Hi, my name is George Sinclair. I'm the lead pastor of Church of the Messiah.
! It is wonderful that you would like to check out some of the sermons done by Church of the Messiah,
either by myself or some of the others. Listen, just a couple of things. First of all, would you pray for us
that we will open God's Word well to His glory and for the good of people like yourself?
The second thing is, if you aren't connected to a church and if you are a Christian,
we really, I would really like to encourage you to find a good local church where they believe the
Bible, they preach the gospel, and if you have some trouble finding that, send us an email. We will do
what we can to help connect you with a good local church wherever you are. And if you're a non-Christian,
checking us out, we're really, really, really glad you're doing that. Don't hesitate to send us
questions. It helps me actually to know, as I'm preaching, how to deal with the types of things
that you're really struggling with. So God bless.
It is a privilege to speak this morning to you, opening up God's Word as we just heard it in John.
John, as a former student of Anton Chekhov, I worry about that right there, because apparently
nothing on stage was to be there unless it was going to be used at some point. And I've got those
fangs there, but they keep me on my toes. Let's pray before we dig in. Thank you, Lord, for the joy of
celebrating a baptism, for the joy of breaking bread together, for the joy of hearing your Word.
And we ask that by your Holy Spirit, you would open our hearts, soften us to take hold of your promise.
May we see Jesus. May we hear him today. And in his name we pray. Amen.
Amen. Now, if you heard last week's sermon, you'll recall that George mentioned how in his younger
years he knew a woman who had a word from God regarding whom she was to marry, and that that
person was to be George. Well, a few years ago I recall reading an article about a woman in Kenya
who believed that God had told her that she was to marry the Holy Spirit, and with a full wedding
and everything, not just in some informal way. And I'm not telling you this to poke any fun at her at all,
because as far as I can tell, she was very sincere in her desire to see people come to know Jesus.
But the fact is, there's a lot of confusion that surrounds the question of how God speaks today.
It's linked to a confusion about the Holy Spirit's person and his work, and who he is and what he does.
Anyway, here's what happened. The lady's name was Elizabeth Nalem. I think I'm pronouncing that right.
She believed she had a word from God. Along with instructions to marry the Holy Spirit, she was told to go preach the gospel,
first in neighboring Uganda, and then to the United States, to the uttermost parts of the earth, if you like.
So she invited her friends to church, where the ceremony took place. But it didn't go down as she had hoped,
because, well, the party was somewhat spoiled by a certain man. It turned out to be her husband.
He wasn't on board with every detail there that day.
He said, well, the decision had involved him more or less staying back to care for their children.
And here's what he said. She didn't inform me about the wedding.
We are still duly married, and this is a lot of work.
He also pointed out, just for the record, that he had paid a substantial dowry of 22 cows and 16 goats.
Well, this was an Anglican network she was part of, and the bishop was brought into the situation,
and he came down on the husband's side.
Once he'd heard that Mrs. Nalem had gone through with the ceremony,
he said, we don't support what happened because Holy Spirit things don't happen that way.
Holy Spirit things don't happen that way.
Well, on what grounds could he say that?
On what grounds could you and I claim such a thing?
Before we try to answer that, and before we turn to our text,
consider two main areas of confusion about the person and work of the Holy Spirit today.
Some of us are going to be inclined to think at times that the Holy Spirit is a power
that keeps everything and everyone connected.
In other words, the world and the Holy Spirit share a very tight relationship,
a natural kind of intimacy, if you like.
And since it's by this power that relationships happen,
it has the appearance of being personal.
But the power itself, we have to be clear, is an impersonal one that animates the world.
To live rightly, according to this understanding, is to stay connected.
In other words, to live in unity, in the connectedness of all things that's already there by the Spirit.
To sin, on the other hand, against the Spirit, is to disconnect.
It's to create boundaries, like when we draw distinctions between God and creation,
good and bad, redeemed, lost, gay, straight, so forth.
John Denver, one of my heroes, seems to have been into this kind of understanding
when he, years back, sang a song called Wind Song.
And he thought of the wind as the whisper of our mother, the earth,
the wind as the weaver of darkness, bringer of dawn,
or the sweet taste of love on a slow summer's day.
I think that captured something of this understanding of the Spirit.
Now, others like to think of the Holy Spirit as the present God,
who's to be distinguished from the God who was active in the past,
as Father and Son, in different ages, under different modes.
The idea that God is personal is here at least a bit more promising
because God is understood to speak to us from beyond all created things,
telling us his name and his will for us and for creation.
But, and here's the problem,
what he says in one age may well be superseded by what he says in the next.
And here's what it looks like.
The Father's ministry gives way to the sons,
and then that's replaced by the spirits.
In practical terms, in the present age of the spirit,
we don't really look for God to reveal his will in ways exclusively through past events
and through an authoritative word about those events, as we have in Scripture,
but more directly, either through an inner voice to the individual heart
or to the church through its collective wisdom over the years.
Now, in practice, we tend to be inconsistent,
so we won't fall neatly into these categories.
So Mrs. Nalem may very well have been diligent in her reading of Scripture,
even while actively seeking after a more direct revelation
of what God required for her salvation
or for the building up of the church.
The same confusion is there for those who try to hold both Scripture
and church tradition as sources of revelation.
This way may look more cautious and more restrained,
but in practice, it becomes very easy for a church
slowly but surely to invent stuff
that it considers necessary for our salvation
or for our unity or for the advancement of the kingdom,
for the building up of the church,
but that God hasn't required
or that God has expressly forbidden in Scripture.
So we have Scripture as God's Word written,
as our only infallible standard for discerning these things.
I'll say a bit more about that towards the end,
but for now, let's just ask this.
What does Jesus teach about the Holy Spirit?
Who is the Holy Spirit and what is his work?
So let's go through that reading together.
If you have your Bibles there or your devices,
follow with me as we go through this passage once again
broken down in three segments.
The first segment, verses 5 to 7,
is a necessary preface to what Jesus teaches
about the Holy Spirit's work and person and work
because it has to do with the fact
and the blessings of his going away.
Verse 5,
But now I am going to him who sent me,
and none of you asks me,
Where are you going?
But because I have 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,
some translations say comforter or consoler,
will not come to you.
But if I go,
I will send him to you.
Just let me make three brief points on this section.
I'm going to him who sent me,
says Jesus.
I'm going to the Father.
In the Creed,
we confess that Jesus ascended into heaven,
but we often overlook that event,
don't we?
Since we tend to focus more on Jesus'
direct presence in our lives
at the expense of a real departure.
And the upshot, I think,
is that we tend to overlook
the necessary role of the Holy Spirit.
So we do well to note
how perplexed the disciples are.
And apart from being troubled,
which I'll mention a little further down,
Jesus has earlier,
just in the previous chapter,
said to them,
remain in me,
even as I remain in you.
And now he says he's leaving.
And so naturally,
we'd be asking,
how is that supposed to happen?
And then Jesus, in effect,
answers the question.
Because he says,
it's to your advantage,
and this is my second point,
it's to your advantage that I go away.
Here we need to grasp, I think,
why exactly Jesus' departure
is a real benefit to them.
Now, if we think
that a spiritual presence
is something less than real,
then we will run into difficulties.
But the fact is,
and as commentaries can help us to see,
to remain would limit Jesus
geographically, spatially.
And what God has in store
in this glorious sending
of the Holy Spirit
at Pentecost,
it's not that he wasn't active,
the Spirit wasn't active before,
but there's this special outpouring
at Pentecost.
God's design in this wonderful moment
means that there are no such limitations
to God's power
to make Jesus present
to every heart
that's willing to make him room,
as we sing at Christmas time,
to receive him for every group,
to any group
that gathers in his name.
And that's the wonder
of a personal relationship with Jesus.
We sometimes maybe overuse that term,
and it's good to know what we mean.
But it's a good term.
It's the wonder
of a personal relationship with Jesus
when, by God's mercy,
we're brought into it
through our repentance
and faith in Jesus,
as we've heard so well
in our baptismal rite.
That's the most important decision
we could ever make.
Now, the phrase itself, of course,
can be misunderstood,
personal relationship,
as when we think of
other personal things,
like personal belongings,
personal careers,
things that you and I
can kind of more or less
direct and control.
But to enjoy a personal relationship
with Jesus
is really,
it's really about Jesus.
Brought about by the Spirit
who gives life,
and it's to have him direct us
and govern our lives.
He's in charge,
and there really is no other way
for a relationship with Jesus
to happen.
And then the third point
has this promise.
Jesus says,
if I go,
I will send him to you.
What we learn here
is that the Holy Spirit,
sent from the Father,
according to Jesus'
earlier promise as well,
also comes from the Son.
That's why,
and incidentally,
it was not wrong
to add the filioque clause
to the creed.
As when we declare
that the Holy Spirit
proceeds from the Father,
and the Son.
There's a theological significance
I won't dwell on here.
We can talk about that after.
But,
because now all we need to do
is understand why
Scripture itself
speaks of the Spirit
belonging,
as belonging to Jesus.
Yes,
they are distinct persons
of the Godhead,
but when Paul writes
in Galatians 4, 6,
that God's children
are able to address God
as Abba,
as Father,
because of the,
because the,
because the Spirit
of His Son
is in their hearts,
we're meant to understand
the unity of purpose
that the Son
and the Spirit share.
So we should never
drive a wedge
between the work
of the Son
on the one hand
and the work
of the Spirit
on the other.
This text
draws us marvelously
into that truth.
So that,
turn with me
to verse 8,
the second part
of the passage.
In this second part,
verses 8 to 11,
Jesus describes
the Holy Spirit's work
there in the world.
Verse 8,
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.
Two brief points
here in this text.
The convicting work
of the Holy Spirit.
What does it mean
to be convicted
of sin?
Well,
it's to have
its true nature
exposed
so that we understand
what it is exactly
and what its consequences
are.
It's to be aware
and convinced
of its real nature.
And I think
what I want to highlight
here is that
an impersonal God
can't possibly
make that happen.
An impersonal God
is mute.
Even convenient.
And convenient
because we get
to decide ultimately
what is what sin is
if there is such a thing
and what its consequences
are.
But here we see
that the Holy Spirit
is personal.
He's sovereign.
His work,
far from
inserting
some kind of
general glue
that holds
all things together,
is very specific
related to the
saving purposes
of God.
And he works
particularly
and specially.
As Sinclair Ferguson
puts it,
the New Testament
places the spirit
and the world
in an antithetical,
not conciliatory
relationship.
That's because
two chapters back,
John 14,
Jesus tells the disciples
that the world
does not know
the spirit
and therefore
cannot receive him.
The second point,
we,
in the second point
here is that
the convicting work
is very specific
and it's very
closely,
tightly related
to Jesus'
person and work.
It has a very
Christological focus.
It's very
Jesus-centered here.
In other words,
when the Holy Spirit
comes,
he will apply
Jesus'
saving work
in three ways.
He's going to
turn hearts
from unbelief
in Jesus
to belief
in Jesus.
He's going to
give the remedy
for sin
through faith
in Jesus
and his righteousness,
taking on
his righteousness
as like a mantle.
And he'll
establish
Jesus'
lordship
and righteous
rule over all
things,
given the victory
over Satan
that he's won
through the cross.
And that's his
work in the world
which will continue
right to the day,
the glorious day
when Jesus comes
again.
And here we see
the Holy Spirit
not attracting
attention to himself.
He's always
pointing us
and leading us
to Jesus.
Jesus.
Let's see
the third part
which concerns
the Holy Spirit's
work in the lives
of disciples.
Verse 12,
I still have
many things
to say to you
but you cannot
bear them
now.
When the spirit
of truth comes
he will guide you
into all the truth
for he will not
speak on his own
authority but
whatever he hears
he will speak
and he will
declare to you
the things
that are to come.
He will glorify
me
for he will
take what is
mine
and declare
it to you.
All that the
Father has
is mine
therefore I said
that he will
take what is
mine
and declare
it to you.
So just
once again
some brief
points here.
The first
has to do
with who
is the
person
of the Holy
Spirit.
We have
confessed
in the
Creed
that he
is Lord
and life
giver
and we
have solid
biblical
reasons for
confessing
that.
And here
Jesus tells
us that he
is the
spirit of
truth.
There are
many things
we could
say about
the Holy
Spirit's
person but
these are
the two
that I
want to
highlight
here.
He's the
life and
he's truth.
And what
it's wonderful
how wonderful
it is to
understand
to grasp
that the
life that the
Holy Spirit
brings is
not somehow
disconnected
or separate
from the
truth that
he imparts.
To get
one is to
get the
other.
We're so
prone to
put those
things,
life and
truth,
in separate
boxes as
though we
could select
one and
take one and
leave the
other aside.
So we can
say that the
Holy Spirit's
work is to
give us the
truth about
who God
is and
what he has
done even
even as
he gives
us new
life.
Everything
he does
serves the
purpose of
revealing the
truth and
the beauty
of Jesus,
whether it
means shining
light into
our hearts
to expose
things that
are not of
God or
giving us
insight and
gifts we
need for
building up
the church
and advancing
Christ's
kingdom.
A second
point.
Jesus says
he will guide
you into
all truth.
Whom will
he guide?
Is the
question here.
And in the
primary sense
we have to
recognize that
he's speaking
directly to
his disciples.
His promise
is that the
Holy Spirit
is going to
reveal what
they will need
to know and
understand so
that his
word can be
complete and
his written
word can be
completed,
can be sealed
if you like.
That's why
he told them
in John
14, 26,
he will
teach you
all things
and bring
to your
remembrance
all that
I've said
to you.
But the
Holy Spirit's
guidance doesn't
end there.
We believers
of the 21st
century benefit
from the very
same ministry.
There is one
important difference.
The Holy Spirit
now leads us
into the truth
not so as to
add to the
revelation that's
already there
but so that
we will grow
in our
understanding of
that revelation
so that more
light may be
shed on the
meaning of
scripture as we
apply it in
different and
new contexts
and to new
situations.
That's the
difference between
the Holy Spirit's
revelation and
his illumination
and I think it's
a crucial distinction
for us to make.
So to the
last point in
the passage
he will take
what is mine
and declare it
to you.
There again
here we see
the unity of
purpose between
Jesus and the
Holy Spirit.
We see here
that it's Jesus
who will be
speaking through
the Holy Spirit.
We see the
unity in their
present ministry.
It's not as
though we have
Jesus speaking
only in the
past and the
Holy Spirit
speaking today.
No, it's
Jesus speaking
today through
the Holy Spirit.
So let's
turn to a
couple of
practical questions.
What about
God revealing
the name of
the person
we're supposed
to marry?
What about
what should
we expect
how should we
expect to hear
Jesus' voice
today?
Given that
there are
competing
understandings
of this?
Well, the
first question
raises what's
called the
doctrine of
the Scripture's
finality.
You can make
a note of
that.
The Scripture's
finality.
And the best
way I try to
explain that
is just as
we seek no
further Christ
beyond Jesus
of Nazareth,
the same
risen Lord
Jesus who
will come
again in
glory to
judge the
living and
the dead.
we seek no
further revelation
from God
concerning salvation.
Finality.
Scriptures are
God's final
revelation.
This means that
they are the
only standard
for testing
any and
every idea
that we might
consider to be
from God.
Let me bring
in Sinclair
Ferguson again
here because I
think he makes
the point far
better than I
could.
He says this,
since the
Scriptures record
God's last
word for the
last days,
we should not
now expect
that God
will speak
to us
directly.
Let's hear
what he means.
Now that he
has spoken in
Christ and
through the
apostles,
we discover
his will by
applying
Scripture to
all the
varied circumstances
in which we
live.
We do not
expect, for
example, that
God will
whisper to
us the
name of
the person
we are to
marry, the
calling we
are to
pursue, the
church to
which we
are to
belong, or
the place we
should live.
We discover
God's will in
these areas by
the careful
and ongoing
application of
the principles,
commands, and
illustrations we
find in
Scripture to
the life
situations in
which we find
ourselves.
God has
given me a
word for
you.
But when
it happens,
what is the
way to
receive such
a report?
Well, I have
the option of
my own dad's
very practical
example.
He says,
okay, brother
or sister,
thanks for
that.
When God
tells me the
same thing, I'll
let you know.
It's one way to
go about it,
right?
But if
Ferguson is
right in
his judgment,
as I believe
he is, in our
efforts to
apply biblical
principles to
life situations,
at times we
do get a
strong sense
that this
way, as
opposed to
that way, is
the right way
to go forward.
After all, the
Holy Spirit does
enlighten our
path by his
word, giving
us that
discernment.
But even
there we have
to recognize
that our
vision is
going to be
fallible.
we can
never apply
to our
interpretations
of God's
will for us
any kind
of thus
saith the
Lord.
We have
to recognize
that our
strong sense
may also
have other
motives attached
to it that
could cloud
our understanding.
So to the
question of
how does
Jesus speak
today, I
do pray that
this, what
I share here
will be of
help, as
it has been
in my own
life.
It's not
intended to
oversimplify
something that
can be rather
complex, but
simply to set
different perspectives
side by side
so that we
can compare
them and
see them
hopefully for
what they
are.
I didn't
come up with
this.
I got it
from John
Stott, who
some years
back outlined
five answers
to the question
how does
Jesus speak
today?
The classic
Roman Catholic
answer, Jesus
speaks today
through the
magisterium,
okay?
The teaching
office of the
Pope and his
fellow Roman
Catholic bishops
who rely on
both scripture
and tradition
in doing that.
That's a
standard and
official, in a
sense, Roman
Catholic
explanation.
But the
problem here,
apart from
having a sort
of expanding
Bible, if you
like, to which
we can add
more infallible
texts, has
to do with
the fact that
final authority
rests with a
body of
bishops, not
a body of
books.
C.S.
Lewis identified
the problem
well when he
was asked why
he wasn't a
Roman Catholic
or was asked
to address the
question of
why he wasn't
Roman Catholic.
And even
though he was
very gracious
in his dealings
with his
close Roman
Catholic friends,
he answered
something like,
to become a
Roman Catholic,
I not only
must accept
what you
teach today,
I'm committed
to accepting
what you
might teach
me tomorrow
because of
this open
canon idea.
The Eastern
Orthodox view
is the second
one.
Jesus speaks
today through
holy tradition.
That is,
principally through
the Bible,
which has pride
of place,
but also the
creed, the
first seven
councils, the
teachings of
the fathers,
within that
period, the
liturgy, holy
icons as well,
and perhaps one
or two other
things.
But here also
the authority
rests with the
church, understood
in a kind of
dynamic liturgical
sense, what the
church in its
liturgical life,
its worship life,
sees fit to
incorporate into
that great
tradition.
I'd like to
illustrate that,
but I don't
think I have
time.
But talk to
me after,
and I have a
way of
illustrating that.
that I think
highlights this
Eastern Orthodox
understanding as
distinct from the
Roman Catholic
one.
What's the
liberal answer?
Jesus speaks
today, these
are John
Stott's words,
through individual
reason, conscience,
experience, or the
consensus of
educated opinion.
This is the most
subjective option,
and at best it
leaves us with a
provisional head
count.
especially among
those who are
educated, right?
The fourth
option, John
Stott gives, is
the popular
Anglican way.
He says, we
hear Jesus'
voice today
through the
threefold
cord of
scripture,
tradition, and
reason.
So we have
something of an
improvement on
the liberal
approach, but it's
still subjective
because it's
really left to
the individual,
or to the
individual body
of Christians
to decide how
to coordinate
these things,
scripture,
tradition,
reason,
experience.
Usually, and
in our own
times, experience
gets to win.
So Stott comes
to the fifth,
what he calls
the evangelical
answer to the
question,
Jesus speaks
today through
holy scripture.
scripture.
Why?
Well, for the
simple reason
that Jesus
submitted to
scripture and
urged his
disciples to do
the same.
Now, if we
ask, well,
wasn't Jesus
getting his
disciples to
submit to the
Hebrew Bible,
to the Old
Testament?
Well, yes,
but he
explicitly provided
for the new
with his promise
that the Holy
Spirit would
teach his
disciples what
they weren't
yet ready to
bear.
So how
might we
respond to
what we've
heard from
God's word
this morning?
Just a few
concluding thoughts.
As we reflect
on Jesus'
teaching about
the Holy
Spirit, I
think that
this morning
we can be
grateful for
the truth
that the
same Holy
Spirit impresses
on your heart
and on mine
as we attend,
as we attend
the Holy
Scripture,
as we listen
as we consider
it, as we
meditate on it,
as we discuss
it with others.
We can also
be encouraged
by the hope
it puts in
our hearts
and also
challenged
by the
Holy Spirit's
inward work
as we look
ahead.
So I'll be
very brief.
First, we're
called to be
grateful.
If you're
like me,
most of the
time you're
not thinking,
wow,
the truth
that is now
clearing the
fog of my
brain and
unbelief as
I meditate on
Scripture is the
work of the
Holy Spirit.
And yet it
is.
So let's give
thanks that the
Holy Spirit is
the spirit of
truth,
clearing that
fog of our
confusion and
unbelief.
Second, we're
called to be
encouraged by the
hope it brings.
The Holy Spirit
does the work
of uniting us
to Jesus and
keeping him
united to
Jesus, who is
the way, the
truth, and the
life.
To have Jesus
is to have a
profound and
lasting hope that
he will do
precisely as he
has promised.
Finally, we're
challenged as we
look ahead.
The immediate
context of the
passage is
Jesus is teaching
about abiding in
him and his
word, as I
mentioned, but
also the
consequences that
will necessarily
follow from
following him.
It makes
perfect sense
then that the
disciples are
troubled, and
he's just
warned them that
the suffering is
going to come.
He even says
in chapter 16,
verse 2, that
they're going to
be put to
death with
those who kill
them thinking
they're actually
serving God.
And I can't
help think
here of a
period of time
that I've been
studying, the
16th century
Spain, with
the church and
all its outward
signs of
authority and
even representing
Jesus, somehow
thinking through
the Inquisition that
they were doing
the Lord's work as
they burnt so
many at the stake
for their faith in
Jesus in 16th
century Spain.
I think in
light of this
reality, we can
be challenged in
a couple of
ways.
We can be
challenged to
depend more on
the Holy Spirit's
ministry, in
guiding us, in
dwelling, letting
Christ's word dwell
in us richly, as
Paul says in
Colossians 3, so
that we can
encourage others
more and more and
also be moved to
give thanks.
But the second
way we can be
challenged is as
we recognize the
real battle that's
there, never to
lose sight of the
fact that there
is a battle going
on for our souls.
The cross is a
permanent mark of
disciples.
All who will live
godly in Christ
Jesus, says Paul to
Timothy, shall suffer
persecution.
2 Timothy 3.12.
The truth is,
opposition to God's
word is relentless,
so in a sense, I
don't want to be
misunderstood here, in
a sense we shouldn't
be drawing a sharp
distinction between the
persecuted church as
distinct from the one
that isn't.
There are degrees of
public and visible
persecution, of course,
but every Christian is
called to do battle
against spiritual forces
of evil in the
heavenly places.
If it were otherwise,
the armor of God
would only be something
we'd need to have on
occasionally.
So may the Lord
strengthen us to keep
it on by his
spirit, strengthen us
to keep that armor
on, and in every
victory we gain,
may we give God the
praise and the glory.
Amen.