1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:06,640 Well please open your Bible at John’s Gospel and chapter 14 we’re looking at some great promises 2 00:00:06,640 –> 00:00:14,480 of Jesus Christ, statements where he explicitly says that he will do something for us his people. 3 00:00:15,360 –> 00:00:20,240 So we thought about the words of Jesus, come to me all you who are weary and he says I will 4 00:00:20,240 –> 00:00:28,480 give you rest. Or when he says follow me and I will make you fishers of men or where he says 5 00:00:28,480 –> 00:00:35,759 whoever confesses me before my father I will confess him before my father who is in heaven. 6 00:00:36,560 –> 00:00:41,119 We’re going to look at two promises of our Lord Jesus today both in John chapter 14. 7 00:00:41,680 –> 00:00:49,599 The first is in verse 16 where Jesus says I will ask the father and he will give you another 8 00:00:49,599 –> 00:00:56,160 counselor to be with you forever. the Spirit of truth, that is the promise of the Holy Spirit. 9 00:00:56,959 –> 00:01:02,400 Then in John chapter 14 and verse 18 where Jesus makes a double commitment he tells us 10 00:01:02,400 –> 00:01:06,480 something he won’t do and then immediately something that he will do. You notice that 11 00:01:06,480 –> 00:01:15,839 Jesus says I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you that is the promise of 12 00:01:16,559 –> 00:01:24,160 the resurrection. Now our Lord Jesus spoke these marvelous words on the night before 13 00:01:24,160 –> 00:01:30,959 he was crucified. He had spent this evening with his disciples, they had eaten the last 14 00:01:30,959 –> 00:01:37,040 supper together, they had shared bread and wine as we do in our service today. 15 00:01:38,400 –> 00:01:44,000 The words that are recorded that Jesus spoke in John chapter 14 right through chapter 17 16 00:01:44,559 –> 00:01:51,360 would either have been spoken by Jesus at the Lord’s Supper or perhaps more likely would 17 00:01:51,360 –> 00:01:57,680 have been spoken by Jesus to the disciples as they were actually walking towards the 18 00:01:57,680 –> 00:02:01,839 Garden of Gethsemane. So I want you to try and get this picture in your mind, 19 00:02:02,559 –> 00:02:10,960 Jesus has already spoken to them about the imminence of his death, he said in chapter 13 20 00:02:10,960 –> 00:02:18,000 and verse 33, my children I will be with you only a little longer, and when he says 21 00:02:18,399 –> 00:02:23,759 little longer get clear in your mind that Jesus was going to be taken from them that night, 22 00:02:24,399 –> 00:02:30,479 that night, he’s now walking with them to Gethsemane and his arrest and 23 00:02:30,479 –> 00:02:36,240 his trial and the flogging and the crucifixion are now only hours away. 24 00:02:37,360 –> 00:02:43,679 And Jesus, of course had spoken to the disciples about his death before but they had been 25 00:02:43,679 –> 00:02:48,800 confused about this, it seemed not to have registered with them but now it seems at this 26 00:02:48,800 –> 00:02:55,279 moment finally it is beginning to dawn. And so as Jesus is walking towards Gethsemane 27 00:02:55,279 –> 00:02:59,279 he speaks to them words that have brought comfort and strength to 28 00:02:59,279 –> 00:03:04,720 millions of people. The beginning of John chapter 14, you know these words well he says 29 00:03:04,720 –> 00:03:12,399 do not let your hearts be troubled. He says trust in God. Trust also in me. 30 00:03:13,600 –> 00:03:18,960 Now we’re going to spend God willing two weekends in John chapter 14 as we reflect on the 31 00:03:18,960 –> 00:03:23,360 resurrection of Jesus, the promise of the Holy Spirit and 32 00:03:23,360 –> 00:03:29,520 then the promise of his second coming in power and in glory. Most of you will be familiar with 33 00:03:30,320 –> 00:03:34,559 the Gospels Jesus told his disciples three times 34 00:03:34,559 –> 00:03:43,119 about his death. In John 14 Jesus tells the disciples three times that he will come to them 35 00:03:43,119 –> 00:03:48,960 again. Do you notice that if your Bible is open in front of you verse three I go to prepare a 36 00:03:48,960 –> 00:03:56,000 place for you I will come back and I’ll take you to be with me that you may also be what I am. 37 00:03:56,639 –> 00:04:02,240 I will come back. Verse 18 I will not leave you as orphans I will come to you. 38 00:04:03,199 –> 00:04:10,559 Verse 23 Jesus says if anyone loves me he will obey my teaching my father will love him and we 39 00:04:10,559 –> 00:04:20,239 will come to him and make our home with him. So three times in this one chapter on the very night 40 00:04:20,239 –> 00:04:26,640 when the Lord Jesus was betrayed, he tells the disciples that he will come to them. I’m going 41 00:04:26,640 –> 00:04:33,119 to be taken from you he has said, but three times he says I will come to you. And these three 42 00:04:33,119 –> 00:04:40,160 promises of Jesus coming are fulfilled first in his Resurrection, second in the gift of the Holy 43 00:04:40,160 –> 00:04:45,760 Spirit, and then third in the day to which every Christian looks the day of his second coming 44 00:04:45,760 –> 00:04:51,200 that still lies ahead of us. Verse 3 relates to the promise of Christ’s second coming. We’re going 45 00:04:51,200 –> 00:04:56,320 to look at that, God willing, next week. Verse 18 that we focus on tonight the promise of the 46 00:04:56,320 –> 00:05:03,839 Resurrection, and verse 16 and verse 23 the promise of the Holy Spirit. So we’re taking 47 00:05:03,839 –> 00:05:11,519 the latter part of John chapter 14 first because it relates first to our experience. Jesus is risen, 48 00:05:12,079 –> 00:05:17,359 the Holy Spirit is given to every believer, and then next week, God willing, we’ll look at what 49 00:05:17,359 –> 00:05:23,359 still lies in the future from the earlier part of the chapter, the promise of the second coming 50 00:05:23,359 –> 00:05:33,119 of Jesus. Now, what I hope and pray we’ll be able to grasp tonight is how the promise of Jesus 51 00:05:33,119 –> 00:05:43,040 Christ is radically different from other brands of faith that many people today confuse 52 00:05:43,679 –> 00:05:50,799 with authentic Christianity, and I’ve coined two phrases that I hope will be helpful to us today. 53 00:05:51,519 –> 00:05:58,239 We’re going to look at what I’ll call orphan faith from verse 18, and the promise of the 54 00:05:58,239 –> 00:06:04,399 resurrection of Jesus, and then we’re going to look at what I’ll call non-invasive faith, 55 00:06:05,119 –> 00:06:10,079 and the promise of the Holy Spirit. So I hope you have your Bible open, and let’s 56 00:06:10,079 –> 00:06:17,200 begin at verse 18, where Jesus gives us this great promise, I will not leave you as orphans, 57 00:06:17,920 –> 00:06:26,480 I will come to you. Now an orphan is obviously someone who loses both parents through death, 58 00:06:27,440 –> 00:06:37,200 and Jesus uses this experience of the orphan to describe what was about to happen to his own 59 00:06:37,200 –> 00:06:45,679 disciples. Jesus had been like a father to them, in fact he refers in chapter 13 and verse 33 60 00:06:45,679 –> 00:06:51,279 to them as his little children. Now he’s going to be taken from the disciples. 61 00:06:51,839 –> 00:06:54,399 Now I want you to try and think what this was like for them, 62 00:06:55,200 –> 00:07:00,880 their whole world at this moment was imploding. It had been three years since they had heard 63 00:07:00,880 –> 00:07:05,920 Jesus Christ say follow me and I will make you fishers of men, and you remember that they had 64 00:07:05,920 –> 00:07:11,519 left their nets, they had followed him. Christ had become the center of their world, 65 00:07:12,320 –> 00:07:17,920 the Lord Jesus Christ was the focus of their hope and their joy and now the Lord Jesus says 66 00:07:17,920 –> 00:07:25,839 I’m going to be taken from you, and they are going to enter into what Jesus describes as an 67 00:07:25,839 –> 00:07:36,079 orphan experience. And that is what happened on Good Friday, Jesus died on that Good Friday, 68 00:07:36,880 –> 00:07:42,000 they took his lifeless body down from the tree on which he was crucified, 69 00:07:42,799 –> 00:07:48,480 they laid the corpse of the Lord Jesus Christ in a stone cold tomb, 70 00:07:49,600 –> 00:07:55,679 and on that day the disciples experienced life without Jesus. 71 00:07:58,000 –> 00:08:02,720 Now here’s the question, what if it had ended there? 72 00:08:05,920 –> 00:08:07,359 What would these men have? 73 00:08:07,920 –> 00:08:10,640 What could these men have done? 74 00:08:13,040 –> 00:08:16,000 Now, there are some answers to that question. You see, 75 00:08:16,000 –> 00:08:21,119 if it had ended there, these men had the greatest teaching that this world has ever heard. 76 00:08:21,119 –> 00:08:24,000 Did they not? They had the teaching of Jesus. 77 00:08:25,519 –> 00:08:29,600 They had the Beatitudes. They had the Sermon on the Mount. 78 00:08:30,640 –> 00:08:35,599 They had a pattern to live by greater than any other pattern to live by that it’s ever been 79 00:08:35,840 –> 00:08:39,359 spoken in the history of the entire world. 80 00:08:39,359 –> 00:08:43,039 They had the teaching of Jesus and they could have shared it with the world. 81 00:08:44,400 –> 00:08:47,119 More than that, they had the example of Jesus. 82 00:08:47,919 –> 00:08:55,280 These men had seen up close the only perfect life that has ever been lived in the entire 83 00:08:55,280 –> 00:08:58,719 history of this world. They had been moved. 84 00:08:58,719 –> 00:09:02,960 They had been inspired by the example of the Lord Jesus Christ. 85 00:09:03,760 –> 00:09:06,799 So I’m suggesting to you today that these men, therefore, were 86 00:09:06,799 –> 00:09:10,320 in a position to go out into the world and to say, 87 00:09:10,320 –> 00:09:14,960 Let us tell you about Jesus. Let us share with you his teaching. 88 00:09:14,960 –> 00:09:17,200 We want to call you to obey this teaching. 89 00:09:17,200 –> 00:09:20,400 It is the greatest teaching that has ever been heard in the history of the world. 90 00:09:20,400 –> 00:09:23,440 We want to invite you to follow this man’s example. 91 00:09:24,559 –> 00:09:27,119 And with this great teaching and with this great example, 92 00:09:27,119 –> 00:09:29,440 these men could have gone out into the world. 93 00:09:29,440 –> 00:09:35,440 They had enough to construct a faith that drew from Jesus, 94 00:09:35,440 –> 00:09:39,520 but did not depend on him actually being there. 95 00:09:42,400 –> 00:09:44,080 And I call that orphan faith. 96 00:09:46,400 –> 00:09:50,000 A faith that draws inspiration from Jesus, 97 00:09:52,080 –> 00:09:56,400 that latches onto his teaching and commends its principles, 98 00:09:56,719 –> 00:10:03,039 but does not depend on him actually being there. 99 00:10:04,960 –> 00:10:06,320 And folks, I have to tell you, 100 00:10:06,320 –> 00:10:07,919 it’s important to understand this, 101 00:10:07,919 –> 00:10:11,840 that orphan faith has massive appeal 102 00:10:11,840 –> 00:10:14,559 and is widely subscribed to in our culture. 103 00:10:15,840 –> 00:10:18,320 It is basically a personalized faith, 104 00:10:18,320 –> 00:10:21,599 custom built from selected words and actions of Jesus 105 00:10:21,599 –> 00:10:23,840 that seem meaningful to the individual today. 106 00:10:23,919 –> 00:10:25,919 You sort of take what you find helpful 107 00:10:25,919 –> 00:10:28,559 from words that Jesus said here and there 108 00:10:28,559 –> 00:10:30,479 and you adopt it into your life. 109 00:10:31,039 –> 00:10:35,119 Orphan faith does not need a living Christ. 110 00:10:36,880 –> 00:10:39,679 Orphan faith brings a man or a woman 111 00:10:39,679 –> 00:10:43,280 under no obligation to a living Christ. 112 00:10:43,280 –> 00:10:45,200 That’s why it’s so popular, you see. 113 00:10:47,520 –> 00:10:49,359 Our culture is full of this kind of faith. 114 00:10:49,359 –> 00:10:52,599 . 115 00:10:52,599 –> 00:10:55,119 Orphan faith though is not Christian faith. 116 00:10:56,559 –> 00:10:58,719 Notice what Jesus says in verse 18, 117 00:10:58,719 –> 00:11:04,080 I will not leave you as orphans. 118 00:11:05,359 –> 00:11:07,840 I will not leave you, Jesus says, 119 00:11:07,840 –> 00:11:13,440 to face the world with only my teaching and my example. 120 00:11:14,080 –> 00:11:16,559 I will come to you he says, verse 18, 121 00:11:17,119 –> 00:11:18,400 so that Christian faith, 122 00:11:18,400 –> 00:11:19,799 authentic Christian faith 123 00:11:19,799 –> 00:11:25,679 rests on the living presence of Jesus Christ in your life. 124 00:11:25,679 –> 00:11:28,960 That is why the resurrection is central to Christian faith. 125 00:11:31,840 –> 00:11:33,200 Let me pose this question, 126 00:11:34,000 –> 00:11:36,799 what do you feel about orphan faith? 127 00:11:37,359 –> 00:11:39,919 And many people find it very attractive, 128 00:11:39,919 –> 00:11:41,840 just adopt the teachings of Jesus, you see. 129 00:11:42,239 –> 00:11:43,679 What do you feel about orphan faith 130 00:11:47,039 –> 00:11:49,679 will say a very great deal about you? 131 00:11:51,679 –> 00:11:53,119 Back in the Old Testament, 132 00:11:53,119 –> 00:11:54,559 do you remember this story? 133 00:11:54,559 –> 00:11:58,960 Moses tells us about a time in Exodus chapter 33 134 00:11:58,960 –> 00:12:01,520 when there was a great breach between God and his people. 135 00:12:02,320 –> 00:12:05,039 Remember the story of how God’s people had come to Sinai. 136 00:12:05,039 –> 00:12:06,880 Moses goes up the top of the mountain 137 00:12:06,880 –> 00:12:08,960 and God is speaking his words to Moses, 138 00:12:08,960 –> 00:12:11,119 writing them on the tablets of stone 139 00:12:11,200 –> 00:12:12,400 and down the bottom of the mountain 140 00:12:12,400 –> 00:12:13,919 at the same time, the people are sinning 141 00:12:13,919 –> 00:12:15,599 and rebelling against God. 142 00:12:15,599 –> 00:12:16,880 Moses comes down the mountain, 143 00:12:16,880 –> 00:12:17,919 you remember the story, 144 00:12:17,919 –> 00:12:21,200 smashes the tablets of stone and so forth and so on. 145 00:12:21,200 –> 00:12:24,080 Eventually, Moses goes back up the mountain 146 00:12:24,080 –> 00:12:25,760 and he begins to pray for the people. 147 00:12:25,760 –> 00:12:27,280 He even offers his own life, 148 00:12:27,280 –> 00:12:29,200 asking God to forgive their sin. 149 00:12:29,200 –> 00:12:31,359 He says, oh, God, please forgive their sin, 150 00:12:31,359 –> 00:12:35,359 but if not, blot me out of the book that you have written. 151 00:12:36,159 –> 00:12:39,840 God says this to Moses. 152 00:12:41,440 –> 00:12:43,359 This is Exodus 33 and verse three. 153 00:12:44,880 –> 00:12:48,320 Go up into the promised land. 154 00:12:50,320 –> 00:12:55,679 Then God says, I will send an angel before you. 155 00:12:57,599 –> 00:13:02,000 Then God says, but I will not go with you. 156 00:13:04,159 –> 00:13:05,599 Now folks, that’s quite an offer. 157 00:13:07,520 –> 00:13:10,880 If God said to you, you can go into the promised land, 158 00:13:11,599 –> 00:13:15,760 i.e, you can live in the land flowing with milk and honey. 159 00:13:15,760 –> 00:13:19,599 You can have a life of health and wealth and prosperity. 160 00:13:19,599 –> 00:13:22,000 If God said that to you, that would get your attention. 161 00:13:23,520 –> 00:13:27,760 And if God said, in addition to a life of health and wealth and prosperity, 162 00:13:27,760 –> 00:13:31,919 I’m going to give you a guardian angel who will protect you and your family. 163 00:13:33,919 –> 00:13:34,960 That’s quite an offer. 164 00:13:36,080 –> 00:13:38,640 And here’s my question, would you settle for that? 165 00:13:42,000 –> 00:13:47,359 You see, God made that offer to his people and Moses says that when the people heard this, 166 00:13:48,400 –> 00:13:50,320 they began to mourn. 167 00:13:50,880 –> 00:13:53,679 They said, what in the world were they mourning about? 168 00:13:53,679 –> 00:13:56,640 God’s just said to them, you can go into a land of milk and honey, 169 00:13:56,640 –> 00:13:58,159 you’re going to live a prosperous life. 170 00:13:58,159 –> 00:14:00,799 I’ll even have a guardian angel, protect you and your family. 171 00:14:00,799 –> 00:14:01,840 What more do you want? 172 00:14:01,840 –> 00:14:03,119 Here’s what more they wanted. 173 00:14:04,159 –> 00:14:05,599 They wanted the presence of God. 174 00:14:07,280 –> 00:14:08,640 And they mourned. 175 00:14:09,599 –> 00:14:14,000 Because life with all its abundance without the presence of God 176 00:14:15,679 –> 00:14:19,599 was something that they knew could never satisfy their hearts. 177 00:14:20,479 –> 00:14:20,960 You know what? 178 00:14:20,960 –> 00:14:23,760 That was the finest hour of God’s people, right there. 179 00:14:25,359 –> 00:14:30,239 John Piper has put this, I think, rather helpfully and provocatively by asking this question. 180 00:14:30,239 –> 00:14:34,719 If you could have just a good job, 181 00:14:34,719 –> 00:14:36,719 a good wife or husband, 182 00:14:36,719 –> 00:14:39,039 a couple of good kids, 183 00:14:39,039 –> 00:14:40,239 a nice car, 184 00:14:40,239 –> 00:14:41,359 long weekends, 185 00:14:41,359 –> 00:14:42,799 a few good friends, 186 00:14:42,799 –> 00:14:44,000 a fun retirement, 187 00:14:44,000 –> 00:14:45,840 a quick and easy death, 188 00:14:45,840 –> 00:14:48,640 and no hell would you be satisfied? 189 00:14:50,000 –> 00:14:51,119 Would you settle for that? 190 00:14:52,559 –> 00:14:55,679 You see, there are folks all over our country with an orphan kind of faith 191 00:14:55,679 –> 00:14:58,159 who’d say, that’s fine, that’s everything I want, right there. 192 00:14:58,159 –> 00:15:00,719 But not the disciples. 193 00:15:02,960 –> 00:15:07,039 Disciples of Jesus when he’s about to be taken from them, 194 00:15:07,039 –> 00:15:08,640 they’re not looking at each other and saying, 195 00:15:08,640 –> 00:15:10,960 Well Jesus has gone now, but at least we’ve got each other. 196 00:15:12,559 –> 00:15:14,880 They’re not saying Jesus is gone now, 197 00:15:14,880 –> 00:15:17,679 but hey we can still have ministry and change the world. 198 00:15:19,359 –> 00:15:21,119 They’re not saying, Hey, Jesus has gone now, 199 00:15:21,119 –> 00:15:23,200 but we can still have a good and a prosperous life. 200 00:15:24,159 –> 00:15:25,280 But Jesus is replied, Jesus, have you gone with Jizal? 201 00:15:25,280 –> 00:15:25,979 resilience, faith? 202 00:15:25,979 –> 00:15:29,760 No, there is only one thing that will satisfy these men. 203 00:15:31,359 –> 00:15:33,599 And that is the presence of Christ with them. 204 00:15:36,159 –> 00:15:41,520 And Jesus says to them, I will not leave you as orphans. 205 00:15:42,400 –> 00:15:44,239 I will come to you. 206 00:15:44,239 –> 00:15:45,200 I will come to you. 207 00:15:47,760 –> 00:15:50,239 Notice he doesn’t say you will not be orphans. 208 00:15:50,559 –> 00:15:53,760 He says, I will not leave you as orphans. 209 00:15:53,760 –> 00:15:55,440 This is the promise of the resurrection. 210 00:15:56,880 –> 00:15:58,080 See what Jesus is saying. 211 00:15:58,080 –> 00:15:59,119 I’m going to die. 212 00:16:00,320 –> 00:16:02,960 You will go through this orphan experience, 213 00:16:02,960 –> 00:16:05,679 but it will not end there, I will not leave you there, 214 00:16:05,679 –> 00:16:07,599 You won’t spend the rest of your life armed 215 00:16:07,599 –> 00:16:09,919 only with my teaching and with my example. 216 00:16:09,919 –> 00:16:11,359 I will rise from the dead. 217 00:16:11,359 –> 00:16:13,039 I will come to you. 218 00:16:13,039 –> 00:16:15,520 And this is the heart of true Christianity. 219 00:16:15,520 –> 00:16:17,679 It is so different from the orphan faith. 220 00:16:17,679 –> 00:16:22,320 The great promise of the gospel folks 221 00:16:22,320 –> 00:16:24,880 is Jesus Christ himself. 222 00:16:26,239 –> 00:16:27,840 I will come to you. 223 00:16:27,840 –> 00:16:31,119 Christ being taken from them is what was making them orphans 224 00:16:31,119 –> 00:16:33,919 only Christ returning to them was able to restore 225 00:16:33,919 –> 00:16:35,119 what was being lost. 226 00:16:35,119 –> 00:16:38,000 So Jesus doesn’t say, look, I’m going to be taken from you, 227 00:16:38,000 –> 00:16:40,000 but it’s okay you still got forgiveness. 228 00:16:40,000 –> 00:16:41,280 You still got heaven. 229 00:16:41,280 –> 00:16:44,239 No, he doesn’t say that because no number of gifts 230 00:16:44,239 –> 00:16:47,359 could replace the presence of Jesus in their lives. 231 00:16:47,359 –> 00:16:48,559 This is the promise. 232 00:16:48,559 –> 00:16:49,760 I will come to you. 233 00:16:50,799 –> 00:16:52,799 And if Christ is with you, 234 00:16:52,799 –> 00:16:56,479 then you have every spiritual blessing in him. 235 00:16:56,479 –> 00:16:58,640 If you do not have Christ, 236 00:16:58,640 –> 00:17:01,359 then no blessing that you have in your life 237 00:17:01,359 –> 00:17:03,679 will be of ultimate or eternal value. 238 00:17:06,479 –> 00:17:08,880 Now that takes us to a very important question. 239 00:17:09,760 –> 00:17:13,199 Jesus promises the supreme gift of his presence. 240 00:17:14,640 –> 00:17:17,119 And the question I think for us then is 241 00:17:17,119 –> 00:17:20,800 how do we know the presence of Jesus in our lives? 242 00:17:22,319 –> 00:17:24,800 In what way when he says, I will come to you, 243 00:17:24,800 –> 00:17:26,079 in what way is he with us? 244 00:17:27,359 –> 00:17:31,520 How does Jesus actually come to us? 245 00:17:33,439 –> 00:17:36,959 Jesus said to the disciples, I will come to you, 246 00:17:36,959 –> 00:17:39,359 and obviously he fulfilled that at Easter, 247 00:17:40,400 –> 00:17:43,280 but then after Easter he returned to the Father in heaven. 248 00:17:43,280 –> 00:17:48,880 And so now the resurrection life of the Lord Jesus Christ 249 00:17:48,880 –> 00:17:51,599 is communicated to us by the Holy Spirit, 250 00:17:52,560 –> 00:17:55,760 and that is why it’s so important that the promise of the resurrection 251 00:17:55,760 –> 00:18:00,719 in verse 18 is linked to the promise of the Holy Spirit 252 00:18:01,280 –> 00:18:03,280 that is given to us in verse 16. 253 00:18:03,280 –> 00:18:05,599 Look at what Jesus says about the Holy Spirit. 254 00:18:06,400 –> 00:18:12,239 He says I will ask of the Father and he will give you another Counsellor. 255 00:18:12,239 –> 00:18:13,520 Another Counsellor. 256 00:18:13,520 –> 00:18:16,640 See the disciples had Jesus as their Counsellor already. 257 00:18:17,520 –> 00:18:20,079 And when Jesus says, Another Counsellor, 258 00:18:20,079 –> 00:18:23,119 what he’s saying is that the Father will give one 259 00:18:24,000 –> 00:18:28,640 Who will be to the disciples all that Jesus has been to them 260 00:18:28,640 –> 00:18:32,160 and will do for the disciples all that Jesus has done for them. 261 00:18:32,959 –> 00:18:35,119 And then he tells us right here in this verse 262 00:18:35,119 –> 00:18:37,119 who this Other Counsellor is. 263 00:18:37,119 –> 00:18:39,599 He is the Spirit of Truth. 264 00:18:40,560 –> 00:18:42,079 That is the Holy Spirit. 265 00:18:42,079 –> 00:18:44,079 The third person of the Trinity. 266 00:18:44,800 –> 00:18:49,680 And Jesus says, He will be with you forever. 267 00:18:51,119 –> 00:18:54,959 Now, I want you to notice one more thing here in verse 23. 268 00:18:54,959 –> 00:18:56,079 If you look down there, 269 00:18:56,719 –> 00:18:58,239 that having spoken about the gift 270 00:18:58,239 –> 00:19:00,560 of the Holy Spirit Jesus then adds this. 271 00:19:01,680 –> 00:19:07,680 He says, If anyone loves me, He will obey my teaching. 272 00:19:07,680 –> 00:19:15,920 But My Father will love him, and we, that is the Father and the Son, 273 00:19:16,719 –> 00:19:20,800 will come to Him and make our home with Him. 274 00:19:21,920 –> 00:19:24,719 So having given the promise of the Holy Spirit, 275 00:19:25,839 –> 00:19:29,680 Jesus is now explaining exactly what happens 276 00:19:29,680 –> 00:19:32,400 when the Holy Spirit comes into your life. 277 00:19:33,439 –> 00:19:36,319 When the Holy Spirit comes into your life, 278 00:19:36,319 –> 00:19:42,400 He brings the presence of God, the presence of the Father and the Son, 279 00:19:42,400 –> 00:19:45,680 to be with you and in you by the Holy Spirit. 280 00:19:45,680 –> 00:19:48,000 This is how Jesus Christ is with us. 281 00:19:48,000 –> 00:19:51,760 The Bible talks on a number of occasions about Christ living in our hearts. 282 00:19:52,880 –> 00:19:55,439 Ephesians chapter 3 verse 17. 283 00:19:55,439 –> 00:19:59,040 Paul prayed that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. 284 00:19:59,680 –> 00:20:02,079 Colossians chapter 1 verse 27. 285 00:20:02,079 –> 00:20:06,000 Paul speaks about Christ in you, the hope of glory, 286 00:20:06,800 –> 00:20:10,400 but wait a minute, Christ is at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. 287 00:20:10,959 –> 00:20:12,959 So how can Christ be in you? 288 00:20:12,959 –> 00:20:19,760 The answer is that Jesus Christ is truly in you by the presence of His Spirit. 289 00:20:19,760 –> 00:20:24,239 The Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit of God. 290 00:20:24,880 –> 00:20:30,479 So here is this wonderful truth that Jesus gives us as the great promise of His presence. 291 00:20:31,040 –> 00:20:35,359 The Lord Jesus Christ ascends to the right hand of the Father in Heaven, 292 00:20:35,839 –> 00:20:42,239 but He is present with all His people by the Holy Spirit. 293 00:20:55,839 –> 00:20:59,439 So folks, the promise of Jesus about the resurrection 294 00:21:00,000 –> 00:21:03,680 and the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ about the Holy Spirit 295 00:21:04,400 –> 00:21:09,760 is central to authentic Christianity. No true Christianity without them. 296 00:21:11,199 –> 00:21:14,400 And you know, there are many folks who have been in church for years 297 00:21:15,520 –> 00:21:22,479 and they’re familiar with the creed and they believe that Jesus was God and that He was man 298 00:21:22,479 –> 00:21:30,400 and that He died and that He rose but somehow this belief always remains outside of them. 299 00:21:30,400 –> 00:21:36,319 So at all of them, it never actually changes them. Do you know what I mean. 300 00:21:38,800 –> 00:21:45,520 They have what I’m going to call a non-invasive faith. 301 00:21:47,599 –> 00:21:52,400 Let me just explain what I mean by that to you. Suppose you go to the doctor 302 00:21:53,599 –> 00:22:00,000 and suppose the doctor diagnoses in you some serious condition and the doctor says to you, 303 00:22:00,160 –> 00:22:04,319 well now you are going to need treatment and there are two ways we can go here. 304 00:22:05,520 –> 00:22:11,520 The first he says to you is surgery but then he says there is an alternative treatment 305 00:22:11,520 –> 00:22:17,839 that we can offer here and he says it is non-invasive. Now, I’ll tell you if I’m 306 00:22:17,839 –> 00:22:22,319 listening to the doctor right now I’m really listening up to the second option, aren’t you, 307 00:22:22,319 –> 00:22:30,079 absolutely. I don’t know about you but the idea to me of someone knocking me out cold 308 00:22:30,880 –> 00:22:36,239 and then taking a scalpel in his hand and I hardly know the man and he’s cutting me open 309 00:22:36,239 –> 00:22:43,359 to do surgery on me, boy if surgery is going to save my life then I’m going to be grateful for it 310 00:22:44,160 –> 00:22:51,199 but I will avoid it if I can, won’t you. Give me the non-invasive and if I can’t get 311 00:22:51,199 –> 00:22:59,920 the non-invasive, give me the minimally invasive. Now folks I want to suggest to you that by nature 312 00:23:01,119 –> 00:23:08,239 we think the same way about faith. Just as many people are drawn to orphan faith that takes 313 00:23:08,239 –> 00:23:12,479 inspiration from the example of Jesus but doesn’t actually depend on him being there 314 00:23:13,439 –> 00:23:17,920 because it brings no obligation to Christ nor any dependence upon Christ, 315 00:23:17,920 –> 00:23:26,400 there are many who opt for a minimally invasive or non-invasive faith. They agree that Jesus 316 00:23:26,400 –> 00:23:31,839 rose from the dead, they recite the creed but somehow this faith remains outside of them, 317 00:23:33,119 –> 00:23:37,119 and if an orphan faith is a faith that draws inspiration from Jesus but does not depend 318 00:23:37,119 –> 00:23:42,959 on him actually being there, a non-invasive faith is a faith that affirms the truth about 319 00:23:42,959 –> 00:23:50,479 Jesus but does not cut into the very fibre of everyday life, and there are thousands of people 320 00:23:50,479 –> 00:23:56,640 who live with that kind of faith. A faith that affirms the truth about Jesus but it does not 321 00:23:56,640 –> 00:24:04,239 cut into the fibre of your everyday life, it is non-invasive. It is external to you, 322 00:24:04,239 –> 00:24:10,880 it’s just something that I believe. It’s out there. Now if you recognize that at all, 323 00:24:10,880 –> 00:24:16,719 I draw your attention to verse 17 and the words that Jesus says about the Holy Spirit here, 324 00:24:17,599 –> 00:24:20,959 because they are quite extraordinary. He says to the disciples, 325 00:24:20,959 –> 00:24:23,839 you know Him, He’s talking about the Holy Spirit, For 326 00:24:25,439 –> 00:24:36,479 He lives with you and will be in you, folks that is invasive in the extreme isn’t it? 327 00:24:37,439 –> 00:24:41,439 The Holy Spirit won’t just come and visit you, he’ll live with you, 328 00:24:42,719 –> 00:24:47,520 he’ll set up home in your life and not only will He live with you, 329 00:24:48,560 –> 00:24:54,560 Jesus says he will be in you, you can’t get more invasive than that, you really can’t. 330 00:24:57,040 –> 00:25:00,000 Jesus is saying He will make His home with us 331 00:25:00,880 –> 00:25:06,800 in our lives until the day, we’ll look at God willing next week, 332 00:25:06,800 –> 00:25:10,160 when we make our home with Him. 333 00:25:11,760 –> 00:25:14,479 What does a non-invasive faith do for you? 334 00:25:17,920 –> 00:25:22,239 You say that you believe that Jesus is God and man, that He died and that He rose again, 335 00:25:22,239 –> 00:25:25,839 but it never really makes a transforming difference in your life. 336 00:25:25,839 –> 00:25:29,680 You say you believe these things, the devil knows these things, the Bible says so. 337 00:25:30,479 –> 00:25:36,160 What comfort is a non-invasive faith to you and your suffering? 338 00:25:36,880 –> 00:25:41,439 What strength is a non-invasive faith to you to face the world today? 339 00:25:41,439 –> 00:25:45,119 Listen to what Jesus says. Here’s Christianity, I will come to you. 340 00:25:47,359 –> 00:25:49,199 We will make our home with you. 341 00:25:50,640 –> 00:25:56,000 The Holy Spirit will be with you and in you. 342 00:25:56,000 –> 00:25:57,920 That is authentic Christianity. 343 00:25:58,160 –> 00:26:01,520 Then Jesus says, verse 19, Because I live, 344 00:26:01,520 –> 00:26:03,199 you will live also. 345 00:26:03,199 –> 00:26:04,160 So remember this, 346 00:26:04,959 –> 00:26:09,359 that the Lord Jesus Christ gave himself for us on the cross. 347 00:26:10,319 –> 00:26:15,920 The Lord Jesus Christ gives himself to us, present tense, 348 00:26:15,920 –> 00:26:18,239 by the Holy Spirit. 349 00:26:18,239 –> 00:26:21,520 And we participate in all that he has accomplished 350 00:26:21,520 –> 00:26:23,599 and in everything that he is for us. 351 00:26:23,680 –> 00:26:27,040 We have his presence by the Holy Spirit, 352 00:26:27,040 –> 00:26:32,319 who Jesus says will be with you and will be in you. 353 00:26:33,040 –> 00:26:35,119 Folks, do you see what a marvelous gift this is? 354 00:26:37,680 –> 00:26:39,439 You know, sometimes folks say, 355 00:26:39,439 –> 00:26:40,719 have you heard this said? 356 00:26:40,719 –> 00:26:42,719 Folks have said this many times to me. 357 00:26:42,719 –> 00:26:44,959 You know, if only I could actually just see Jesus. 358 00:26:44,959 –> 00:26:46,319 If only he was here, you know, 359 00:26:46,319 –> 00:26:48,239 and I could just talk to him in the flesh 360 00:26:48,239 –> 00:26:50,880 and how marvelous that would be and so forth. 361 00:26:50,880 –> 00:26:52,239 Well, imagine what that would be, 362 00:26:52,800 –> 00:26:53,280 really? 363 00:26:54,079 –> 00:26:58,000 If the Lord Jesus was still in the flesh in this world, 364 00:26:59,040 –> 00:27:00,160 if he was in Jerusalem, 365 00:27:00,160 –> 00:27:02,079 how many thousand dollars would it take you to go? 366 00:27:02,079 –> 00:27:02,959 Do you have that money? 367 00:27:02,959 –> 00:27:04,239 How many times could you go? 368 00:27:04,239 –> 00:27:06,640 How many Christians would never be able to go there? 369 00:27:09,920 –> 00:27:11,280 Let’s suppose just for a moment 370 00:27:11,280 –> 00:27:15,680 that he located himself right here in Arlington Heights. 371 00:27:16,479 –> 00:27:17,839 Can you imagine that? 372 00:27:17,839 –> 00:27:20,800 I mean, with a third of the world’s population 373 00:27:20,800 –> 00:27:23,839 in some way claiming faith in Jesus Christ? 374 00:27:23,839 –> 00:27:27,199 They’re gonna have to multiply the size of O’Here Airport 375 00:27:27,199 –> 00:27:28,800 and you’re gonna have to stand in line. 376 00:27:28,800 –> 00:27:32,079 Not for hours, but for days and weeks and maybe months 377 00:27:32,079 –> 00:27:34,239 to get one moment with Jesus Christ 378 00:27:34,239 –> 00:27:38,800 and then 99.999% of the rest of your life 379 00:27:38,800 –> 00:27:41,119 is going to be lived without the presence of Jesus. 380 00:27:41,920 –> 00:27:44,160 So Jesus says it’s to your advantage 381 00:27:44,160 –> 00:27:45,119 I’m going to the Father 382 00:27:46,479 –> 00:27:47,760 and I will give you the spirit 383 00:27:47,760 –> 00:28:01,280 and he will live with you and be in you forever, forever. 384 00:28:03,680 –> 00:28:05,839 So these are amazing promises, folks 385 00:28:05,839 –> 00:28:09,839 that are the very center of the good news of Jesus Christ. 386 00:28:09,839 –> 00:28:11,680 The promise of the resurrection 387 00:28:11,680 –> 00:28:13,599 and the promise of the Holy Spirit 388 00:28:13,599 –> 00:28:15,599 and these promises are for us. 389 00:28:16,599 –> 00:28:20,400 Let me make these three applications in these last moments 390 00:28:21,599 –> 00:28:23,760 Let’s try and take into our minds and our hearts 391 00:28:23,760 –> 00:28:26,079 if you’re a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ 392 00:28:26,719 –> 00:28:28,560 then these things are true of you 393 00:28:28,560 –> 00:28:32,400 Christ is with you and in you by the Holy Spirit 394 00:28:33,439 –> 00:28:39,520 and that means, friend, that you are never, never, never alone, 395 00:28:39,520 –> 00:28:41,439 there is no greater truth for you than this 396 00:28:41,439 –> 00:28:43,520 when you experience loneliness 397 00:28:43,520 –> 00:28:45,839 when you feel that you are alone as a believer 398 00:28:45,839 –> 00:28:48,239 in a crowd of folks who are antagonistic 399 00:28:48,239 –> 00:28:51,680 Jesus does not say, I will visit you from time to time 400 00:28:53,280 –> 00:28:55,439 Jesus says, I will make my home with you 401 00:28:56,560 –> 00:28:58,719 and Christ will be at home with you 402 00:28:59,760 –> 00:29:02,560 until you are at home with him 403 00:29:03,760 –> 00:29:06,079 Christ is with you and in you by the Holy Spirit 404 00:29:06,079 –> 00:29:10,560 that means that you are never, never, never alone 405 00:29:11,520 –> 00:29:12,319 He lives in you 406 00:29:14,079 –> 00:29:16,239 In second grade application 407 00:29:16,880 –> 00:29:19,520 Christ is with you and in you by his Holy Spirit 408 00:29:20,160 –> 00:29:23,439 and that is the greatest incentive imaginable 409 00:29:23,439 –> 00:29:27,119 for you and for me to pursue a holy life 410 00:29:28,239 –> 00:29:31,760 You know on one occasion Paul was needing to correct 411 00:29:31,760 –> 00:29:33,680 some folks in a church in Corinth 412 00:29:34,319 –> 00:29:37,119 who had opened the door to flagrant sin 413 00:29:37,119 –> 00:29:40,160 They had really indulged themselves in sexual immorality 414 00:29:40,319 –> 00:29:42,400 They actually wanted to know this about you 415 00:29:42,400 –> 00:29:43,359 that’s the true way 416 00:29:45,520 –> 00:29:47,040 And this is what Paul said 417 00:29:47,040 –> 00:29:49,839 this is how we applied the that truth to seek to bring them back 418 00:29:51,199 –> 00:29:52,319 He said 419 00:29:52,319 –> 00:30:01,439 Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit 420 00:30:03,359 –> 00:30:08,000 Therefore honour God with your body 421 00:30:08,000 –> 00:30:10,400 Everywhere you go, every day that you live 422 00:30:10,400 –> 00:30:13,839 The presence of Christ is with you 423 00:30:14,959 –> 00:30:21,040 Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit 424 00:30:21,520 –> 00:30:22,719 God lives in you 425 00:30:24,319 –> 00:30:26,640 Therefore honour God with your body 426 00:30:26,640 –> 00:30:28,319 That’s 1 Corinthians 6 427 00:30:28,319 –> 00:30:31,680 Could you imagine a greater incentive to pursue a life of obedience? 428 00:30:31,680 –> 00:30:33,760 You see how obedience comes up again and again 429 00:30:33,760 –> 00:30:35,760 in what Jesus is saying to the disciples 430 00:30:35,760 –> 00:30:37,599 Because it’s intimately connected 431 00:30:38,880 –> 00:30:41,040 with this marvellous gift of the Holy Spirit 432 00:30:42,000 –> 00:30:45,119 That Jesus promises to them and to you and to me 433 00:30:46,079 –> 00:30:47,520 And here’s a third application 434 00:30:47,520 –> 00:30:48,479 It’s simply this 435 00:30:48,479 –> 00:30:50,640 Jesus Christ is with you 436 00:30:50,640 –> 00:30:52,719 and he is in you by the Holy Spirit 437 00:30:52,719 –> 00:30:56,239 What that means is that you have strength for today 438 00:30:56,239 –> 00:30:56,880 You really do 439 00:30:58,400 –> 00:31:00,400 There is no greater truth that you need 440 00:31:00,400 –> 00:31:02,800 when you feel absolutely washed out and 441 00:31:02,800 –> 00:31:05,520 exhausted when you feel your strength has gone 442 00:31:05,520 –> 00:31:06,239 Listen 443 00:31:06,239 –> 00:31:07,520 Christ is with you 444 00:31:08,880 –> 00:31:09,680 Christ is in you 445 00:31:09,680 –> 00:31:11,040 He said I will never leave you 446 00:31:11,040 –> 00:31:12,400 I will never forsake you 447 00:31:14,160 –> 00:31:17,280 He says the Father and the Son will make their home with you 448 00:31:18,560 –> 00:31:19,839 by the Holy Spirit 449 00:31:22,000 –> 00:31:23,839 It’s a beautiful ancient prayer 450 00:31:23,839 –> 00:31:24,959 Some of you will know this one 451 00:31:24,959 –> 00:31:29,680 It goes all the way back to about the year 400 452 00:31:29,680 –> 00:31:31,119 And this is really old 453 00:31:31,119 –> 00:31:32,800 back to Saint Patrick 454 00:31:32,800 –> 00:31:35,439 And the days when he took the Gospel to Ireland 455 00:31:36,319 –> 00:31:39,839 and it’s called Saint Patrick’s Breastplate 456 00:31:40,640 –> 00:31:42,640 And these are the words of his prayr 457 00:31:42,640 –> 00:31:44,239 It begins with the line 458 00:31:44,800 –> 00:31:47,760 I bind unto myself today 459 00:31:48,959 –> 00:31:52,000 the strong name of the Trinity 460 00:31:53,040 –> 00:31:55,119 and then in the refrain Patrick says this 461 00:31:56,160 –> 00:31:57,439 Christ be with me 462 00:31:58,319 –> 00:31:59,439 Christ within me 463 00:32:00,319 –> 00:32:01,520 Christ behind me 464 00:32:02,319 –> 00:32:03,520 Christ before me 465 00:32:04,160 –> 00:32:05,520 Christ beside me 466 00:32:06,160 –> 00:32:07,359 Christ to win me 467 00:32:08,079 –> 00:32:10,479 Christ to comfort and restore me 468 00:32:11,040 –> 00:32:12,560 Christ beneath me 469 00:32:12,560 –> 00:32:14,239 Christ above me 470 00:32:14,239 –> 00:32:15,839 Christ in quiet 471 00:32:15,839 –> 00:32:17,439 Christ in danger 472 00:32:17,439 –> 00:32:19,760 Christ in hearts of all who love me 473 00:32:19,760 –> 00:32:23,199 Christ in mouth of friend and stranger 474 00:32:23,199 –> 00:32:26,079 I bind unto myself today 475 00:32:27,359 –> 00:32:31,439 the strong name of the Trinity 476 00:32:31,439 –> 00:32:34,880 Boy, you could face life 477 00:32:36,719 –> 00:32:37,839 if that’s true for you 478 00:32:39,359 –> 00:32:42,400 To bind Christ to you in every way 479 00:32:43,520 –> 00:32:45,599 In everything that you face 480 00:32:47,839 –> 00:32:49,199 Now this promise is for you 481 00:32:50,959 –> 00:32:52,479 and so I want to invite you today 482 00:32:52,479 –> 00:32:53,680 to receive this promise 483 00:32:53,680 –> 00:32:55,920 to put your trust in this promise 484 00:32:55,920 –> 00:32:59,040 The Lord Jesus Christ is saying to you today 485 00:32:59,040 –> 00:33:00,479 I will come to you 486 00:33:02,000 –> 00:33:03,520 He is saying to you 487 00:33:03,520 –> 00:33:06,560 We, The Father, The Son, will make our home with you 488 00:33:08,319 –> 00:33:10,640 You put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ 489 00:33:10,640 –> 00:33:13,839 You bind yourself to Christ today 490 00:33:15,040 –> 00:33:18,719 and he gives you his spirit to be with you 491 00:33:18,719 –> 00:33:20,560 to be in you 492 00:33:21,920 –> 00:33:25,839 So friends, why would you not give up orphan faith today? 493 00:33:25,839 –> 00:33:32,319 Why would you not give up and move beyond noninvasive faith today? 494 00:33:32,319 –> 00:33:33,920 What does that hold for you? 495 00:33:35,839 –> 00:33:37,439 Come to Christ crucified 496 00:33:38,800 –> 00:33:40,160 Come to Christ risen 497 00:33:41,839 –> 00:33:45,040 Christ to gives the spirit to be with you 498 00:33:46,479 –> 00:33:47,439 and in you 499 00:33:48,800 –> 00:33:49,359 forever 500 00:33:50,160 –> 00:33:51,439 Let’s pray together, shall we? 501 00:33:51,520 –> 00:33:54,479 I am so overjoyed today 502 00:33:56,079 –> 00:33:59,839 Father, for the amazing promise of the Lord Jesus Christ 503 00:34:01,920 –> 00:34:04,640 for the life and hope and love 504 00:34:06,560 –> 00:34:10,800 that are in the presence of the Risen Lord Jesus with us 505 00:34:10,800 –> 00:34:13,199 and in us by the Holy Spirit 506 00:34:14,879 –> 00:34:17,679 for the assurance of the promise of the one who says 507 00:34:17,679 –> 00:34:21,120 I’m not visiting, I’m making my home with you 508 00:34:22,879 –> 00:34:26,800 We give you our thanks today and bind to ourselves 509 00:34:28,639 –> 00:34:30,080 the strong name of the Trinity 510 00:34:31,760 –> 00:34:34,959 through Jesus Christ our Lord 511 00:34:36,000 –> 00:34:37,120 in whose name we pray 512 00:34:38,159 –> 00:34:44,959 Amen