who gather together in worship then Lord may we come prayerfully and seeking your face and seeking your face even now as we continue in worship.
[26:05] Go before us Lord we pray and forgive us all our sin as we ask all of these things in Jesus name. Amen. We're going to sing again to God's praise this time in Psalm 80 in the Sing Psalms.
[26:27] Psalm 88 page 107 we'll sing from verse 14 down to the end of the Psalm turn to us O God Almighty look and see from heaven above tend this vine your hand has planted and the sun you raised in love.
[26:48] We'll sing from verse 14 down to the end of the Psalm to God's praise. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Turn to us O God Almighty look and see from heaven above tend this vine your hand has planted and the sun you raised in love.
[27:21] See your vine cut down and withered and its branches burned with fire your rebuke has crushed your people and they perish in your hour let your hand be placed in blessing on the man at your right hand on the Son of Man you've chosen whom alone you cause to stand then we will not wander from you turning from you to her shame strengthen us revive and heal us then we'll call upon your name look on us
[28:40] Lord God Almighty let us see your glory bright turn us once again towards you come and save us give us light We can turn back to our reading in John chapter 14 we can read again at verse 25 John chapter 14 at verse 25 these things I have spoken to you while I am still with you but the helper the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name he will teach you all things and bring to you remembrance all that I have said to you peace I leave with you my peace
[29:40] I give to you not as the world gives do I give to you let not your hearts be troubled neither let them be afraid and so on as I was saying to the children earlier we think of situations where we feel afraid where we feel helpless and I'm sure there are many maybe here today or listening in online who are going through these very experiences and even if we're not there often comes or often will come a time when we have fear and anxiety in our hearts for a number of different reasons just think of the number of different things that make us afraid in life it can be very personal situations it can be situations going on around us locally it can be things going on around us nationally there are so many things that make us afraid there's a fear when bad news comes our way there's a fear in times of ill health a fear as we face up to the very reality and the fact of death in this world a fear of going on after losing loved ones there's so many different situations where we find ourselves afraid and the wonderful thing for all of these experiences and times in life is that we have
[31:12] God's word for us we have God's word to us even as we were singing in that last psalm together in psalm 80 in verse 19 it says look on us Lord God almighty let us see your glory bright turn us once again towards you come and save us give us light there's a plea there in that psalm for God to be with us and that's the great assurance that we have in these verses that we've read together verses that enter into the experience of Jesus with his disciples just before his crucifixion just before that time when darkness came over the world even at midday in the middle of the day but yet Jesus had great concern for his disciples and for his people so as you look through this section of John from chapter 13 through to chapter 17 you see this wonderful teaching that
[32:16] Jesus gave his love his compassion his care for his people and the greatest assurance the greatest comfort here in these words is that he knows our experiences he knows the things that we are afraid of the disciples here in this passage are afraid but he speaks these words let not your hearts be troubled and he speaks to them of this great relationship that there is between those who love him and the father who loves them that he comes and makes his home with them but it's this assurance too that there is a helper with us at all times Jesus says I am speaking these words while I am still with you but as we know he is going away but he says there in 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 that I have said to you so there is a that is provided and that's what we have available to ourselves today because our testimony at times is one when we are so afraid and anxious about all that's going on around us and I read a testimony of somebody once and they were saying this and it's an experience that I'm sure many of us can relate to it's similar to experiences we maybe have gone through or even we will go through but this person was talking about their own anxieties and they said this a few months ago
[33:58] I entered a season of waiting with a major project I'd been working on and I found myself flapping between trust and worry one minute I was certain God had everything under control and was confident that he would take care of the hundreds of little details that I was worrying about the next minute I was afraid the worst would happen rehearsing every possible scenario in my mind when I enter panic mode I know what I need to do but my mind doesn't always follow the spirit leading instead of getting into the word and praying to God about it I busy myself with other things and try to keep my thoughts off the source of my worry I talk to others I think will understand the situation and sometimes I end up even more anxious and afraid but then they said as I thought about these tendencies the other day
[35:00] I asked myself why don't we start with God why is prayer often difficult when our mind is consumed with fear I think some of us wonder if he God understands fear he tells us not to worry but we may question whether he can understand our worries and that's a natural reaction for so many of us we go through that in so many different experiences in life one minute we're trusting one minute we're fearful we know what we're meant to do we know we should be bringing it all to God but we fail to do so and then we even have questions can God really understand my fear can he understand my situation can he sympathize with me in it well God's word reminds us again and again that he can was
[36:04] Jesus ever afraid can he really understand our fears well we know the disciples here were afraid because of what it says let not your hearts be troubled Jesus on the eve of his death standing in the very shadow of Calvary is teaching his disciples all that is laid in store for him and they are afraid but was Jesus afraid well all we have to do is turn back a couple of chapters to chapter 12 verse 27 where Jesus there was praying to his father in Gethsemane now is my soul troubled and what shall I say father say me from this hour but for this purpose I have come to this hour Jesus was afraid of what lay ahead of him but what did he do and what does he teach his disciples to do what does he teach us to do is to live in dependence on the father and as we are looking to the father and depending on him we have this promise that the father knows our fears he knows our anxieties he knows our worries and he provides for them and in the provision that he has made it is this helper the holy spirit who will come alongside in our troubles he doesn't leave us and that's a great assurance for us no matter what our experience no matter what we are going through that he is there with us the three things
[37:52] I want us to take out of these verses verse 26 and 27 especially is the fact that there is a helper and that he is teaching us here and that he is giving us relief a helper a teaching and a relief so the first thing we see here is a helper this section is known as the farewell discourse from 13 through to chapter 17 Jesus giving these wonderful teachings to his disciples and you notice he's already covered much with them up to this point in the middle of chapter 14 he is now down to 11 disciples because Judas has deserted him he's gone to betray him he has told Peter that he will deny him he has spoken into their anxieties and worries in the opening of chapter 14 let not your hearts be troubled but then there are questions of how will we know the way and
[39:02] Jesus gave that great teaching where he says I am the way and the truth and the life so he's already teaching them he's already giving them understanding about what is happening and he has told them all that lies death and departures betrayal Peter's denial all of these things and into this there is a sense of fear there is fear that comes over the disciples just as we would be afraid in such circumstances just as we are afraid when we feel that we're losing control in our situation when we don't know what the future holds for us there is fear but you notice that twice Jesus utters these words in chapter 14 let not your hearts be troubled in verse 1 he speaks to them of the work that he is doing and going to do he says let not your hearts be troubled believe in
[40:07] God believe also in me in my father's house are many rooms and he goes on to say I am going to prepare a place for you so he says let not your hearts be troubled because I am in control of this situation I have this plan that is being worked out this plan of salvation I am going to prepare a place for you he's going to prepare the way for us it's the way of the cross the way where he defeats sin and the way of the resurrection and then he's going to prepare a place for us in his father's house so it's speaking there don't let your hearts be troubled I am at work I am in control of all of these things but then as he says it later on in verse 26 and verse 27 when he says in verse 27 let not your hearts be troubled neither let them be afraid he's saying in the meantime until
[41:13] I come again and to take you to be with me in the place I am preparing for you don't let your hearts be troubled because I am providing a helper for you I am providing the Holy Spirit the comforter who will be with you there will be times when you will be afraid when you will come to situations that are out of your control but he says let not your hearts be troubled because I am still with you through the helper the Holy Spirit and it's wonderful the way he puts it here he speaks about it in this way of relationship in verse 18 he says I will not leave you as orphans I will come to you when you think of orphans in Jesus day or in our own day the image that comes to mind is of little children who have lost parents and family and everything in life they've got nowhere to turn to no one to help them they're orphans they're left by themselves but
[42:34] Jesus says I will not leave you as orphans I will not leave you without help I will not leave you abandoned and alone I will come to you I will be with you and what a great comfort and assurance there is in these words and that's what we see running through chapter 13 to chapter 17 this helper this comforter that is there for God's people is there in every experience I will ask the father and he will give you another helper to be with you forever there is no experience that you will go through that you will be alone and that's what he's reiterating in verse 26 as he says but the helper the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name he is going to give us this help and the
[43:40] Greek word for the help of the Holy Spirit is paraclete the word that means the one who is called alongside the one who the father sending us our helper who is going to be with you by your side through all of these things I attended hospital a few years ago I had to get an endoscope and it's not the most pleasant experience to go through but as I went into the room for it the surgeon was there who was doing it but there was also two nurses with them and they were by my side the whole time all three of them were speaking to me throughout the whole procedure they were by my side talking to me reassuring me comforting me that everything was going okay even though it was an unpleasant experience they were there right through and in an even greater way that is what the paraclete the one who is called alongside us does he is there for us through every step of the way and especially we could say in our times of most greatest need as you think of the words of psalm 23 a psalm we sing so often and we especially sing them at funerals at times of great sorrow and the psalm says that even though
[45:10] I am in the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me your rod and your staff they comfort me there is the great assurance that as we trust in the lord his help is with us even in the valley of the shadow of death god is able to help us through he is alongside us he is with us as we look to him so we have this great reassurance that he is with us the helper the holy spirit the one who is called alongside he is there for us he is not leaving us he has not left us he is still with us to this day and always he is there for us so we have a helper we have one who is called alongside the second thing we see here is a teaching a teaching what does the holy spirit do and how do we know this comfort of the holy spirit well it's made clear for us that this is not for everyone because in verse 17 it says even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him there are those who do not want the holy spirit they do not want god's help they cannot receive him because they neither see him or know him but he goes on to say in that verse you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you so the obvious question from that is how how do we know him how do we know his help how do we know his presence and that's a very question that
[47:26] Judas not as scary as it says in verse 22 has he says Lord how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world so he asks the very question that we might have ourselves how are we going to know this and Jesus gives us the answer he says Jesus answered him if anyone loves me he will keep my word and my father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him so there's this wonderful response how are we going to know this it is through loving him through faith in him through trusting him through thick and thin through putting our whole heart to him in every situation that we find ourselves in and some here can testify to that faithfulness of having known this hell and it's because you have loved him and he has come to you in that way and made his home with you throughout these verses chapter 15 speaks about the vine and the branches abiding in him and him in us and it's concluded this section by prayer in chapter 17 the high priestly prayer as it's called and that prayer is all about the abiding presence of
[49:00] God with his people I and you and you and me and we in them there's this ongoing relationship and this relationship teaches us that we can know the love of God and so there is this wonderful teaching for us here we have our questions but Jesus has the answers too as he says these things have spoken to you while I was with you but the helper the Holy Spirit whom this father will send in my name he will teach you all things and bring to remembrance all that I have said so there is this great assurance and this confidence that he will reveal himself to us more and more as time goes on and the more we go on in faith the more we experience of him a fresh and a new day by day we go on realizing his promises realizing his blessings to us over and over again and so it's about our relationship with him leaning on him trusting in him and then knowing that he dwells in us and that's what we long for that we would go on learning more and more of this presence with us more and more of this help there for us in all our times of need how often have you been afraid and
[50:40] God's word speaks to you how often have you been afraid and anxious and a verse comes to your mind how often have you been anxious about going into a situation and someone's come to you with a word of peace and assurance from God's word for you how often has somebody just when you least expect it and it gives you great assurance it reminds you that the Holy Spirit is working laying on someone else's heart your troubles so they will pray for you they will remember you and vice versa how many times has someone come to your mind and you have prayed for them how often have you heard of some situation and you prayed for them or sent a message to someone that is the teaching of the Holy Spirit the one who is with us the one who is there for us the one who makes his home in us and we learn together going forward of the blessings that there are in
[51:42] Christ in his presence with us in his help towards us so we have a helper we have a teaching and finally we have a relief as Jesus speaks these words he reminds him of these things we have the helper we have the teaching but then he says in verse 27 peace I leave with you my peace I give to you not as the world gives do I give to you let not your hearts be troubled neither let them be afraid it's in the knowledge and only in the knowledge of this relationship with God through Father Son and Holy Spirit that we come to know the assurance of this peace peace through our relationship with God and again it's just awesome to think of what
[52:45] Jesus was going through as he was speaking these words as he was on his way to the cross as he was on his way to give his life as a ransom for many and yet he went with that relationship with the Father as a reminder to us as how we are to go forward we look at the fears that are around us the things that make us feel how can I go on but we go forward knowing this great assurance that he is with us and when we know that it gives us peace and you see that in the testimony of so many of God's people you see it in the testimony of God's people in his word David who went out to face Goliath he didn't go out talking about how dangerous how big Goliath was and the threat that he was he went out in the assurance of how great
[53:45] God is and that's how he faced up to his troubles there he knew that God was with him we think about Stephen who was stoned to death and yet his focus was on that those who were stoning him would not be condemned but his focus too was on God as he said in Acts 7 verse 56 behold I see the heavens opened and the son of man standing at the right hand of God he had this great assurance that God was with him as John Newton who wrote amazing grace could relate in the terror of the storm as he was going through that he could relate to the grace of God that calmed his fears it was grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved how precious did that grace appear the hour
[54:46] I first believed it was grace that brought him through the presence of God and think of how this can be the case for you and I too that in all the situations we go through that we have a helper that we have one who is called alongside that we have one who is there to teach us to teach us all things to remind us we don't know everything yet there are things that we still have to learn but we will learn them as we go through all our own experiences but he assures us that he will teach us going forward but we have this confidence of his peace his peace to guard in our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus Matthew Henry in his commentary on these verses he says when Christ was about to leave the world he made his will his soul he committed to the father his body he bequeathed to
[55:56] Joseph his clothes fell to the soldiers his mother he left to the care of John but he goes on to say but what should he leave to his poor disciples who had left all for him silver or gold he had none but he left them that which was infinitely better his peace that's relating to these words here peace I leave with you is there anything better that he could have left them with at this time and is he anything better he could give to us in our time of need than his peace peace when our world is shattered and crumbling all around us his peace is what we need and that is the promise that he has given he will not leave us as orphans he comes to us he makes his home in us as we love his word and love him and through faith we are brought near to all of these things the holy spirit who is his comforter he has given to us that we might know his presence always and his peace with us let us pray our father in heaven we thank you for the assurance and comfort that your word gives for all our different needs we thank you that it speaks to us and speaks powerfully a word of peace a peace that comes not from the world but from you and so we seek that peace for ourselves we seek it for others today to know your peace in very difficult circumstances to know the confidence of your presence with them to know the comforter the one who is called alongside we pray
[58:05] Lord that your word will be blessed to us comfort us and guide us to the one who is the fulfillment of your word that by faith we may have these things through Jesus Christ our Lord we ask it in his name amen we we we're going to conclude by singing to God's praise in Psalm 61 Psalm 61 we'll sing from verse 1 to 4 page 293 of the psalm books the Scottish Psalter version oh God give ear unto my cry and to my prayer attend in the utmost corner of the land my cry to thee I'll send we'll sing from verse 1 to 4 to God's praise O God give ear unto my cry and to my prayer attend from the utmost corner of the land
[59:25] I cry to thee I'll send what time my heart is overwhelmed and in perplexity to me lead unto the rock that I heard is the night for thou hast for my refuge be a shelter by thy power and for defense against my foes thou hast been a strong tower within thy tabernacle
[60:50] I forever will abide forever will abide forever will abide and under comfort of thy wings with confidence be high after the benediction I'll go to the main door we'll close the benediction now may grace mercy and peace from God Father Son and Holy Spirit rest upon and abide with you all now and forevermore amen you