Jesus Left Us! PTL ? (CC)
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[TEXT TAKEN FROM
THE HOLY BIBLE,
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION
1973, 1978, 1984, 2011
BY BIBLICA, INC. ]
GRACE, AND MERCY AND PEACE
ARE YOURS
FROM GOD THE FATHER AND FROM
OUR LORD AND OUR
SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST!
THE WORD FOR OUR
CONSIDERATION TODAY,
WERE READ AS OUR GOSPEL
LESSON FROM JOHN CHAPTER 15,
VERSES 5 THROUGH 11.
AT THIS TIME,
I'D JUST LIKE TO RE-READ THE
FINAL
TWO SENTENCES WHICH EXPLAIN
THE WORK
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
"WHEN HE COMES, HE WILL
CONVICT THE WORLD
ABOUT SIN,
ABOUT RIGHTEOUSNESS,
AND ABOUT JUDGMENT:
ABOUT SIN
BECAUSE THEY DO NOT BELIEVE
IN ME;
ABOUT RIGHTEOUSNESS, BECAUSE
I AM GOING TO THE FATHER
AND YOU WILL
NO LONGER SEE ME;
ABOUT JUDGMENT, BECAUSE THE
RULER OF THIS WORLD
HAS BEEN CONDEMNED."
[JOHN 16:8-11]
THIS IS
THE WORD OF OUR LORD!
DEAR FRIENDS IN JESUS CHRIST:
THIS SECTION OF JOHN
CHAPTER 16, DESCRIBES
JESUS SENDING
THE HOLY SPIRIT.
THE HOLY SPIRIT SENT FROM GOD
IS DESCRIBED
WITH THE GREEK WORD:
PARA-KLET. YOU DON'T HAVE TO
REMEMBER THE GREEK, BUT
I SAY THAT BECAUSE YOU MAY BE
FAMILIAR WITH
THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF
IT,
THE TRANSLITERATION:
PARACLETE.
A PARACLETE IS
SOMEONE, IN THAT GREEK
CULTURE
THAT STANDS BESIDE
A DEFENDENT IN TRIAL.
OKAY? SO IT'S A LAWYER.
A LEGAL COUNSELOR.
THE NIV
TRANSLATED THAT WORD:
AN ADVOCATE.
A LEGAL ADVOCATE WHO SPEAKS
IN YOUR DEFENSE.
THIS TRANSLATION WE HAVE
BEFORE US TODAY, ONE OF THE
NEWER TRANSLATIONS, OF FOCUS
BEING WORKED ON BY
PEOPLE FROM OUR CHURCH BODY,
IT'S CALLED
AN EVANGELICAL HERITAGE
VERSION. IT GOES BACK TO
WHAT THE KING JAMES VERSION
TRANSLATED IT AS:
THE COUNSELOR.
AGAIN! ANOTHER WORD
THAT COULD BE TAKEN FROM THE
COURT ROOM.
A WORD FOR A LAWYER.
AND IT MAKES ME THINK OF -
HAVING SEEN A NUMBER OF
DRAMAS ON TV,
COURT ROOM SCENES - I THINK
I'VE SHARED THIS
STORY WITH A NUMBER OF YOU
BEFORE ...
IT MAKES ME THINK OF THE
TIMES IN A COURT ROOM WHEN
THE DEFENDANT IS ON TRIAL AND
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIAL
HE TELLS THE JUDGE:
JUDGE, I'M GONNA ACT
AS MY OWN LAWYER. I'M GONNA
SPEAK
IN MY OWN DEFENSE.
AND THEN
THE JUDGE SAYS:
YOU KNOW WHAT
THEY SAY ABOUT SOMEONE WHO
SAID HE'LL BE HIS OWN
LAWYER AT A TRIAL.
AND THE DEFENDANT QUIPS: YES,
I KNOW, HE HAS AN IDIOT
FOR A LAWYER! IF YOU'RE GONNA
DEFEND YOURSELF AT TRIAL,
YOU GIVE YOURSELF A SEVERE
DISADVANTAGE.
AND SO TODAY,
THINKING OF THE TRIAL, OF THE
SITUATION
THE REALTIONSHIP THAT WE
HAVE BEFORE THE JUDGE OF ALL
CREATION; WE DON'T HAVE AN
IDIOT
AS OUR LAWYER,
BECAUSE IT'S NOT US.
WE HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT. AND
TODAY WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT
THAT WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
USING THESE WORDS THAT
JESUS TALKS ABOUT, HE SAYS
THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVES US
COUNSEL. AND WHAT IS HIS
COUNSEL? HE WILL CONVICT
THE WORLD
OF GUILT. WILL CONVICT THE
WORLD THAT THEY ARE WRONG
IN REGARD TO SIN, AND
RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUDGMENT.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO HAVE
THAT WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
TO BE
CONVICTING THE WORLD,
CONVINCING THE WORLD THEY
ARE WRONG IN REGARDS TO SIN,
RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND JUDGMENT.
WELL, WE DO NEED
THE HOLY SPIRIT TO CONVINCE
US THE TRUTH
ABOUT SIN.
IN REGARD TO SIN, BECAUSE
JESUS SAID PEOPLE DO NOT
BELIEVE IN ME. BUT IF YOU
WERE TO THINK OF
THE WORD SIN, AND MAYBE
COME UP WITH
A DEFINITION FOR SIN ...
PRETTY EASY TO DO. RIGHT?
DOING SOMETHING WRONG,
DISOBEYING
GOD'S LAW. BUT IF WE
PENETRATE THAT A LITTLE BIT
DEEPER BY AN INFORMAL POLL
BY ASKING
EVEN THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE
GATHERED WITH ME TODAY,
WHAT IS THE WORST
SIN?
WHAT IS THE WORST SIN?
MURDER, POVERTY, TO RAPE,
TERRORISM,
BRING TO YOUR MIND
AS BEING THE WORST SIN.
AND THEN I WOULD
NEED TO TELL YOU, THAT'S
A BAD QUESTION. BUT THE
PROBLEM WITH THAT QUESTION
WHAT IS THE WORST SIN,
BECAUSE ANYONE WHO HAS
OBEYED ALL OF THE COMMANDS
OF GOD, AND YET STUMBLED
AT JUST
ONE POINT, THAT PERSON IS
GUILTY
OF BREAKING ALL OF IT.
EVERY SINGLE SIN IS JUST AS
DAMNING.
EVERY SINGLE SIN IS A SIN
AGAINST GOD'S HOLY LAW.
IT CONDEMNS A PERSON
TO HELL.
AND THE HOLY SPIRIT,
THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD,
WORKS TO CONVICT THE WORLD
OF THE TRUTH ABOUT SIN.
THAT'S WHAT
THE HOLY SPIRIT DID ON THAT
FIRST DAY OF PENTECOST
WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME
TO THOSE DISCIPLES AND
GAVE THE APOSTLES, LIKE
PETER, THE ABILITY TO
SPEAK IN OTHER LANGUAGES
WITHOUT HAVING STUDIED THEM.
AND PETER GAVE A WONDERFUL
SERMON THAT DAY.
AND AS HE ...
YOU JUST HEARD THE BEGINNING
OF THAT SERMON IN THE SECOND
LESSON FOR TODAY, BUT AS HE
GOT TO THE END OF THAT
SERMON, HE TALKED ABOUT
JESUS CHRIST, THE WORLD'S
SAVIOR. AND THEN
HE ENDED HIS SERMON BY
SAYING: YOU
HAVE KILLED THE LORD
OF GLORY.
PETER SHOWED THESE UPSTANDING
RELIGIOUS PEOPLE THEIR SIN.
THEY THOUGHT THEY HADN'T DONE
WRONG THINGS. THEY THOUGHT
THEY HAD DONE A PRETTY GOOD
JOB OBEYING GOD'S LAWS
AND YET PETER
SHOWED THEM THEY
WERE SINNERS, EVEN
SO FAR AS KILLING
THE ONE SENT BY GOD.
THE HOLY SPIRIT STILL
CONVICTS PEOPLE OF
THEIR SIN TODAY.
HE MAKES YOU AND
HE MAKES ME SEE HOW WE STACK
UP
AGAINST THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THAT
I SEE HOW
I FAIL EVERY DAY.
AND DON'T YOU? DON'T YOU SEE
THE SAME THING?
THOSE TEN COMMANDMENTS: HAVE
YOU OBEYED THEM?
DON'T LIE, DON'T HURT, DON'T
STEAL.
YOUR DEEDS HAVE SEPARATED YOU
FROM GOD AND
SO WE ARE ALL IN THIS
SAME BOAT, THIS BOAT OF
SINFUL HUMANITY.
AND I DON'T SAY THIS
AS AN EXCUSE, BUT AS
A STATEMENT OF THE TRUTH, AS
A STATEMENT OF FACT.
THE PROFOUND REALITY THAT
APPLIES TO EVERY
HUMAN BEING IN THIS WORLD.
THAT'S WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT
CONVICTS US OF AND I THINK
'CONVICT' IS THE RIGHT WORD
TO USE THERE.
HE SHOWS US
THAT WE STAND
GUILTY BEFORE GOD
AND
THE HOLY SPIRIT THEN USES
PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND ME
TO PROCLAIM THIS TRUTH
OF GOD'S LAW.
AND WE WILL SEE THAT ...
THE SINFULNESS
OF THE WORLD AROUND US.
THE SINFULNESS COMING
OF OUR OWN HEART AND KNOW
THAT NEEDS TO BE BEAT DOWN.
WE WILL NOTICE THERE'S SO
MUCH SIN AROUND US
WHERE THERE IS SEXUAL FILTH
ON TV, EVEN LEADING
MANY CHRISTIANS TO BELIEVE
THAT SEX OUTSIDE OF MARRIAGE
IS NOT WRONG.
SELFISHNESS
PRESENTED AS NORMAL.
IN ALMOST EVERY FORM OF
ADVERTISING THAT THERE IS
WHETHER IT'S TV OR BILLBOARD.
IT
TELLS YOU ABOUT BEING
SELFISH.
THE SMALL LIES THAT ARE TOLD
TO PROTECT THE REPUTATION.
THEY THINK I NEED TO DO THAT.
NONE OF THESE ARE ACCEPTABLE
BEFORE GOD. AND THAT'S WHAT
OUR LEGAL COUNSEL SAID.
THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVINCES
PEOPLE
ABOUT SIN.
SO, LET'S GET BACK INTO
THAT COURT ROOM AND IF I WERE
THEIR LEGAL COUNSEL
BEFORE THE JUDGE.
AND I WOULD STAND BEFORE THE
JUDGE
AND SAY: MY CLIENT
IS GUILTY.
THE CLIENT WOULD LOOK AT ME
AND SAY:
I GOTTA GET ANOTHER LAWYER.
RIGHT?
YOU'D THINK A DEFENSE
LAWYER WOULD NOT SAY THAT.
AND YET, A GOOD DEFENSE
LAWYER
MIGHT SAY THAT,
WOULD PROBABLY SAY THAT IF
EVERYBODY ALREADY KNEW; THE
JUDGE,
THE JURY, EVERYBODY ELSE
THERE KNEW, THAT THE CLIENT
SINCERELY WAS GUILTY. IT
WOULD BE AN ADMISSION
OF THE TRUTH.
THAT'S WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT
LEADS US TO REALIZE, AS HE
CONVICTS US, CONVINCES
THE WORLD ABOUT THE TRUTH
REGARDING SIN.
AND WHEN HE LETS US SEE THAT
AS WE FALL ON
OUR KNEES BEFORE
THE HOLY GOD, HE LETS US SEE
ANOTHER TRUTH. A SECOND
WONDERFUL TRUTH THAT IS
CONVINCING US ABOUT
RIGHTEOUSNESS. BY THE WAY,
I WAS GOING TO MENTION
THAT WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
TELLING US: YOU'RE GUILTY.
WHEN WE ARE GUILTY ...
IN EFFECT, PREACHING US
INTO HELL.
THAT'S CALLED THE 'FOREIGN'
WORK
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT;
NOT HIS MAIN PURPOSE.
IT'S HIS 'FOREIGN' WORK.
HIS MAIN PURPOSE IS THEN
WHAT FOLLOWS ...
AFTER PREACHING US TO HELL,
TO TEACH US INTO HEAVEN.
TO TEACH US THE TRUTH ABOUT
RIGHTEOUSNESS.
AND THAT'S DESCRIBED BY THESE
WORDS: IN REGARD TO
RIGHTEOUSNESS,
BECAUSE I AM GOING
TO THE FATHER, AND
YOU WILL NO LONGER SEE ME.
WHAT I KNOW
ABOUT HUMAN SIN, I KNOW THAT
I NO LONGER CAN MAKE IT
ON MY OWN. AND YET,
WHEN THE PEOPLE WHO
ASKED THE LORD OF GLORY
WHEN PEOPLE ASKED PETER
WHAT THEY COULD DO
AFTER THEY HAD MURDERED THE
LORD OF GLORY, PETER DID NOT
SAY: YOU'RE OUT OF LUCK.
THERE'S NO WAY OF GETTING YOU
TO HEAVEN. YOU CRUCIFIED
JESUS. IMPOSSIBLE NOW.
NO!
HE SHOWED THEM THE WAY OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS. HE SAID:
"REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED,
EVERY ONE OF YOU, IN THE NAME
OF JESUS CHRIST SO THAT YOUR
SINS MAY BE FORGIVEN. AND YOU
WILL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE
HOLY SPIRIT. [ACTS 2:38]
YOU SEE THE HOLY SPIRIT'S
GIFT IS THAT HE TEACHES US
ABOUT JESUS THROUGH HIS WORD.
HE TEACHES US THE TRUTH.
THAT JESUS CAME TO THIS
EARTH TO DIE IN OUR PLACE
AND
TO PAY FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE
OF OUR SINS. AND TO RISE
AGAIN FROM THE DEAD. AND TO
PROVE TO US THAT WE HAVE
A GOOD RELATIONSHIP
WITH GOD.
I'D LIKE TO DEVELOP THE
NUMBERS THAT THE KIDS
COUNTED IN THE CHILDREN'S
MESSAGE FOR JUST A MOMENT.
EACH BANNER HERE HAS SEVEN
FLAMES OF FIRE.
THAT IS THE
SEVEN-FOLD GIFTS OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT THAT MAYBE YOU CAUGHT
ME REFER TO IN THE PRAYER
OF THE DAY.
WHAT IS THE SEVEN-FOLD GIFT?
IT'S NOT LISTING SEVEN
DIFFERENT GIFTS THE HOLY
SPIRIT GIVES.
THE NUMBER SEVEN IS A WORD
THAT DESCRIBES
A COMBINATION OF THE SYMBOLIC
NUMBER THREE,
WITH THE SYMBOLIC
NUMBER FOUR.
THE THREE TONGUES OF FIRE
COULD OBVIOUSLY REPRESENT
FATHER, SON, AND HOLY
SPIRIT; THE TRIUNE GOD.
AND THE SYMBOLIC
NUMBER FOUR?
THAT REPRESENTS THE FOUR
CORNERS OF THIS EARTH.
THIS IS THE WORLD; THIS IS
ALL PEOPLE AND THAT'S THE
NUMBER FOUR. SO WHEN THREE
REPRESENTING GOD, AND FOUR
REPRESENTING PEOPLE, ARE
BROUGHT TOGETHER, YOU HAVE
THE NUMBER SEVEN.
AND NUMBER SEVEN
IS BROUGHT TOGETHER
YOU WOULD HAVE
THE THREE GOLD TONGUES WITH
THE THREE WHITE
TONGUES OF FIRE THERE
INTERSPERSED. THAT MEANS
THERE IS A GOOD RELATIONSHIP
WITH GOD.
THAT IS THAT WORK OF THE
HOLY SPIRIT.
TELLING US, SHOWING US THAT
WE HAVE BEEN MADE RIGHTEOUS.
THAT THE GUILT THAT POUNDED
US DOWN, WHEN THAT
DEFENSE COUNSELOR SAID: YOU
ARE GUILTY!
THAT GUILT HAS NOW BEEN
REMOVED.
AND JESUS ACTUALLY EXPLAINED
THAT AS HE SAID
IN REGARD TO RIGHTEOUSNESS,
BECAUSE I AM
WITH YOU NO MORE. I'M GOING
AWAY AND YOU WILL SEE ME
NO MORE. WHAT A WONDERFUL
THING THAT JESUS
IS NOT HERE WITH US
IN PERSON TODAY.
AND YOU'RE ALL SHOCKED.
BECAUSE ALL OF US
WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO PUT
OUR ARMS AROUND JESUS AND
GIVE HIM A HUG RIGHT NOW,
WOULDN'T WE? BUT ACTUALLY
JESUS SAID I CAN CONVINCE YOU
ABOUT RIGHTEOUSNESS BECAUSE
I'M GOING AWAY.
I'M NO LONGER HERE.
JESUS ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN
WHICH MEANS THAT HIS WORK
ON EARTH, AS OUR SAVIOR,
IS DONE. HE HAS GIVEN ME
RIGHTEOUSNESS.
HE NO LONGER HAS TO BE RIGHT
NEXT TO YOU ACCOMPLISHING
THAT WORK AS HE DID
WITH HIS DISCIPLES.
AND SO HE SENDS THE HOLY
SPIRIT TO PROVE TO US AND
CONVINCE US OF THE TRUTH OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS
THAT YOU ... ARE FORGIVEN.
YOU ARE ... IN A RIGHT
RELATIONSHIP
WITH GOD. PART OF THAT
SEVEN-FOLD GIFT
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
AND THEN THE THIRD THING THAT
THAT HOLY SPIRIT
CONVICTS US OF,
IS JUDGMENT.
AND THAT JUDGMENT IS
KIND OF FOLLOWS UPON
RIGHTEOUSNESS. THERE IS NO
JUDGMENT. OUR HOLY SPIRIT,
OUR COUNSELOR,
REMINDS US OF THE TRUTH
THAT THE JUDGMENT, FOR SIN,
HAS ALREADY
BEEN PAID IN FULL.
YOU ... WILL NOT SUFFER HELL!
JESUS SUFFERED IT FOR YOU.
AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
POUNDS THAT HOME. TEACHES
THAT
TRUTH TO US VERY DEARLY
AND VERY FINALLY AND VERY
REPEATEDLY
BECAUSE THE DEVIL IS AROUND
OUT THERE. THE DEVIL IS
OUT THERE AND OUR CONSCIENCE
IS HERE TELLING US YOU
MESSED UP. YOU'RE A SINNER.
THE DEVIL WANTS TO WHISPER
IN YOUR EAR: YOU'RE NOT GOOD
ENOUGH TO MAKE IT TO HEAVEN.
BUT WHAT'S THE TRUTH ABOUT
JUDGMENT, THAT
THE HOLY SPIRIT MAKES CLEAR?
OUR JUDGMENT IS NOT BASED
UPON OUR WORKS.
OUR JUDGMENT IS BASED UPON
CHRIST. AND
SINCE OUR JUDGMENT HAS BEEN
DECLARED. WE ARE INNOCENT;
WE ARE GOING TO HEAVEN!
NOW I GET TO LIVE MY LIFE
EVERY DAY
SAYING THANK YOU TO GOD FOR
THAT BLESSED JUDGMENT.
FOR LOOKING FOR WAYS TO BE
KIND TO OTHERS, FOR CARING
FOR MY CHILDREN, EVEN WHEN
THEY GET ME AT MY WITS' END.
BY LOVING MY NEIGHBOR, EVEN
WHEN MY NEIGHBOR
HASN'T BEEN THE NICEST
OR KINDEST TO ME.
WE LOOK FOR THOSE WAYS TO
SHARE GOD'S LOVE.
EVEN AS CHILDREN, LOOKING
FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY
TO LOVE GOD BY LOVING
THE AUTHORITY, THE
REPRESENTATIVE, THE PARENT
THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO US.
AND SO,
YOU HAVE THAT COUNSEL OF THE
HOLY SPIRIT
THIS LEGAL COUNSELOR,
AND WHEN YOU GO,
WHEN YOU GO STAND ON TRIAL
BEFORE GOD,
DON'T HAVE YOURSELF . . .
DON'T HAVE YOURSELF . . .
AS YOUR OWN LEGAL COUNSELOR.
USE THE HOLY SPIRIT.
HE EXISTS FOR YOU TO
CARE FOR YOU.
SO DEAR FRIENDS,
IN CHRIST JESUS,
MAY THE GOD OF PEACE
GO WITH YOU NOW AND ALWAYS.
MAY THE HOLY SPIRIT
STRENGTHEN YOU IN HIS LOVE
THROUGH HIS WORD.
AMEN.
PLEASE STAND.
MAY THE PEACE OF GOD,
WHICH PASSES
ALL UNDERSTANDING, KEEP YOUR
HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS
THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS,
OUR LORD. AMEN.