Tucker Presbyterian Church Sermons

John 8:12-30 - I AM the Light (Rev. Erik Veerman)

In our worship we lifted our eyes to Jesus, who declares, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). From our call to worship to our hymns and sermon, we rejoiced that the light of Christ has come and that he leads us out of darkness and sin.

John 7:37-52 - A Divided Response to the Living Waters (Rev. Erik Veerman)

John 7:37-52 Please turn to John chapter 7. We'll be considering verses 37-52 this morning. You can find that on page 1062. The context of chapter 7 has been the Feast of Booths - also called the Feast of Tabernacles. It was one of the three major festivals in the Jewish calendar, so there were lots of people in Jerusalem. Earlier in the chapter, Jesus appeared at the temple in the middle of the festival and began teaching. That caused a crowd to gather around him. And most of the crowd was amazed. They had heard of or seen Jesus' signs (or miracles) but now they witnessed his teaching. In our text this morning, we will hear that it is now the end of the feast. Jesus called for people to come to him but, as you will hear, he received a mixed response. Some were intrigued but others all the more wanted to kill him. Reading of John 7:37-52 Prayer There's no doubt that water is THE foundation to our physical existence. Our bodies are made up of about 60% water. Without water, we cannot survive for more than a few days. Without water, crops cannot grow and animals cannot survive. But for us in our day and age, water is readily available. Even in drought situations, we manage pretty well. Farmers can pump water from the underground water table to water their crops. We can clean and store water from storm runoff. We can dam rivers and we can pump water from one region to another. The worst it gets here, is that we're told to only water our lawns on certain days. But if you lived in Jerusalem back in the first century, it was very different. They didn't have all the modern technologies to drill or store significant amounts of water. Given its geography high up in the mountains, Jerusalem didn't have any nearby rivers. The Kidron valley and brook were dry for most of the year. And so, the people really did rely on the seasons. They hoped and prayed for rain at certain times of the year. It's no wonder that Jesus used the concept of water to symbolize spiritual realities. Remember, we saw that first back in chapter 2 when Jesus turned water into wine, symbolizing his cleansing ministry. And again, we saw that in chapter 4, when Jesus told the woman at the well that she needed his living water and that when she drank it, she would never be thirsty again. He was speaking of the eternal life that she would receive through believing in him. Well, this morning we have a new spiritual reality symbolized by water. And that is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He will be like rivers of living water flowing forth from our hearts. So, this morning we'll begin our time with that… with Jesus' teaching about the giving of the Spirit. That's verses 37-39. As we'll see in a minute, his analogy of water directly connects to what was happening at the Feast. And then second, we'll survey the responses to Jesus' teaching. That's verses 40-52. As you heard, out of people's hearts flowed very different responses to Jesus. That's where we are headed. #1 The Holy Spirit - the River of Living Water As we get into the verses about the Holy Spirit, let me first note that the Feast of Tabernacles was at the very end of the dry season. In fact, most years, it had not rained for months in the leadup to the festival. To be sure, Jerusalem did have a source of water. Their main source of water at the time was the Gihon Spring which they diverted into the Pool of Siloam. It was on the south side of the city about a third of a mile down from the temple. It was King Hezekiah about 700 years earlier who had a tunnel dug through the rock to reach the spring and divert the water to inside the city. Just a few years after he finished that, Assyria surrounded Jerusalem and attempted to cut off the supply lines, including water, but they did not know of the hidden water channel. And so, Jerusalem was able to endure. By the way, if you go to Jerusalem today, you can actually walk through Hezekiah's water tunnel. I did that several years ago with a friend. It's about 1/4 mile long and pretty narrow and the water is maybe 1-2 feet deep. At one point my friend snuck ahead, turned off his little flashlight and then, when I rounded a corner, he jumped out at me. I may or may not have been momentarily scared. Anyway, you end up at the Pool of Siloam - or a small portion of what remains. I'm telling you this because at the Feast of Booths, every day one of the priests would make his way down to the Pool of Siloam. Jewish literature records that he would dip a golden vessel into the pool, and he would make his way back to the Temple. The crowds would follow him as he passed through the lower gates into the temple area. Trumpets would sound as he ascended the temple steps. They would read from passages like Isaiah 12:3 which says, "with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." That was our call to worship this morning. And then with great pomp, when the festival branches described in Leviticus 23 were waved, the priest would pour the fresh water onto the altar. A channel was made for that purpose, and it would drain to the base. The purpose of the water was a remembrance of God's provision of water in the wilderness. Remember, the Feast of Booths was about celebrating God's provision in the wilderness. That included water from the rock. God called Moses to strike a rock, and when he did, water flowed forth. Well, on the seventh day of the feast, Jewish literature also records that the water ceremony happened 7 times. 7 times the priest would fill the golden vessel from Siloam and return to the temple, and pour it onto the altar. By the seventh time, the water would have overflowed from the altar onto the temple floor. And while this was happening, the people were rejoicing, waving various branches while the trumpets sounded and the water flowed. It was on this day, the 7th day, called the great day, that Jesus stood up and cried out “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” We don’t know what time of day Jesus proclaimed these words, but the people would have had water on their minds. It was hot and dry. Likely it had not rained. Furthermore, they either anticipated the priests carrying the water to the altar or they just witnessed that event. They were thirsty - physically and spiritually. And Jesus cried out to them, calling them to come to him and drink. And not only would their spiritual thirst be quenched, but if they came and drank, rivers of living water, he said, would flow from them. The apostle John then adds a brief commentary that Jesus was referring to the Holy Spirit. Those who came to him would receive his Spirit, once he was glorified. Now, before we consider what that means for you and me, let me note 4 brief things. #1. Jesus quotes a Scripture which says, "Out of his heart [the one who believes] will flow rivers of living water." There's actually no single Old Testament passage directly matching the quote. However, several Old Testament texts parallel this idea. We read from Isaiah 44 earlier in the service. Verse 3 says, "I will pour water on a thirsty land" and then "I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring." Zechariah 14:8 was another one. It was also read during the Feast of Booths. It speaks of living water flowing out of Jerusalem. There are other passages like Ezekiel 47 and Isaiah 55 which are similar. In other words, the idea of living water connected to the Holy Spirit and salvation is very prevalent in the Old Testament. #2. Some Greek translators believe that the "rivers of living water" referenced here is the Holy Spirit being given out of Jesus' heart, not ours. They argue that phrase "whoever believes in me" is actually part of the invitation to drink and does not describe the one who has a river flowing from his heart. Honestly, there are some good arguments for that. Personally, I lean toward the translation we use. But I also think that even if this alternative is true, those who believe are still the recipients of the Holy Spirit. When we receive the Spirit, then our hearts will display forth the Spirit's ministry in us. So, in the end, I don’t think it really changes the impact. #3. The third thing I want to point out. The fact that verse 39 says that the Spirit would be given after Jesus was glorified does not minimize the Holy Spirit's work in the Old Testament. No. From the very beginning in Genesis 1, the Spirit was present. He was hovering over the waters. He was at work in the hearts and minds of the remnant of God's people - true Israel. The Spirit directed people to look forward to the Messiah who would come. The Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 1 tells us that the Spirit of Christ was at work in the prophets who testified beforehand about Christ's sufferings and glory. What is the difference, then? The giving of the Holy Spirit mentioned in verse 39 is the outpouring of the Spirit to all peoples, not just Israel, but every tribe, tongue, and nation. Furthermore, as the Spirit dwells in his people, he now applies the finished work of Christ to us. So, the difference is in the scope of the Holy Spirit's work and the fulness of salvation being applied. I think that's important to understand. #4 - the last brief comment. And this is related. When verse 39 speaks of Jesus' glorification, I'm guessing you have in mind Jesus' ascension to heaven where he now reigns. That's true. However, John's Gospel includes Jesus' death and resurrection as part of his glorification. We're going to see this very clearly when we get to chapter 12. We will see that Jesus finally tells his disciples that his hour HAS come. And what is that hour? Jesus tells them it is the hour of his gl...

John 7:25-36 - Your Judgment Judged (Rev. Coleman Erkens)

John 7:14–24 - Judging Your Judgment (Rev. Erik Veerman)

This sermon focuses on the perfect judgment of God in his Word and through his works. In John 7:14–24, Jesus rebukes the Jewish leaders for judging his words (teaching) and works (healing) by self-serving and hypocritical motives rather than by judging from a pure heart with "right judgment" (John 7:24).

John 7:1–13 - What Time Is It? (Rev. Chuck Emerson)

John 6:60-71 - Words of Life: Drawn Near or Driven Away (Rev. Erik Veerman)

John 6:37-59 - Bread of Life Part 2: Feasting unto Eternal Life (Rev. Erik Veerman)

Bread of Life Part 2: Feasting unto Eternal Life Our sermon text this morning continues in the Gospel of John chapter 6. Please turn there with me. We'll focus on verses 37-59. That is on page ?? Again, John 6:37-59 These verses continue Jesus' explanation that he is the Bread of Life. In last week's verses, Jesus exhorted the Jews that they should not work for bread that perishes. Instead, they should believe in him because he is the bread of life. In this morning's text, Jesus will explain the meaning, the purpose, and the benefits of feeding on him. So, listen for those things as I read. Again, the meaning, the purpose, and the benefits. Reading of John 6:37-59 Prayer If you travel to southern Spain and visit the Pan Pina bakery, you could buy the most expensive bread in the world. For a single loaf you would spend about $2000. And it's a rather small loaf. It's often called Gold Leaf Bread because it is made with real gold flakes. It's edible gold, which some believe has medicinal benefits. It's made with specialty sour dough from hulled wheat which comes from an ancient grain that they have been maintaining all these years. The recipe includes powdered honey to give it a rich taste. And for presentation, gold leaves are not only baked into the bread but added to the crust to give it a beautiful glittering sheen. People travel from all over the world to taste and experience this one-of-a-kind gold bread. Now, I don’t think any of us here will ever buy or eat this gold leaf bread. I'm not even sure you would want to. But also, none of us needs to because we have bread that is infinitely more valuable. We've been offered the bread of life. I think you would agree that Jesus' statement that he's the bread of life is quite powerful. We all understand what bread is. It is the food staple of life. You know, we eat bread to give us energy and sustain us each day. As we talked about last week, the manna that the Israelites ate in the wilderness sustained them for 40 years. But the bread that Jesus offers, as he says, will sustain us for eternity. These verses are saturated with the language of eternal life and of eating of Jesus body. And of God the Father giving the Son those who will come to him and eat. It's very poetical. The apostle John has this way of weaving together themes. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he'll introduce an idea and then move on to another related idea, but come back to further elaborate. And in the end, we're given a beautifully integrated message. Each part is strengthened by the other and in the end it's a unified whole. As I read our text, you probably sensed how different themes were introduced, then set aside, but later returned to with more detail. So, what I've tried to do is identify the different themes and then distill them into questions and answers. We'll be considering 4 questions this morning. 1. Who is the living bread? 2. For what purpose was he sent? 3. How do you feed on him and drink of him? 4. What blessings do you receive when you do feed on him? As I mentioned, these are not answered in a linear fashion one after the other. No, rather, as we work through these questions, we'll be looking at several phrases and verses which span our text. So that's where we are headed. 1. Who is the living bread? Which brings us to the first question. Who is this living bread? Or what does it actually mean that Jesus is the bread from heaven. The analogy is that Jesus is the manna from heaven. We saw that last week and we see it again here today. But let me say that it's more than just an analogy. The Old Testament uses what we call "types" to convey deeper realities. Types would be people, or events, or institutions, or objects in the Old Testament, which in some way prefigure or foreshadow Christ or some aspect of Salvation. By the way, the studying of these "types" is called Typology, or for short, Typos. When Amy was in the hospital about to birth to Nate, I happened to be reading a book on Typology. It was titled Typos, which is spelled typos. And a nurse said, "someone wrote a whole book on typos." King David was a type of Christ. That is, Jesus is in the line of David, he is King David's greater son. King David was fallen but Christ is greater as the sovereign and perfectly just king. The Passover is another type. That was the 10th plague in Egypt. The people of God were to put the blood of the lamb over their doorposts. It was a sign of faith, and if they did that, the angel of death would pass over them, and their firstborn would not die. The Passover is also a type of Christ. It focuses on Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. By his blood, death will pass over those who believe by faith. Well, in John 6, Jesus is described as manna from heaven. Think about it. In the wilderness, the Israelites called the manna, bread from heaven. Why? Well, because the manna would fall from the sky with the dew and form bread like wafers on the ground. In the same way, the Son of God descended from heaven like the manna. He became man in the person of Jesus Christ. The manna was real bread. Jesus has a real body. The manna sustained the people for years. In a similar way Jesus sustains us as spiritual bread from heaven. AND we're to eat of him, just like the people at the manna. We'll get to what that means in a minute. But overall, Jesus is the greater manna. The manna in the wilderness foreshadowed Jesus as the true bread from heaven, as these verses say. Ok, now, look at verses 41-43. The crowd that gathered to hear him, grumbled. Why did they grumble? Well, because Jesus was saying that he was bread from God come down from heaven. And the Jews were like, wait a second, this is Jesus. We know his parents. How can he be from God? He was born of Mary. They were complaining because they thought it was a contradiction. How could Jesus be born and at the same time be from heaven? However, in reality Jesus's birth further demonstrated that he fulfilled the promise of manna. He was God from above who descended to become man. His birth was the avenue through which he took on human flesh and became living bread… true bread. He is one of us. He is both God and man, which is exactly how he's the manna from heaven. So, who is this living bread? Well, he is God the Son who came down from heaven. He was born a man. In other words, the very one standing before them and teaching was the very God of the universe come in the flesh. 2. For what purpose was he sent? Question 2. For what purpose was he sent? Why did he come? In these verses we also learn that God the Father sent his Son to accomplish his will - the Father's will. That word "will" is referring to God's planned purposes. And what is that will? We're told that the Father sent his Son to receive those whom the Father calls to him. Look at verse 37. The first verse that we read. It says "all that the Father gives me will come to me." That's further explained in verse 44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." It's saying that every single person whom the Father calls will come to Jesus. Through out these verses there are a few different theological truths. We sometimes call this one, irresistible grace. When God calls you… that is, when the Holy Spirit directs you to Christ to see and believe him, you cannot resist that. You can try to flee him, but as the famous English poem says, God is the Hound of Heaven. He will seek you out and you will come to him. So, for what purpose was Jesus sent? He was sent to receive all those whom the Father ordained to come to him. That's part of the answer. Another part of the answer is found in verse 51. I want you to look at that verse. This is the key verse in this whole section. It begins, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven" We just talked about that in the first question. Jesus goes on in that verse, "If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever." We're going to get to what that means in a second. And then Jesus says this, "And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” The Father's other purpose in sending his Son is for his son to give his flesh. His life. In fact, the giving of his flesh is the giving of bread. This is talking about the atonement. Jesus gave his life on the cross. His body was broken. His blood was shed. Why? The answer is there in verse 51 "for the life of the world." Jesus' life was given as an atonement for sin, so that people would have life. The word "world" is referring to people from every language and nation. ALL whom the father draws. 3. How do you feed on him and drink of him? Which brings us to question 3, which I think is the primary question answered in these verses. How do you feed on Christ and drink of him? That's the question that not only we ask, but that the Jewish crowd was asking. They didn’t understand because it is an awkward thing to think about. Look at their question in verse 52. "The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?'" It sure sounded to them like cannibalism. And then in verse 53 Jesus leans into it. He not only says that we need to feed on his flesh. He says that we need to drink his blood! Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you." It is not only that we may eat and drink of him, we must. Without feeding on him and drinking of him, it says we have "no life." But what does that mean? Because 8 times in these verses it talks about feeding on him or eating of his flesh or drinking of his blood. ...

John 6:22–36 - Bread of Life Part 1: Believing in the Bread of Life (Rev. Erik Veerman)

The Bread of Life Part #1: Seeking, Seeing, Believing Please turn in your Bibles to John 6. We'll be focusing on verses 22-36 this morning. That is found on page 1059 I'm calling this a part 1 sermon about Jesus as the Bread of Life. But really, last week could be considered part 1. The first section of chapter 6 was about Jesus feeding the 5000. In our verses this morning, Jesus explains that the bread which he multiplied was a sign that he fulfilled as the bread of life. And then next week, he will elaborate on what that means and its implications. So, chapter 6 is one big narrative that focuses on Christ as the bread from heaven. If you remember from last week, the disciples are now in Capernaum on the western shore of the sea of Galilee. They had left on a boat on the eastern short without Jesus. Well, on their journey, a storm arose, but Jesus came to them, walking on the water. He calmed the storm and they arrived in Capernaum. So that is where they were, but the crowd was still on the other side of the sea. Let's now come to God's Word. Prayer Reading of John 6:22-36 I know it's not Thanksgiving, but Black Friday came to mind this week. That is the day after Thanksgiving. It's the day that almost every store has crazy sales and tries to lure shoppers in to buy their stuff. It's the biggest shopping day of the year. People literally camp out the night before so that they can be the first in line and buy big TVs, fancy speakers, laptops and phones, games, and appliances. Of course, the sales are only "while supplies last." So, you'd better be there early. You may have heard about the fist fights that break out or you may have seen the videos of people running through the store when the doors open to get to that TV before the other guy does. It's a picture of how we will go to great lengths to satisfy our so-called needs. We want to be comfortable and well fed and have all the latest things out there. But we are not thinking about our eternal and spiritual needs. The crowd following Jesus was similar. They wanted him to feed them. They saw the signs he did including the miracle of multiplying the bread. And they wanted more. They were even in a kind of frenzy to find him. But they didn't want him for the right reasons. They wanted to satisfy their earthly needs not their spiritual ones. As we work our way through these verses, that is what we will see this morning. We'll see that contrast between searching for bread which will perish and searching for the bread who gives eternal life. There's an outline on page 4 of the bulletin. We'll consider these verses in three points: 1. Seek the eternal provider 2. See the one signified And 3. Believe in him and his eternal provision And let me say that each point is contrasted by the Jewish crowd's selfish motivation, their lack of understand, and their unbelief. That is clear in these verses. 1. Seek the eternal provider Ok, again, number 1, seek the eternal provider. The crowd did not see their spiritual need and how Jesus could fulfill it. No instead, as I mentioned, they were fixated on the temporary provision thinking it could save them. They should have been seeking Jesus for who he is but instead were seeking him because of what they thought he could do for them. That's what we see in the first couple of verses. The problem was that their motivations were suspect. Really, they didn't want Jesus. They just wanted temporary things that they thought Jesus could give them. As we get into the narrative, remember that it was the day after Jesus fed them. And the crowd quickly realized that Jesus was no longer there. But where was he? The evening before, they had witnessed Jesus' disciples enter a boat and leave for the other side of the sea to Capernaum. But Jesus didn't get on the boat. But, where was he? They wanted to find him. At this point in Jesus' ministry, there was a buzz, so to speak. At the end of chapter 4, Jesus had been up in Galilee and if you remember, had healed the official's son. Word had gotten out about that and other signs. Just the day before, they witnessed Jesus miraculously multiply the fish and loaves. They crowd was (in a way) desperate to find him. They wanted to find this man who healed people and performed signs and miraculously fed them. They even believed he was the prophet that Moses promised. We learned that last week. Well, at this point, several boats had arrived from across the sea. Maybe they had sheltered there from the storm the night before or maybe some boat owners heard there was a crowd and therefore an opportunity to make some money by ferrying them somewhere. We don't know why the boats were there. But whatever the case, the crowd quickly got on the boats and directed them to travel to Capernaum. Remember, that's where Jesus' disciples had gone. Maybe he was somehow there? Well, when they got to Capernaum, lo-and-behold, he was there. They had no idea how Jesus had gotten there. They hadn't seen him leave and they hadn't witnessed him walking on the water, but somehow he had arrived. That's why they asked him in verse 25, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" Maybe they were wondering whether he arrived at night. Or whether he had taken a different boat. They wanted to know because they had been very eager to find him. And here's where the narrative pivots. Jesus changed the subject. Remember, he did something similar with Nicodemus in chapter 3 and with the woman at the well in chapter 4. Jesus pivoted the conversation to penetrate to the heart of their problem. Nicodemus needed to be born again and the woman at the well needed living water. Jesus said to the crowd, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves." You see, they cared more about the food. They cared more about their earthly situation than their spiritual need. They wanted to find the man who performed the miracle so that he could do more miracles for them. In other words, their search for Jesus was not about Jesus, it was about what he could do for them. Their motivations were about satisfying their appetite. Let me connect this to last week. Look a few verses earlier at verse 15. The crowd had just pronounced that Jesus was the Prophet that Moses promised. Now, look at what they wanted to do. Verse 15. It says that Jesus perceived that the crowd wanted to take him by force, and make him king. That is when Jesus withdrew from them. They wanted to make him king because they wanted a king who would provide for their earthly needs. It's the same near sighted motivation. The irony in all of this is that Jesus was and is the true King, the eternal King, and he was the one who could truly feed them - you know, spiritually feed them for eternity. But as the crowd came to him, they only cared about their earthly and physical needs. That is why in verse 27, Jesus then said to them, "do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life." Jesus was saying, even though the fish and the loaves fed you and it was a miracle, that bread and fish will not endure to eternal life. To be sure, our earthly needs are important. God has made us as physical beings. We are body and soul. We have daily needs for food and water. It is not wrong to seek our daily bread. We pray for our daily bread in the Lord's prayer. However, when our pursuit for daily provision becomes our main pursuit in life then we have lost sight of our greater need. The crowd did not see their need for the spiritual provision that Christ could give them. They simply wanted to have more of their earthly, physical, near-term needs met… food and an earthly king to provide for them. This sin manifests itself in different ways in our hearts and in our culture. For one, we live in a time and place of great prosperity. And it is so easy to get caught up in the rat race of our culture and the pursuit of comfort and things. Our covetous hearts do not help us! Certainly, many around us are blind to this. They cannot see that the near-term path that they are on is a path that leads to destruction and judgment. But even for believers in Christ, we can be so caught up working for our daily needs or our pursuit of comfort in this life, which can become idols, that we lose sight of our greater spiritual need. We lose sight of Christ. That's one pitfall in our culture and in our hearts. Related to that, Jesus just becomes to us a means to an end. That's what was happening here. We've talked about this in the past. There are so-called preachers out there that say that God wants to bless you with material wealth. Your barns will be full, they say, if you just have more faith. I don’t sense that anyone here believes that, but are you seeking Jesus for who he is? As the one who saves and gives eternal provision and life, OR are there subtle ways that he has become for you just an avenue to meet your perceived needs in this life? Just to be sure, I am not disregarding the benefits and blessing that come with knowing Christ like peace with God and community. But Jesus should never be a means to an end. He is the end. He is the telos of all things. We should be seeking him as the one who gives life and not for bread which perishes. So, seek him, the ultimate provider. 2. See the one signified #2. See the one signified. The crowd was so enamored with signs that they missed the significance of them. Look at verse 30. The crowd said to Jesus, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you?" In other words, show us something. Give us a sign. It's quite ironic because Jesus had just given them a sign the...

John 6:1-21 - The LORD, Our Provider and Deliverer (Rev. Coleman Erkens)

John 14-16 Various Verses - The Spirit of Truth who Leads Us in Righteousness (Rev. Erik Veerman)

The Spirit of Truth Who Leads Us in Righteousness - John 14:15-17, 25-27; John 15:26-27; John 16:4-15 Please turn in your Bibles to John 14. You can find that on page 1071. Before we read, let me remind you of a couple things and explain why we're jumping ahead to chapter 14. Last week, we finished up John 5. If you remember, chapter 5 was about the Jewish leaders accusing Jesus of equating himself with God. Jesus responded by affirming that, yes, he was indeed equal with the Father. In the middle of chapter 5, Jesus made a very clear declaration that he shares the glory and power of the Father because he and the Father are one. Well, today, I thought we would do something a little different. Since we just considered God the Father and the Son, I thought we would round that out by considering the Holy Spirit. We're going to stay in the Gospel of John, but look at selected passages from chapters 14-16. Next week, we'll return to chapter 6 So, if you would, turn to John 14 and we'll begin with verses 15-17. Reading John 14:15-17, 25-27; John 15:26-27; John 16:4-15 Prayer “Who is the Holy Spirit and what is his role in your life?” That question stumped me. I was a High school senior at the time. And I was applying to a Christian college. That question about the Holy Spirit was on the admissions application, but I didn't know how to answer it. Yes, I had grown up in the church, and yes, I was a believer in Jesus. Our church, although a faithful church, was light on teaching and discipleship or maybe I just wasn't paying attention. “Who is the Holy Spirit?” I didn’t know. Maybe that’s you… if I asked you to tell me about the Holy Spirit, would you know where to begin? If not, you’re not alone. Of all the doctrines about God, the area of weakest understanding is the Holy Spirit. In a recent study from Lifeway Research, 28% of Christians in the United States believe the Spirit is divine but not equal to God the Father and the Son. Another 21% were unsure. In a second question, 56% believed the Spirit of God to be a force but not a divine person. You know, when it comes to God, we can conceptualize God as a Father… we can comprehend Jesus in his human nature, and through Jesus' testimony and ministry, we can understand that he is fully God. But it’s harder to understand the Holy Spirit. My hope is that by the end of this sermon... We would each more fully grasp… Who the Holy Spirit is, what role he performs, and how we benefit from and receive him. Who, what, and how. But even beyond these important questions about the Holy Spirit and the benefits we have in him… I also hope that we would each feel and sense his convincing and convicting work in our hearts and minds. That's my prayer. As we begin, let me summarize Jesus' teaching about His Spirit… this way: (1) The eternal Spirit of God, (2) who speaks truth and conviction as God, (3) dwells in those who know God, because they have received his grace by faith in Christ. There are three points there. Let me say that again if you are taking notes... (1) The eternal Spirit of God, (2) who speaks truth and conviction as God, and (3) dwells in those who know God, because they have received his grace by faith in Christ. 1. The eternal Spirit of God… answering the WHO 2. who speaks truth and conviction as God… answering the WHAT 3. dwells in those who know God, because they have received his grace by faith in Christ. the HOW. And just to be sure… These verses on the Holy Spirit are not exhaustive… they are just a few of the many Biblical texts. All throughout the Scriptures we learn about the Spirit of God. · In the book of Acts… The Holy Spirit is given and he leads the early church. · We learn of his work in and through believers through the apostles Paul and Peter and others. · In Genesis 1, we learn that the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters… · Furthermore, the Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles… was given as a festival by God to teach about salvation and God's grace in the giving of His Spirit. · The prophets also spoke of God’s Spirit… · And all throughout the Scriptures… we’re promised to have “rivers of living waters” flowing forth from us… through the work of God’s Holy Spirit. We can’t cover all of that, but Jesus' teaching on the Holy Spirit in John's Gospel is very helpful. It's very clear and very foundational. So let's dive in. (1) The eternal Spirit of God So again, #1, The eternal Spirit of God. In the verses we read, Jesus calls God's Spirit by many names. He's called “the Helper” which means advocate. Jesus also names him the “Spirit of Truth” several times … Jesus calls him the “Holy Spirit.” That title is used throughout the New Testament. But the most common New Testament name is just “the Spirit.” Referring to God’s Spirit. And from these verses… one thing we see over and over… is that the Holy Spirit is sent from both God the Father and from God the Son. Let me highlight some verses: · Chapter 14:16 – “The Father will give you the Helper” · and 14:26 “The Father will send [him] in my name” · Chapter 15:26, Jesus said, “I will send you from the Father… the Spirit of truth. Who proceeds from the Father.” · And again, in chapter 16, Jesus said again, “I will send him to you” We'll be reciting the Nicene creed in a little bit. It summarizes what we believe the Bible teaches about God… And regarding the Holy Spirit, it says He “proceeds from the Father and the Son.” That’s helpful… it’s a good summary of what these and other verses teach. The Holy Spirit “proceeds from” both the Father and the Son. The Spirit, therefore, has the full authority of God because he is God. He proceeds from God. He’s unified with God the Father and God the Son. Furthermore, we learn here that the Holy Spirit is eternal. We get a glimpse of his eternal nature in chapter 14 verse 16… he's given to us forever. He will be with us for all time into heaven. And as we look to eternity past, as I briefly mentioned from Genesis 1, the Holy Spirit has always existed. Jesus teaches that not only is he, himself, fully God… but he teaches that the Holy Spirit is also God. Remember what we considered two weeks ago from John 5? Our God is one God, three persons, same in substance, equal in power and glory. Well, these verses affirm that for the Holy Spirit. We call God a triune God - a Trinity - 3 in 1. All three persons of God work in union one with one another; the Father, the Son, and the Spirit… and they share the same substance and power and glory. That’s why in John 16 verse 14… Jesus says of the Holy Spirit that “he will glorify me.” That's because each divine person of the Trinity exalts one another as God. So, to summarize point #1 - the Holy Spirit is the eternal Spirit of God… fully God, forever existing, with all the knowledge, wisdom, glory, power, and authority of God. (2) who speaks truth and conviction as God # 2… He speaks truth and conviction as God. We're on to the what question. What role does the Spirit fulfill? What do the Scriptures teach that the Holy Spirit accomplishes? Well, first, the very titles that Jesus uses for the Spirit reveal his role. Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the “Helper.” In our reading, we heard that four times…. the English doesn’t really capture the breadth of the concept here. Really “helper” in Greek comes with the sense of being a counsellor or an advocate. You know, someone who represents you, who is for you, like in a legal setting. He guides you and he speaks to you and is for you. Jesus also calls the Spirit, the “Spirit of Truth.” That is in our verses three times. What is this Counsellor counselling us about? Well, he counsels us on the truth. He counsels us on God’s truth. His Word. Throughout these verses, over and over, we’re given a very clear understanding of what truth the Holy Spirit speaks. Look down at chapter 14 verse 26. Jesus says, “he will teach you all things AND bring remembrance all that I have said” Now keep that in mind and go one chapter ahead to chapter 15, verse 26. The very end of the sentence, there… Jesus says of the Spirit “he will bear witness about me.” So, the Holy Spirit is revealing Christ and his testimony. Chapter 16 is similar. Verse 13 it says, “he will guide you in all the truth” and then “He will declare to you the things that are to come” This is the role of the Holy Spirit… to speak God’s truth, to enlighten our minds, to bear witness about Jesus' work… All the things about Jesus… You know, his life, his teaching, his redemption, and our future hope in him to come. The Spirit declares all this to us. He testifies to us the truth of God's Word. You see, all those things are found in God's Word. It is the Holy Spirit who reveals God Word to us. Really, God’s Word and Spirit go hand and hand. They are inseparable. We're given a beautiful image of this in Ezekiel chapter 37. God gave Ezekiel a vision. In a dream, God showed Ezekiel a valley full of dead dry bones. But as God’s Word went forth… God breathed his breath onto those dry bones. His breath is his Spirit - same word. And through the ministry of the Word being spoken by the prophet and God's Spirit being given… the valley of dry bones began to rattle... And then the bones came together. God gave new life to the bones. A vast army of God's people was resurrected through the work of God’s Word and His Spirit… together. Friends, none of us can know and believe this Word without the work of the Holy Spirit. We’re ignorant and sinful, we're dead dry bones…. We're unable to know G...