The Works of the Holy Spirit

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:05.280 Beloved, let's turn in our bibles. Or please turn your attention to John 2 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:11.910 Chapter Sixteen. John Chapter Sixteen, Verse Four, the second half of verse 3 00:00:12.029 --> 00:00:33.539 four, and I'll read through Verse Fifteen, John Sixteen, verse four, 4 00:00:34.420 --> 00:00:40.130 the second half of verse four. I did not say these things to you 5 00:00:40.210 --> 00:00:44.369 from the beginning because I was with you, but now I am going to 6 00:00:44.450 --> 00:00:48.329 him who sent me, and none of you asks me where are you going? 7 00:00:49.609 --> 00:00:53.520 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your 8 00:00:53.560 --> 00:00:59.200 heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage 9 00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:03.159 that I go away, for if I did not go away, the helper 10 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:06.989 will not come to you, but if I go I will send him to 11 00:01:07.109 --> 00:01:11.909 you and when he comes, he will convict the World Concerning Sin and righteousness 12 00:01:11.950 --> 00:01:18.739 and judgment. Concerning sin, because they do not believe in me. Concerning 13 00:01:18.780 --> 00:01:22.340 righteousness, because I go to the father and you will see me no longer. 14 00:01:23.140 --> 00:01:29.180 Concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. I still 15 00:01:29.180 --> 00:01:30.739 have many things things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 16 00:01:32.739 --> 00:01:36.290 When the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into the all, 17 00:01:36.450 --> 00:01:40.049 into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, 18 00:01:40.769 --> 00:01:44.890 but whatever he hears, he will speak and he will declare to you 19 00:01:45.049 --> 00:01:49.439 the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will 20 00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:53.200 take what is mind and declare it to you. All. The father has 21 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:57.719 his mind. Therefore, I said that he will take what is mine and 22 00:01:57.879 --> 00:02:14.030 declare it to you. And this passage that I've just read, Jesus is 23 00:02:14.229 --> 00:02:19.340 a shepherd and he is taking care of his flock, his disciples, who 24 00:02:19.340 --> 00:02:24.699 have followed him now for about three years. Their hearts are filled with sorrow. 25 00:02:24.740 --> 00:02:31.689 Why? Because he's preparing to leave them and he's told them this, 26 00:02:32.530 --> 00:02:38.729 and he's also told that after his departure they will be persecuted, they will 27 00:02:38.729 --> 00:02:43.849 suffer, I'm just as he has suffered. But he reminds them in this 28 00:02:44.009 --> 00:02:49.560 passage that though he leaves, he leaves as he came, for their advantage 29 00:02:50.199 --> 00:02:55.719 and for the believe in him. And the main proof of that here is 30 00:02:55.879 --> 00:03:04.430 this promise of the sending of the Holy Spirit. Since we met in person 31 00:03:04.590 --> 00:03:07.629 last time, many of us have come to a much deeper appreciation of what 32 00:03:07.669 --> 00:03:15.259 it means to to be together, to be in person. We've all received 33 00:03:15.860 --> 00:03:27.889 Internet invitations to video conferences and we have messaged each other and emailed and sent 34 00:03:28.050 --> 00:03:34.449 maybe a letter to but despite these good things, we all know that there's 35 00:03:34.569 --> 00:03:40.919 simply no replacement for being together, for being in person with those whom we 36 00:03:42.120 --> 00:03:46.400 love. And so my guess is it's probably not too hard for your for 37 00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:53.199 you to put yourself in the disciples shoes or sandals and think about how hard 38 00:03:53.199 --> 00:03:59.189 it was for them to wait. He'd think about how hard it was for 39 00:03:59.270 --> 00:04:02.150 them to hear that Jesus, that Jesus was about to leave them and they 40 00:04:02.150 --> 00:04:05.349 were not going to be able to follow. And there would be no stop 41 00:04:05.550 --> 00:04:13.699 gap video conferencing from Heaven, no six feet spacing, but still the same 42 00:04:13.740 --> 00:04:20.379 space. Gone, gone, gone, gone. No more Jesus, all 43 00:04:20.500 --> 00:04:25.050 the time that they'd spent with him, walking with him, talking with him, 44 00:04:25.089 --> 00:04:30.689 learning from him, seeing his miracles, hearing his teachings, coming under 45 00:04:30.730 --> 00:04:35.170 his discipline, he was saying that he was going and they could not follow. 46 00:04:35.370 --> 00:04:40.720 And Worse Than That, Jesus tells them that in his absence they will 47 00:04:40.759 --> 00:04:45.360 suffer, and suffer for his name. You can imagine how easy it might 48 00:04:45.399 --> 00:04:48.399 have been for them to accuse Jesus of failing to love them as he ought, 49 00:04:49.480 --> 00:04:57.790 for not being there, for not fulfilling his promises and how hard it 50 00:04:57.870 --> 00:05:00.790 must have been for the disciples to trust him in this moment when they couldn't 51 00:05:00.790 --> 00:05:05.870 yet see the whole picture and they couldn't understand why God was doing the things 52 00:05:05.910 --> 00:05:12.060 he was doing when he was doing them. And I suppose that means also 53 00:05:12.100 --> 00:05:15.660 that they could have understood some of the things that we go through, our 54 00:05:15.779 --> 00:05:23.529 trials, the absences that we face, even and including the Lord not being 55 00:05:23.730 --> 00:05:29.410 here on Earth. But Jesus, as I said, is a shepherd taking 56 00:05:29.490 --> 00:05:32.170 care of his flock. He knows that their hearts are filling with sorrow and 57 00:05:32.370 --> 00:05:39.879 he gives to them. He gives to you today this spectacular promise, this 58 00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:45.079 Gospel, light in the midst of darkness, this promise that he goes for 59 00:05:45.560 --> 00:05:50.949 our advantage, and it's a truth that, if we believe, it will 60 00:05:51.110 --> 00:05:59.310 turn sorrow in to joy, and that truth is this. He leaves to 61 00:05:59.470 --> 00:06:05.899 send to us the spirit. He tells us that in this passage and as 62 00:06:05.980 --> 00:06:11.660 this promise is fulfilled, the sending of the spirit will be to our advantage. 63 00:06:13.060 --> 00:06:15.980 Well, how so? How is the spirit to our advantage? How 64 00:06:16.139 --> 00:06:21.689 could Jesus leaving possibly be for our good when we are those who follow him. 65 00:06:23.850 --> 00:06:28.009 Well, Jesus tells US exactly how, and we'll look at that in 66 00:06:28.129 --> 00:06:30.569 a moment, but first I want to spend just a little bit of time 67 00:06:30.170 --> 00:06:35.439 paying attention to the way that he says it. Notice the gentle ways in 68 00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:40.959 which Jesus shares with them this news, in this promise, in this consolation. 69 00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:46.279 It doesn't just matter what Jesus says, it matters how he says it, 70 00:06:46.439 --> 00:06:50.189 and he says it in this very gentle and understanding way. First, 71 00:06:50.269 --> 00:06:57.310 note the gentleness of Jesus is timing, that when, when Jesus says things 72 00:06:57.470 --> 00:07:00.149 to us, it matters. And in regards to his timing, notice versus 73 00:07:00.269 --> 00:07:05.100 for and verse twelve. In verse four he says, I did not say 74 00:07:05.180 --> 00:07:11.259 these things to you from the beginning because I was with you, and in 75 00:07:11.379 --> 00:07:14.100 verse twelve he says, I still have many things to say to you, 76 00:07:14.259 --> 00:07:18.930 but you cannot bear them now. It means that Jesus, as he tells 77 00:07:19.009 --> 00:07:25.370 his disciples things, he doesn't just spirality information, but he gives it at 78 00:07:25.410 --> 00:07:31.199 the perfect timing, according with their means, according with the events and of 79 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:35.360 his work unfolding, and this is, of course, an act of his 80 00:07:35.560 --> 00:07:43.199 gentleness. God doesn't just love us from a distance, not knowing who we 81 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:46.470 really are, not knowing what's going on in our lives. He knows exactly 82 00:07:46.709 --> 00:07:50.790 know what's going on in our lives. He knows what we can bear and 83 00:07:50.949 --> 00:07:55.750 he knows what we can't bear, and he keeps this in mind as he 84 00:07:55.870 --> 00:08:01.699 reveals things to us, now and in the past. This is important to 85 00:08:01.740 --> 00:08:05.019 remember because sometimes we think that God should explain to us this or that thing, 86 00:08:05.220 --> 00:08:09.819 that we have a right to know why this or that thing is happening, 87 00:08:09.819 --> 00:08:15.649 that we should know why he's doing this instead of that, and we 88 00:08:15.730 --> 00:08:20.329 get frustrated that we don't know these things now. Sometimes, of course, 89 00:08:20.410 --> 00:08:24.610 God tells us and we're just not listening. That's what the real problem is. 90 00:08:24.649 --> 00:08:31.199 But other times, he's said other times he simply isn't telling us because 91 00:08:31.240 --> 00:08:35.720 he's it's not time yet. And if you ever considered this, that perhaps 92 00:08:35.799 --> 00:08:41.629 God wasn't telling us because we weren't quite ready to hear it, this, 93 00:08:41.830 --> 00:08:45.190 of course, is a knock against our pride. We'd like to think that 94 00:08:45.309 --> 00:08:48.350 we are ready at all times and in every way to hear what God has 95 00:08:48.429 --> 00:08:52.909 to say, but this, of course, isn't true. But if we 96 00:08:52.990 --> 00:08:56.940 can get past this point, if we can get past the realization that we 97 00:08:56.059 --> 00:09:01.460 aren't always ready for everything, that God does give us things in his perfect 98 00:09:01.500 --> 00:09:05.779 timing, these words can be a real comfort. In other words, one 99 00:09:05.860 --> 00:09:11.090 way God loves us is by giving things at the proper times. Sometimes it's 100 00:09:11.210 --> 00:09:18.129 to strengthen us, by keeping US patient and in faith. All their times 101 00:09:18.169 --> 00:09:24.360 it's to keep us from weakening even more, from crushing under even good truths. 102 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:31.679 Either way, whatever his purpose, but I want you to remember from 103 00:09:31.720 --> 00:09:37.000 God's Word is that when Jesus speaks to us, his timing is always good 104 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:41.190 and to our advantage. He speaks in ways that are gentle and in love. 105 00:09:41.629 --> 00:09:46.110 The second thing I want you to notice is Jesus is empathy. Though 106 00:09:46.710 --> 00:09:52.820 needing some adjustment. Their feelings are not ignored by Jesus, and even helps 107 00:09:52.899 --> 00:09:58.860 his disciples with them. Notice how Jesus says, because I have said these 108 00:09:58.059 --> 00:10:05.100 things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Now, of course Jesus, 109 00:10:05.340 --> 00:10:09.769 in his divinity, knew even this most secret and covered places of their 110 00:10:09.889 --> 00:10:15.610 heart, but my guess is that Jesus didn't need to be a divine in 111 00:10:15.769 --> 00:10:20.639 order to see that sorrow had filled their heart. When sorrow fills the heart 112 00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:26.159 of a person, you can see it. You see it in their face, 113 00:10:26.360 --> 00:10:31.080 you see it in their eyes. Sadness pours into them like a flood, 114 00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:39.789 tears, heavy breathing, a tenseness. Jesus sees it happening right in 115 00:10:39.830 --> 00:10:43.710 front of him. His disciples, those whom he loves, are their hearts 116 00:10:43.750 --> 00:10:52.139 are flooding, their filling up with heartache and with sorrow. Jesus recognizes it, 117 00:10:52.580 --> 00:10:58.980 he honors it and he addresses it. He doesn't shove away their feelings 118 00:11:00.059 --> 00:11:03.490 or ignore them, but he also gives them news that will help them to 119 00:11:03.610 --> 00:11:09.929 see this situation in a new light, if they will believe that news. 120 00:11:11.210 --> 00:11:15.769 and Jesus is doing the same for us. He's telling us a truth. 121 00:11:16.009 --> 00:11:20.919 Notice what he says. I tell you the truth. That's what he says. 122 00:11:22.159 --> 00:11:26.480 And if we will believe that, that truth has great power to do 123 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:33.870 many things, including turn our sorrow into joy. In his timing, in 124 00:11:33.149 --> 00:11:39.950 his empathy, we see Jesus loving us. We hear his words both then 125 00:11:39.149 --> 00:11:46.509 and for us today. And so now, having considered the way in which 126 00:11:46.509 --> 00:11:50.779 Jesus encourages them, let's consider what it is he says, and what he 127 00:11:50.860 --> 00:11:56.460 says is this. He says, I leave in order to send the Holy 128 00:11:56.620 --> 00:12:03.529 Spirit, and that is to your advantage. The Holy Spirit's coming to us 129 00:12:03.570 --> 00:12:07.570 as an advantage to us in two ways that he mentions. One because the 130 00:12:07.649 --> 00:12:13.889 Holy Spirit convicts the world of Sin, and too, because the Holy Spirit 131 00:12:13.049 --> 00:12:20.000 leads us, guides us in truth. Jesus says a few things about each. 132 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:24.840 Let's think about the first one. The holy spirits coming is to our 133 00:12:24.879 --> 00:12:31.070 advantage because he convicts the world of Sin. He convicts the World of Sin 134 00:12:31.029 --> 00:12:37.149 Through the Ministry of the disciples and the Church that is built on their foundation. 135 00:12:37.750 --> 00:12:41.070 Those who are filled with the spirit and lead and truth. The world 136 00:12:41.269 --> 00:12:50.220 is going to come to see how wrong it is about everything. That's what 137 00:12:50.419 --> 00:12:54.419 the Holy Spirit is going to do in the world. And Jesus mentions three 138 00:12:54.460 --> 00:13:01.129 things in particular. He mentions the first one, which is sin. The 139 00:13:01.289 --> 00:13:07.970 world is wrong about sin. So many people in the world don't even admit 140 00:13:07.049 --> 00:13:11.570 that sin is a real problem, even though of course they know it. 141 00:13:11.450 --> 00:13:16.600 But even those who do admit that sin is a real problem, they are 142 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:22.360 often unwilling to recognize what is at the root of that problem. Perhaps you've 143 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:28.070 asked this question. Where does all of our distructiveness come from our of violence, 144 00:13:28.110 --> 00:13:33.629 are injustice, our rage, our hatred, our fear. What's at 145 00:13:33.669 --> 00:13:37.590 the bottom all of all that? Why does it come? Why does it 146 00:13:37.029 --> 00:13:43.980 speed out of us in our lives, in our families and our marriages and 147 00:13:43.059 --> 00:13:48.659 our communities and our nation, in our world? It's like we can't take 148 00:13:48.700 --> 00:13:56.129 a break from it. It just doesn't stop. What is it? Is 149 00:13:56.210 --> 00:14:03.129 it a lack of love? Is it pride? Well, it is these 150 00:14:03.250 --> 00:14:07.690 things, but if you haven't stopped there, you still haven't hit the root 151 00:14:07.730 --> 00:14:11.799 of it. And the root problem, excuse me, is what Jesus says, 152 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:20.000 and it's this. They don't believe in me. That is the root 153 00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:24.990 problem of sin. That's the real problem, because no one is righteous. 154 00:14:26.830 --> 00:14:31.350 Even if you recognize the problem of pride, you're not going to fix it. 155 00:14:31.309 --> 00:14:35.830 You're definitely not going to fix it by being prideful, by trusting in 156 00:14:35.990 --> 00:14:41.299 yourself, and then you're corrupted flesh or take love, even if you recognize 157 00:14:41.340 --> 00:14:43.980 that. That's the problem is that we don't love as we ought. You're 158 00:14:43.980 --> 00:14:50.940 not going to fix it by ignoring God, who is love and who has 159 00:14:50.019 --> 00:14:56.610 revealed his love for all the world to have in Christ. What's the problem 160 00:14:56.730 --> 00:15:03.169 of sin, the root problem of sin, it's failing to believe in Jesus, 161 00:15:03.169 --> 00:15:07.679 or, to put it another way, the only solution for our problem 162 00:15:07.720 --> 00:15:15.039 of sin is the salvation of Jesus, the salvation of the Cross. Refusing 163 00:15:15.240 --> 00:15:22.389 to believe in Christ is what keeps US stuck, keeps US enslave and keeps 164 00:15:22.429 --> 00:15:26.470 US wrong even about the very nature of sin itself. That's what the spirit 165 00:15:26.590 --> 00:15:33.309 is going to tell the world, and indeed he has number two. The 166 00:15:33.389 --> 00:15:37.340 world is wrong about sin, number one. In the world is wrong about 167 00:15:37.340 --> 00:15:41.500 righteousness, number two. So, just as the world doesn't know what the 168 00:15:41.539 --> 00:15:45.940 biggest problem is in the world, nor does it know that the biggest good 169 00:15:46.059 --> 00:15:50.970 in the world the things of righteousness that are most in accord with God, 170 00:15:52.529 --> 00:15:58.529 with all of reality, with God's universe. The biggest, the most important 171 00:15:58.570 --> 00:16:03.649 thing is that Jesus goes to the father and we will see him no longer. 172 00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:07.759 That's what the world doesn't get and that's what the spirit will convict them 173 00:16:07.799 --> 00:16:14.200 about. The world does not see that Jesus goes to the father and we 174 00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:21.230 will see him no longer. Perhaps there's a little bit of the world in 175 00:16:21.350 --> 00:16:25.549 us that says, I don't see that either. I don't understand what that 176 00:16:25.710 --> 00:16:30.509 means. I will tell you as one commentator put it here, Jesus is 177 00:16:30.750 --> 00:16:37.700 summarizing his mission, his going to the father as the son of God, 178 00:16:37.980 --> 00:16:41.379 tells us that he came from the father, that he is returning to him 179 00:16:41.659 --> 00:16:47.970 having completed his mission, having completed all he was set to do, and 180 00:16:48.090 --> 00:16:55.049 we will see him no longer until he returns finally, because he is wrapping 181 00:16:55.129 --> 00:16:59.250 things up, he is completing this mission, he is sending out his spirit. 182 00:17:00.610 --> 00:17:03.720 We don't see him, that's true, but that's because we are in 183 00:17:03.759 --> 00:17:07.880 an age of faith and of grace and a mercy. We are relying on 184 00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:14.039 him and trusting on him, whom we can't see. We might say that, 185 00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:18.549 if the biggest wrong is having no faith, the biggest right is having 186 00:17:18.710 --> 00:17:26.029 faith in the one who has come and who has also gone for us. 187 00:17:26.470 --> 00:17:30.099 The world doesn't understand those things. And the spirit is going to come, 188 00:17:30.180 --> 00:17:34.660 Jesus says, to disciple is disciples. Jesus is going to come and reveal 189 00:17:34.859 --> 00:17:45.009 that to the world. Number three, the world is wrong. The world 190 00:17:45.329 --> 00:17:53.170 thinks perhaps of the devil, perhaps of evil powers, perhaps of the dark 191 00:17:53.210 --> 00:18:00.759 side, and often it wonders if these things ultimately have ultimate power. Just 192 00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:04.920 look around the world, says. Look at what has happened, look at 193 00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:08.559 the evil, look at the unfairness, look at the hatred, and on 194 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:17.230 and on and on. It seems as though God has lost, that he 195 00:18:17.349 --> 00:18:21.589 is weak. It seems as though he is impotent, that is incapable or 196 00:18:21.670 --> 00:18:29.900 unwilling to do the things that a true God ought to do. But Jesus 197 00:18:29.980 --> 00:18:33.500 tells us that the spirit will come and will convic the world and say wrong 198 00:18:33.619 --> 00:18:38.420 again, wrong again, because not only has god, God in the Sun, 199 00:18:38.619 --> 00:18:45.210 come and gone for us, but in doing so he has set us 200 00:18:45.490 --> 00:18:52.329 free from the tyranny of Satan. Hebrews tells us that Satan kept US enslaved 201 00:18:52.930 --> 00:18:56.119 through the fear of death. But what did Jesus do? He took the 202 00:18:56.240 --> 00:19:00.839 Stinger right out of death. He took the victory away from the grave. 203 00:19:00.279 --> 00:19:03.960 He made it so that there's no dead end for the people of God. 204 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:12.789 Satan has no power over us. He'll growl and war and bark and bite 205 00:19:12.950 --> 00:19:19.670 and try to scare us, but in the end he is a false God 206 00:19:22.109 --> 00:19:27.059 and he will be judged. That's what he said. Is Concerning judgment. 207 00:19:27.819 --> 00:19:33.819 The ruler of this world is judged. So these are the things that the 208 00:19:33.900 --> 00:19:38.049 world gets wrong, constantly, every day and in every way. They don't 209 00:19:38.130 --> 00:19:42.130 know the problem. The world doesn't know the solution and it doesn't know that 210 00:19:42.250 --> 00:19:49.970 the end of the story is all about Jesus. But the spirit whom Jesus 211 00:19:51.130 --> 00:19:56.599 has sent and promises to send here in our passage reveals all of these things. 212 00:19:56.880 --> 00:20:02.599 To the darkness in the world, he brings the spirit, brings that 213 00:20:02.839 --> 00:20:07.710 illumination of God, that light, to the world. He brings the sun 214 00:20:07.750 --> 00:20:12.190 and his word to bear. That's what he promises disciples here. And let 215 00:20:12.230 --> 00:20:18.349 me tell you, this is exactly what has happened. The spirit, the 216 00:20:18.509 --> 00:20:26.420 Lord ascended, the spirit was poured out and pentecost and the word of Jesus 217 00:20:26.500 --> 00:20:32.859 has gone forth from that day forth, and powerfully so. Sure there are 218 00:20:32.940 --> 00:20:37.089 people who have hated it and raged against it and continue to do so, 219 00:20:37.329 --> 00:20:42.130 but many, many others, including all of you who are sitting here and 220 00:20:42.329 --> 00:20:48.690 confess the name of the Lord Jesus today, have fallen under this conviction of 221 00:20:48.809 --> 00:20:55.039 the Holy Spirit and have given yourselves over to the Lord Jesus Christ and are 222 00:20:55.079 --> 00:21:03.319 now prey raising God and a life of repentance and faith, believing that the 223 00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:07.190 true wrong thing is lack of faith and the true right thing is the Gospel, 224 00:21:07.630 --> 00:21:14.069 and that it all ends well with Satan judged and the Lord victorious. 225 00:21:15.150 --> 00:21:18.940 Well, that leads us in naturally, to the second and the last thing 226 00:21:18.940 --> 00:21:22.460 I'll mention. The second advantage that the spirit comes, not only does he 227 00:21:22.619 --> 00:21:30.460 convict the world, but he guides and he leads the disciples in the truth. 228 00:21:32.779 --> 00:21:34.730 Not to this point, Jesus was mainly known among the Jews, but 229 00:21:34.849 --> 00:21:37.970 with the spirit coming, as I have said, that was all going to 230 00:21:38.049 --> 00:21:47.920 change. The world was going to come under the conviction of let me ask 231 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:55.000 you in this way. Was it to your advantage that Jesus stopped walking around 232 00:21:55.319 --> 00:22:04.630 Israel with just a handful of close but confused disciple and pour out his spirit 233 00:22:04.750 --> 00:22:11.710 on the whole world? You Bet it was. His mission has now been 234 00:22:12.069 --> 00:22:18.859 revealed fully. His victory in the cross, his power and glory in ascending 235 00:22:18.980 --> 00:22:25.779 onto the right hand of the Father Almighty, victorious over Satan, feel with 236 00:22:25.940 --> 00:22:30.809 life and promise. His mission has revealed. He has set his spirit loose 237 00:22:30.930 --> 00:22:37.329 on the world to do his work in bringing the glory of God through the 238 00:22:37.450 --> 00:22:47.119 word to the world. And this is exactly what he has done. The 239 00:22:47.240 --> 00:22:53.720 spirit gives to us, preaches to us all the time the truth. And 240 00:22:53.920 --> 00:23:03.509 what is the truth? Jesus is the truth. Jesus says, I am 241 00:23:03.630 --> 00:23:08.990 the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father 242 00:23:10.789 --> 00:23:15.819 except through me, and what a blessing it is, then that Jesus says, 243 00:23:17.180 --> 00:23:23.619 the spirit who is now dwelling in you believers, will guide us in 244 00:23:23.980 --> 00:23:30.049 all truth, and that he speaks not of his own authority but of Christ, 245 00:23:32.009 --> 00:23:37.809 that whatever he hears, he speaks. And that means that though the 246 00:23:37.930 --> 00:23:45.279 Lord Jesus Christ is ascended, he is not gone away. Though we don't 247 00:23:45.359 --> 00:23:48.799 have him in person, and there is a great loss in this, the 248 00:23:49.119 --> 00:23:56.869 spirit unites us to Christ in a way that no technol ge ever could. 249 00:23:59.549 --> 00:24:08.710 The spirit of God unite us to Christ. This is to our advantage, 250 00:24:10.940 --> 00:24:15.299 this is our life, this is our salvation. Jesus has ascended, but 251 00:24:15.420 --> 00:24:18.779 he has not forsaken us and he has declared to us the things to come. 252 00:24:18.819 --> 00:24:27.130 Jesus, through his spirit, gives us hope every single day about our 253 00:24:27.369 --> 00:24:37.920 future. And with that hope in mind, because of the spirit, we 254 00:24:38.119 --> 00:24:44.440 hear these things and we are listening, and let us continue to listen, 255 00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:49.039 and let us continue to walk in step with the spirit, how by listening 256 00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:56.190 to his words about Jesus. Let us continue to walk in this new way, 257 00:24:56.230 --> 00:25:02.430 which is to walk in Jesus, and let us continue to glorify God, 258 00:25:02.789 --> 00:25:07.380 because that's what the spirit does, and enjoying him too. We can 259 00:25:07.420 --> 00:25:17.180 add. Why? Because he turns our earthly sorrows into heavenly joys. So 260 00:25:17.420 --> 00:25:21.650 now you know what the spirit does and you know who the spirit is. 261 00:25:22.450 --> 00:25:26.529 He is the one who convicts the world of Sin and who leads the Truth 262 00:25:26.890 --> 00:25:30.970 Church in truth, and in doing so, he puts us in a place 263 00:25:32.009 --> 00:25:36.160 of life and fellowship with the father through the son, so that we might 264 00:25:36.240 --> 00:25:42.720 glorify all three. Let us never again fail to give the spirit praise for 265 00:25:42.839 --> 00:25:52.069 his daily work in our lives. Amen, let us pray our most holy 266 00:25:52.190 --> 00:26:00.029 and heavenly father, we praise you for the goodness of your grace and your 267 00:26:00.109 --> 00:26:06.539 mercy, for your understanding of our weakness and our sorrows and knowing how bound 268 00:26:06.579 --> 00:26:12.059 and enslaved we were to sin, and for sending us this great and mighty 269 00:26:12.099 --> 00:26:21.329 savior, Even Your Own Eternally Begotten Son and our Lord, who, anointed 270 00:26:21.450 --> 00:26:26.650 by the spirit and born of the spirit. Even, through that amazing birth, 271 00:26:30.450 --> 00:26:37.920 was anointed by the spirit and became our incarnate savior. We ask, 272 00:26:38.119 --> 00:26:41.559 oh Lord, that you would help us to know Jesus as he truly is 273 00:26:44.480 --> 00:26:48.990 and in his light, to see everything, to see our sin, to 274 00:26:48.069 --> 00:26:52.109 see our sorrow, to see the hope of heaven that lies before us, 275 00:26:52.230 --> 00:26:59.549 that has been promised to us, not through works, but through the spirit 276 00:27:00.430 --> 00:27:04.420 received through faith alone. Lord, we thank you for the work that the 277 00:27:04.460 --> 00:27:08.980 spirit has already done in our lives and causing us to be reborn into the 278 00:27:10.099 --> 00:27:15.289 truth and into the light. We thank you for doing the hard work, 279 00:27:17.609 --> 00:27:22.089 not hard for you but unpleasant to us, of revealing our sins, of 280 00:27:22.289 --> 00:27:26.730 showing us our evil in our pride. But what a joy it is to 281 00:27:26.809 --> 00:27:32.240 be knocked down off our high horses, Lord, that we might be raised 282 00:27:32.279 --> 00:27:37.200 up in the victory of the cross, that we would be a named among 283 00:27:37.400 --> 00:27:42.000 the elect of God, that we might be the sons and daughters who receive 284 00:27:42.319 --> 00:27:48.309 the promised inheritance. Lord, we ask that this work would continue in us, 285 00:27:49.269 --> 00:27:57.109 that the work of the spirit would be would continue in sanctification, leading 286 00:27:57.150 --> 00:28:06.539 to our glorification and the glorification of you through your work in us, Lord, 287 00:28:06.619 --> 00:28:08.779 we ask that you would be with us in our sorrows, that you, 288 00:28:10.140 --> 00:28:12.369 by your spirit, would speak to us the truth and help us to 289 00:28:12.490 --> 00:28:18.089 see things as they truly are. Lord, help us to understand that this 290 00:28:18.329 --> 00:28:23.049 life is not the end of all things, that it is a temporary that 291 00:28:23.289 --> 00:28:27.839 it is passing and fleeting. Let this be both a warning to us and 292 00:28:29.440 --> 00:28:33.559 a promise to us, a warning not to hold too fast to the things 293 00:28:33.599 --> 00:28:40.640 of this world and a promise that all all bad things will be brought to 294 00:28:40.799 --> 00:28:45.589 a good end. Help us to stand fast and walk in the spirit, 295 00:28:45.029 --> 00:28:51.750 to attend to his words and give him praise. Lord. We pray for 296 00:28:51.910 --> 00:28:56.859 those who are weak and struggling among us, which is, of course, 297 00:28:56.900 --> 00:29:00.579 all of us, but we pray, Lord, especially for those who are 298 00:29:00.339 --> 00:29:06.579 very downcast and brokenhearted and whose hearts are filled with sorrow. Lift them up 299 00:29:06.619 --> 00:29:10.410 a Lord, and do so by the power of your word. We also 300 00:29:10.490 --> 00:29:12.650 asked that you would provide for those who are I need help it not to 301 00:29:12.730 --> 00:29:18.089 be anxious or nervous about anything. We also pray, Lord, for those 302 00:29:18.130 --> 00:29:21.609 who are sick and ask that you would heal them. We pray for our 303 00:29:21.650 --> 00:29:25.160 leaders and we asked that you would guide them. We pray, Lord, 304 00:29:25.240 --> 00:29:29.200 for Your Church and ask that this, this this witness to the light of 305 00:29:29.240 --> 00:29:34.599 Christ and his glory, would continue to go out into the world, even 306 00:29:34.640 --> 00:29:41.630 as it is doing, even as you are doing today. We place all 307 00:29:41.670 --> 00:29:45.509 these things into your hand and we pray these things in Jesus name, on 308 00:29:45.710 --> men