John Chapter 16:12-17

God wants to speak to you. God wants to teach you and how twisted we've gotten that we think were chasing God around tugging on his coattails going please teach me some please show me something holders chasing going on but God's chasing you seeking to reveal things to you and how he longs to get quiet moments in your busy days where he can do just that and it will set be still for long enough. I guarantee he will speak on something that I teacher is God welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee.

David is a senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina, one of David McGee's associate pastors is the a Browning. He's here with us on the program today welcome Bob, this is a powerful teach and I'm excited to be here. Did you know that God desires to teach you to use the Bible's Holy Spirit and others to share his word and to lead us in life today pastor Dave describes how God can teach us each and every day as he continues in the Gospel of John chapter 16 sounds wonderful mother. Can't wait. Here's David McGee with part three of the teaching.

The helper turn with me to John 16 verse 12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now understand there's a lot of things in Jesus wanted to say telnet that they couldn't understand they couldn't grasp the Intel after the crucifixion. After the resurrection. Our knowledge of God's progressive is progressive and just as he's been very patient very kind with the disciples he set same way with us in verse 13. However when he's a spirit of truth is, he will guide you into all truth for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak and he will tell you things to come, he will glorify me, for he will take of what is mine and declare to you, a blessing when a blessing he's saying again that the Holy Spirit will declare biblical truth to us take Jesus's words now and keep in mind at this point the Bible that they had was the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures. Now the Hebrew Scriptures. The Old Testament were illuminating the New Testament and were the foundation of the New Testament, the book of Revelation. You have over 800 Old Testament references and you have Deuteronomy be in the most quoted book in the Gospels and so again the Holy Spirit is going to take these words that were reading this morning and he's going to declare it to you.

Now that's an awesome thing because over and over again. The Holy Spirit does this. I know how many people here have this experience.

But you're going through something you're struggling with something in your like man I just don't know what to do and then you crack open the Bible in the morning for your devotional and you go to read the passage and there is the verse that speaks right to your situation. That's not happenstance that's not the rabbis say coincidences, not a kosher work that's God speaking to you, given you what you need when you need it is a glorious thing that he cares that much about you speak to your heart and your life situation.

Jesus is saying he will glorify Jesus.

The Holy Spirit will glorify Jesus. The Holy Spirit does not glorify the Holy Spirit. And that's an important thing because we all should have a sense of discernment.

Discerning what is right and wrong, what is flash what is spirit, and look at this and in and understand the Holy Spirit wants to do this until the first life lesson here is the Holy Spirit always points to Jesus, the Holy Spirit always points to Jesus. If there is a gift of the Holy Spirit that's in operation is a point that Jesus if it's not, it's not the Holy Spirit. It's an easy thing to say.

It's an easy thing to see.

So use that litmus test when you're looking at these things every 15 all things that the father has her mind. Therefore I said that he will take of mine and declare it to you again. We have here in our laps in these bobbles, the fulfillment of what Jesus was saying Jesus is the father of the Holy Spirit will take my words will declare to you, so even in the reading of this study the Bible for many years and for a few years. Every time before I study the Bible. I would actually read these few verses because it reassured me that God wanted to reveal these things to me. You see we get this twisted notion actually sometimes reinforced by society, sometimes even reinforced by ministry where we say well you know you can't really understand this book so you know God put me here, put me between you and God.

So I can explain these things to you.

I'm sorry that's not true when you look at the Bible.

The Bible says God wants to declare these things to you all. Yeah I'm a Bible teacher and I'm here this morning.

I don't want to communicate biblical truth, but you don't always remember the story of bail him the story of Baylon. When God spoke to bail him through a donkey and so that's kind of a humbling story that God often brings to my mind if I ever attempt to take any pride in what God is doing here to remember God speaking through me.

But you know what ill use anybody, he'll even use a donkey. God wants to speak to you. God wants to teach you and how twisted we've gotten that we think were chasing God around tugging on his coattails going please teach me some please show me something others chasing going on because chasing you seeking to reveal things to you and how he longs to get quiet moments in your busy days where he can do just that and it will set and be still for long enough. I guarantee he will speak awesome thing that I teacher is God that Sue is revealing biblical truths to us as you see Jesus interacting with these disciples who a lot of the stuff they didn't get it and he had to explain over and over understand that's God's heart toward you.

If you don't understand something about it cut I don't understand this when you show me what you explain to me, will you show me a passage of Scripture now desires to teach you and is not a pass or fail thing he's not sitting there looking at your answers and go oh 68. I think this all over again. He's not doing that, if anything, he's going to have you got two thirds right first Corinthians chapter 2 verses nine and 10. We hear verse not a lot a lot of people quote this verse and they stop, but as it is written, I has not seen, nor ear heard, nor entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him.

We use that passage and we go all look at that beautiful versus talking about heaven.

It means we can't begin to understand that they don't stop read the next verse, but God has revealed to them to us through his Spirit.

For the Spirit searches all things, just the deep things of God. God wants to reveal these things to us that his desire and were actually told a few verses later in first Corinthians 214 but the natural man does not receive the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

There so many examples of this scripture. If you ever tried to sit and talk to somebody that wasn't following Jesus didn't know Jesus and you're talking to them about scriptural spiritual biblical things in an many times they don't get ever tried to explain to a nonbeliever about tithing than I can get it out that when you honor God with your firstfruits. Somehow you're more blessed than I can get in and see that remind us of the point from last week. Keep the main thing the main thing, the thing that an unbeliever needs to be convinced of is none of this other stuff. It's simply this, Jesus Christ died for your sin so that you can be forgiven and be in right restored relationship with him now understand according to this when ever you understand biblical truth is a God thing. God has shown you that God has revealed that to you through the Holy Spirit. God showed you now let me say something that may be obvious, but listless make sure we understand God revealed it to you. Any spiritual truth that you have any spiritual truth that I have at this moment in this place.

God has revealed to me what is that mean that means at some point I didn't know it. I didn't understand it, but God revealed it to me was that important people in your life. There's people in my life they're not getting there. Not understanding it and have to be honest every now and again I get impatient with that be even more honest. The closer they are to me, the more frustrated I get that they're not getting that amazing because it one time I didn't understand that God revealed it to me.

But now, in turn, I'm to get frustrated with somebody else. It doesn't get twisted and it so when you look at people around you.

The temptation is there maybe all are just much stronger than me spiritually and y'all never get frustrated the fact that somebody else doesn't get it.

But if that's true just sympathize with me for a moment if you will.

I get frustrated even though God is the one that revealed it to me and God will be the one to reveal it to others.

We may use you may not. He may use others. He may use the word he may use the Internet, television, radio, all I know those things have been used for all kinds of ungodly purposes, but the awesome thing is, God is using those things for his purposes. Well, God will communicate to those people and when they get it.

Well, it will be you. It'll be God see this is so liberating because when y'all get biblical truth when you grab a hold of something.

I understand it's not me on may be the vehicle God used to communicate that truth but it's God that did it, and in your life as people understand it is not going to be you. You make me the vehicle he uses, but is gonna be God who communicates to that person.

The life lesson here, God desires to teach us.

God desires to teach us. God is not plan some shell game with us. God's going TO lead this opportunity out which one is it you know we think spiritually. God's plan are joking with us sometime always on the Telesis. As I got those out as my fact there's a lot we don't know God's warning to reveal his truth.

His word to us shell game to know shell game to it. He desires to use the Bible is the Holy Spirit uses Bible teachers uses people uses situation uses experience. He teaches us about life and death of heaven and sin and joy and love was to teach us about all these things when an awesome awesome thing and again West understand his nature.

I'm a father I have three children when they were first walking you know it as a as a parent it is just a beautiful experience it's it's an awesome thing been walking a wall mount books, you know, now they're driving looking Adam and watching them and watching them when they begin to walk was so for them know they didn't like take a couple steps, and in them fall down to make what you do when you're not trying to get out from there.

Hopefully you didn't do that if you did, we offer biblical counseling. You're just call will will talk to now. I was like come on this campus tracking, earthly, sinful father.

If I is a earthly father and looking at my children like that. How much more God the father is looking at you all, you fell but this get up again here let me help you. Let me show you here, you can balance yourself to go one leg at a good 1 foot at a time. That's what he wants to do in your life and anything that you have in your mind and your heart are in your experiences. It tells you something else friend, loved one, you got let go of that is not God reality as many of us grow up and we get misconceptions about who God is and a lot of it has to do with this.

Mrs. one of the reasons we emphasize the Bible. Here is because you can know God through knowing the Bible we want to help you to know God will help you to apply these biblical truths you're listening to Pastor David McGee on cross the bridge will be right back with more just a moment, but I want to remind you of the free resources available to you on cross the bridge.com there's a team of hundreds of people that will pray for somebody to be saved. You have a loved one that needs to know Jesus as Savior. You need people to pray for them. You need someone to present God's word to them every day were present in God's virtual here on cross the bridge with Pastor David McGee. We can pray for them as well. Just by simple going to cross the bridge.com and click on the pray for the lost button.

All you need to do is put in the first names of the people you love that needs know Jesus as Savior. Click on submit and immediately hundreds of people begin praying for your lost loved ones. What an awesome way to bring your loved ones to Jesus.

Here's a word from associate pastor DA Brown want take just a minute to pray for seven cities in our listening audience. Raymond and Waynesboro Mississippi Branson Chillicothe, Festus, Joplin, and Nevada, Missouri, Lord, thank you for everyone listening in the cities where we know that you're at work in their hearts because her tuning and now Lord, I pray that you remind them of that that you're at work you have a good plan to protect him, Lord, give them wisdom and discernment help them to not fear during these tumultuous times that we live in Lord help them to constantly be in prayer for their family for the loved ones and for their coworkers and use them as divine ambassadors in the cities that they live in an Lord anyone who doesn't yet know you in the cities. We pray that you would encourage them to put their trust in you use us father to be a blessing to them with your good news in Jesus name, amen, amen. Thank you brother and now get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse by verse 16.

A little while, and you will not see me and again a little while, and you will see me because I go to the father was Jesus talking about here.

While he's talking about his death and his resurrection anything here got to see this stuff is going to not see me and then you're going to see me you're going to see the resurrection. These 11 men something change them you see they went from a scattered bunch of people to people who are willing to die.

They went from men who were hiding because their leader had been taken to men who would boldly stand in the synagogue and proclaim Jesus Christ to the point. The 10 from God.

Martyrs death never once recanting the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, they were witnesses to these things.

Witnesses to these things. What is a witness. What we have a definition of Webster's dictionary, a witness is a person who has seen or knows something and is therefore competent to give evidence concerning person and the singer knows something and is therefore competent to give evidence concerning now mask question what does a witness do in a courtroom setting, interesting. The Greek word for witness is more to since where we get our word for martyr.

But what this a witness do in a courtroom setting. It's a good question because were supposed to be witnesses. Acts 18 tells us that we received power to be witnesses were supposed to be witnesses. What does a witness to a witness stands and sits and tells what they know, but remember the courtroom setting. What is a witness, not a witness is not the judge witness is not the jury.

A witness is not an attorney in the courtroom wasn't important because when we begin to play those roles. We cease to play the role of the witness see the Bible tells us in the book of Romans that it's the goodness of God that leads people to repent is the goodness of God, and as witnesses. That's what we need to be sharing. We need to be sure in the goodness of God and we need to be witnesses, not jury, not judge, not an attorney but witnesses witnesses. These disciples I saw a lot of stuff to me. In verse 17, then some of his disciples said among themselves, what is this that he says to us a little while, and you will not see me and again a little while, and you will see me in because I go to the father again.

We think of the disciples as these huge superheroes of faith and and so they were later in life, but there were men and here we see them basically saying that Jesus don't get it. I don't understand God bless them and their humility of saying I don't get it. I don't understand because there was things that were getting rated to happen that were incredible. The seniors were so familiar with these events, we lose some of the wonder of it all. What I mean by that is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God, and didn't stay dead. Let that sink in for second. Maybe you're one of those who are kinda skeptical and I don't know about if he really was resurrected me offer this to you.

There is more literary literary proof that Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead than Julius Caesar ever lived and I'm not just talking about the Bible, outside documents, Josephus, a Jewish historian who was not a Christian who was not a follower of Jesus notes in his history that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, and in other places refers to why's that important because that's the central theme of our faith. If Jesus was not resurrected from the dead. When we doing here what is all this about Paul said we were most miserable of all all men. If Jesus didn't. What if he wasn't resurrected and I think because we just we so familiar with these details that we just gloss over, but imagine if you will that I sat here this morning said hey guys, listen, you know, it's Sunday I'm going to be out on the highway tomorrow and in the heaven in a car accident or mouthparts going to get out or whatever and and I'm gonna die but don't be worried. I'm still gonna be here next Sunday morning. Would I have your attention, you batch this was the exchange that was going on with these disciples, if you can imagine the discussion with Joseph of Arimathea hey Joseph, we need and to whom we need a place where nobody is ever been buried so that we can bury Jesus who's going to be crucified. Joseph is okay I guess so. And okay, so when you need it. Well, not sure the exact detail of when we'll need it but you know as far as the tomb goes well, I gonna need it for the weekend. What what only on a free weekend when he mediated the person you put it person is not in there yet but is like a state that death can't hold him sin has not one over him.

He is perfect, and though he will die. He will die because he gives up his spirit is what were told in any resurrected and the whole of our faith is in that. Imagine if you will be in one of those disciples seeing Jesus crucified, dead and buried in what you would've felt what you would've Salter not Tom Haydn in the upper room scattered going. I can't believe it ended like this, but then then somebody comes to you, a woman may point out comes to the disciples, and if you remember the exchange because Jesus is not in their and they were like be quiet you're babbling this too good to be true and then they ran to the two that was empty, and because of that date. This day you and I can have hope we can know that our sins can be forgiven. We can be in right relationship with God. We can be restored in that relationship and then be taught how to live, how to love how to walk in the fullness and the joy of life in the abundant life. And he patiently talked about just a good teacher but by God, the creator friend welcome. That's good news that his goodness, and it could be that there are some here this morning while you've not yet asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins. I want you to understand something if you're here to explore the claims of Christ are you've never ask him to forgive you of your sins, you are our honored guest.

We are so pleased and happy that you're here in the fact that you came here, not necessarily to worship God but to hear about God and and and see and discover more about the Lord is a powerful thing. The friend you don't have to walk out the way you walked in to see Jesus Christ even this morning has revealed himself to you. He wants you to understand. He died so that you can be forgiven of your sentence and it's time to quit holding onto your goodness and your righteousness and you trying to make it happen and you trying to do it right and say God can't do it ask you to forgive me of my sins life without God is dark and dismal and leads to condemnation.

You can be forgiven this morning, if you will turn to him and follow him, friend. You know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now only Jenna short, simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now.

Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I can have a new life not done wrong things I have sinned, and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen it friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible. You've been forgiven you've been born again, so congratulations for you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make.

God bless you, if you pray that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you.

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