Amen. Please be seated.
It's so good to be back with you.
And let me just. Briefly say as we.
Begin this morning. How grateful that I am for you,
but also All Saints Presbyterian Church.
Some of you may not know this, but.
Four of our six pastors have history here.
Which means I get accused of stealing people to come work at
our church in Austin all the time.
And I'm not ashamed about that because this truly has been such
a wonderful place. So Craig Chapman says hello.
He looks the same as he did 30 years ago when he was
ministering here, just more Gray.
Josh Keller says hello. Is still sporting Euro soccer
haircuts. I'm not sure when those will go
out of style. Maybe 10 years ago.
Will Stockdale still has a? Tom Selleck level mustache and
you know, when it comes to me, I don't know that things have
changed. A.
Whole lot either. Down South, I'm also known as
the Crying. Pastor, which used to.
Bother me, but it doesn't bother me as much anymore.
I think maybe just because I'm. A little less prideful.
Than I used to be from life and ministry and health and things.
So God can finally have his way with me.
And actually, I kind of hope that would be true for all of us
this morning. So let's hear God's Word
together. And then let's pray to that end.
If you would please stand for the reading of God's Word, John
chapter 16. I've said all these things to
you to keep you from falling away.
They will put you out. Of the synagogues, 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 you.
I did not say these things to you from the beginning because I
was with you. But now I am going to Him who
sent me, and none of you asked me.
Where are you going? But because I've 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. And 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. What is mine and declare it to
you. I have said these things to you,
that in me you may have peace, in the world you will have
tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome.
The world, the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Please be seated. Father, your word is a.
Lamp into our feet and it's a light into our path.
And so, I pray, give us eyes. To see it and give us.
Ears to hear it. And perhaps more than anything,
give us hearts that would want to follow you.
And we ask and pray this in Jesus Christ name, Amen.
Amen. Where are you going?
Where are we going? That was the most common
question I got asked while leading East Asian mission trips
for. Seven or eight straight years
while I was here at PCPC Let. Me tell you it gets annoying
after a while. And there was one particular
student who would ask me that question every single morning.
Where are we going? And I just kept saying I don't
know until finally I thought I'm just going to make something up
and I did. He came to me and he said where
are we going? And I said Hunan Alley.
It's this alley that has all the night market stuff, but they do
it during the day and it's. Half price.
And he got. So excited.
He left my presence and I thought.
I just. Lied to this student.
I'm not sure how I'm going to make this up, but I'm sure not
going to make it up right now. And you know what?
6-8 hours. Later I did tell him.
I did. Let him know that I was lying.
Hunan's was a Chinese restaurant in Wichita Falls.
Texas, where I grew up. The only Chinese restaurant in
town. There's no Hunan Alley.
It doesn't exist. And he was thinking, dreaming
and looking for a market that didn't exist all day long.
But you know, it did work. Because I did that, he stopped
asking me. Where are we going?
I don't encourage lying, but sometimes they do serve a small.
Little white lie. Purpose it seems where are we
going that that question it's the question that echoes in our
passage this morning Jesus says he's leading earth to go back
where he came from and yet states none of the disciples are
asking him any longer where are you going and now if you're
familiar with the rest of. The upper room discourse.
You know that this isn't actually true in one sense.
Because Peter asked this exact. Question in chapter 13, moments
before. Jesus predicts the betrayal.
And Thomas himself asked a similar question, not knowing
where Jesus was going or the way to get there in chapter 14.
And so to understand that Jesus isn't lying here like I.
Did to that. Student, OK, we have to consider
the question itself. And in this context, it's it's
not a question of direction or location, it's a question of
protest. As Jesus announces his departure
for 1/3 and final time, the question is now a question of
protest. And maybe I can give a small
example. Some of you know that I have an
autoimmune. Disease.
I've been battling with it for the last 16 years of my life and
my symptoms intensified significantly in the last 12
months and even more so in May. It left me in the hospital for
two long stays during that month.
Thank. You to.
Many of you who have been praying for me, thank you.
It was rough. I had two conflicting
infections. I had no immune system left to
fight either 1 and in my. 43 plus years.
Of life. It really was my first small
brush with my own mortality and with personal.
Thoughts about death? But you know what was one of the
hardest parts? Of the whole ordeal.
When I was released to come back home, I would only come down the
stairs from my bedroom a few times a day.
It took all my energy just to get back up.
And when I would reach the base of the stairs.
After coming down to go back up and rest and recover in my own
bed, my son. Davis would say.
Where are you going now? The first few times it was a
question of location. Buddy, I'm going upstairs.
To rest. And to recover.
But he. Kept asking the question and
that repeated in that lingering question that was coming from my
son. It wasn't really the question.
Where are you going? The question was, why are you
leaving me? I'm his buddy.
I'm his. Throw the football, buddy.
I'm his soft tossed practice in the front yard.
Buddy. I'm his.
Grab the BB gun and shoot squirrels while mom's not
looking buddy. I'm his.
I can wrestle with you without. Consequences, buddy.
And he missed his father and he felt like I was being removed
from his life. And so he would say, where are
you going? When I went up the stairs, his
heart sank. And Jesus here again announces
that he's leaving to go up. And not only that he's leaving
to go up, but he offers ominous warning.
You see verses one to four that that when he.
Leaves the world his. Followers would be mistreated
just as he had been mistreated, and actually soon would be, even
most grotesquely leading up to the cross.
But just as. He was going to have his life
threatened and he was going to be prosecuted and persecuted.
So also would that. Become true.
For all who were. Following after him, they would
be threatened. Prosecuted and persecuted
because the world he came to save, it's also.
The world that is against him naturally opposed to him and to
those who follow him, because the world in this sense, in this
context, it's not referring to the natural order, it's
referring to all human beings and earthly powers that stand in
opposition against God. It's a serious affair.
And so no. Wonder they stop.
Asking the question what difference would it make?
Jesus announces his departure, and with it.
News that's just too bad to be true.
In sorrow. It says in verse 6 sorrow fills
their hearts. It's too much for them to bear
alone. And so it begs a different
question. And it's our question too, for
those of us wishing to follow Jesus in this.
World, Who would help? Them and guide them in such a
remarkable absence. Who would help them and guide
them in such a remarkable absence?
And Jesus has an answer. The Holy Spirit, that's who.
He's the third person of the Trinity.
He's Co eternal and Co equal with the Father and the Son.
He's the very power of God and the very presence of Jesus that
comes to live and to dwell within.
And he comes as a whisper and a breath to comfort those who are
hurting. But he also comes as a wind and
a fire to challenge and to refine.
He was the agent of original creation bringing life out of
the darkness in the void in Genesis 1.
And he's the agent of new creation in the life of a
person, bringing life and light out of the darkness.
In the void, he's. Spoken of as the One.
Who raised Jesus? From the dead Romans.
Chapter 8. Verse 11.
With the promise. That he will also raise all.
From the dead who believe in him and the Old Testament.
Prophets told us. Many, many many times in
different. Places that he's the.
Forerunner to the Eschaton. That that.
Glorious end that every droning person really longs for and
might not know it yet. It's when all that's not right
is undone. Forever.
And there are. Many groaning.
For that reality, right? Now.
Or they're not. And you know what?
While Jesus walked the earth. His presence was localized, He
and his followers, they weren't always together.
They were sometimes separated. Remember Martha's comments to
Jesus in John Chapter 11 and Lazarus had died and.
She said Jesus if. You had only been here.
My brother would not have died, but it's different with the.
Spirit. The Spirit universalizes.
The presence of Christ and the power of God and while.
Jesus walked the earth His. Presence was external to the
disciples. He ministered to them, but not
in them. And it's.
Different with the Spirit, the Spirit dwells.
Within Jesus dwelt with them, the Spirit will dwell in them.
And so it's no wonder then. That Jesus would say.
Something as. Outrageous as his departure.
Being advantageous. His.
Followers, past or present, need
not fear. Or overreact to the.
World or the things of. This world, whether threats.
Or prosecutions. Or persecutions.
They need not overreact. Because the Spirit has.
Come. That's Jesus's answer to not
only minister to us, but in US and through.
US. He is the answer to the
lingering question and this passage.
Shows us specifically that he would be.
Both advocate and guide 2 points this morning.
You're welcome. First advocate look at verse. 7.
Nevertheless, I tell you the. Truth.
Jesus says it is to your advantage that I go away.
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. And so we can already see.
This. Passage is laden with courtroom
language. Jesus calls the Spirit the
Helper. In Greek, the word translated.
Helper is Paraclete. It's.
Literally one who calls out from alongside and this word can be
just as easily translated as counselor or advocate is in a a
formal legal defense and in Greek legal contexts.
A Paraclete toss was exactly that.
Not the judge, but an expert counselor eyewitness who spoke
on behalf of and represented an accused person.
And that advocate would plead the defendant's innocence before
the judge and the jury, often exposing the errors and lies of
the prosecution's case in order to do so.
The advocate would also. Become a a prosecutor in that
sense. Do you remember Atticus Finch in
To Kill a Mockingbird? Probably the most famous
advocate in modern literature in my opinion.
It's a great story. And I'm about to ruin it for you
if you haven't read it. Actually, just the final court
scene. Do you remember the final court
scene? Atticus Finch stands in this in
this tense Alabama courtroom, and he's there to defend Tom
Robinson, who's a black man accused of raping Maela Yule, a
white woman, and Finch. Gives this powerful.
Closing argument and he. Exposes the errors.
In the lies of the prosecution's case and he says #1 Mae Ella's
injuries could not have been caused by Tom because he himself
is physically handicapped #2 she accused Tom to cover her own
shame for having broken a deep Alabamian social.
Taboo of a white. Woman trying to seduce a black
man. #3 he says. Bob Yule Mael is known to be.
Abusive father he's. The one capable of and
responsible for all of her injuries.
And then, finally, he concludes with an impassioned speech.
For the jury to rise above their social prejudices.
And to declare Tom's innocence. The The Advocate.
Becomes a prosecutor and this is.
Exactly what? Jesus.
Had done with the. Disciples.
While he was on earth. He would deflect to.
Himself attacks that were aimed to them and respond with truth
in their defense. He was always their advocate,
their. Representative, their
spokesperson. And you know what?
It's the same role he fulfills now in heaven before.
God the Father. The apostle John who pinned this
gospel says later on in his. First Epistle.
My children, I'm writing these things to you so that you may
not sin, but if anyone does sin, we have an.
Advocate with the Father, who is Jesus Christ the righteous.
He is the. Propitiation for our sins and
not for ours only, but also for the sins.
Of the world so. Friends, Jesus died and he
raised, and he returned to the Father, and guess what he's
doing there until he returns to us again.
He's advocating. For those who come through him
to the Father, he's our representative, he is our
spokesperson, he's our defense, and he's pleading, not our
righteousness before the Father. But his?
Very own that's the case. Jesus Christ's righteousness, he
argues his own. Case on our behalf and the
Father. Sees it.
And he rejoices in it. And he accepts it.
And he welcomes us and he. Approves all us believing.
Guilty sinners. He clears us of all charges.
Because he's our heavenly advocate and on.
Earth. He was the disciples earthly
advocate. So this seems very important,
does it not? Who would fill this important
role on Earth now, given what the disciples were facing?
And Jesus says again, it's the holy.
Spirit. The Spirit continues Jesus's
work here on earth. He serves his advocate.
He. Defends us and he.
Prosecutes the world. He does this internally in the
hearts and minds of men, and that's really what Jesus means
when He says in verses 8 to 11 that when the Spirit comes, He
will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness
and judgment. That.
Phrase convict the world. It really means to.
Prosecute to expose. The world's lies.
Because the world is. Off in its conclusions about
Jesus and about life in general. Like Finch, he provides Tom's
case. Before the prejudice jury.
The Spirit. The Spirit.
Vindicates Jesus's. Work before the prejudice world.
Theologian FF Bruce summarizes this so clearly in his comments
on this passage, so I want to share them with you.
Lean in and here. He says the Spirit.
'S presence is a demonstration to the world which condemned
Jesus, that he was in the right and they were in the wrong.
The Spirit bears. Witness to the.
World, that Jesus who was. Rejected, condemned and put to
death by the world he's been vindicated and exalted by.
God the Father, which is what? Jesus said concerning
righteousness, I go to the. Father.
His rejection, condemnation and execution expressed in violent
clarity. The world's.
Refusal to believe in Him and that unbelief is now exposed.
His condemnation is now shown to have been utterly unrighteous in
His resurrection and return to the Father.
It's the demonstration of His righteousness.
He ends up welcomed and vindicated.
Not. Rejected.
He is seated. At the right hand of God the
Father, He is the ultimate righteous one who conquered evil
and death. Itself, the world generally
refuses to. Recognize and believe this.
Like the the jury. That listens to Finch's.
Plea its prejudices, keep it from.
Hearing the truth it wants Tom. Guilty, even if he's.
Innocent. And that's the.
Crux of what these verses are. Saying that the the world tends
to deny sin, and it therefore senses no need of.
Salvation what? Why request a savior?
If there's nothing to be saved from and and the world calls
into question the person and work of Jesus concluding one way
or another. That he was.
At worst delusional and at. Best a good.
Person and a rabbi who ended up letting his religious delusions
just go a little too far into criminality, into a guilty
verdict, into punishment, though the punishment was quite harsh
for the crimes that were committed.
But. He was judged, nonetheless, as
not being. What his followers always.
Claimed him to be, no matter how virtuous he may have been.
The cross was proof. At some level of his delusion
and his. Guilt.
It's heavy. Isn't it?
And we we sense this swelling opposition and increasing
measure in our own culture is secularism is taking a greater
hold over time. It used to feel like the.
World around us was, you know, disagreeable towards
Christianity from time to time and from issue to issue.
But now, more and more, that disagreement feels like palpable
opposition. And yet Jesus warns us not to
overreact. Don't let.
Your hearts be troubled because he.
Says in verse 33 at the end of this beautiful section, before
he's going to pray for his disciples that he's overcome the
world. And so we need to listen to
that, lest our fears might lead us into two opposite.
Errors. OK, first that we would.
Become Contra cultural instead of countercultural, isolating
from the world, combating and condemning the culture instead
of being in the world and yet just different from it.
Or the opposite. Secondly, that we would become
conformists. So instead of influencing the
culture, we become influenced by the culture.
If we live amidst materialism, we become a little bit
materialistic. If we live amidst pluralism, we
become a little bit. Pluralistic.
We essentially take on. Whatever world it is.
That we exist in and we just. Wash.
Over it a nice Christian veneer. It's just a spiritualized.
Secularism, and that's a danger and listen that the spirit is in
the business of. Exposing these lies of.
Vindicating the work of. Jesus who said for God so loved
the world. And who said I'm not only the
propitiation for your sins, but that for the entire?
World. And the Spirit comes in and he
convicts, and in some cases will convince the hearts and minds of
the truth and mercy found through Jesus for the world, and
He will. Apply the work of.
Jesus in just. That way.
Where we might love someone we considered our enemy.
And it's a loving thing, then, that the Spirit.
Exposes that error that. We might be saved.
And he does this in our lives too, doesn't he?
This convicting and convincing work where he sneaks into the
cracks and crevices. Of our lives.
And he? Exposes the errors.
And our thinking and our living and our feeling.
We don't like it at first. It's like an unwelcome
interruption, but we need it. As Tim Keller once said, you
cannot become a Christian unless you have had a sense of someone
calling into question your current way of life.
The sense that someone is dealing with you, asking you
questions, bringing to light things you wish not to be
brought up, and why Divine disturbance precedes
transformation. Some of you need to.
Be disturbed. And you know what?
Every time, in my experience, a person heeds the Spirit's
convicting. Call it always leads to fuller
life. It never leads.
To decay because he's. Applying the life saving work of
Jesus, that's what He does not only to your life, but in your
life, and He guides you in a true and better way.
And that's where we'll end today.
Look at verse 13. 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 he will
declare. It to you.
All the father has is mine, and therefore I said.
That he. Will take what is mine and.
Declare it to you, so the the. Focus here.
It's shifting. It's it's shifting from the
spirits. Work as.
Advocate in the world to the spirits.
Work as guide for the disciples. They're feeling guideless and
this is an explanation of how the spirit will carry on the
work of guiding in their lives. And there's two specific things
that are mentioned here. Many, but we're going to do 2
first. He mentions the.
Spirits word. He is the spirit of truth, so
after the work of. Convicting and convincing He
guides into all truth, and His first and foremost work, as He
indwelt the disciples, was to call to mind all.
That Jesus had taught. Them and to call to mind all.
That God the Father wished. To share with them.
So they could. Record.
What we now have is the entire New Testament scriptures.
The very word of God. It's the Spirit's word the
Apostle Peter testifies to. This.
In his second epistle he says this.
Listen, we have the. Prophetic word more fully.
Confirmed. To which you will.
Do well to pay attention is to a lamp shining in a dark.
Place. And know this first of all that
no. Prophecy of Scripture.
Comes from someone's own interpretation for no.
Prophecy was ever produced. By the will of man, but men
spoke from God. As they were carried.
Along. By the Holy Spirit.
Meaning. The Word of God is the Spirit's
Word. His work of convicting and
convincing it quickly becomes a work of confirming the truth of
God and the words of Christ into a timeless Canon for our
benefit. And this should tell us
something that the primary vehicle.
Through which you will hear the Spirit speak is the very word of
God. It's important for our lives.
He confirmed it through the disciples.
It's that important. Do you know it?
Are you familiar with it? Do you give time to it?
In my pastoral experience, many have said to me over the years
at different times for different reasons, that God doesn't speak
to me and in my. Experience the majority of those
who say. This they're unacquainted or
I'll acquainted. With the scriptures and.
They'll describe. Life as difficult or dry?
But it's no wonder to me in that instance that they aren't
convinced of God's presence or voice in their lives.
They give little or no attention to His.
Voice, this is his. Words on a page.
And so I eventually respond, in one way or another, hopefully
kindly, that perhaps the problem is not that God isn't speaking,
but that you weren't listening. Do you wish to hear?
God's voice. Then consume the scriptures.
Do you wish to sense the Spirit's guidance?
Then consume the scriptures. He will speak to you.
But don't just read them. Let them read you.
Surrender not just your mind to them.
Surrender your very life to them.
Be willing to be. Exposed.
It won't return void. Because it's the spirits.
Word and then second and finally the spirits worship.
He guides us to worship Jesus says he will.
Glorify me. He'll take what is mine and
He'll give it to you. That the Spirit delights to
draw. Attention to the person and work
of Jesus and He is generous in sharing all the benefits that
have been accomplished. Through the death.
And the resurrection and the return of Jesus into the lives
of believers. He loves to draw our eyes to
God. The.
Father's incredible power and plan.
He loves to. Create in our hearts and
experience of mutual affection. Where the love of God is poured
out into our hearts. And the love in our.
Hearts is poured out. Unto God declaring the wonder,
and the majesty, and the. Power of God.
Doxology. He's a spirit who guides.
Us into worship, the very end for which we were.
Created. The epicenter of what it means
to actually experience joy in relationship to God.
And He wants our hearts to taste and see that God is good and
that we would be moved inwardly to worship.
To A, to adore, to glorify. That we would share in the
spirits. Greatest delight?
And in so doing that, we would be enlivened from the inside out
and have a good reason to carry on his work.
We need him to guide us that way.
You know, one of the things I've learned most from my marriage.
Is how to love food. You see, I grew up in Wichita
Falls, TX where you eat to. Live.
You don't live. To eat OK.
And my. Relationship with food.
Growing up was more one of necessity.
I mean we appreciated good tasting food and my mom did the
best. That she could with what she
could. Find there just wasn't a lot to
be found. You'd have to drive.
A considerable distance to get a high culinary experience, and
then you'd have to decide if you want to pay for it anyways.
But then I met Allison. She grew up in very different
circumstances. A city girl with a.
Mom whose culinary skills? Are out of this world the best?
Chef that I know on the face of the earth that doesn't require
you to. Go to the restaurant.
Incredible. Which means Allison grew up in a
world with, you know, homemade vinaigrette sous video meats.
Fresh vegetables, Chocolate souffles.
I didn't know what that was until I was 25 years old.
Food wasn't a necessity for. Her it was a.
Joy, she didn't eat. To live, she lived to eat.
And our first dates in Dallas 20 years ago prove this because
when I chose a location, it was Louie's Pizza in the Innis Drive
in. And when she would choose the
location, it was Ladoni OR. Rise or Abacus?
Or something in that ilk. And you know what?
She did that because she knew something I didn't about food.
She became my guy. I went from treating something
is just a necessity to being guided into a new way of
tasting. A new way?
Of seeing a new. Way of delighting.
And friends, some of you need a. Guide like that spiritually.
And you have one. It's the very Spirit of God who?
Has what you might not have. Who knows what you might not
know, and who will deliver to you heavenly food that you may
never have actually? Tasted because your spiritual
life has. Just been one of necessity that
will never. Lead you to worship.
Do you want to taste and see an experience that the Lord is
good, the holy? Spirit is your guide.
Not just to guide you into intellectual.
Truth, but to guide you into the.
Affections of your heart that respond and create the
experience that so many of you've never had and you've
always longed for. The secret is the spirit, the.
Answer. Is the Spirit that's who the.
Spirit is and what he does. He is both.
Ever present advocate and he's ever present guy, so let him
have. His way with you.
In the name of God. The father of the.
Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.