Introducing the Holy Spirit

One rather ancient lexicon defined Paraclete. This way one who pleads cause before a judge. Some of wrongly suggested from Roman separated. Paul is referring to some special language that we pray whereby we really get into the presence of God. Another boy Roman date is usually not afraid.

Not even saying anything. The spirit of God comes alongside the nose your life your heart your well your desires and he takes your case for you and he is a tall fact you might wish that the Bible taught a little bit more about the Holy Spirit than it does. But we know that God has told us what he wants us to and what he's told us is very encouraging in the New Testament Gospels before the spirit came in acts Jesus introduced his disciples to the Holy Spirit. He taught them some things that the Holy Spirit would do today on wisdom for the heart.

Stephen Devi looks at what Jesus said in the Gospel of John. Stephen is calling this lesson. Introducing the Holy Spirit process where we left the disciples last Lord today. In our study in a very troubled state and they are in the process of being encouraged. Let's go back and this is our discussion today we wrap up the series in chapter 14 that there is the encouragement of a constant companion through life with bigger study backup we left off with verse 15 Jesus said if you love me you will the original tense keep on keeping my commandments. Jesus is telling a disciple that if they are on their way to the father's house in heaven, and their experience in this relationship of prayer water on earth. They will be a disciple who is striving toward obedience that is authentic disciples are revealed by active obedience. But wait a second pageant anything more discouraging on the eve of Jesus Christ departure of him looking at you and say if you love me, keep on keeping my commandments, knowing that within 24 hours. Everyone but one of these disciples will respond to this panic by deserting Jesus Christ not by obeying in fact, we know from the record of Scripture that was only the apostle John walked up that hill with weeping Mary on his arm and stood there all of the others and headed for the hills that we would probably like to think that we would be the apostle John, I think we would probably be more like the apostle Peter made a promise that he didn't keep Swarna so ardently miss that to and then he and panic ran for the hell we would probably be a little bit more like Thomas go after this it all happened and he had seen the anguish of Gethsemane.

He had seen the events of Calvary and then he says I have to have more facts before unwilling to sign my name to this again. I think that would be our responsive Jesus tells them something that on their own, they would never be able to do you love me, keep my commandments put into action everything that I have taught you become what I want you to become absolutely impossible.

That's why the closing comments of his encouraging words have great meaning to us because there is hope. Look at verse 16 and I will ask the father and he will give you another helper, he may be with you forever. That is the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold him or know him, but you know him because he abides with you and will be in you.

I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you after a little while the world will hold me no more, but you will hold me because I live, you shall live also in that day you shall know that I am in the father and you and me and I in you, he who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me and he loves me shall be loved by my father and I will love him and will disclose myself to him. Judas Iscariot said to him, Lord, what that is happened that you are going to disclose yourself to us and not to the world. In other words, what you going to set up your kingdom. Now reveal that you are the sovereign Messiah.

Do it now.

Jesus answered and said to them. Verse 23.

If anyone loves me, he will keep my word and my father will love them and we will come to an and make our abode with him. What kind of answers and was interesting that the same word abode is here and also in verse two in my father's house are many abode Monday are many mansions or dwelling places is at work. In other words, Jesus is answering them by saying this. While there will come a day when the kingdom will be visibly present in the meantime, I will be invisibly setting up my kingdom in your life. I will make your body wide palace there. One day, a present physical kingdom, but in the meantime he will make his invisible rule in you.

In other words, your body will be his mention 25 these things I have spoken to you while abiding with you but the helper, the Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said now it if you're like most people, if you're like me, the Holy Spirit is is either neglected or misunderstood or perhaps just finally ignored like Arthur Pink, who once wrote this, is that we have the wrong thoughts about the Holy Spirit is just that we never think of him at all and I would add when we when we do think of him. We are probably a little confused about this mysterious third person of the Godhead. So what I want to do this morning is simply reintroduced to all of us the Holy Spirit because according to the words of Jesus without this proper understanding our hearts would be troubled before I begin I want to give you one truth that you might want to make room in your notes for. I don't think it's in there if you're following along. It's this axiomatic truth that will help clear up a lot of confusion and I want to spend a few minutes on it's this the holy spirit. Remember this if you forget everything else. The Holy Spirit is not a power he is a person. If you have the idea that he is a power then your thoughts will be how can I get more of them and we have this idea of a gas tank and we got three quarters full of the Holy Spirit and were praying will get all of them will get more of it or will have more of it power something. Whatever is not a power is a person part of the problem is we misinterpreted the passages of Scripture that use the words filled with the spirit that gives our English minds. This idea of the fact that our bodies are cut like a gas tank and we try to get more and more and more of what Paul meant was not that you can get a little bit of the Holy Spirit, or a lot of the Holy Spirit. The word filled play Ruth's. They literally means be dominated by the Holy Spirit being totally control by the Holy Spirit. Allow him to have your life to the question is not how much of the Holy Spirit. Do you have, the question is how much of you does the Holy Spirit have a back to the truth. How do we know that God the Holy Spirit is a person just got the father is a distinct personal personality and God the son.

Within this triune Godhead well to give you a couple reasons. Number one because you can sin against the Holy Spirit will commanded grieve not the Holy Spirit. You can't hurt. You can't disappoint some invisible power, but you can a person secondly he is the one whose role includes the selection and distribution of spiritual gifts.

He does that. That's is that's a specific function. One of them. Paul writes in first Corinthians 12.

There are a variety of gifts bought one and the same's. And he distributes to everyone these gifts as he wills. That is, as he decides.

Now remember that the Holy Spirit imparts empowerment to take those spiritual gifts within us and put them in the use, but never mistake him for the power he is not some impersonal force.

He is a person 1/3 reason divine attributes are ascribed to the spirit look at John 14 verse 26 John calls him what the holy spirit the primary attribute of every one of the three persons of the Godhead is holiness. He is a holy spirit. He is pure is true.

You go to the New Testament, and you'll discover in first Corinthians chapter 2 that he's referred to as omniscient in Luke chapter 1 is omnipotent, and some 139 Azam nine present the Holy Spirit.

That is no less divine than Christ or the father, the holy spirit is equally God the Holy Spirit.

Furthermore, intercede on our behalf. Another function in Romans chapter 8. Listen to what he says. Likewise the Spirit S also helps our weaknesses.

For we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words and he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the spirit is a power does not have a mind person does in the Holy Spirit with what he knows and being all-knowing speaks on her behalf give you another thought.

We are promised that the Spirit would literally descend just as Jesus promised that he would literally send hold your finger here turnover to chapter 16 verse five Jesus says now I'm going to him who sent me an none of you asks me where you going for six but because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart but I tell you the truth it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away the whole, the helper shall not come to you, but if I go, I will send him not.

It no he says I will send him just as I'm going up is going to come down now is an amazing thing here in verse seven to some very troubled disciples stay there for just a moment to look but I tell you the truth it is to your advantage. Jesus said that I go away to never occur to you that it would be advantageous that Jesus Christ would no longer be visibly present so that the spirit could be in visibly present at this is how I can advantage to me. I'll admit that right up front. In fact, I spent all week trying to figure out why that would be an advantage well Jesus will tell them in the latter part of chapter 14 as we study it together why it would be advantageous that he physically leave visibly leave in the spirit in visibly call. Let me give it to you in the form of the advantages advantage number one back in chapter 14, the Holy Spirit will be are encouraging ever present helper giver 16 and I will ask the father and he will give you another helper, that he may be with you forever. Your version may read comforter.

I will send you another comforter in our minds we have the picture of this warm soft blanket that we wrap around ourselves on a cold winter night, that isn't really the idea, nor is it the idea of Linus's truck is trailing his blanket along behind him for security site. All of the spirit of God gives us.

Indeed, security our English translation comforter comes from two Latin words whom for tests to meeting with fortis meaning to fortify to put strings into two straighten up. It is at this warm blanket idea is someone who indwells us to make us stand who fortifies us with supernatural strength.

The Greek word you probably will knows the word Paraclete which means called to one side called alongside one word has a challenging idea, but that is where we get the idea of encouragement in this uplifting side of what the Holy Spirit does he see we just been told to accomplish mission impossible. We are told to utilize our spiritual gifts. We are told to reach our world were told to make disciples. We are told to serve them, we are told to keep his commandments.

We can know it left alone. We would hide the hills as these disciples did with the spirits enabling will be able to pull it off when you give you another side of this word Paraclete one rather ancient lexicon defined Paraclete. This way, listen one who pleads a cause before a judge.

Counsel for the defense. Someone who studies the case here is the testimony and then expresses it in court on our behalf. Sound familiar.

Well, we just read earlier I read to you. Romans chapter 8 where the spirit of God intercedes on our behalf. In languages that we cannot understand with groanings, as it were too deep for us to understand. Now some of wrongly suggested from Romans chapter 8 that Paul is referring to some special language that we pray whereby we really get into the presence of God to the point. Romans eight is usually not a pray. Not even saying anything spirit of God comes alongside. He knows your life, your heart, your well your desires and he takes your Chase for you and he is a tall, with the father on your back. Bill Gates illustrated this way, the pastor, North Carolina.

His father was the chief of police in this little bitty country town and that was the job of the policeman on duty to answer the telephone for the fire department. In fact, the two offices were sort of combined and if there was a fire he would ring the bell that would bring all of the volunteers running one particular day when when Yates, his father had just clocked in. The telephone rang and he answered it as he normally did fire department and the woman on the other end of the line just simply shouted send a fire truck and then hung up and he kinda stood there stunned, not sure what to do and he was trying to figure it all out and then the telephone rang again a few minutes later and he answered it, fire department and the woman on the other end of the line said where is the fire truck player's truck and then by the fund. He knew that somebody's house was at stake here and maybe even more so he ran outside and he was sort of scanning the horizon of that little town to see if you could discover smoke anywhere need send the volunteers running in that direction while he was after he came over the scheme to keep this lady on the phone and sure enough, the phone rang again. This time he ran back in and instead of saying fire department.

He simply answered by saying where's the fire and she responded by yelling you I think of Romans chapter 8 I think of that lady because you and I says get in the times and situations and panics and fears and trials when we don't know really what to say to God all we can get out is just send that out. God knows the address because he lives inside the intercedes for us and by the way that the wonderful would advantage number two, the Holy Spirit will be our living constant companion. Look at verse 17 chapter 14 that is the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold him or know him, but you know him because he abides with you and future tense will be in you it, it isn't simply that the Holy Spirit is as close to us that he's actually inside of distortion is that we must have some kind of experience to get more of him. Ladies and gentlemen, the theological truth is that right now is a believer right at this moment you have the spirit of God within in totality first thing that we can make a biblical case of all three persons of the Godhead indwelling us but you know that the father and the son and the Holy Spirit.

In fact, notice the interchange in verse 18 between Christ and that in the spirit. He says I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you notice the interchange of Christ there with the spirit.

Verse 19. After a little while the world will behold be no more would you will hold me because I live in, you shall live also in that day notice this you shall know that I am in the father and you in me and I in you, the amazing truth of God's condescension is that he has chosen to take up residency in you and we often overlook that wonderful advantage don't way that's not only encouraging that's convicted because that means wherever we go.

He goes whatever we do we put him through it.

One of the primary motivations for purity in life is the very God lives within us. If I told your finger here. I want you to turn over to first Corinthians chapter 6, first Corinthians chapter 6 this is the very point that Paul is making verse 18. He says flee immorality specific reference to sexual impurity to broaden immorality as the Bible does to include anything against the character of God, he says, in effect, you get on your shoes. You tie them up real tight and you run from sin. Why verse 19 is the motivation, don't you know he says that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, you no longer belong to yourself that is you are not your own, for you have been bought with a price that is the death of Christ therefore glorify God in your body, what you get your pencils and underline our circle.

The little word temple to very unique word there could be a Greek word that refers to the outer courtyard of the Old Testament Tabernacle or temple. And there's another Greek word that refers to the inner shrine that is the very holy of holies where God resided, as it were. This power in his presence. That was the ark of the covenant. That's the word that Paul uses here, he says your body is the holy of holies that is not in the Old Testament in past time, resided in the holy of holies.

Now in this dispensation. In this charter change is where he lived there sitting right there with you. In other words, God is chosen to make your body is powerless. What an advantage that is advantage number three, the Holy Spirit will be our amazing illuminating teacher will look at the passage in a moment.

But remember that Jesus Christ on the eve of his departure knew that he had a lot more to say to his disciples that he affect the disciples were really ready for that, judging from the interactions of chapter 14 from from Thomason, and Philip and Peter and Judas the thrust of what Jesus has already taught.

They were anticipating the resurrection were the no they didn't know anything about the nature of the New Testament church that no understand or worldwide commission did they know absolutely not. In fact, they are in my thinking like first-graders who have been given an assignment that you would give to a college graduate, they are not ready. They are not prepared.

In fact, through their entire lifetime.

They will never be able to say I'm here.

I am really thoroughly prepared and I'm totally ready for something to happen and that is this Jesus says that I'm going go up the spirit is going come down he's going to inspire men to write this record of Scripture and that he is going to teach through illuminating the Scripture to our lives. While Jesus taught his disciples physically, visibly the spirit of God will teach us invisibly inaudibly through the teachings of Jesus Christ that that doesn't really sound like an advantage. It doesn't.

Jesus was physically present with them the spirit is invisibly present with us.

I vote for that.

The other way would you, but if Jesus Christ were physically present with us. He could not be physically present with the church in Raleigh or Charlotte or China or Hungary and there would be no teaching at all. In fact, if you were teaching in room 102 over here that class would be excited beyond words but room 105 would be upset it is to our advantage that we have the indwelling spirit who can speak through the record of what Christ taught them so that no one is left out. He would bring to their minds, the apostles, the words and works of Jesus Christ and they would write them down by what we call inspiration, and that he would take what was written and he promises to teach us every day of our lives no matter where we are, no matter what time of day, at any time at any location. He will teach us and no one is left out.

So Paul could write in second Timothy chapter 3, all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, but what some scholar thinks that he can cut out all your is inspired of God and all Scripture than is profitable. He says for teaching that tells you what to believe or reproof that tells you where you are wrong or correction that tells you what is right and for instruction or preparation that tells you how to do what is right that the disciple Paul adds, may be entirely equipped for every good service to see the Holy Spirit who inspired the scriptures through them and through this book now clarifies the Scriptures in every one of us who believe in Jesus Christ, so that you can learn any time of the day and you can be taught by the Holy Spirit for this block. That's an advantage in no one's left out by his teaching, then we can know what to believe and we can know how to behave which the net result of all of this that he's given them in chapter 14 will call it supernatural peace, would you turn and look again at verse 27 of John 14 and notice how Jesus comes full circle. This is the back cover of this book on encouragement. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you not as the world gives do I give you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid or fearful peace now, not to us. The word peace here would bring to our minds, just the absence of war or the absence of trouble. That's what peace would mean to our world, but in the Bible. The biblical idea of peace is not that the biblical idea of peace is wholeness. It is completeness, it is security is relation ship not resource in the world peace is something that you hope for peace is something that you work for peace is something that you long for. Jesus says here that it is a gift. Look again peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you and it's unlike anything the world as it doesn't give you anything but I give you this is me the troubling circumstances are over.

No, this is mean the painful trials are a thing of the past note but we have in an we have an ongoing present relationship with the phone and we have an ever present opinion Holy Spirit that will give Jesus says this supernatural peace 10 heel. I hope you find comfort and encouragement in this lesson today. Take comfort and find hope in the truth that God is always with you. God listens and hears when you cry out to him and us Christians. The Holy Spirit lives in us to comfort and guide us.

This is wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi, Stephen pastors, the shepherd's church in Cary, North Carolina. Today's lesson is the last in a four-part series called healing troubled hearts. If you missed any of the lessons I want to listen there available free of charge on our website. Wisdom online. Another resource we have is a book on this book is also called healing for troubled hearts.

I think it would make a great addition to your library.

Stephen begins a brand-new series next time to join us for that year. Wisdom