John 2021

We are going to read just the last 2 verses of John 15 versus 26 and 27. And then we're gonna read through chapter 16 as well. And always worth remembering as we come to the Word of God that these words are not just ink on a page, but these are words inspired by the holy spirit. That were breathed out by God and have been carefully preserved all across the generations and have come to us this evening. This is God's word.

And so as it's read, and preached. That's bear that in mind. God is speaking. God is gonna speak to us. It's exciting, isn't it?

Through his words. So John 15 verse 26. When the advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the father, the spirit of truth who goes out from my father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify for you have been with me from the beginning. All this I have told you so that you will not fall away.

They will put you out of the synagogue. In fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the father or me. I have told you this so that when their time comes, you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you.

But now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, where are you going? Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I'm going away. Unless I go away, the advocate will not come to you.

But if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment about sin because people do not believe in me, about righteousness because I'm going to the father where you can see me no longer and about judgment because the prince of this world now stands condemned. I have much more to say to you, more than you can bear. But when he, the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own.

He will speak only what he hears. And he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the father is mine. That is why I said, the spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.

Jesus went on to say, in a little while, you will see me know more, and then after a little while, you will see me. At least some of his disciples said to 1 another, what does he mean by saying in a little while you will see me know more? And then after a little while you will see me and because I'm going to the father, they kept asking what does he mean by a little while. We don't understand what he's saying. Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, are you asking 1 another what I meant when I said In a little while, you will see me no longer and after a little while, you will see me.

Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come. But when her baby is born, she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you, now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice and no 1 will take away your joy.

In that day, you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly, I tell you my father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now, you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete. Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language, but will tell you plainly about my father.

In that day, you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the father on your behalf. Now, the father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the father and entered the world Now I am leaving the world and going back to the father. Then Jesus' disciples said, now, you are speaking clearly.

And without figures of speech now, we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God. Do you now believe Jesus replied? A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered each to your own home. You will leave me all alone.

Yet I am not alone for my father is with me. I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart. I have overcome the world. Rory's gonna come and preach that to us now.

Thanks, Tom. Well, good evening for me. My name is Rory Knarr for those who don't know me. I'm 1 of the members of staff here at Cornerstone and particularly warm welcome to you if this is this is your first time. We've we've been looking at John.

We've been going through the whole book of John. Although we've had a a kind of a 4 week breaks. We're returning to this discourse of Jesus. He it started in the upper room and it's gone onto a garden. And Jesus has been saying a lot of things about his imminent departure.

About the holy spirit, about what life is gonna be like for the disciples once he's gone. And that continues in the passage that we're looking at today. Now, as we read it, you might have thought my goodness. And this is John. Right?

This is what John's like. This has a lot in it. And look, I can't deal with it all because if I did, we wouldn't be leaving tonight. So I would encourage you, look, there's some fancy fantastic things in here. And I would encourage you to to read through it, to understand this book of John.

It is wonderful And as you dig into it, you do get lots of glorious truths as you do say. But let's let's pray as we look at this section now. And then we'll have a look at it. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for this book of John, and we thank you that it is just so jam packed full of truth.

And so we pray that as we come tonight, that you will help us to understand it. Holy Spirit, we pray that you will speak to us tonight. We pray that you will reveal to us who you are. And we pray that as you reveal towards who you are, we will better understand who the lord Jesus Christ is. We pray father that you will help us to remove any distractions that might take us away from your words.

And that you will focus our minds and our hearts and our ears on you right now. Father, we pray that we will be able to know the lord Jesus Christ better today than when we came. And so he prayed us in his name. Our men. Now I wonder if you've ever had those sort of conversations that start with if you could live in another age, what age would you live in?

Would it be the roaring - is it roaring 20s? Is that the 1 you'd go for? No. No. Okay.

Well, maybe you'd go to the VIC Victorian times or live in the Roman age or the Greek age or you might even have had conversations with people that start with I feel like I I I belong in a different era. In fact, you might have come across people that you think they're definitely belonging in a different era. I mean, I have I've had a a a young person in in youth group that I am sure comes straight from the 18 hundreds. He was proclaiming to be 16, and he was about 89. And so there's these people that seem to belong to a different era.

Or maybe you you have nostalgia. And you're 1 of those people that think, I looked back at another time in my life and I wish that's what it was like again. They were the better times. Oh, I wish I could be back in school again. No.

Okay. No 1. I loved school. It was fantastic. You did nothing all day.

Now and I know some people hated it or maybe university were great days or my twenties or my thirties. We we have a we we we think that another time was better. And actually, as Christians, we may we may be tempted to think this. Or if only I'd I'd lived when Jesus was walking around Nazareth. If only I'd I'd lived there, it would have been better, wouldn't it?

Would be much better if I'd I'd lived then. I would be able to see the miracles. I would have been able to hear the greatest preacher of all time. It would have been better. Right?

The only thing, yes, is that Jesus actually says, that's wrong. That's what he says here. See, the disciples thought the same sort of things. Look in verse 7, he says, that you are gonna be filled with grief. Sorry.

Verse 6, you are filled with grief because I've said I'm going away. They they got it. They're devastated. They're they're saying, I will If Jesus goes, it's gonna be so much more worse. It's gonna be terrible if Jesus goes away.

But Jesus says, actually, No. Look look with me at verse 8. Sorry, verse 7. But very truly I tell you, It is for your good that I am going away. It is for your good that I'm going away.

The the word is, it's for your benefits. It's profitable if I go. It's it's an advantage if I go. It's actually better for you if I go. And why why is it better if Jesus goes?

Well, we look again in verse 8 7. Sorry. I don't know why I can't get anything right here. Unless I go away, the advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

Why is it better? Why is it better for the disciples? Why is it better for rose? Because Jesus promises to send the holy spirit. Jesus promises to send the 1 he calls the advocates.

If you were here a a few weeks ago when Ben was talking about it, the the word advocate, it's it's the paracry. That's the original word for it. It's the helper. It's like a lawyer who gives you counsel and gives you advice and helps you. He is seen here in verse 26 as the spirit of all truth.

So look, you might think, oh, it would be better if I saw Jesus no. Jesus says it's not better because I get to send you the holy spirit. Now, why is it better for us that Jesus goes and gives us the holy spirit. Well, this is my first point. The holy spirit's work, I knew this wouldn't work for me.

Oh, it does. Oh, there you go. Oh, no. Gosh. Don't look at that.

The holy spirit work, illuminating the conquering king. The holy spirit's work illuminating the conquering king. See, what is it that the advocate does when he comes? Well, look with me at verse 26 to 27. When the advocate comes whom I will send to you from the father, the spirit of truth who goes out from the father, he will testify about me.

And you also must testify for you have been with me from the beginning. So what is what is the holy spirit doing? He's testifying. He's testifying. And he's testifying alongside the disciples And what is it that he's testifying about?

Jesus. Yeah? That's who the spirit is all about. Jesus. See, as Jesus goes, the spirit takes on the mantle and he will go and he will he will testify alongside the disciples.

And why is it the disciples that to be the ones that that that testify? Well, because they've been with Jesus from the very beginning, they've seen Jesus If you you see Johnny says, we saw him. We heard him. We touched him. We experienced everything that he did.

We we saw the great miracles. We heard. The great teaching. We saw things after this event. And so they testify in the power of the holy spirit to who Jesus is.

And so for us, like the disciples, as we read their accounts in the new testament, we too testify about who Jesus is. That's what the spirit does. But What is the result? What is the result of that testifying? It's very cheery, but with me at verse 1 to 4.

All this I have told you is that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue. In fact, the time is coming. When anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the father or me.

I have told you this, so that when their time comes, you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, but now I'm going to him who sent me. So what is the result of testifying about Jesus? The result is persecution. Sounds good.

Isn't it? Perscription. It's persecution. And so Jesus, as you can see in verse 1, is warning us and he is warning the disciples. Why is he warning them that there is persecution coming?

Because the greatest danger of persecution is that people will fall away from the lord Jesus. That's the biggest agent. Jesus is saying, don't fall away. Don't fall away when you're in that situation. And as you testify and you you're faced with opposition because of what you're saying about Jesus, don't be surprised.

That people will hate you. Don't be surprised when people persecute you. Don't be surprised And if you know who he is, if you know anything about Jesus, you will know that's how he was treated. Jesus was treated horrifically. And so it makes sense that when we go and we talk about Jesus, the 1 who was treated so shamefully, we too will be treated shamefully.

And that persecution that we see here, we see it throughout the bible in the book of acts We see it throughout history in the history of the church. I mean, you just think about it. They're they're put out of synagogues. Paul's always getting rejected in the synagogue. He's like trying to tell them about Jesus.

They kick him out and then he goes and preaches somewhere else. As you talk about Jesus, people will not want you in the mainstream They wanna kick you out and they wanna silence you, they don't wanna hear you. That's what cancel culture basically is. Shut up. I don't wanna know.

Silence that person is offensive. But more than that, and that this was an incredible sentence, isn't it? The time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. And that's happening as Jesus speaks, isn't it? You might remember after Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, What do the Pharisees decide to do?

Let's kill him. Because it's better for the people. It's better for God's nation. Even the apostle Paul, you think about what he was doing. He is trying to stamp the church of God out.

He's trying to stamp the message of the Lord Jesus out. He doesn't want it to go out. The apostles are killed because of Jesus, and people think that they are doing it in service of God. And look, look, you look today, you just need to go on a persecuted church website or get a persecuted church email from something like open doors. And you will see that there are people in the name of religion, in the name of a god who will murder Christians and think that's what God wants them to do.

It's interesting actually the words for testifiers to to give witness to and that word is where we get the root word for Martha. So as we witness, we should expect persecution. As we witness, we may face death. Now for us, we might not be killed physically, but there may be some sort of character assassination. You believe that.

Get rid of them. There'll be hate in hearts because we believe and we testify to who the Lord Jesus is. And so you you might be thinking, okay. Well, if this persecution and this hatred and this opposition, is it really worth it? Is this actually worth testifying about?

Well, yes, it is worth it. Because look with me at verse 8 to 11. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment about sin because people do not believe in me, about righteousness because I'm going to the father where you can see me no longer and about judgment because the prince of this world now stands condemned. So why is this worth it? Why is it worth testifying and facing persecution and facing being put out of the mainstream and facing even death at times.

Why is it worth it? Because the holy spirit convicts people. He proves that they are wrong. He shows and exposes people's sin. Why?

Because they are refusing to believe in the lord Jesus Christ, there is a willful rejection of Christ. And because they're willfully rejecting Christ, the son of God Who is the perfect 1? Who is the proof that there is a god? That there is proof that there is a resurrection life as they willfully reject him and they and they and they say, I'm not gonna believe in you, the holy spirit says you're sitting. You're not believing in my son.

You're not believing in the 1 that I love. You're not you're not believing in the 1 that I said, this is my son whom I am pleased with. Listen to him. But not only that, but the holy spirit also convicts people of their righteousness. He also says You have got righteousness wrong.

You try and be righteous on your own back. You're trying to be self righteous. You're trying to do it on your own. You're trying to do it your your prayer life with your your your superficial life. So the Pharisees, they look like they were righteous people, but the word righteousness here in verse 10 is only used once in the book of John and it sort of alludes to the book of Isaiah where righteousness is seen as filthy rags.

Filthy rags. The good deeds that you think you're doing are disgusting to god. The Pharisees righteousness wanted to put the lord Jesus on the cross. Their concept of getting right with God is so far amiss that it shows that they're guilty human beings. And lastly, the holy spirit convicts people of judgment.

Why? Because the prince of the world is condemned. What's going on here? Well, the holy spirit is saying the judgments in this world that say this is right and this is wrong or seem to be wrong. Why?

Why are the judgments of this world seem to be wrong? Because the Prince of this world Satan is condemned. He is shown to be wronged himself. He is the 1 to be judged himself, and so therefore, If you're getting judged in the world's standards, you're convicted of being guilty. And so the spirit convicts the world of these things.

The spirit convicts people and says, you're guilty. Says, you're not right with God. You're not right with God. And so therefore, because he convicts the world of these things, what is he to lead us into? Well, look verse 12 to 15.

I have much more to say to you more than you can now bear, but when he, the spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own. He will speak only what he hears and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you, or that belongs to the father is mine. That is why I said the spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.

So what is it that the spirit does after he convicts? He guides us into all the truth. Remember he's the spirit of all truth, and he guides us into all the truth. As we see our guilt, as we're convicted of our wrongdoing, then we need to be led to a solution. And the solution is the truth about who Jesus is.

See, the disciples don't really get Who Jesus is? Do they? They don't really understand what's going on here. That that's clear as you keep on reading. They they can't get it yet.

And so in verse 12, he says I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. There's so much that Jesus would like to say to them, but he knows that that that they're clouded, that they can't understand who Jesus is. But but once the spirit is giving, then the spirit will show them what was going on in this discourse. He will show them what he was all about. The spirit will show them what is going to happen in the future in terms of near the end ages before the lord Jesus returns.

But the spirit also convicts the world now to lead them into an understanding of who Jesus is. So that they're no longer part of the world. And that's us. If we were if we're Christians here today, There was a moment where we were convicted of our sin. There was a moment where we were convicted that I cannot be right on my own.

That my judgments are wrong, and so because I'm guilty in front of an almighty gods, I need someone, the holy spirit, to lead me into the truth of who Jesus Christ is. It's a wonderful sentence in verse 14. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. That's the holy spirit's job. The holy spirit's job is to glorify the lord Jesus.

The holy spirit's job is to illuminate Christ I was reminded that that Jay Pake. When he was thinking about this verse, he he He was looking for an illustration. The illustration he came to is is that he went out and he saw a flood light. And he says this, when flood lighting is well done, the flood lights are so placed that you do not see them. You are not, in fact, supposed to see where the light is coming from.

What you are meant to see is just the building on which the footlights are trained. The intended effect is to make it visible when otherwise it would not be seen for the darkness. And to maximize its dignity by throwing all its details into relief so that you see it properly. This perfectly illustrates the spirit's new covenant role. He is, so to speak, the hidden Food Light Shining on the Savior.

Now that's quite a long quote, so if you don't get it or think of it in this way. It is if it is as if the spirit stands behind us, throwing light over our shoulder on Jesus. Who stands facing us. That's what the spirit is about. His work is to illuminate the Lord Jesus Christ like like these spotlights here illuminating me.

Now I realize that's a flawed illustration because I am not the lord Jesus Christ. Or in the stage when you have that spotlight on on the theater and he illuminates the actor I said, the spirit is saying, look at Jesus. Look at Christ. Let me lead you into the truth. Follow the lights and look at Christ.

He is glorious. He is wonderful. He is beautiful. And so what exactly is the truth of Christ? That the holy spirit illuminates to us.

Well, here's my second point. The conquering kings work overcoming the world. See, the holy spirit's work is to illuminate the conquering king. What is he illuminating the conquering king's work? Overcoming the world.

So what is the truth? Look with me at verse 16 to 22. Jesus went on to say in a little while, you'll see me no more. And then after a little while, you will see me. This, some of his disciples said to 1 another, what does he mean by saying in a little while, you will see me know more.

And then after a little while, you'll see me. And because I'm going to the father, they kept asking what does he mean by a little while. We don't understand what he is saying. Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this. So he said to them, are you asking me and asking 1 another?

What I meant when I said in a little while, you will see me no more. And then after a little while, you will see me. Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman given birth to a child has pain because their time has come But when her baby is born, she begets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.

So with you, now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice and no 1 will take away your joy. Now, as you read for 16 to I don't know what it is. You might be thinking of what the dickens is going on here. Because he's talking, there's a lot of little wilds, a little while, little while, little while, see me, and then you'll see me, and then you won't see me. I was like, what did you remember a little while?

I don't know. And you all you you wanna know about little while? Essentially, I think all that little while goes back in John chapter 7 verse 33, chapter 13 verse 33. And it's saying to to the disciples then that I'm gonna die, then I'm gonna rise, and I'm gonna be exalted. I'm gonna be with the father.

And this is the point he's saying, that's what I'm about here to do. That is my mission. And so looking in verse 20, he says you're going to see me no more. And that is gonna cause you great anguish and great grief and weeping and mourning. The the word weeping morning, it evokes the idea that at a funeral, you're devastated.

At the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ is in verse 20. The disciples are gonna be absolutely ruined with grief. They're gonna be gutted. And as they're gutted, the world will rejoice because they have stamped out the son of God. They have stamped out the savior.

But but the grief doesn't last. The grief turns to joy. See that? Verse 20. Verse sorry.

21, the world is you agree that your grief will turn to joy. Your grief will turn to joy. Why would the grief turn to joy? Because Jesus doesn't stay dead. Isn't that good news?

Jesus doesn't stay in the grave. He rises by the holy spirit. And he is exalted on high. He descends to the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus Christ descends to the father and sits at his right hand and says, I have finished the work.

And so fantastic. I'm no longer grieving. I have joy. It's like, you know, the remember if you go on and and Mary's in the garden and she's devastated. She's crying and the that even the body has gone and she's got it and then marry.

Rebornly. Wow. The savior, the joy. And it gives us a fantastic illustration in verse 21 to 22. Now I am no expert surprisingly.

I know you're all amazed at this. I'm no expert on birth. Alright? I've never delivered a baby. I've never been there apart from 1 time.

But I I I'm told that the that birth, and you can ask mum and Beth, they've just done it, and and this is something to look forward to. Kerry and Bernadette. I'm told that there is a lot of anguish when you're giving birth. It's not the most pleasant of experience. Let's put it that way.

There's a lot of pushing and a lot of pain. There's anguish. There's grief. It's horrendous apparently. Really just making you look forward to it right now.

But it is something to look forward to. Because although there is anguish and there is grief and there is a pain, what happens after is great joy. I looked it up. I didn't look at it. I wasn't watching images.

Let's let's go easy here. But I looked up what happens after a woman gets met and the chemicals in a body can be so strong that there can be a feeling of euphoria. And you're there and you have a life, you have a baby, born to you a wonderful child that is yours to love and to cherish. And that is what Jesus is saying. It's what it's like when he dies angry.

Pain, mourning, weeping. But euphoria, when he rises from the dead, what joy the disciples must have felt at that occasion. And, sir, what is the result Of that. What is the result of the lord Jesus' death and resurrection? Well, look with me at verse 23 to 28.

In that day, you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly, I tell you, my father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now, you have not asked for anything in my name, ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete. Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language, but will tell you plainly about my father. In that day, you will ask in my name.

I am not saying that I will ask the father on your behalf. No. The father himself Loves you. Because you have loved me and I believe that I came from God. I came from the father and entered the world.

Now I am leaving the world and going back to the father. What is the result of the crucifixion, the resurrection, the exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ, where we don't need to ask Jesus for anything. We don't The disciples no longer need to ask Jesus about what's going on here, what's going on there. I mean, they've been asking questions constantly. They don't have to ask Jesus for the things that they need in this world.

No. They can go directly to the father. They can pray to the father in the name of Jesus. They have now unlimited access to the father wants not possible, now possible. An amazing word in in Romans chapter 8 in verse 14 to 15.

For those who were led by the spirit of gods are the children of god by his death and resurrection he makes his children. The spirit you receive does not make you slaves so that you live in fear again rather the spirit you receive brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him, We cry abba, father. Abba, father of the most intimate names for dads. And we can come and we can call God, the almighty 1, the creator, the sustainer of the world, we can call him father.

It's not like we don't have to get someone else. Can you go and speak to the father for us? I mean, it's funny. Some people come up to a a priest in other in other churches. And they come out to you and get They say, could you pray for me?

I pray you can pray you on your own. And now I don't do that. It's a bit mean, isn't it? Yeah. Get lost.

Don't pray in your own. No. I don't do that. But the truth here is that You, if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and what he has done on the cross, you can boldly approach the eternal throne. You can come to the father and bring him your requests.

And he doesn't reluctantly listen Now he loves us in verse 27. He loves us. He loves us. People that are totally unworthy of his love have now been created so that god the father can love us because of our love and our belief in Jesus. So we don't need someone else.

He will listen to us as we pray, as we go boldly to him, and ask in the name of our perfect savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. That is great news. That is incredible. So do you trust you trust in the the work of the lord Jesus Christ to bring you to the father. And that's a question that Jesus kind of asked, do you now believe he says?

Really interesting. In verse verse 29 to 32. Just read that with me. Then Jesus' disciples said, now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions.

This makes us believe that you came from God. Do you now believe, Jesus replied? A time is coming, and in fact, has come when you'll be scattered each to your own home you will leave me all alone. Yes, I'm not alone, but my father is with me. See, the disciples are doing that thing where they're trying to convince themselves that they understand.

They're trying to convince themselves that they they're in the know. You might have come across people like this in your workplace. It it might be an inferior and you'll say you you give them a job to do and you say do you understand what you're doing and they say yes, they go away and they do it completely wrong. Right? That's kind of what the disciples are doing here.

You know, you might I've got I've had I've had students here. Okay? This is what you've done wrong in your in your exam. Do you understand how to rectify that? Yes.

I understand now. Yes. It makes perfect sense. Yes. Thank you so much.

You are a wonderful teacher, mister Can add. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And then you come to the next exam and they've done exactly the same thing.

They don't learn. And the disciples think that they understand them, but they don't. And and it's clear that they don't. Why? Because Jesus' prediction invests 30 a 32.

A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered. See, they knew who Jesus was. They wouldn't run away in gethsemane. So Jesus has predicted that Peter will disown him But now he says that all the disciples will scatter away. They will leave.

And the reason they will leave is because they had cannot understand the messiah yet. They have no category that the messiah must suffer and die. They haven't understood that throughout his ministry. And so when he gets arrested, he goes willingly, They think, oh no, and they scatter, and they leave Jesus alone. They abandon the 1 that has spent 3 years pouring his life into them.

They've abandoned the 1 they they say his that that that they believe is their best friend. And they now leave him in the hands. Of firstly, his about his opposition in the Pharisees, but secondly, into the hands of the Romans. But he's not alone because he has the father. See, they don't understand now and they're gonna mess up.

They're gonna fail. But they will understand There is a time coming when the grief of a of their crucified savior, the grief that they've disowned their their their friend, that grief will be turned to joy when they see the resurrected Jesus Christ. And as he goes away, he'll give them his spirit, and then they will get it, and then they will live for him. And so the question to you is, do we believe? See, actually, the disciples, I mean, we might think, how could he how dare he leave his best friend.

We've got more reason to believe. If we're Christians, we've got more reason to believe We live in a better place in the Eastern. We have the holy spirit ourselves. He indwells us. Yet, even though we have him.

Even though we have the fully revealed word of God, everything that we need in these pages, even we even though we have such ready access to God's words, I still doubt. I still doubt. I still will find that I'm not actually believing. 1 of our young people said in in router today, I have head knowledge, but it doesn't get down to my heart. I know things about Jesus, but I don't trust him.

And though I and then and and and not only do I doubt and not only do I not believe him, I fail him to stand out for him, to testify to him. To be willing to be persecuted for him. So we mess up just like the disciples. The good news here is there is still an encouragement. Look at verse 33.

I have told you these things that in me, you may have peace. Not amazing. You're gonna mate. You're gonna you're gonna scatter. You're gonna leave me.

I'm telling you this because you're gonna have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world. See, if we are in Jesus, if we trust in the in the lord Jesus Christ, If we are in the vine, there is peace. Even though we mess up, there is peace.

And as we go into this world, there's gonna be trouble. There's gonna be persecution. There's gonna be people rejecting Christ. It doesn't matter you can have peace in the midst of trouble. We can take hearts.

Why? Because Christ has overcome the world. It's an amazing thing, isn't it? But in verse 33, Jesus says, I have overcome the world. It's so it's so done, even though it's not done yet, in Jesus' mind that it's as if it is done.

I have condemned the prince of the world. I have overcome the world. And so right now, because the prince of this world stands condemned, because in the act of the cross, disarms the powers of this world, he can give us peace right now in the face of trouble like no peace. In Philippians 4, the holy spirit gives us peace that surpasses all all understanding. Isn't that amazing?

I can have a peace in the midst of a storm that that I don't even I can't even comprehended so good. We can take hearts because we can have a deep rooted joy, a contentment, a happiness that cannot be explained in 1 Peter. 1 he says it's an inexpressible and glorious joy. We can have unlimited access to a father who loves us. So we can take heart.

As the trouble of this world comes at you, as the storms of this world, comes at you as there's grief in this world take heart. Know the spirits showing you the lord Jesus Christ and the peace and the joy that he gives. It's a great song that we used to sing in Sunday school. We should bring it back Actually, I've got the joy joy joy. Beautiful British.

Yeah? Not only that, I've got the peace That passes on the standing down in my heart, down in my heart too. Oh, this is wonderful. Yeah. That is what the spirit gives us as he shows us the Lord Jesus Christ.

And so as I finish, may I ask you, what about you? Now maybe you're here and you've never trusted in this Lord Jesus Christ. But I pray that as you've come tony that the holy spirit has been convicting you and showing you that you are guilty, sinner, that you have rejected the lord Jesus Christ that you have to willfully said, I'm not gonna believe in you, and I'm gonna try and get right with God on my own own way. But you but I pray that the holy spirit has shown you that you can't do it on your own and let him lead you into the truth about who Christ is Christ is the only 1 who can save you. Christ is the only 1 who has the righteousness that can can bring you to a father.

Christ is the only 1 who can give you true peace and joy. Christ is the only 1 who can give you unlimited access to a father greater than any earthly father ever. And so my my plea to you if you are not a Christian, If you do not trust in Christ, if you are not in Jesus is trust in him. Let him let the holy spirit show you all the truth about our wonderful savior, Christ. And Christian.

Praise God for the holy spirit. See, it wouldn't be better if you lived 2000 years ago. You'd probably die quicker. It wouldn't be better if you were there with Jesus. It's better now.

You're living in the best age. You're living in the time that Jesus and and the father wants you to live. You're living in an age where you may know Christ, you may testify about who Jesus is and as you testify, The holy spirit will use you to appoint other people to Jesus. How great is that what a purpose we have in Christ And so we want to we should want to know more. We should want the holy spirit to show us more.

That should be our prayer. Holy spirit. Show me more of what you do. And what is it that you do? You show me Christ.

Holy Spirit. Were you were you revealed to me more about how great our Savior Christ is? And as I see how great he is. May I tell people and bear witness to my friends and my family and my colleague? Colleagues about my conquering king who has overcome this world.

I I I I gave you a quote, I'm gonna end on this at the end. See Pucker goes on to say without floodlight imagery, He says, the spirits message is never look at me. Listen to me. Come to me. Get to know me.

But it's always look at him and see his glory. Listen to him and hear his words. Go to him and have life. Get to know him. And tastes his gift of joy and peace.

And once you've got that, go and tell other people. What a great savior we have. Let's pray. Father, what a glorious and gracious god you are. Thank you.

That you send us the holy spirit. Thank you that right now if we are trusting in Christ The spirit lives within us. Thank you to the holy spirit revealed to us what a glorious saving we have in Christ. And so far that we pray, that we won't grow numb to this truth, and we won't grow disillusioned in this age. But that actually, right now, we can take heart, that we can have peace, that we can have joy that we can come to you as father.

And so we pray that as we do these things, you will give us more Holy Spirit. We pray that you show us more of the sun. And as we know more of him, May we live in his glorious light, and may we testify to our glorious conquering king. And so he prayed this in the name of Jesus, amen.