Emmanuel's Promise

I turned to John chapters 14 and this is going to be at what you call a textual topical professional topical sermon so it's it's both the text but were not even get through all this text okay. It's loaded okay John 14 verses 16 and 17 were Jesus teaching his disciples about his relationship with the father son and the Spirit in our relationship to all three.

Jesus says this I will ask the father and he will give you another helper, that he may be with you for ever. That is the spirit of truth in the world cannot receive, because it does not see him or know him, but you know him because he abides with you and will be in you.

That is pray to God and father, we thank you for the fact that you are so gracious even to call us your own children even to call us out of our own darkness at our own willful sin to bring this to yourself and raise that the people to glorify your name. Father may your Holy Spirit speak to us tonight and fill our hearts with gratitude for you and praise you and praise you throughout the week for who you are and what you have done and what you will be doing, we give you thanks that will bless us with your word by your spirit. We pray in Jesus name, amen they received the new glasses or a higher pulpit. I cannot figure out which ones to which what it is that any rights but as we look at this the Scripture tonight it's it's really exciting because I picked up on this thought in this theme because whatever we did this covenant are covenant God in the in the Sunday school class just getting back to me why Jesus is our Emmanuelle and one Prof. once said that this it is the Emmanuel principal not know if Emmanuel's promise that really is outstanding and something to remember. All through our lives and Jesus is teaching that here you know. From the time of Adam into the second Adam, so we see the second Adam in heaven with the Bible is just full of things and this is one of the major things that is highlighted all through the word of God.

God's promises to you, as believers, and those who are not believers. This is why you should think twice and say hey maybe I didn't need a coat relationship with this living God because he makes tremendous promises God's promises in Christ are for ever about his grace in his he's promising his enduring presence until we go see him in heaven and no one has ever made any such promise like this. But Jesus Christ, no one, no philosopher, no religious leader. Only Christ promises you this because he's the only one who can because there is only one triune God. So we're going to look at several things tonight.

First were going to come look back at the past and what God said before Christ came and taught. Specifically, this passage of Scripture were reading tonight there was a look at what Jesus was saying and really only going to cover pretty much just verse 16. This is too much here and then were going to look at what God is doing and has done and promised after Christ ascended into heaven, and even until our day and age.

Okay, so we got the storytime peers with three different ways to look at this and see what God has done in our lives and will be doing soaked Emmanuel's promise is God's for ever plans to be with his people. It's his plan and it's amazing what is done but you know we look back at what happened before the time of Christ before Christ taught on the subject. We can go back to Abraham Isaac JW to go back beyond that you ever there was a time there was a time there.

There was a perfect time at time when there was fellowship with God all day. It was fellowship with God all day long and there was no hindrance to those days there. There was such a time when God walked with man. It was such a time when Adam walked perfectly with God and then Adam and Eve walked perfectly with God when there was a time when God was man's best friend and there was no hindrances and they walked in the garden of Eden. But that time was lost and when it was lost. God immediately began to repair the damage that man in Adam and Eve had done and is been repairing it ever since and is given us. Emmanuel's promise. This jump to Abraham. Abraham really trusted in the Lord God gave him saving faith God poured out his grace on him.

He trusted in the Lord and he had a unique relationship and God promised him. He said that he would be with him. He would be his shield he would bless him in whatever he did what ever he went and Abraham walked with God.

He was known as the friend of God and the promise was also made that God would be with his son Isaac and then Jacob Sylvester's look a minute and a few verses of Scripture or God is talking to Isaac and recalls both the promise to Abraham and Isaac. This is that in Genesis 26 verse 3325 says to Isaac about the promise land. He says judge jerk sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you. What do you and your descendents I will give all these lands and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham, I will multiply your descendents as the stars of heaven and will give your descendents.

All these lands and by your descendents. All the nations of the earth shall be blessed because Abraham obeyed me and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes and my laws God was making this promise to Isaac and he was reminding him that his father Abraham had been sued, receive the same promise and now God was reminding Isaac also that his father because of God working in his heart had lived a life pretty much of a strong obedience not perfect to be strong obedience and that's why God continue to bless and so you know it's kind of course he blessed but he didn't earn it and but if you simply God's grace and so we think about God's call.

Here he is, God chose to bless Abraham he chose to do to raise up this family that would walk with him in obedience and he makes this promise to Abraham, because there is a devotional heart and the heart and and in the body of Abraham. He's committed to him. If you rebelling against God course if you're pushing away, then, of course, how can he be with you. But if you draw near to him by his grace is he woos you and calls you yes walk with him and his noticeably blessing you is of the same promise is renewed again. Abraham, Isaac, and then the grandson of Abraham, Jacob, so would turn to Genesis 28 verse 12 and following use what we read that he remembered Jacob was a rascal. He was like a lot of people in the room here, but he was a rascal and he tried to get blessings on is by his own power you ever thought about doing that I think about a lot, unfortunately.

Okay, here's what God Jacobs having a vision he's running away sleeping on a stone for his pillow and here's what God says to him in this vision he Jacob had a dream and to hold a ladder was set on the earth, and it with his top reaching to heaven.

Behold the angels of God were ascending and descending on it, and behold, the Lord stood above it and said to him, I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac, the land on which you live. I will give to you and to your descendents after you behold I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you were promise he assess the Emmanuel problems. Jacob thought he could get the blessed by deceiving his brother Isaac, and even this far. His brother Esau and is and is and his father Isaac and he went about that way but now he's God is pouring out to him in this vision, no the real blessings that lasts that are eternal that are really good. That really reach the heart all come from God in heaven. And so God is promising him that you can, he could trust the living God, that God will be with him and God's word is trustworthy. God's dealings with him are pure and their dependable and so Jacob was taught that he could trust God's covenant promises God was going to be with him, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

All these men and men. Many like them were blessed because they are faith was in the living God, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were protected by God. They were assured of God's presence, they were promised lasting blessings in their life experiences shows us the faithfulness of God to keep his promise to be with this with every single believer, but the covenant promises of a man will never cease. I don't cease. If you jump jump ahead way over to Moses and Joshua. You see the same promise popping up again at in Joshua chapter 1, five, six and seven. Those verses there.

When I read those to you. Joshua knows he's got facing a tough time when you going to go in and take the promise land is already promised, but is gonna do the work.

So God's assistance to him. No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you. I will not fail you or forsake you a strong and courageous, for you shall have give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them only be strong and very courageous, careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left so that you may have success wherever you go. Regarding some commentary writers and James Fossum Brown and I point out that the Joshua's success was based on a couple things verse it was based on the certainty that God was going to make it happen that God had promised Joshua the he would remove the perverse pagan rulers of those lands, those who would desecrate the earth and desecrated human life but also God's blessings were on Joshua because like Moses, he had a heart to keep the moral law. He had a heart to keep the norms in the customs that God commanded him. Joshua's heart was was there.

He knew that they need to be a holy people and he wanted to be holy before the Lord. That's why God's blessings were there because there was that relationship that saving relationship and got up with these desires in the heart of Joshua.

Joshua knew he was not the leader that Moses was but God reassured him that he would have success. And it was Emmanuel's promise that we repeated.

He said just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you. I will not fail you or forsake you. Does that not remind you of Matthew 28 where Jesus says that he will be with you till the end of the age, the same Emmanuel promise. So this brings us to the second point of the sermon.

I we looked at what God was promising all the time to the patriarchs and he was fulfilling. He was with them off all these believers never to look at Christ particular statements as he's standing there and teaching the disciples his own disciples about what's going to happen and he's promising the part then the coming of the person of the Holy Spirit and Jesus says a look at verse 16 that we do know a few words here that are very important. Jesus says he will ask the father.

He will ask the Holy Spirit to up to bless them and to come and be with them. Now there are a couple meanings for the word ask the inherent one is like the word that we use when Jesus says if we ask, we are asking for anything in his name. It means that we ask in the sense that we are the inferior.

He's a superior where the servants he's the master so we ask innocent okay what would you do this. Would we plead with God.

But there's a little bit difference in the words that use here that Jesus usually says I will ask. It means I will pray our request. I will entreat, and I like to think about this and sortable some military jargon.

Jesus has the power to requisition. He is not down here is the servant.

He's up here is a second person.

The 20 Trinity Heekin requisition and before he can ask the father and grandfather course gives it to them because they are 11 in a Trinity, so this is telling us in this verse that the father and the son are going to send to us the person of the Holy Spirit to live in us these is another thing here. You noticed the it says and he will give you another helper, so here we come to another word is very important. The word another. There are two words for another one word another.

And in the Greek language is Enron and it means it's another but it's different, you know, I can give you another present but every different present. I can give you another thing to be different than the first one okay. There's a difference. Another, but then that the word that Jesus uses here is Allon and that means another that is similar. It's like this is a quite a difference in the meaning there so what is Jesus is saying is I'm going to send you who one who is like the father like the sun and and is going to be the Holy Spirit, and so God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit are equal in power and glory.

There the same nature of the same essence. But there different persons, so the third person of the Trinity is being going to be sent to us to believers in a special way so the promise is Jesus making is I will be with you to listen Holy Spirit the third person of the Trinity. It will be sent after Christ ascends into heaven in a very special way. So another multiple verses of Scripture that remind us that the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in the believer. First Corinthians 316 do you not know that you are a temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you or verse first Corinthians 6 919 or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own.

Second Corinthians 16 at 616 says this or what agreement hath the temple of God with idols, for we are the temple of the living God, just as God said, I will dwell in them and walk among them, and they will.

I will be their God and they shall be my people. Those are Emmanuel promises coming from our Lord and reiterated by the teaching of all the New Testament that the Holy Spirit comes and lives inside the believer that you look at the immediate context in Egypt verse chapter 14 of John. You drop down to verse 20 it says this in that day you will know that I am in my father in and you in me and I in you. What days that as pointing to the day of Pentecost when the when the Holy Spirit came down the special way in a very public way to people from all over the Roman Empire of different languages, different ethnic groups was basically saying publicly, though the Holy Spirit is there, but Christ is there for for the world to come to faith in him and find salvation, and the only Savior and Lord that exists, the Lord Jesus Christ and this was a testimony to the world now what is the work that we're talking about your of the Holy Spirit, with the first thing we see is that he is going to send a helper or the term is concurrent translate comforter and that's very important. The Greek word for that is the word Paraclete which means somebody who comes alongside you the steps right up there, not miles away. They're not just talking and say I'll help you move but they actually come in and come along beside you and directly helping you and if you had looked in the margins of you in the margins of your Bible, or maybe a footnote at the bottom where it says Paraclete. If you have a concordance there in the center. It may tell you that there are two or three nuances to this were two or three ways you can translate the word Paraclete and regular talk about those. The first meeting is that yes it he is the comforter. He is the helper that means he is right there with us any.

He is framing our under this of one verse of Scripture that kinda frames our understanding of this at John when he was writing in chapter 7 verses 38. He quotes Jesus and then he gives his commentary on this. Listen to this John chapter 7 verse 38 is what Jesus says he who believes in me, as the Scripture said from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water in verse 39 John comments on. He says this, but this he spoke of the spirit whom those who believe in him were to receive for the spirit was not yet given. But Jesus because Jesus was not yet glorified.

So this is with the work of the spirit, the comforter, the helper was going to be like living water in the in your own life in your own so so that is one meeting comforter is coming to help us coming. But there's a second meeting and that is the meaning it's a legal term it means. It means legal counsel or an advocate Simp Eric Sinclair Ferguson is leaking her teaching mentions this term as Paraclete.

He says it is a legal term but is not. It is used in judicial cases but not in the way we use it you not going to go see Collins Collins and Bradford.

Whatever. Attorneys at law that is not how the students ruptured as our structure, but in the Roman Empire. There was a different structure and what that meant was is pretty accurate as to the meaning of the word Paraclete. It means that if you are in trouble. You would go get your lifelong best friend or a long-term friend who knew you, and they would come and just as a private citizen, they would say they would advocate for you, as I look, I know this person's character. They have live the moral life. All so for years and years so there there there is your advocate there there Internet interceding for you and that is the work of the Holy Spirit.

When Satan accuses you when he speaks to you and I accuses you and says all you send this way you're not worthy disco set out I don't talk about Jesus anymore. You know you can't be forgiven you. What you did 20 years ago yeah okay that's what Satan does. He is the accuser, but Jesus Christ says said the Holy Spirit living in you is your advocate. He's going to reassure you that you are his child you have standing with Christ. He's he's paid for your sins and he's going to counsel against those lives at your hearing. Another factor is that if you newsletter over and over. Later on in job.

He says that the Holy Spirit will kick the world work convict the world of judgment and sin so the Holy Spirit is is working in the life of the believer to reassure them but also to the unbelieving world.

He's there convicting them all, legal and judicial processes saying you are either in guilt before the Lord, or your or your forgiven and your protected and so that's that's a second meeting that the Holy Spirit is your advocate working in your heart okay.

The third meaning is that for the for the Paraclete or the is it for this word is that he is an intercessor on you know sometimes we gather we meet. We have times of prayer and you hear people find father's disinterest. The comfort this person be with them in this difficulty with this family. We are asking God's spirit to do that but that's what he does, but specifically if you look at Romans 826 Paul is writing there to the Romans and it says this in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness. For we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. He is looking at who we are. We are flesh and blood.

Sometimes we don't know how to pray, we don't know what the price we don't understand our situation were bewildered but yet the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. He's our intercessor, so the Paraclete does come alongside us as Jesus promised, he comforts us.

He defends us against false accusation and he intercedes for us now want to double down on something and use that term double down because it just try to emphasize some of the things that were going to see here about who God is, because with you read through John chapter 1415 1617 if Christ is just talking about the relationship of the father-son the spirit, but his relationship to us and him being in us and us being part of of his kingdom and his children, etc. then this segment of Scripture that just this is overloaded with with God's blessings. So as we think about this what Jesus said he was going to be with us but Jesus is in heaven. He ascended to heaven. So how is he going with as well. He sent the Holy Spirit who is one part of one of the Trinity persons of the Trinity and who is equal in power and glory in nature. Just like the father and the son so that is how it the manual promises going to be fulfilled. However, there are some other things that are true about this promise when Jesus was teaching this passage here in John 616, who is who. Who is Jesus to the disciples, how they see him well. Look at John 14. One very common verse of Scripture Jesus it and it's usually used when we are grieving over something he says do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God believe also in me.

For I go to prepare a place for you. But Jesus telling this to the disciples. He says I am going to in the future. Go and prepare for you here on earth but I am in heaven doing what I am preparing for you. I am not static I working for you in heaven well and when we get over to second Corinthians chapter 1 is is a God, our God is the God of all comfort. Or when you think about Christmas a week we read about Isaiah 41 says comfort you, comfort you, my people. This is the coming of the Messiah. This is the work of the Lord. So our Lord is our helper in heaven.

He's our comforter in heaven and the Holy Spirit is the comforter within us. So Jesus is our comforter working from heaven, and the Holy Spirit is the comforter working inside of us. So double down again. Jesus promises to be with us but Jesus is also our legal counsel. He is our Paraclete and that way he is our advocate and we know that when we read first John chapter 2 verse one we quote this many times my little children, John writes, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin or continuance in, and if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

The word advocate that there is the same word used in that Jesus is using here in John 1416 is the word Paraclete.

So what is this say wow we have an advocate in heaven before the father who is Jesus Christ and we have an advocate living in us, who is the Holy Spirit that is amazing.

This is teaching us more of the depth of the love of God, he has for us that he is so putting out pouring out so many riches on us that we cannot imagine them we have is representing us in heaven and God is representing us on this earth by his spirit. But there's 1/3 time Jesus double down here and that is the promise to be with this it plainly says in John 1416, I will ask the father then look at verse 13 and 14 that same chapter verse 13 says, whatever you ask in my name, that will I do so that the father may be glorified in the sun. If you asked me anything in my name I will do who will do it. Jesus will do it.

That's why we pray in his name. He's told us to pray in his name because we appeal to him. Well, the Holy Spirit is our intercessor. And Jesus is our intercessor.

He's doubling down there is another verse.

I just found out that someone read to me this week and that is Hebrews 7 verse 25 is very interesting. It says this. Therefore, he Jesus is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. God is our intercessor. Christ is our intercessor. The Holy Spirit is our intercessor. So Jesus is now in heaven. Hearing our prayers and presenting them to the father and the same time, the Holy Spirit, our intercessor is in us interceding for us, helping us to pray and praying when we don't know how to put things in word he sees there helping. So when you go back and lead John 1415 1670 realism as a unit issues full of things about the living God about the father son and the Holy Spirit, and that we are in him and him and us. Okay. We talked about the fact that the Trinity father-son, the father, the spirit are helper legal counsel advocate intercessor, but you know after Christ ascended into heaven, we are still here right but is he with you. Is he with you.

Yes it with you. Your believer is with you is these in you and that's what is trying to reassure us that in this passage I think almost the people in this room could probably think about us very simple time made when you are observing something in nature and it just reminded you of the fact that God is with you. Or maybe there's more dramatic experience that demonstrated some memorable thing that got you know God was with me answer that prayer in some way. So I got an assignment for you after the benediction at the closing. I do want you to get up and talk about sports. I do what you talk about whatever happened to happen this week I want you to turn to the next person does your assignment I was in turn next person or whoever if you're listening Turner next person next to you and say four or five sentences. I remember the time the God was with me share that with your brothers and sisters I tell you do that we close the service are so let me give you a personal illustration talking about my weakness of faith.

Okay, so I remember the time years ago when let you somebody done this, you use the you probably bore that plane or that ship and you gonna let both planes and ships. It will make it back home I when I get back home with all these people be there. Never had the stuff that that sinking feeling inside of you, and yet God is that he's going to be with you.

Well, Martha, how are headed to Asia as a family she'd Artie been a shift in 1982, but this time was different. We were dry a couple our grandkids away from it from grandparents and how that can be. They didn't want to see him go here we go every going guy we've lived with one airport now are down in Atlanta and and I were walking down the Lanark airport going to go to get to our gate to get on the plane to go to Asia and Sydney are thinking I can go a lot of places by myself and I got a family here who is a little apprehension there little bit of concern, but as you were goodbye been raining that day I looked out the big windows on the side of the there would look. The range is shining there on the tarmac of this plane there and there were these huge men. I mean they were huge, getting on this airplane. It was the Atlanta Falcons sucking but that wasn't the thing. If the rain had ceased, and above that plane and the abundance of color with this ring, is it he promised Noah to get his promises to Noah and the earth and keep his promises to me but that wasn't all. God knew my weakness and he was sending me a message. There were two rainbows in the sky that day and I thin man.

God knows and I really reassures where is my faith, but he has a stick these things in the clouds remind me that Jesus shed his blood for me and he promised to be with me and be with our family and is true.

So you may have had those experiences to just a little moment a reminder, God is with you. Share those after the service. Okay now the apostle Paul that he was one.

I think one of our heroes in Scripture. But you know he had moments when he struggled. Is God really with me on him in a tough time in acts chapter 16 we know that Paul had been had gone to Uganda. Philip and then we believe that Liddy was the first convert we know of, probably in in in in Europe is not part of the world and so is in Philippi and he is preaching and teaching there is in the synagogue and people come along that I get upset and did the that some of the Jewish people there just have a riot in which they you know Paul and Silas are being drug court.

Other drug in the prison and they're actually being but there they are beaten with rods. It was not a picnic.

It was tough well after they got out of jail they left and they went over Thessalonica and then in Thessalonica. They were they were preaching and teaching. There is synagogue, and then the people some of the people rose up and go start a riot and that they were thrown out of Thessalonica, but when they got to Berea they were teaching in the synagogue and the people in the city got picked up their Old Testament and they said wait a minute what he saying about the Messiah in the Old Testament heaviest true.

This must be Jesus. But guess what the people from Thessalonica followed them to Berea and they ran him out of Berea. So then Paul was the Athens and finally he ends up in Corinth and so is in Corinth so ask a team with only little bit about that Paul situation there, verse, verse seven. They just they just left there.

They came into in the Corinth and it begins this way.

Then he left there and went to the house of a man named Titus Justice and worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue, Crispus the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his counsel and many of the Corinthians, when they heard were believing and being baptized in the Lord said to Paul in a night by night vision. Do not be afraid any longer ago on speaking and do not be silent.

For I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in the city and he settled their year and six months, teaching the word of God among all needed that reassurance like we need those reassurances, and he recognized that this was God's promise I will be with you and no man in this city will be able to harm you or attack you.

That's what he told Abraham, I am your shield. That's what he told Joshua. Joshua said I will be with you and I will not fail you or forsake you the same covenant promise in verse 10, say it's rated again for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you in Jesus ads for I have many people in the city. Well the points to be made here. God did have people in that city and one meaning may be applied to the man of name Galileo and Dalia was interesting person.

He was a magister there. Some of the read their verse. Chapter 18 of acts first 12 says. But while Galliano was proconsul U the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat say this man persuades man to worship God contrary to the law. Having a Bible you can turn the pages. But when Paul was about to open his mouth.

Galliano said due to the use if it were a matter of wrong or of vicious crime of Jews.

It would be reasonable for me to put up with you. But if there are questions about words and names are in your own law, look after yourselves.

I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters and he drove them away from the judgment seat and they took hold of Sus than these, the leader of the synagogue and began beating him in front of the judgment seat, but Galliano was not concerned about any of these things interesting. Nobody touched Paul God promising no man will attack you. But Sausalito got it so it's interesting if you turn to the book of first Corinthians, Paul is writing back in the Crispus and one whether the signs in the garden not Christmas becomes a believer then and then we go to read this first verse of first Corinthians 1 Paul called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and sucks the knees are brother Sausalito apparently became a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and so God in the second meeting. Yet he I Galliano who was the matter. Should I have many people in the city God control the head of the heart of the ruler, but also God was had people who were coming to him. That's why Paul was there. Those 18 months because he was going to build the church but when you turn over to the next page or so invent first with his 1415 16 it says this Paul says I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius so that no one would say that you were baptized in my name now did baptize also the house of Stefanos. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any less Crispus ahead of one synagogue in the and then his necessities, God was bringing his people to himself, just like he promised Paul and that in that remind come the reminder that God was with him. God is faithful God is a covenant keeping God even when our knees are stomachs are weak, he is faithful. So one of God's forever plans is that he's promised his presence to be with us as the Emmanuel promise you know Christ was with the patriarchs of old. He taught the disciples there in in in Judea and he reassures us by the examples of the apostle Paul that he's a covenant keeping God. He is our Emmanuelle so we need to testify that we need to worship God because he is that way and like Abraham was called out of the Chaldees many years ago he he he obeyed God in faith in God was with him. He was a she or like like Paul when he went to the Roman Empire into the Gentile world. God was with him at ease with us so Jesus is with those who belong to him and he is with those who follow Christ daily the comforter advocate the intercessor, is our Emmanuelle) father in heaven we thank you for your blessings. We thank you for the fact that the your thirst. There's no way we can really know all that there is revealed about you and there's more to be revealed in eternity future you're so rich you're so gracious and so patient. Your present with us and we do not deserve it but yet because of the blood of Christ, we can come into your presence.

Oh father, thank you for being keeping your confidence in making your confidence. We give you thanks in Jesus name, amen