Father, we ask that you just pour out the Holy Spirit deeply upon us,
that you might bring these words to our heart.
And Father, you know our real hearts, not the imaginary hearts that we think we have,
not the imaginary or fake hearts and fronts that we present to other people.
Father, you know those things within us that we're afraid of.
You know those things that we desire strongly, even lust after.
Father, you know what's really going on inside each one of us.
And so, Father, we thank you that you see the real me, the real each one of us,
and that you love the real me, the real each one of who we are.
And you pour out the Holy Spirit upon who we really are and minister to us as we really are.
So, Father, we thank you for this, and we ask that your Holy Spirit would come with power.
And all these things we ask in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Savior. Amen.
Please be seated.
So, speaking of what we're really like and what goes on in our hearts,
I have a bit of a confession to make to you.
So, no surprise, I'm working on my sermon in a coffee shop,
and it's a coffee shop in Centertown on Friday morning.
I was there for a while working.
And at around 1230, I'm walking down Bank Street in Centertown towards the office
and towards the first one of my afternoon meetings.
And my heart was really heavy, actually, as I was walking,
because I thought to myself, we're going to be looking at John chapter 16,
I thought to myself, like, what on earth, like, why would any non-Christian come to hear about this?
I'm just being honest.
Like, why would any non-Christian want to come and spend some time looking at John 16?
You know, I invite people to come to the church, and I think to myself,
what if a couple of them came today?
And we're looking at John 16.
And they'd probably just shake their head, like, there's nothing in there.
I mean, it might be interesting if you're a Christian,
but there doesn't seem to be anything like that in me.
And it was really weighing on my heart that that's sort of how I was thinking about the text.
And I guess indirectly, I'm complaining to God as well, right?
True confession.
And so, you know, in heaven, I'll find out that around 12.30 on Friday,
one of you were praying for me, that it didn't come from me.
But I felt this thing, well, I need to pray about that.
I need to not only complain about this.
I need to not complain about it to myself, but just say it to God.
Like, God, like, what on earth am I supposed to do with this type of text?
Like, I could preach it to Christians, and I could give a lecture on it,
but what on earth am I supposed to say?
Like, why on earth would a non-Christian want to hear this text?
And I start to pray this as I'm walking down Bank Street, you know,
on a Friday afternoon in Centre Town in Ottawa.
And one of the very first things that came into my mind was it's as if God almost rebuked me,
but in a gentle way.
And he said, George, what do you mean that there's nothing in this text that connects to non-Christians?
And then I start to remember what's in the text.
And in the text, it talks about being excluded from important social institutions.
And I'm thinking to myself, good grief, we have the Me Too movement, the Black Lives Matter movement.
We have all sorts of people in Canada complaining in the First Nations about the demotion of the attorney,
you know, the, oh, what's her name now?
It's gone from me.
You know who I mean.
Her being demoted and put into Veterans Affairs.
And here this text is going to talk about exclusion from important social institutions.
The text is going to talk about religiously motivated and justified killing.
And you can hardly read a paper for a week without seeing about that there's something going on somewhere in the world
and even in North America where people are killing their kids for honor reasons and shame.
And the text talks about sorrow and it talks about right and wrong.
And it talks about self-justification.
And it talks about how people judge things.
And it talks about the importance of truth and the importance of lies.
And it talks about weeping.
And it talks about lamenting.
And it talks about joy.
And it talks about childbirth.
And it talks about anguish.
And it talks about rejoicing.
And it talks about love.
And it talks about hiding and being scattered.
and it talks about peace
and it talks about politically expedient murder
and political show trials
and all these things start to go through my head
and I think to myself,
well, God, I guess you're right.
Like maybe this text does touch the real world.
I mean, that's all in John 16.
Everything I just said is in John 16.
Like I didn't add something.
So then I start to puzzle over the text
and what on earth I'm going to say.
And I, you know, sometimes when you watch movies
about the, you know, like Star Wars or Star Trek,
you'll see aliens with four arms.
So I'm going to do four on other hands.
You have to be an alien to do all four of the other hands
because there's going to be four on other hands.
You see, on one hand,
this text really does talk about
the world that we actually live in all the time,
even in Canada,
which we might think is one of the best countries in the world.
We might say that we're way better
than the Democratic Republic of Congo
or some other place.
But the fact of the matter is,
is that, I mean, we're better in some ways economically,
but there's all sorts of other things
about our country that's wrong.
And this Bible text is actually talking about
all sorts of really important things.
On the other hand, you could say that the problem
that, like, people have are that,
like, if there's some non-Christians
who've come for a variety of reasons,
maybe because you're on a spiritual quest,
maybe because it's an assignment at school,
maybe because you were dragged here,
you know, whatever.
On the other hand, it could seem like this is,
like, not a good text to talk about the real world
because in some ways it sounds a little bit about,
like, a horror movie
because it's going to talk about a world
where there's a devil and the devil is described
as the ruler of this world.
And that sounds a little bit like a horror movie.
You know, on the other hand,
like, with that still hand,
I'm still on that hand.
And on that hand,
horror movies are really popular
and lots of people, in fact,
believe that demons exist.
It's not unusual to see people
in coffee shops and others
that wear talismans
to repel evil spirits.
So, in fact,
a text about the reality of the devil,
it might exclude some people,
but for other people,
it's talking about something
that, in fact,
matches their experience and their fears.
On the other hand, though,
it sounds a little bit like
the world of those
religious fundamentalist crazies
that are so politically incorrect
that all the way through the text,
it talks about God as Father.
And, George,
don't you know that
I've had an abusive father
or somebody else might say,
I've spent my whole life
trying to get under the foot
of my dad,
get his voice out of my head
because he was such a bad dad.
And, George,
why are you so stuck
on using a text
that talks about God as Father?
That just sounds like
the worst type of religious fundamentalism.
And on the other hand,
well, actually,
if you could put up
the first point, Andrew,
and the first point
is just the last verse
in chapter 16,
verse 33.
If we're honest,
a text like this
sounds like something
a crazy person would say,
right?
Just before I,
well, in fact,
I'll read it right now.
What the text says,
and I've used it
at the net version
of the Bible,
which is a really good version
of the Bible, by the way,
I have told you these things
so that in me
you may have peace
in the world.
You have trouble
and suffering,
but take courage.
Take courage.
I am victorious
over the world.
It's Jesus speaking.
I have told you
these things
so that in me
you may have peace
in the world.
You have trouble
and suffering,
but take courage.
I am victorious
over the world.
And right in the context
of the book
and this book
is written by an eyewitness
and he wrote the book
while lots of eyewitnesses
and earwitnesses
of Jesus
were still alive
and they could have said,
no, no, no, no, no, no,
that's not what he said.
This book is written
by an eyewitness
and
and Jesus
says this
just before he's captured,
just before
all of his disciples
run away,
just before
he is unjustly
accused
and just before
he's unjustly
condemned as guilty
and just before
he is
declared to be guilty
purely and utterly
for reasons
of political expediency
because the Roman ruler
knew that he was innocent
and he's
found guilty
purely and utterly
to score political points
and just before
he's whipped
and beaten
and just before
he's crucified
and just before
he dies
he says
I have told you
these things
so that in me
you may have peace
in the world
you have trouble
and suffering
but take courage
I am victorious
over the world.
and if we are
honest
this is complete
and utter
crazy talk
but here's the problem
with this
nothing about
if you read
the biography
of Jesus
and you read
any one of the four
ancient biographies
of Jesus
at no point in time
does he actually
come across
as crazy.
I mean we all
know crazy
right?
I mean you're in a church
in downtown Ottawa
just go for a walk
down Rito Street
you will meet
all sorts of crazy people
and some of you
have been in move-in
and you live
right amongst crazy people
and some of us
struggle with mental illness
and I'm not saying this
to stigmatize mental illness
but you know
we have face-to-face
or maybe even
family relations
with people
who go off their meds
and they talk
like crazy people
but Jesus
is not
there's
you just can't
there's this huge
disconnect
between crazy talk
like this
and the fact
that there's nothing
else about the way
he speaks
that makes him
seem like he's crazy
there's this profound
disconnect
to which
you know I say
the only reason
any of us
would be reading
these biographies
about Jesus
is because the resurrection
changes everything
like the resurrection
changes everything
the death of Jesus
on one hand
we know from a spiritual
perspective
changes everything
but from a worldly
perspective
the Romans
crucified
I don't know
100,000 people
they crucified
tens of thousands
of people
there'd be no real
interest in reading
a biography
of somebody
who ends up
being falsely accused
and crucified
but the resurrection
changes everything
if the resurrection
actually happened
and there really
is good evidence
for it
like there really
is good evidence
for it
if the resurrection
happened
then that means
that most Canadians
think they live
in the real world
but they don't
and I'm not saying
that to insult
anybody
like most Canadians
it's funny
on one hand
we think we live
in the real world
yet a lot of what we
think of as the real world
we get from watching
movies and videos
I
just the other day
I finished a novel
by a Greek American
I'm going to pronounce
his name incorrectly
Pelicanos
something like that
he's written a lot of novels
and he's done some very
good work
in the medium
of TV
and shows
and I said to my wife
after I'd read about
a third of the book
I said
this guy's the most
amazing writer
in the world
for one particular thing
you know what's so shocking
about him
people go to church
in his book
like just think about that
if you watch
most American things
you would not think
anybody in North America
goes to church
that nobody in North America
reads the Bible
that nobody in North America
prays
but that's just wrong
and I'm reading this book
and it's filled
like it has
you know
it has cross dressers
it has thieves
it has hoodlums
it has gay people
and it has people
who go to church
and people who read
the Bible
and people who pray
and I said to Louise
like this is the first novel
I've read in five years
that actually describes
the real world
like what America's
actually like
you know
including the drug dealer
who goes to church
on Sunday
you know
I mean it's just
it's the real world
and most of us
think we're living
in the real world
but we don't
if the resurrection
actually happened
in 2004
some of you have heard
a version of this story
before
it's a true story
2004
there was this couple
and they decided
at the
I think it was like
the second week of August
that they wanted
to go see a movie
and that summer
there were two movies
there was a movie
that came out in July
I think
I hope I have this
the order right
and the movie
that had come out
in July
was Will Smith
the movie starring
Will Smith
called iRobot
did like 350 million dollars
worth of business
or something like that
iRobot
and then in early August
a movie starring
Tom Cruise
came out
called Collateral
very good movie
if you like those types
of movies
Tom Cruise plays
a bad guy
who sort of gets
a cab driver
to drive him around
while he kills people
not the cab driver
Tom Cruise
murders people
while the cab driver
drives him around
and so this couple
true story
this couple
they're going to the
movie theater
and the guy
says to the girl
like which movie
would you like to see
and she says
I'd like to see
both of them
but you know
I'd rather see
the Tom Cruise movie
but I'll see
either of them
so she's not really
paying any attention
the guy pays
the tickets
they go into the movie
and halfway
through the movie
she leans over
to her boyfriend
and says
this is a really weird
Tom Cruise movie
like when's he
going to show up
and he leans
back to her
and said
we're watching
iRobot
with Will Smith
we're watching
iRobot
with Will Smith
she spent
half the movie
thinking it was
a Tom Cruise movie
wondering why
nothing made sense
because iRobot
said in the future
with robots
that try to take
over the world
and the Tom Cruise movie
is said
I think it's in LA
in modern times
and you know
the fact of the matter
is
is that one of the reasons
that the world
doesn't make sense
to most Canadians
where they take refuge
in the manufactured
real world
of Hollywood
is they think
they're in one movie
but it's actually
a different movie
and we can only say
that if the resurrection
actually happened
if Jesus really did
rise from the dead
then what Jesus
is doing here
when he speaks
is reminding us
you and I
who spend our whole week
we read the newspapers
well I mean
maybe one or two of us
newspapers are these things
made out of paper
that they used to read
like a hundred years ago
but
where you look at
newspapers online
and YouTube
and Netflix
and movies
and TV
and all that
and we live that
whole week
and one of the reasons
that church is so important
is that we come together
to be reminded
about what the real world is
that's actually
what church should be
is where we
are reminded
oh yes
in the real world
not the world
of Globe and Mail
editorials
and CBC News
but in the real world
there is a God
who does exist
in the real world
that God
has revealed himself
through the scriptures
but preeminently
he has revealed himself
in the person
of his son
in the real world
he has revealed himself
most fully
by dying on a cross
and it is precisely
by his death
upon the cross
and his resurrection
that the glory
of God
and the love of God
is most fully
and perfectly revealed
and that's the real world
and the wonderful thing
about this text
because what's going to happen
immediately after this
we will look at this
over the next couple
of weeks
is that we
over
John
records for us
how Jesus
prays
not only over
the disciples
that are in front of him
but how he prays
over you and me
and he prays
a prayer of consecration
over us
but what we're
hearing here
from Jesus
and what we see
in this quote
is that if Jesus
really did
die upon the cross
and he really did
rise from the dead
then the justice
of this world
is judged
and the religion
of this world
is judged
and the spirituality
of this world
is judged
and we human beings
are judged
and for a brief moment
we are reminded
of the reality
of the fact
that every single person
will die
and death
appears to win
and in this text
it is not about
how great
and glorious
we are
but it is
that Jesus
has conquered
all of the injustice
all of the false religion
all of the lies
and he has conquered
death itself
and he reaches
across eternity
to human beings
ordinary human beings
like you and me
and says
that if you put
your faith
and trust in me
you will share
in my victory
you
ordinary people
like you and me
will share
in my victory
just before we start
to read this text
because we are actually
going to read it
because it's
at the end of the day
all I'm doing
is helping us
to understand
the text
but it's more important
that you remember
the text
than you remember
what I said
because the text
is God's word
my words are my words
just one other thing
about the text
which makes it very hard
for us to understand
even when we look
at this text
you know I have told
you these things
so that in me
in me
you may have peace
in the world
you have trouble
and suffering
but take courage
what does that
take courage
I am victorious
over the world
part of the problem
we have with reading
the text
when we read it
is that we
all week
we have two different
basic songs
playing in our heads
and partially
it will connect
to political differences
amongst us
by the way
those of us
more on the left
our favorite song
is we shall overcome
we shall overcome
someday
with the emphasis
on we
and those of us
who are more
on the right
we sing
I shall overcome
someday
but those are
sort of the two
basic narratives
that we or I
will overcome
it's viewed as
immature
to have somebody
else overcome
for you
we all sort of
understand that
there's some times
in our life
when things are
just completely
and utterly chaotic
and terrible
in our life
and we just want
somebody to come
and rescue us
but once we're rescued
we want to be able
to go back to singing
we shall overcome
or I shall overcome
because that's the song
of the world
and it's immature
to live your life
as if somebody else
will overcome
but you see
the problem with this text
is once again
this text is talking
about the real world
the real world
where people die
the real world
where people have
trouble and sorrow
the real world
where there is injustice
the real world
that we actually live in
and at the heart
of this real world
entering into the real world
is learning to sing
a very different
type of song
worthy is the lamb
that was slain
worthy is the lamb
that conquered the grave
worthy
worthy is the lamb
that was slain
to receive power
and wealth
and riches
and glory
he is the one
who's conquered
he is victorious
and my victory
comes not in being
who I am
but in who he is
and having my hand
in the hand
of the one
who is victorious
and so it is
that I learn
some other song
I surrender all
all for thee
my precious savior
I surrender
all
and the funny thing
about this text
as we're now
about to read it
is that
when we actually
the thing about Jesus
is that as we listen
to this
the text
the text is all
talking about
how Jesus
is the savior
but
and we're to trust
in him
that our peace
and our courage
comes in him
but if you look
at the text
again
it's when we
acknowledge
that he is
victorious
over the world
that he wants us
to have courage
to face life
he wants us
to have courage
to face education
he wants us
to have courage
to face our debts
he wants us
to have courage
to face our problems
he wants us
to have courage
to face
those huge things
that we have to face
in our lives
it's
this funny
funny thing is
and it's not funny
because it's the real world
because in the real world, I'm a creature and God is God.
And God is the one who's created all things.
And God is not a distant God off snoring or in the bathroom
or doing something different while the world moves on.
But in the real world, God is active and present and hidden
and moving towards its end.
And he takes human beings like you and me,
ordinary, fallen, fallible, dying human beings like you and me.
And he makes us his children
and he helps us to share in the victory of Jesus.
And as we listen to the words of Jesus,
it's all about how you go and how you do
and how you go and how you do.
You see, it's this very odd truth.
It isn't that the Bible teaches us
that we should always be bowing to other people
as if we shouldn't be doormats
and everybody else has to be taller than us.
It's this profound, continual spiritual truth
that when we bow to Jesus,
we are taller in our day-to-day lives,
but not taller in a way that will mean that we oppress,
but that we bless.
Taller in a way that means
that we don't bow down to evil or to lies,
but we stand straight and speak truth to the lie.
Because that's how Jesus saves us to be,
to be more fully human.
So let's look very briefly at the text.
Turn in your Bibles to John chapter 16.
John chapter 16.
And here's how the text begins.
Remember, he's been talking for chapter 13, 14, 15.
He's talked about a variety of things.
13, about how he cleans them
and the shock about the fact that they're going to die,
that one of them has betrayed him.
He shocks them by saying he's going to leave
and they can't go where he's going.
He shocks them by saying Peter's going to betray him.
In chapter 14, he primarily talks about
comforting his disciples because of that bad news.
John 15, he talks about understanding
what it means to be in union with him
and how out of union with him,
we have the basis to have communion with him
and that fruit will flow into our lives.
And now he continues to teach and exhort us to move forward.
And here's how he begins verse one.
I have said all these things to you
to keep you from falling away.
They will put you out of the synagogues.
Indeed, the hour is coming
when whoever kills you will think
he is offering service to God.
And they will do these things
because they have not known the Father nor me.
But I have said these things to you
that when their hour comes,
you remember,
you may remember that I told them to you.
Now just sort of pause.
It begins with a very stark motive.
And you can already see it.
Remember I said how it talks about the real world,
the real world of religiously motivated killing.
This is the real world, folks.
This is the real world.
Religiously motivated violence and extremism
which the Bible here,
Jesus condemns unequivocally.
Anybody who does that
doesn't know the Father or me.
Period.
Exclamation mark.
No happy face.
Period and exclamation.
Now here's one more thing.
And in some ways,
I'm going to give you,
I'm going to bring out seven,
just very, very brief.
I'm just going to read the text.
Basically, the sentence will be self-explanatory.
But here's the thing
that will start to confuse us a little bit
as we read the text.
When I was a kid,
when I was a kid,
like, I don't know how old I was,
but when I was a kid,
I loved playing hide and seek.
And in my neighborhood,
by coincidence,
in the houses,
about two or three houses either way,
there happened to be all kids
roughly my age,
like within, you know,
in the age of my sister
and my brother and me.
And on summer nights,
when there was no school the next day,
one of the things that we loved to do
after dark was play hide and seek.
And I think about it now
because we just ran into
any old neighbor's property.
We had some type of rule
that you couldn't go,
like, beyond, you know,
whatever, you know,
Zelda's house that way
and you couldn't go beyond,
you know, Friedrich's house that way
or whatever it was.
But here it's dark
and we're just running into
our neighbor's backyards
and their bushes
and there was never any complaint about it.
The world was different.
I was just thinking about that
when I was preparing to the sermon.
That's really weird.
Anyway, there you go.
It was just a different neighborhood with kids.
Maybe it was because
it was a Jewish neighborhood,
all Jewish.
I was the only,
my family was the only Gentile family
in our street
and Jewish people love kids.
I don't know.
Maybe that's the reason why.
I love playing hide and seek.
And later on,
when I was a kid,
I'd never heard of the game
Capture the Flag.
But when my own kids
were a certain age,
one of the things they loved to play
was Capture the Flag.
And if we brought other people over
who had kids
and we had a huge front yard at the time,
we lived just outside of CARP
in the country
and one of the things they loved to play
was Capture the Flag.
Now here's the thing.
Here's the thing.
If we think we're playing hide and seek
and you're giving people advice
about how to hide,
that's one thing.
But if you're playing Capture the Flag,
and those of you who don't know
what these games are,
you can talk to somebody,
a younger person,
and they'll tell you what the games are.
But if you're playing Capture the Flag,
it's a very different set of rules.
You give different encouragements
to play Capture the Flag
rather than playing hide and seek
where you're always hiding.
Okay?
And what Jesus is talking about here
is Capture the Flag,
not Hide and Seek.
That's what he's talking about.
Jesus isn't saying,
listen to my words,
I'm going to tell you how to hide.
No.
Listen to me,
I'm going to tell you
how to capture the flag.
I renamed the sermon.
The bulletin has one name
for the sermon.
If you go online later on,
the sermon's name is Capture the Flag.
And the seventh sermon,
just little things,
the rest of it will all be very obvious.
It'll be very, very quick.
But Jesus is giving us advice
about how you capture the flag,
not how to hide.
Could you put up the first point, Andrew?
So all of my points
are going to begin the same way.
As you go,
as you go forward,
always remember.
As you go forward,
always remember
that belonging to Jesus
may cost you your life.
That's what Jesus just said.
Always remember,
as you go forward,
that belonging to Jesus
may cost you your life.
These will all be available online
if you can't get them down now.
And so,
that's how he continues to go.
Remember,
this is all advice
about how to play Capture the Flag,
not about how to hide
when you're playing hide and seek.
Verse,
the next part,
4b of chapter 16.
I did not say these things
to you from the beginning
because I was with you.
But now I am going to him
who sent me.
And in other words,
he's going back to God.
He's going to the Father.
The Father had sent him.
And none of you asks me,
where are you going?
They did ask him earlier,
but they haven't persisted in asking
because in the Irish expression,
they've been gobsmacked.
And they're sort of like
the deer in the headlight
and they don't know what to say.
But,
verse 6,
but because I have said
these things to you,
sorrow has filled your heart.
This is really important.
Listen to this.
Nevertheless,
remember,
he's telling them
that he's leaving.
I tell you the truth.
It is to your advantage
that I go away.
For if I do not go away,
the helper,
some of your Bibles
might say the comforter,
some might say the counselor,
some might say the advocate.
The Greek word
encompasses all of these ideas.
Advocate,
comforter,
counselor,
helper.
If I do not go away,
the helper,
the Holy Spirit,
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 did not
believe in me.
I mean,
that's in a sense
the solution to sin.
On one hand,
the solution to sin
isn't for me
to be able to
successfully show you
how sinful you are
so you can just feel
unbelievably miserable
or just stop feeling miserable
and just walk out of the room.
True story.
When I was in
the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa
and I was in my rural parish,
there was a guy who got up
in the pulpit.
He came back from his holidays
and he began to preach
and all he did was tell off
the whole congregation
about how bad they were.
And about seven minutes in,
the whole congregation
got up and left.
He was left at the front
of the church,
empty.
They all got up and left.
In fact,
in Anglican polity,
there's things called wardens.
The wardens
had to get the bishop
involved
because the bishop
had to negotiate
with the wardens
to get any of the people
to go back to the church.
So I could get them.
But you know what?
The solution to sin
isn't for me to say,
you're terrible,
you're terrible.
No.
On one level,
we all know,
everybody knows
we're not perfect.
The thing that we need
to be convicted of
is the remedy to sin,
which is Jesus.
Verse 9,
concerning sin
because they do not
believe in me.
Concerning righteousness,
that is,
how things are made right.
Okay,
how are things made right?
Well,
because I go to the Father
and you will see me no longer.
You see,
Jesus' death upon the cross
and his resurrection,
that's what makes us right
with God,
with the creator of all things.
That's what makes us right.
We need to be convicted of that.
It's the Holy Spirit
who does that.
And then,
and then,
in verse 11,
concerning judgment,
because the ruler
of this world is judged.
And that's a reference
to the devil
and it's a very profound statement
that when you see evil
in the world,
whether it's evil
in North Korea,
whether it's evil
in parts of Canada,
that there is always
a demonic aspect to it.
And many people suffer
under a fear
of a personal type
of demonic oppression
and Jesus says,
my death and resurrection
is a complete unmasking
and defeat
of all that is
the most evil
in the world
and all spiritual powers.
And if you were
in certain parts
of the world
that still believes
in animism,
all your belief
in spirits
connected to trees
and rivers
and birds,
that's all judged.
If you could put up
the next point, Andrew,
what is Jesus saying?
That as you go forward,
always remember
that the gift
of the Holy Spirit
is to your great advantage.
That the gift
of the Holy Spirit
is to your great advantage.
Friends,
the Holy Spirit
is not a charismatic thing
and we shouldn't be upset.
We all probably know stories
of crazy charismatics.
I'm not saying
all charismatics are crazy,
but we all know stories
of crazy charismatics.
In fact, probably
if I just said,
during coffee time,
just share crazy
charismatic stories,
there'd be lots of laughter
as we talked each other
with crazy things
they've said and done.
Okay?
But let me tell you,
what does Jesus say?
The gift of the Holy Spirit
to Christians
is to your advantage.
It is a good thing
every day
to say,
just in the words
of Galatians 5,
I try to remember
to pray this every day,
every day.
I know some of you
think I'm crazy,
so the rest of you,
I try to remember
to pray Galatians 5 and 6
every day.
I say,
Father,
as I go through my day today,
help me to walk
by the Holy Spirit,
live by the Holy Spirit,
be led by the Holy Spirit,
and keep in step
by the Holy Spirit.
And that is a good prayer
to pray.
Where am I?
Verse 12.
I still have many things
to say to you,
Jesus says.
Verse 12.
But you cannot bear them now.
You can't carry them.
He's talking right
to the disciples.
When the Spirit of Truth comes,
that's how he talks now
about the Holy Spirit,
the Spirit of Truth.
He will guide you
into all the truth,
for he will not speak
on his own authority
or out of himself,
but whatever he hears
from the Father and the Son,
he will speak
and he will declare to you
the things that are to come.
I want to break this up
into two things.
If you could put up
the next point, Andrew,
here's the thing.
As you go forward,
always remember,
always remember
to believe the truth
and nothing but the truth.
Be the BS detector
in your office.
Now, that might mean
you want to chat
with a really wise guy
like Victor
as to when you just
publicly say to your boss
that's BS
or whether there's a more
circumspect way
to say it.
But be the BS detector.
Like, the Bible,
when it says here
believe the truth,
it means you need
to listen well
and study well
and think well
and inquire well
and understand
what people are saying
and understand
what's true
and what's false in it.
But at the end of the day,
when the Bible says
that it's to your advantage
that the Holy Spirit
is going to come,
it's to your advantage
I give you the Holy Spirit.
And who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit
is the Spirit of truth.
He will lead you
into all truth.
Then the truth
is your friend.
And the cry of our heart
in every meeting,
in every class,
and even when we read
and when we watch TV
should be,
Lord,
may the Holy Spirit
help me to know
what's true
and believe what's true
and nothing
but the truth.
Continue on.
The next verse.
Verse 14.
It's all part of the same idea
but I wanted to divide it up.
He will glorify me,
that's the Holy Spirit,
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.
And actually,
if you take verses 12 to 15
as a group,
it's one of the reasons
why Christians believe
that you don't,
every,
that the,
what I'm holding here
in the New Testament,
the New Testament
is the apostolic testimony
to Jesus.
And Jesus is saying here,
I am going to work in you
so the New Testament
can be written.
And so that whether or not,
remember when I was in Angola,
one of the things
I was doing,
some of the people
I was meeting with in Angola
were people
who were giving
a semi-nomadic tribe
that had no written language,
they were giving them
a written language
and they were translating
the New Testament
into that new language
so they could read
the apostolic testimony
for themselves.
We have a man
connected to our church
who has gone to a people group
in Asia
that did not have
a written language
and he is giving them
a written language
and translating the New Testament
into their language
so that they can learn
to read the language
they speak
and they can read
the apostolic testimony
to Jesus.
And that's the point
if you could put it up.
As you go forward,
always remember
to humbly learn
from the scripture.
As you go forward,
always remember
to humbly learn
from the scripture.
A little saying,
you've heard me say it before,
to many people
in Christian circles,
to ask what the Bible says
is to reveal yourself
as a narrow-minded,
knuckle-dragging fundamentalist.
But the truth of the matter is
that when you ask
what does the Bible say,
you're asking
the Jesus question
because Jesus asks
that question all the time.
What does the Bible say?
Search the scriptures.
Let's continue on
as we get through
the rest of this text.
Verse 16,
famous text for some,
a little while
and you will see me no longer
and again,
a little while
and you will see me.
So some of his disciples
said to one another,
what is this that he says to us
a little while
and you will not see me
and again,
a little while
and you will see me
and because I am going
to the Father.
So they were saying,
what does he mean
a little while?
There's a bit of a clue
and interpretation
that the same phrase
is said lots of times.
It probably means
it's important.
Okay?
We do not know
what he's talking about.
Jesus, verse 9,
knew that they wanted
to ask him.
So he said to them,
is this what you are asking yourselves,
what I meant by saying
a little while
and you will not see me
and again a little while
and you will see me?
Truly, truly,
I say to you,
you will weep and lament
but the world will rejoice.
You will be sorrowful
but your sorrow
will turn into joy.
When a woman is giving birth,
she has sorrow
because her hour has come
but when she has delivered the baby,
she no longer remembers
the anguish
for the joy
that a human being
has been born into the world.
So also,
you have sorrow now
but I will see you again
and your hearts will rejoice
and no one will take
your joy
from you.
Now,
Jesus is talking about
two things at the same time.
On one level,
he's talking very specifically
in the original language.
It's two things
at the same time.
On one hand,
he's telling his disciples,
I'm about to die
and you're going to be crushed
but on the third day
I'm going to rise
and your joy
will be unspeakable.
And he's also speaking
down the corridors
of history to us
and he's even speaking
to the apostles
after he ascends
into heaven
that there will be times
we have lots of sorrow
but if you could put up
the next point,
Andrew,
as you go forward,
always remember,
always remember
that Jesus will
assuredly return
as liberating Lord.
He will assuredly return
as liberating Lord.
Verse 23,
In that day you will ask
nothing of me,
right,
when he returns.
Truly, truly,
I say to you,
whatever you ask
of the Father in my name,
he will give it to you.
Until now you have asked
for nothing in my name.
Ask and you will receive
that your joy
may be full.
I have said
these things to you
in figures of speech.
The hour is coming
when I will no longer
speak to you
in figures of speech
but will tell you
plainly about the Father.
In that day you will ask
in my name
and I do not say to you
that I will ask the Father
on your behalf
for the Father himself
loves you
because you have loved me
and have believed
that I came from God.
I came from the Father
and have come into the world
and now I am leaving
the world
and going to the Father.
Andrew,
could you put up
the next point?
Please,
as you go forward,
always remember
to pray
like you were talking
to your dad.
And some of you
might say,
George,
if you knew my dad
you would not say that.
But then I would just add,
even when we complain
about how bad
our dads are,
it is because
on one level
we have an image
of what a good dad
would be like.
for those of us
who are Christian dads
right here,
texts like this
are always
a time
that call us
to get on our knees
and ask the Father
to help us
to be a great dad
to our kids
and to repent
of the way
that we have been
a bad dad.
but we all have
this basic sense
of what a good father
would be like.
And that's what Jesus
is talking about.
And so Jesus
is saying
as you go forward,
always remember
to pray
like you were talking
to your dad,
a good dad
who always listens
to you
and loves you.
And now we bring it
to a close.
Verse 29.
His disciples said,
Ah,
now you are speaking
plainly and not using
figurative speech.
Now we know
that you know all things
and do not need
anyone to question you.
This is why we believe
that you came from God.
Jesus answered them
and he answers them
with love.
Do you now believe?
Behold,
the hour is coming,
indeed it has come,
when you will be scattered,
each to his own home
and will leave me alone.
Yet I am not alone
for the Father is with me.
And then Andrew,
could you put up
the last,
the first point again?
Why don't we say this
together,
out loud?
Can you say it with me?
I have told you
these things
so that in me
you may have peace.
In the world
you have trouble
and suffering,
but take courage.
I am victorious
over the world.
Please stand.
If you have not
yet called out
to Jesus
to be your Savior and Lord,
there is no better time now
than just to call out
to him.
Say something like,
I want to live in the real world
and I know
that I will not be victorious
over death
or even the evil
in my life.
I ask,
I thank you,
Jesus,
that your great victory
can be for me
and I reach out to you
that I might share
in your victory,
that you might be
my Savior and Lord.
There is no better time now
than to pray that prayer.
And for the rest of us,
some maybe as dads
have to pray
a bit of prayer
of repentance
and prayer of longing,
but for all of us,
we can pray
that the Lord
will help us
to leave this place today
knowing the real world
and living with courage
under Jesus
and the power
of the Holy Spirit
in the real world.
Let's pray.
Father,
we thank you
for the different places
that you have called us to.
Father,
we confess
some of us
wish we had a better job
or lived in a better house
or are looking forward
to a new day
and new opportunities
and Father,
we know that
some of these
are good things,
that it's not a bad thing
to have ambition.
It's not a bad thing
to seek
to maybe have
that more responsible job
or have more education.
Father,
it's not a bad thing.
But we ask,
Father,
that in all things,
Father,
that we might know
that we live
in the real world,
that we might remember
that you are God,
that Jesus did die
upon the cross,
that he did rise
from the dead,
that he is risen,
that he will return again
and that the Holy Spirit
has been given to us
for our great advantage.
Father,
pour into our heart
the desire
to walk with the Holy Spirit
and live by the Holy Spirit
and be led by the Holy Spirit
and keep in step
with the Holy Spirit
and grant us,
Father,
the desire
to turn from lies
and to know the truth,
to do the hard work
and the humbling work
of knowing the truth
and believing
in the truth
in all things.
Father,
we ask that you would do
this wonderful
and mighty work
in our lives
all for your great glory
and we ask
all of this
in the name of Jesus
and all God's people said,
Amen.