Bromley Baptist Church, Sunday 9th July AM – Pictures of Jesus – John 15:18-16:16

A member of our church retired recently. He spoke about his preparation for leaving. Colleagues had to know what, when and how, and maybe also why! He generated an 80 page manual! If you knew your colleagues would face problems you’d anticipate them and tell them how to respond, who they should go to and how they might deal with the problem.

This is just what Jesus is doing in these last words with his disciples.

We’ve already seen how much he cared for his disciples that he spent his time on his disciples that night - when he was probably most in need of support himself. And rather than leave an 800 page manual he concentrated on just a few key matters. The bulk of the conversation was not about himself or events over the next few days. He’d done that several times already. Most of the conversation (ch 13-17) is about the disciples, their life after Good Friday and again and again about the Holy Spirit whom Jesus would send to them in place of himself.

We’ll be looking at the giving of the Holy Spirit …

1. The Spirit for trial. 2. The Spirit for loss. 3. The Spirit of truth.

1. The Spirit for trial 15:18-16:4

Western Christianity is relatively free of trial. Our hard times are little compared with Christians down the centuries and through the world. But Jesus warned us the world is not our home. We are cut out of the world and grafted into the vine - we no longer belong. (See John 15)

Paul spoke of Christians as having become citizens of God’s commonwealth!

At some point we will find it hard being a Christian. Some reckon it’ll be harder in the West in coming days - we need to pray for our children and grandchildren.

Even now we stand out. We can’t merge into the background like a terrorist cell. There will always be little things that show - like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control - the fruit that distinguishes us from others. We won’t be able to live for God and mammon, we won’t be able to stand back when others are abused, we’ll love one another… at least some of the time! - things that show we’re disciples of Jesus!

It was in order that we’ll stand out as different and so that we’ll have strength to withstand the resulting persecution that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit.

If we think the Holy Spirit is sent just so we can have a lovely warm experience think again! The Spirit is sent to make us different and empower us when the world hates us.

So when the boss asks you to compromise your principles on an insurance claim - when you’re tempted to pass the blame to someone else, the Spirit is there to keep you close to him. And when you face sneers in the staff canteen the Holy Spirit is there to keep you steady.

And when the time comes that they take you to court or kill you for your faith the Holy Spirit will remind you of all that Jesus told you and hold you strong.

2. The Spirit for Loss – 16:6

The disciples would not only be traumatised by Jesus’ arrest, trial and execution but dispirited, leaderless and grieving the loss of the one they loved and followed for 3 years. It was because they would face that loss Jesus sent His Spirit to them. The Holy Spirit would be Jesus with them. The Holy Spirit was ‘another counsellor’ - equal to Jesus, who took over where he left off in his physical presence - a personal companion to support and encourage just like Jesus.

In our western society we totally underestimate the effect of loss and grief. Some cultures seem to go over the top in grief to those brought up in a rational, cold western culture but only because we ignore it. The smile is fixed and life carries on as normal within a fortnight. Really?

We’re expected to face other losses with similar stoicism - job, career, home, hopes and dreams – and it leaves us rudderless in grief. We try to pull ourselves together and pick up the pieces. We become driven machines instead of warm responsive human beings.

When we are in grief or loss, we need the ministry of Jesus’ touch by the Spirit. Often that’s through the prayers of God’s people – not just their prayers for us ‘at a distance’ but their prayers with us, with the biblical ministry of laying-on of hands and anointing with oil. There is a great difference between praying for someone and praying with someone! We often deny ourselves the ministries of the Spirit in our times of need. I wonder if we sometimes almost substitute prayer for ministry! We need to take to heart the way the Holy Spirit can be ministered to us in times of need, to ask for others to lay hands on us and to call on the elders to anoint with oil. It’s not a cure all – but it’s bringing the living Christ into our need in a special way.

3. The Spirit of truth.

The Spirit will lead us into the truth, cause us to remember Jesus. This is more than recalling words to mind - the Holy Spirit works in the heart, exposing us to the living truth of Christ.

Jesus uses the word ‘convict’ to describe this (16:8) - a work deep in our human nature to turn us and our attitude. He speaks of 3 matters the Holy Spirit wants to burn into our lives…

· He will convict us of sin - of our need - because of failure to live up to God’s lifestyle standards? No - because they do not believe in me! v9. From now on the rejection of Jesus is the plumb line not the 10 commandments. The truth applied to the heart is not the written word but the living word, Jesus. The measure of sin is Jesus!

· He will convict the world of guilt in regard to righteousness - because God’s standards are eternal? They are, but that isn’t what Jesus says here - ‘because I'm going to the Father’. Righteousness - the lifestyle that lasts, is the lifestyle embodied and vindicated in the risen and ascended Jesus! His resurrection and ascension publicly vindicated and validated his righteousness. The Holy Spirit convinces the world that we are accountable because Christ is risen and ascended. The measure of righteousness is Jesus - proved to be right!

· He will convince the world in regard to judgment. Is this simply because God will call us to account? There is truth in that, but Jesus tells us that it’s ‘because the prince of this world now stands condemned’. Judgment has already happened - to be fulfilled. Jesus’ work has heralded in the Kingdom! Satan is already defeated! Judgment is a present reality; Judgment has already been achieved in Christ! Why resist him any more?

We’ve spent several Sundays in this last conversation Jesus had with his disciples. Much of it centred on the Holy Spirit. I want to ask us - are we ready to be people of the Spirit of Christ?

Some seem to make a lot of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps we feel they may make more of the Spirit than the Bible, or Jesus, (where of course the Holy Spirit is Jesus!) I guess it might be possible to make too much of the Spirit, but it’s far more disastrous – indeed it is fatal - to make too little of the Spirit.

· If you turn away from the Holy Spirit - even a little - you turn away from the Spirit of Jesus,

· If you turn away from the Holy Spirit you deny yourself His presence in your loss,

· If you turn away from the Holy Spirit you turn away from his empowerment in mission when you’re up against the world.

· If you turn away from the Holy Spirit you turn away from the truth that is in Christ, that alone has the power not only to change our minds but our hearts – a truth that brings conviction about our need - because we turned away from Christ, about righteousness that has been vindicated in Christ and judgment that is already secured in Christ!

For further thought and group discussion. Groups – read the passage, summarise the notes above and select questions.

1. Have you ever faced some aspect of persecution/hatred/separation because you were a Christian? – Share your experiences. How did the Holy Spirit help you?

2. If you had just one evening left how would you try to prepare new Christians to follow Jesus? What would you especially try to pass on?

3. It might be argued that if we are to expect persecution as followers of the crucified Jesus we shouldn’t petition governments to stop it. What is wrong with this argument?

4. What situations do you encounter in which you might have opportunity to ‘testify’ (16:27) – witness to Christ? What gets in the way? How might the group pray for you?

5. How does the fact that sin is measured by a response to Jesus affect our witness?

6. How does the assurance of 16:11 help us?

7. Spend time praying with each other for special needs.

8. Spend time praying for Christians facing persecution and for their governments.

(I’m particularly indebted to the comments in ‘Giving God the Glory’ the ministry of Keswick 1985(STL1985) for thoughts toward the end of this sermon.)