The Spirit Will Come

We're continuing our study in the Gospel of John. If you have a Bible, you can use the pew Bible in front of you. We're on page 902. We would encourage you and ask that you please take that Bible home and read it. It contains the words of life that you need. We've been in the Gospel of John and we've been listening to the final discourse of Jesus Christ preparing his church, his people to continue his mission. He is the true light that has come into the world. They now will go out into the world as the light of God. He's called them to obey him. John 14, 15. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. That is a heavy and high calling. But then he promises, I will send my spirit. I will enable you to love me and keep my commandments. We heard then that the promise or the truth is revealed that God commands what he wills and he gives what he commands. Jesus called them to love one another and sends them the spirit to unite them. We would not be united if it weren't for the one spirit working in us to love one another and care for another as Christ has loved us. Now, in our passage, he's continuing to warn them and give them hope. That Jesus, He warns them that the world's going to hate them. It's a warning and He promises, I will send the Spirit. You will not be defeated. The power of God will not just come upon you. It will be in you. It would enable you and endure you and keep you and give you the power to change the world. See, as we've been going through the Gospel of John, we've been waiting for a certain moment. There's numerous references to the hour that was going to come when Jesus Christ would die on the cross. He would conquer sin. He would die a sinner's death for us. Jesus Christ would come and be murdered by our hands, those who have sinned against him. The Son of God is crushed by the Father for the iniquities that we've committed. He was hated. He was hated because he was a true light of the world that loved darkness rather than God. And now he calls the church to go out and be that light. We will be hated. But our hope is in the fact that the Holy Spirit has come. The victory is won. We are empowered to fight this battle. Our message this morning is this. The Spirit empowers the church for her battle against the world. The Spirit empowers the church for her battle against the world. Listen, as I read John chapter 16, I'll go back to verse one. But our our passage that we're looking at this morning will begin in verse four. And I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. It will put you out of the synagogue. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the father nor me. But I have said these things to you that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told them to. I did not say these things to you from the beginning because I was with you. But now I'm going to him who sent me and none of you asked me, where are you going? But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment, concerning sin, because they do not believe in me, concerning righteousness, because I go to the father and you will see me no longer. concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. Therefore, I said that he will take away what is mine and declare it to you. Father, we thank you that you have revealed to us your truth. We thank you that you have sent your son to die for us. Bless us now with your Holy Spirit. May it enlighten us and illuminate our hearts. May you shine a spotlight on Christ so that we see him in his glory. We see you in your love. Help us, Lord, to see our sins. See them as they are. Lead us to repent so that we can see you more purely. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. This morning we're going to see the church. We need the Spirit. And then we'll see the two ways the Spirit works. The Spirit will change the world. And the Spirit will lead the church in truth. First, the church needs a spirit. Look at verse four. I did not say these things to you from the beginning because I was with you. What are these things? It must be referring to the hatred that they're now going to receive from the world. That's the new information he's giving to them. The new information is that the world is going to hate them. And he hasn't said it to them yet because he's there with them to protect them. He's the good shepherd walking with them in the presence. But he's going to go away and he's telling them now the world is going to hate you. Look, you're not greater than the master. They hated Jesus. They're going to hate his church. He's explicitly revealed a very important truth about the church. The church is at war against the world. There's a cosmic battle going on. We're entering into a war that was led by Satan against God and his glory. And we're in the middle of it. The truth is we're the church militant waiting to be the church at rest. We're to be striving against sin, striving against the schemes of the devil for the glory of God. Now why does the world hate Jesus? And why would the world hate the church? It's because Jesus is a true light. And the church, when it's functioning under Jesus' headship, according to his word, we're spreading light. And the world, they didn't like his light because they love the darkness. This is what John makes very clear, they did not love the light of Christ, the true light, because they love their sin too much. See, when the church is actually being the church, we're shining a light and exposes the darkness, it exposes the condemnation and exposes the glory of God, the resisting and rebelling against. Jesus said these things to repair them. Now, he says you haven't asked. The disciples ask kind of the worst possible questions sometimes. You know a good teacher because they help the student ask a question. Well, Jesus is the best teacher. These guys just don't get it very well. And it's because the spirit of truth hasn't come. But they're asking questions. He says, you haven't asked where I'm going. If you did, you wouldn't have such a troubled heart. But what they're about to face is very troubling. They're about to see their master, the one they've confessed to be the Christ, the one they've left home and family and vocation and security for, they're about to see him hung on a cross. The one they hoped was the glory, they're going to see him die on a shameful cross between thieves. It would be troubling if you didn't see the bigger picture. That this was for their good. This was for them. They at some level have a right to be concerned. But when we see the whole plan of God, it's glorious because God is for us. God sent his son to redeem us. He sent his spirit to apply that redemption to us. Look at verse seven. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away. That should be somewhat shocking. If I surveyed you as you came in and I said, when would you rather live right now? Or would you have liked to live when you could have walked and talked with Jesus Christ? What would you have said? Before I read this passage, I may have said, I would love to just walk arm in arm with Jesus, to look him in the eye, to speak with him. How glorious would it have been? But Jesus says, it's better that I'm not with you because the Holy Spirit's going to apply the presence of God in a better way, a more personal way, a more powerful way. He's going to be indwelling you. You're not just gonna be walking and talking with Jesus. The Spirit's gonna allow you to walk and talk like Jesus. It's beautiful. I don't like talking on the phone. Some of you know that, who I've gotten off the phone very awkwardly with. Okay, thanks. Bye-bye. Talking on the phone, it's not personal enough. I want to see someone's face. I want to be able to be there and have the real conversations face-to-face. The phone is unhelpful to have real conversation, and so I think, well, it'd be great to see Jesus face-to-face. Scripture actually says in the Spirit, we can know God face to face in a real relationship. Jesus told us it's better for us if we have the Spirit, because if the Spirit comes, he will give new life to us. If the Spirit comes, he will empower us to obey. If the Spirit comes, he'll stir us up to true worship. If the Spirit comes, he'll change our desires so we'll stop loving darkness. We can start loving God. This is pretty amazing. The disciples got to walk with Jesus, talk to him, eat with him, learn directly from his audible words in their ears. And he's saying, we now live in a better state. It's better for us now than it was for Peter before the cross. Why? Because the helper has come. Now, we know from previous chapters of John 14 and 15, he's another helper. The Father has sent two helpers. The first helper is Jesus Christ, the Son. The second helper is the Holy Spirit. I'm choosing the word helper more than comforter or counselor because God's one plan is being worked out by the Son and the Spirit. They're helping accomplish the will of God in our lives. We need the Spirit to help us. As we read in Psalm 36, we must see light by the light. We're too dark in our sin to see the true light. So the Holy Spirit must come in, illuminate our hearts so that we can then see the true light and appreciate it and worship that light, the Son of God, as he deserves. Let's put it this way. Think about what happened in these 35 years. The most amazing progress in redemptive history, the most amazing changes. First, Jesus and the birth. God took on flesh. The creator came and walked among his creation, the creator was dependent upon the creation he made, he had to eat, he had to drink, he sat under the sun that he put into the sky. That's amazing to see what God did there. And he did that so that he become like us in every way, so that when he died for us, he could take on our sin as a sinless man. And he could give us his righteousness. It's amazing what happened at the birth of Christ and that great change in how God relates to us. This is a bigger change, but the 50 days between the death of Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit, that is the greatest change in redemptive history. Let me explain why. First, it's because of what Jesus does to improve our standing. Jesus died and made a full atonement for our sin. He was the once for all sacrifice. His sin took away our sin, washed us clean, purified us perfectly. There is no more need for any more sacrifices. He died to make peace between us and God because God's wrath was on us and we continue to rebel against God. Secondly, Jesus has conquered Satan, sin and death. He is the risen victor. He now takes us out of the dominion of darkness and into the kingdom of light. Third, Jesus shares his inheritance with us so that we're now children of God. Now, think about the status change. Adam was just a good servant before he sinned. We have it better than Adam. He wasn't a son, he didn't have an inheritance, he didn't have a place with God like we do now as sons of God who share in the inheritance of the firstborn. What God has done for us in Christ and his death and his resurrection has changed everything, but that's not all. The Spirit changes us. The second thing that makes these 50 days so incredible, the Spirit has come and he has applied everything the Son accomplished on the cross and the resurrection directly to our hearts. This is the big picture. The Father and the Son and the Spirit, they work in perfect unity. They're inseparable in their actions, and all three are working towards those the Father has elected, the Son has died for, and the Spirit is redeeming. It's a beautiful picture of how God has worked towards us. We can see this in a few passages. I'll ask you to look at these later. Encourage you to look at these later. Ephesians one. Every spiritual blessing is ours from the father in the son, and then we're sealed by the Holy Spirit or Galatians four beginning in verse four. But when the fullness of time had come, God the father sent his son born of a woman, born into the law to redeem those who are under the law so that we might receive adoption of sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the spirit of his son into our hearts, crying, Abba Father, so you are no longer a slave, but a son, if a son, then an heir through God. See the work of God. God sent his son To redeem you, to purchase you, to wash you, to give you a new standing. And then the spirit of the Son comes and cries, Ah, the Father, applying that adoption directly to our hearts. Another passage that reveals this work of God, Titus chapter three, beginning in verse three, you can turn to page 999 in your pew Bibles, Titus chapter three, beginning in three. Don't miss what we bring to the table for. We ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days and malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. This is heavy, but. When the goodness and loving kindness of God, our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, so that being justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Now, let's go back up here to verse four. Actually, let's not miss this. Verse three, we're horrible. Left to ourselves without grace, this is who we are. But God changes everything. Verse four, when the goodness of love and kindness of God, our Savior, that's the father. It's the Father we know because the Father is the one who sends the Spirit and sends the Spirit through Jesus Christ. It can't be Jesus referenced directly here. He's talking of the Father who's the Savior. By whom? And the Father has washed us and regenerated us with renewal by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit takes the washing that Christ accomplished on the cross and he applies it to our hearts. He renews us. He makes us new men and women. He makes us children of God. You see, the perfect plan of God is that the Spirit had to come. It's our advantage that he takes it and makes it ours. The Father justifies and adopts us by sending his Son and then sending the Spirit. We see this proper order in God, John 15, 26. But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you, Jesus says, from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me." The Father sends the Son. The Father and the Son send the Spirit. The Father's never sent. It is His plan to save us through the Son and the Spirit. To summarize here, it's quite an amazing picture. Now that we have the Spirit indwelling us, making us new, washing us, we have it better than Adam. We have a closer fellowship than Moses had with God. Moses had a veil. He couldn't see the face of God in the spirit and Christ. We can see the face of God. We have a higher place than David, the king. We have closer communion than even those disciples before Pentecost. But there is something that when we're filled with the spirit, when the spirit is working in us and indwelling us and changing us, he's really doing one main thing. He's spotlighting Jesus Christ. This is how you know you're filled with the Spirit. You don't seek the Spirit directly. It's kind of like humility. You don't seek humility. That never really works. You seek Christ and you become humble when you see what God did for you. When you want to know more of the Spirit, seek Christ and the Spirit will illuminate him and give you more of himself by taking away more of your sin that plagues you from a proper vision. Notice the big picture of the text place. The world will hate you. They're going to throw you out of the synagogues, they're going to bring sorrow. But Jesus says, I'm your friend. Jesus says, I've loved you, I've died for you, I'll rise again and I'll send you the spirit that will keep you and comfort you and care for you. When we look at the two different specific ways the Spirit helps the church. First, the Spirit will change the world. Secondly, the Spirit will lead the church in truth. First, the Spirit will change the world. Look at verses eight through 11. This is the heart and soul of our passage. And when he comes. He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. Concerning sin, because they don't believe in me. Concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you will see me no longer. Concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. The Spirit will come and do three things to change the world. Convict the world of sin. Convict the world of righteousness. Convict the world of judgment. We need to first ask, what does it mean to convict? Because that verb, that action is going to change or influence the way we think about the action towards the world of sin, judgment, and righteousness. This word has a very specific meaning as it's being used here in that it's a legal term. It means to expose or convince. It's used in the context of a legal argument against the defendant that evidence is brought forth that exposes the wrongdoing. It exposes guilt. It exposes the evil or the sin. The Spirit is exposing the errors of the world. This passage is kind of interesting in that it's one of the few places where the Spirit's action is directed towards the world. The Spirit's usually in the church. You usually see the Spirit moving in the church and the believer. Here it's going out to the world, empowering the church and their mission to the world. And the Spirit is convincing the world that system of rebellion against God, whom Satan has been leading as its ruler. He convinces them of their sin, convinces them of their righteousness. He convinces them of their judgment. When the world is hating the believer, the Spirit is changing the world. First, the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin. The Spirit will expose the darkness and sin of the world. John 3, verses 19 to 20. And this is the judgment. The light has come into the world and the people love the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light lest their work should be exposed. He's going to reveal their sin. He's going to show them why you don't believe in me. The Holy Spirit will reveal to the world you have sin and that's what's keeping you from coming to Christ. It's not an intellectual problem. It's a sin problem. Someone I was sharing the gospel with recently was, and he's really wrestling with it, and I appreciate his honesty. He said, you know, I have a hard time believing and trusting God. I have a difficult time understanding it. You know, I don't understand that the galaxy is expanding, but I believe it. How come it's so easy to think about something and believe something like the galaxy expanding, but I have such a hard time believing that God exists and that He cares for me? The answer is the galaxy is not making any demands on your life. The galaxy is just kind of a convenient, interesting truth out there. When you believe in God, he changes everything. He has an authority. He's God. He's a creator. You're the creature. He has a real authority. We must bow down to. Non-Christian. If you're here this morning and you're not a Christian, I'm thankful you're here. And I'm thankful you're here to hear that we're all sinners. Everyone in this room right now is a sinner. We are all sinful. We have all rebelled against God. And something I want to challenge you with is do not avoid your fault. Do not avoid thinking about and meditating upon your sin. When I was a sinner, I wanted to avoid it at all costs. I wanted to numb my mind and my heart so I never really thought about what was really wrong with me. This is why the gospel of Jesus Christ is offensive, because if we hear about Christ, we actually come face to face with our sin. See, sin can do two things. The first thing sin can do is it can take you to hell. I don't know how to make that any nicer because it's just not nice. But it's true. If you continue to cling to sin, it will drag you down to hell where the judgment of God will be forever. That's the first thing you can do. You can continue to cling to your sin and ignore it and its real consequence. And you will suffer forever under the wrath of God. Here's the second thing you can do. You cannot ignore it. You can think about your sin. You can really meditate upon it. You can you can let it become revealed. And then you can go to Jesus Christ and you say, Jesus, I see that you alone can wash away my sin. I see that you died to take away the punishment of sin. I see that you have loved me and you will care for me and you will take away the punishment, the wrath of God. And you will be washed. You'll be purified. If you let sin have its proper effect and that it shames you and you realize you're under the wrath of God and it takes you to Christ, the Holy Spirit can convict you and change your heart. But here's the key thing. Before you can know that Jesus is your savior, you must know you're a sinner. Before you can know that Jesus Christ is your savior, you must know you're a sinner. The spirit must convict you that you are a sinner, and that's why you don't believe it's not an intellectual problem. It's a sin problem. Christian, I think there's application for us. We must remember that we would not know sin unless God revealed it to us. We must recognize that the spirit convicts us and changes us, and so we boast only in Christ. And we also realize the spirit has not completed his work in any of us. He reveals our sin to us gradually so that we can repent of it gradually. There should be a constant, gradual repentance and pruning of our sinfulness so that we can grow in the knowledge and wisdom of Jesus Christ. The clear application. Church, be faithful in sharing the gospel. Don't be clever. Be faithful. You don't have to convince anybody of the gospel. You have to be clear and trust that the Holy Spirit is able to convince sinners that they're sinners and that they need Jesus Christ. Be clear and be faithful. The second thing we see the Holy Spirit doing, the Holy Spirit convicts the world of righteousness. Jesus is going to leave them. This is why he's convicting the world of their own righteousness. He is going to leave. Look at John 17, verses 11 through 13. I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world. And I'm going to you, Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction. The scriptures might be fulfilled, but now I'm coming to you and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. Jesus is leaving. He's been offensive to all the self-righteous Pharisees. As Jesus has been walking and talking on the earth, he has revealed the sin of self-righteousness among the Pharisees. And now he's leaving. And he's telling the church, the Spirit will be there to convince the world of their own self-righteousness and their wrong view of righteousness. And I believe the fact that he's at the Father, the Spirit will convince them of what the true righteousness is. One of the ways we need to think about this, Christian, is that it is by grace we're believers in Jesus Christ. Memorize Titus 3 and Ephesians 2 and just recognize that the most important word in that is but. We were dead, but God made us alive. We were foolish, but God, our Savior, through the Holy Spirit's renewing and washing, made us heirs in Christ. It's not by our works. We have nothing to boast. Except for Jesus Christ. So that always concerns me, what if the spirit is out there convincing people of the righteousness that they have a wrong self-righteousness and there's a real righteousness, Jesus Christ, and then they come to the church and they see nothing but self-righteousness. That's a concern, a concern we have to have because we can give a confusing message. Church. Here, 1 Corinthians 14, but if all prophesy and an unbeliever, an outsider enters, he is convicted by all. He is called to account by all. There's a beautiful picture in 1 Corinthians 14, a nonbeliever, an outsider comes in and they see the way we worship. They see the way we love one another. They hear the gospel we proclaim. They're not confused by self-righteousness. It's clear. We're a bunch of foolish sinners that are only here together because Jesus Christ saved us. That has to be the message that we unite together to share, not only to encourage one another, but so when outsiders come, they will be convicted by the way we live out the gospel. If you're not a Christian. And you're asking about your righteousness. The first thing I would warn you not to do, do not compare yourself to somebody next to you to ask if you're righteous. There's always a way to figure out if they're less righteous than you. Measure yourself according to God's standard. Have you lied? Have you been angry? Have you lusted? Have you coveted? Have you worshipped idols? Truth is, we're all guilty of all the sins. And it's only the blood of Jesus Christ that makes us righteous because it's not our own righteousness. It's the one he gives us when we believe in him. The third thing the Holy Spirit does in our battle against the world, he convicts the world of judgment because Satan has been judged. The Spirit will come to expose the world's wrong judgment. Now, John has already spoken about judgment in a few passages. John 7, verse 24. Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment. John 5, 30. I can do nothing on my own as I hear. I judge and my judgment is just. Because I seek not my own will, but the will of him who sent me. There's two contrasting kinds of judgment. The world judges according to what they see and experience. Jesus Christ judges according to the father and what he declares. What Jesus Christ declares to be true and what is wrong is based upon what God has said. Adam judged wrongly. Adam judged, Adam made the decision that he could trust the serpent. Adam and Eve, they they judge based upon the appearance of the fruit was good. Surely God could not have said they did not make that decision, that judgment, according to God's word, they trusted Satan. Over God. One of the warnings here that we have to hear is that every experience we have must be interpreted through the lens of Scripture. This is sound judgment. Trust the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. The reason for the judgment that he will convict the world of their wrong judgment is the rule of the world has been judged. Now, again, the world is that system of rebellion against God. Satan is leading that system of rebellion against God, and he's saying that the world will be convinced of right judgment. or the wrong judgment, and therefore the right judgment, because Satan will be judged. We have to remember something. Satan in his own power and us left to our own power is greater than us. It's clear in scripture. But Jesus Christ has risen and he has crushed his head. He is the victor over sin and death, and we share in that victory. We have a greater master than the one we used to have, and we are free in his victory. Now, Paul tells us to be aware of the devil's schemes in 2 Corinthians 2. His schemes are pretty clear. He lies, he accuses, he murders, and he tempts. But it all comes down to one thing. He lies. He wants to confuse our judgment. He wants to confuse the way we make decisions. But remember, Jesus Christ has conquered him. He has given us the truth and he has unbound us. He has freed us from his control. Now, Satan has been judged. Jesus, earlier in John, he said that Satan has been cast out. We can look later than in Hebrews 2, it said that he has destroyed the work of the devil. We can see in Colossians 2, he's disarmed the devil. Satan's control and authority over those who are now in Christ is done. It's been abolished because Jesus Christ died in our place and rose victorious for us. He's conquered Satan, just as he promised in Genesis 315. Now, believers are called to resist Satan. He prowls around, roaring, trying to persuade us with lies, but he has no bite. He can't control us if we're in Christ, he has no way of controlling us anymore because Jesus Christ has freed us. We have been delivered from the dominion of domain of darkness and in the kingdom of the sun. We're no longer slaves to sin. We're no longer slaves to Satan, but we're free. We give the devil the opportunity when we pursue the sins that come from our own flesh, according to Ephesians 4. I want you to hear this. We deny Christ and what he has done for us when we pretend Satan has authority by submitting to his temptation and believing his lies. We deny what Christ accomplished on the cross and the resurrection when we submit ourselves and pretend that Satan has authority over us. When we believe his lies and submit to his temptations, we're denying the victory that Jesus Christ has given us. Flee the temptation. Hear the call of James chapter four verse seven. Submit yourselves, therefore, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts. You're double minded. 1 John tells us to test the spirits. One of the ways you can test the spirits. Satan is trying to do everything he possibly can to distract you from Jesus Christ. He doesn't care how. It's just as long as you don't see Jesus, as long as your focus isn't on Jesus. He doesn't care. What's the Holy Spirit doing? He spotlights Jesus. If the Holy Spirit is ruling your heart, he's constantly spotlighting Jesus. If we're walking by the Spirit and living by the Spirit, Jesus will always be at the center. Now, there's two main errors that I experience and see when we think and talk about the devil. First, there's those that just don't think about him well or enough. But first, there's those that would just ignore that he really is there seeking to devour the church. 1 Peter 5 and Ephesians 6 would be what I challenge you to go read that our battle is against one who is greater than us, but has been conquered by Jesus Christ. The second error is to think too much of the devil. And here I just want to challenge you with the words of Jesus himself. When the 72 come back after having power over devils, he said in Luke 10 verse 19, Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Do not rejoice that that enemy is gone. Rejoice that God is no longer your enemy. If you're talking about Satan constantly, if you're mesmerized by the deceptive power, you may have turned your eyes too far from Christ. I think A.W. Tozer actually gives us a great word here. The scriptural way to see things is to set the Lord always before us. Put Christ in the center of our vision, and if Satan is lurking around, he will appear on the margin only and be seen as but a shadow on the edge of the brightness. It is always wrong to reverse this, to set Satan in the focus of our vision and push God out to the margin. Nothing but tragedy can come of such inversion. The best way to keep the enemy out is to keep Christ in. The sheep need not be terrified by the wolf. They have but to stay close to the shepherd. It is not the praying sheep Satan fears, but the presence of the shepherd. The instructed Christian, whose faculties have been developed by the word and the spirit, will not fear the devil when necessary. He will stand against the powers of darkness and overcome them by the blood of the Lamb and the word of testimony. He will recognize the peril in which he lives and will know what to do about it. But he will practice the presence of God. and never allow himself to become devil conscious. By focusing too much on the devil, he actually wins. Because as long as we're thinking about Christ, he wins. Focus on Christ and what he's accomplished for you. Finally, and I think I mean finally now, the Spirit will lead the church in truth. The Spirit will lead the church in truth. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now when the Spirit of truth comes. He will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak of his own authority. Whatever he hears, he will speak. But whatever he hears, he will speak and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the father has is mine. Therefore, I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. Two things to notice about the spirit of truth. The exact same description Jesus gave himself in John five is the one he gave to the spirit. Jesus and John 5 said, I do not say anything on my own authority. I only tell you what the Father has said. I only do the things the Father has done. The Spirit is the same. It's the one truth of God. The Spirit speaks not of his own authority, but of what he hears. Look at verse 14, the second thing about the Spirit again. He will glorify me. The Father is glorified by the Son and the Spirit. The son is glorified by the spirit. We are being dragged up in the spirit to the son and finally to worship the father. I want to give you just three theological truths to conclude here. This is our greatest weapon. This is what must guide us. This is the truth of God. There's three truths regarding the spirit of truth that we can we can we can gather in and think about together now. One, the Holy Spirit has poured out, breathed out the very words in this book. The word of God is ours through the spirit who has breathed out the very words of this book. Now, those words can be challenging, so we have to remember that Paul says that the things of God are of spirit and the spirit must help us. The things of God have been revealed here and they're waiting and they're hard and they're difficult. So here's the good news. The same spirit that breathes out these words indwells us. It illuminates those words, it illuminates our minds and our hearts so we can understand and be challenged by them and believe them. So if you're having a difficult time reading scripture, have confidence that if you're a Christian, the spirit has made these words clear and he indwells you to clarify them and leads you in the truth. If you're having difficulty reading scripture, are you praying for clear understanding? Are you praying that God will illuminate these words as you read them by the power of the Holy Spirit? Knowing God isn't an intellectual pursuit. We must be blessed and led by the Spirit. The second question. Are you repenting of sin? That will keep you from understanding and enjoying and delighting in these words. These words are light. If you love darkness, you're not going to like them. If you have a hard time reading scripture, are you praying for illumination? And secondly, are you cleaning the sin that keeps this word from being the living word that will change your heart? And third, are you submitting to these words are trying to prove a point from them? This isn't our proof text. This isn't our opportunity to find what can I make the scriptures say? No, they're always over us. We submit to what God has said. Friends, do not fear. God is with us. God is for us and God dwells within us so that we, the church militant, will be the church at rest and we can rest assured now because Christ's victory is sure. Will you pray with me? Father, I thank you for your Word that we can gather and your Spirit can teach us. Lord, I pray for anyone here that does not know you, that they would not be able to leave because you were convicting them by the power of your Spirit now. Lord, we pray that the power of the Spirit would illuminate Christ in their hearts So they see his beauty, his light over against their darkness, and they would come to you. Father, I pray we as a church be unified under your headship, under the headship of Jesus Christ, according to your word and the power of your spirit, so that we would glorify you as one body. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.