What does the Promise of the Spirit of Truth mean for us?

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Goal:

To learn how Jesus wants us to receive the Spirit of Truth
and to put this into practice

1–12 ”Book of Signs”	13–21 ”Book of Glory”

13 A meal with the disciples

14–17 New Teaching
from Jesus
to the disciples

18–20 Arrest
Crucifixion
Resurrection

21 A meal with the disciples

Jesus —The God who will Wash your Feet and
Love you to the End
The care, empathy and unselfishness of Jesus, and that
the Father is just like Jesus
An invitation to step into
the same love as is between Jesus & the Father
You can only live this new life
by being connected with the vine
How are we connected?
by stepping out in obedience to the prompting of Jesus
which nurtures this new life and lets it grow

How the Spirit fits in: comes from the Father, will be my supporting witness, and so will you!
I’m telling you the hard stuff in advance so you won’t think the plan has gone wrong
I’m telling you now, because I won’t be with you, which has made you focused on your own sorrow
Be encouraged: this is great news, his words will have huge power
Be encouraged: He will tell you all the things I have not been able to tell you
How the Spirit fits in: He’s actually going to serve me, as I serve the Father

Jesus is adding a third person into the Trinity and explaining how he fits in
(and how they fit in)
- This was a very important text for the early church
- They had a little misunderstanding about “flowing” but apart from that, it cemented the unity—they could never be at cross purposes, but are in perfect unity
I’m telling you the hard stuff in advance so you won’t think the plan has gone wrong
- Of course, all this happened, and they did remember!
- 2b Paul was one of these! (Father forgive them...)
I’m telling you now, because I won’t be with you, which has made you focused on your own sorrow
- Not a reprimand, but acknowledging the pain of being alone and feeling abandoned.
- 5b Did they ask? —not really, Don Carson illustration, but Lego
- But Jesus acknowledges the pain. He recognise that we do have pain. He sees it when life is tough, and does not brush it away
  - But he does give hope!
Be encouraged: this is great news, his words will have huge power
v.7 Better to have the Spirit now than to have been there with Jesus!

Some days later, when Felix arrived with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.
While Paul was discussing righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for now, and when I have an opportunity, I will send for you.”

Does not bring glory to himself, but to Jesus
Just as Jesus brings glory to the Father
The father gives to Jesus, (15a) and then Jesus gives to the Spirit, who gives to us
Our experience of Jesus today is entirely through the Spirit
That is his job, to bring Jesus to us.
(Sometimes he is actually called “The Spirit of Jesus”)

There two many places for me to list where we are told that the Bible is the work of the Spirit
- That is why it annoys me when people talk about “Word and Spirit” as if they were somehow separate
- The Spirit loves the word. He wrote it, and if you want more of the Spirit, bathe yourself in his words
He will tell you what is to come
- Corrie ten Boom had a vision of her family being arrested and taken away
- Later she had a dream about the house that God was going to use that was so detailed
- There are times when he gives us strong impressions, which are not at the level of Scripture, but are genuinely the Spirit revealing the future
- The Book of Mormon is supposed to be the Spirit revealing a new Scripture
- People get afraid of false prophecy, but that should
- Jesus is still with us today—would you agree
  - Is thie only through the written Bible?
  - No, The Spirit still speaks today, especially words of comfort and hope
He speaks it into our hearts as well as our minds
- I could not preach without the Spirit
- I am so dependent!
- I am praying this prayer of v.14, 15
- I urge you to make this your prayer

Challenge:
- Read some of Jesus’ words in the Gospels this week
  and as you do it, ask the Spirit to speak the words of Jesus into your heart
- Then just stay with those words for a few minutes,
  - asking the Spirit how you can respond