Speaking with the confidence of a forgiven convict...

"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..." (John 16:7-8)


Over these last two weeks, we've tried to answer a very difficult question: "How is it possibly best that Jesus is not here on the earth in physical form?" I mean seriously, which one of us wouldn't rather have Jesus preaching the Sunday sermon and then have that transmitted all over the world to hear? He could do all the conferences and clarify our struggles in a series of Q&A's... what could be better than that? Apparently (according to John 14 to 16) it's better the way God's arranged it now: the Son (glorified in heaven) making intercession for us in His Father's direct presence; the Spirit (active on earth) comforting the church and convicting the world. The challenge (as we've seen recently in John) is to live out that reality- all this has been to our advantage... and it's been great to be reminded of that with you recently. As you come to community groups this week, let's build each other's faith for the active work of the Spirit in the church and in our neighbors:

By way of review: the HELPER- pt 1 (John 15:26-27)
Jesus builds our expectation of the Spirit's role by reminding us that the Helper has come to comfort the church.

Pt 1- The Holy Spirit comes after Jesus. Jesus pointed the disciples to the "Helper" (other versions: "Comforter" or "Counselor"... all of which are tied to a NT word used mainly in this passage) and wanted them to anticipate His arrival. He told them that His glory was going to shine brightest once He has returned to the Father... but they wouldn't be alone. Instead, His followers would have the advantage of Another Helper who could reside in them... that promise became a massive reality at Pentecost. Question: as a Christian looking back on Calvary and Pentecost, do you live aware that the Holy Spirit lives in you? What could you do to increase your awareness of His comfort for you?

Pt 2- The Holy Spirit comes from Jesus. Jesus promised that He would send the Spirit in 15:26. He had also mentioned that the Father would send the Spirit in chapter 14 (v 16 and 26). The disciples had the confidence that the Helper's arrival was with the full authority of the Father and the personal request of the Son. Therefore, the comfort we receive from the Spirit and the confidence He gives come with the full weight of God's will. This should evoke a sense of humble anticipation for the Spirit's work. Question: Does it humble you to consider the holiness of God's Spirit who has come to dwell in you? How would you describe your current level of anticipation at meeting with God's Spirit who has come to dwell in you? What are you doing to grow in both humility and eagerness to meet with God?

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By way of review: the HELPER- pt 2 (John 16:1-11)
Jesus builds our confidence of the Spirit's assistance by reminding us that the Helper has come to convict the world.

Pt 1- The DILEMMA- The world is deceived (v 1-4). Jesus reminded the disciples that the world (those who live under the lie that God's glory is not supremely valuable) is deceived. It lives with a false sense of values- much like the Emperor valued his new "clothes". The result of this deception is that the world can (and will) persecute those who live for God's glory today. We are in danger of forgetting this opposition... in danger of living according to the world's priorities... in danger of falling away when we're opposed. Question: Have you been surprised lately at any ways in which you've been persecuted? (Why or why not?)

Pt 2- The HERO- The Helper has come (v 4-7). Jesus encouraged the disciples that they could live with confidence in the midst of this deception and persecution because they weren't alone. Jesus hadn't abandoned them (14:27-28). Instead, the had gained considerably because of the presence of the Spirit. Question: As Darren read the e-mails of those who had shared the gospel over this past week, what people came to mind in your life that you've wanted to witness to? How would a stronger belief in the Spirit's presence give you confidence to speak up in the "God moments" that He is arranging for you?

Pt 3- The RESCUE- the Helper is speaking (v 8-11). Jesus told the disciples that the Spirit is actively at work convicting the world of three things: (1) Conviction about the sin of unbelief in who Jesus is - v 9. Jesus died in order to bear God's wrath against sin. The world must "trample the Son of God" in order to reject God's glory. (2) Conviction about their lack of innate righteousness - v 10. Just like Jesus diverted the Jews eyes from the Temple and the Sabbath to Himself, the Spirit diverts our eyes from our attempts at being good enough. Instead, the Helper points to the righteousness available in Christ alone. (3) Conviction about the judgment Satan will endure - v 11. The Enemy was judged at the Cross because of the Savior's victory over sin. All those who live according to Satan's deception in the world will suffer the same judgment for their rebellion. Questions: If we believed that the Helper was actively working to convict sin, how that affect whether we would do the following things?

• How might we parent our children if we knew He was at work?
• How might we confidently share the gospel if we knew He was at work?
• How might we bear with our sibling's, friend's, or spouse's failures if we knew He was at work?

a forgiven convict,
Darren

Abiding in the One the world hates...

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus; look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."

Over the past two weeks, we've meditated on passages where Jesus has made very bold statements about what it means to be disconnected from Him. "Apart from me, you can do nothing." (John 15:5), "If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father." (John 15:24). Amazingly, however, Jesus didn't leave us like this... disconnected from Him, in rebellion against Him, lifeless without Him.

Instead, Jesus chose us to be his friends. "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit... you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world." (John 15:16) We're His friends- not just servants- but trusted allies to whom He reveals His plans! And in doing so, He invites us to draw our strength from Him by being deeply rooted in Him. The only way for us to bear fruit for Him is for us to abide in Christ's love for us. As we gather this week for community groups, let's look to encourage each other in practical ways we can abide in Christ's love and grow in compassion for our friends who are still in lifeless rebellion against God.

By way of review: the VINE (John 15:1-17)
Jesus gave us the analogy of a vine to describe the invitation to be rooted in His love for us.

Pt 1- JESUS is the true vine. Where Israel failed as the root of blessing for all nations, Jesus shows Himself as the fulfillment of Gods' promises and the source of spiritual life. And Jesus is to be contrasted from false vines we can create today: church attendance, spiritual background, family connections. Question: What are you tempted to look to for your identity as a person?

Pt 2- WE are the branches. The gospel doesn't simply end with forgiveness... it invites us into relationship with God. Jesus describes that relationship by pointing to the relationship between a branch and a trunk. In the same way, we are in an organic, dependent, vibrant relationship with God that makes us fruitful. Three ways we can abide in Christ come from the text:

• We must acknowledge that we can do nothing apart from Him (v 4-5)... we are called to depend on God.
  
• We must have His word abide in us (v 7)... we are invited to welcome God's Word in our lives... "to let it rearrange our furniture."
  
• We must obey God's commands (v 10)... we are invited to continue our fellowship with God through our obedience to God (like William playing with Eric.)
  

Pt 3- THE FATHER is the vinedresser. Pruning is the removal of dead branches. Instead, pruning cuts away stems that are alive that the branch bears more fruit. Pruning is a sign of God's active love for His people (see Isa 5 and Heb 12). This can occur in our lives when God takes away things we thought were critical for our success and happiness. Question: are you receiving the pruning hand of your Father or accusing Him of unkindness towards you?

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By way of review: the WORLD (John 15:18-25)
Jesus reminds us that His choice in our lives to pardon us provides us with courage in the midst of the world. As we understand the world's rebellion we grow in gratitude and courage.

Pt 1- We understand our rebellion through the lens of GUILT. Too often, we are prone to think of our guilt as something that we did or didn't do. But Jesus reminds us that guilt is chiefly the rejection of God's glory as worthless... nowhere is this more evident than in the rejection of Jesus and the gospel (His life and work). Ultimately the most important thing about us is how we treat Son of God.
Pt 2- We understand our rebellion through the lens of HATRED. Jesus describes the antagonism between Him and His opponents in stark terms (hatred, persecution). No football rivalries could ever match the description of this animosity... the world simply put hates God and His claims over all that He has made. Instead, the world seeks to assert its independence from God. This leaves us with a choice. Don Carson wrote, "Former rebels who have been won back (by the grace of God) to loving allegiance to their King are not likely to prove popular with those who persist in rebellion."

Application: Understanding our rebellion through these lenses gives us a clearer view of grace.

• As you reconsidered your participation in a world that rejected God, how were you freshly grateful for God's choice to redeem you from this world?
• As you reconsidered the state of our culture today as rebels towards God, were there any areas in which you've been living with a desire to fit into and be popular in our world?
• As you reconsidered the state of your unsaved friends, how can we pray for you to have courage to speak with those who might respond to the message of salvation? (John 15:20).

Have a great time applying God's Word to your lives in community!