In the sermon 'The Advantages of Jesus Departure' by Michael Templeton, the focus is on John 16:5-11, where Jesus informs His disciples about His impending departure and the significant role of the Holy Spirit. The sermon emphasizes that although the disciples initially feel sorrowful, Jesus' departure is advantageous because it heralds the arrival of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, acting as an internal teacher and providing decentralized power for believers. The sermon underscores the continuous progression of redemptive history and encourages believers to overcome worldly opposition with confidence, relying on the Holy Spirit's guidance and the joy found in God's promises.

Our sermon text for today is John chapter 16 verses 5 through 11. I'll begin reading in verse 1. These things have spoken to you that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God's service.

And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor me. But these things I have told you that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning because I was with you. But now I go away 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 depart, I will send him to you. And when he has come, he will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. Of sin because they do not believe in me.

Of righteousness because I go to my father and you see me no more. Of judgment because the ruler of this world is judged. Amen. Please be seated. The title for today's sermon is the advantages of Jesus' departure.

Last week we were forearmed Meaning we were forewarned by Jesus, the disciples were forewarned by Jesus to know what was coming so that they wouldn't stumble. We saw this as Jesus' continued care for His disciples and us by speaking about what the future holds. We were told the world will act on their hatred by excommunicating and even killing followers of Jesus thinking that they are doing God's will by doing so. We had the helpful clarification that this is not a matter of the religious versus the non-religious. It's actually disciples, true disciples of Jesus versus the world.

And thinking of excommunication in terms of religious, relational, and economic isolation. We saw that if we want to stay faithful to Jesus, We might as well give up trying to make peace with the world. It's not going to happen. The only path to peace with the world is compromise with Jesus. We have our marching orders out of Revelation chapter 12 verses 10 and 11.

It's the God given role of Christians to overcome the devil by the blood of the lamb, by the word of our testimony, and by not loving our lives even to death. And there is no need, Jesus said there is no need to speak these things up until now. Because Jesus had been with his disciples. And while Jesus was with them, he was the point man. He was the one taking the brunt of the attacks from his enemies, not his followers.

But now, with Jesus preparing His disciples to depart, that focus will now be on His followers. And inasmuch as they are faithful and are like Jesus, they are going to get treated just like Jesus did. And they should not expect anything differently. And neither should we. This week, Jesus continues to arm us.

That's really what He's caring for us. He's caring for His disciples, and he's caring for us so that we would not stumble. So that when these things come up against us, we'll be the more ready for them. Again, we'll be forearmed by being forewarned. And so that's where we pick up in verse 5 today.

Jesus is going to continue to teach and prepare the disciples for His absence physically. But he tells us it's actually to your advantage that I'm not going to be here physically with you. Let's pray as we go to our text in verse 5. Oh God, every one of us needs your help. We need you to bring things to mind.

Such a Pertinent passage to be praying this way As we see coming in chapter 16 of the work of the Spirit teaching and instructing this internal working So powerfully poured out upon the world at Pentecost. What a glorious age we live in to have the Holy Spirit. Oh Spirit, I pray that you would come and move in and out of these rows, ministering in ways that only you can, to so many needs that are present here in this room. Please come and help us. Give us light, give us ears to hear and eyes to see.

Glory in these verses. In Jesus' name, Amen. So I'm going to break up the text into three different parts. We're going to be looking at verses five and six, and then we're going to look at verse seven, and then we'll end by looking at verses eight through 11. So if you have your Bibles, I'm going to read verses five and six again.

Chapter 16, verse five and six. But now I go away to him who sent me, and none of you ask me, where are you going? But because I have said these things to you sorrow has filled your heart." In these verses if you are filling in blanks on your handout verses five and six it's a lack of understanding leads to a sorrow filled heart. Understanding and sorrow fills in the blanks. First phrase that I want to look at in verse 5 is, but now I go away to him who sent me.

And this is a theme that I never expected to see in these verses, but turns out as I wrote the sermon, it became a dominant thought as I prepared and wrote it. And it's the ideal of this indomitable march forward of redemptive history. Jesus is the God-man with a mission. Very clear of what's happening, No surprises. Jesus is telling His disciples in verse 5, Now I go away, I go away to Him who sent me.

I was sent with a purpose, with a mission. And I'm going to complete it and when I'm done, I'm going to go away so that the next march, the next step forward in redemptive history can carry on. We'll come back to this, but I wanted to introduce the idea of this indomitable march forward of redemptive history. We see this, the verse that came to my mind in John is in verse 3 of chapter 13. Just listen to this.

To give you a sense of, like, I want to be like this. I want us to be like this. Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God. So this understanding that Jesus has of who he is and who sent him and what he is doing and what is under his rule and reign, He just marches forward. He actually says in verse 4 that he rose from supper and laid aside his garments and he took a towel and girded himself.

This steady, unshakable confidence that we see in our Savior. Jesus wants the same for you and for me. He wants this steady unshakable confidence that as we walk into the world of what's happening, what's unfolding, Who's ruling and reigning and moving the pieces around in regards to our life? I pray that that's one of the fruits of thinking about these verses today is that your confidence would increase no matter what's coming against you. But still in verse 5, the phrase, and none of you asked me where you are going, And even for kids, you should immediately think of, well wait a minute, I think I've heard somebody ask Jesus where He's going.

You don't have to turn back very far. In 13 verse 36, Simon Peter said to Jesus, Lord, where are you going? And then in 14 verse 5, Thomas adds on and says, he really doesn't specifically say where are you going, but he does say we don't know where you are going. It's pretty close in terms of inquiring as to where Jesus was going. And obviously the solution to this is not the nonsense of the ivory tower theologian that wants to make googly gook of John and kind of discard its veracity and truthfulness.

There has to be another solution. The two solutions I want to put forward to you is that Jesus, it's either a focus on, like nobody is asking me right now, as I'm unfolding all that's coming and going to happen. You should be, I'm laying a table full of spiritual food for you, But nobody is coming up and taking it. You know, to say taking the bait seems a little disingenuine, but that's kind of the ideal of, don't you want to know the benefits? Don't you want to know where I'm going and what that means for you here on the earth, but yet the disciples don't go further with Jesus.

They don't ask Him and actually instead of asking, it says that sorrow has filled their hearts. Another proposition in terms of understanding what Jesus is asking or saying is maybe it's more of when Peter and Thomas were asking Jesus, it was more like when I'm going out of town and one of my little kids say, where are you going daddy? More of a form of a protest against his going. Because they were too self-absorbed in their loss of the physical presence of Jesus. We've heard many times leading up to today, Jesus working to wean his disciples off of his physical presence.

And it's painful. Sorrow. Sorrow is filling their hearts. I think this is a gentle admonishment from Jesus in verses 5 and 6 of chapter 16. None of you asked me where you are going, but because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

I want you to listen to three passages. The intended purpose of Jesus talking about these things, even things as hard as they're going to isolate you religiously, socially, economically, and actually they may kill some of you. Actually, they will kill some of you. Even hard things like that, Jesus' intended purpose is for our joy and our confidence. Where do you get that Michael?

Listen to three verses just in John. John 14, 28 says, You've heard me say to you, I'm going away and coming back to you. If you loved me, you would rejoice because I said I am going to the Father, for my Father is greater than I. John 15 verse 11 says, These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.'" The intended purpose of Jesus' final discourse to his disciples is to fill them up with joy, yet sorrow has come in. The last one, verse 13 of chapter 17, we haven't got there yet, but now I come to you and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves." Jesus' intentions is to fill them with joy and confidence, yet what's the disconnect?

Why are their hearts not just sorrowful, the words are filled, overflowing with sorrow. Why is that the case? Quote from Matthew Henry I think hits the nail on the head. He writes that they were too intent and poured too much upon the occasions of their grief. This is why sorrow has filled their hearts.

Christ has said enough to fill them with joy. But by looking at that only which made against them, and overlooking that which made for them, they were so full of sorrow there was no room left for joy. Note, it is the common fault and folly of melancholy Christians to dwell upon the dark side of the cloud, to meditate on nothing but terror, and turn a deaf ear to the voice of joy and gladness. That which filled the disciples' hearts with sorrow and hindered the operation of the cordials that Christ administered was too great, Henry is putting his finger on the disconnect here, listen closely. It was too great an affection to the present life.

They were big with hopes of their masters external kingdom and glory, and that they should shine and reign with him. And now instead of that, to hear of nothing but bonds and afflictions, this filled them with sorrow. Nothing is a greater prejudice to our joy in God than the love of the world. And the sorrow of the world is the consequence of it. Melancholy.

You know, this was so helpful for me. I don't know if any of you think of me that way, but if I'm tending towards a side, I tend towards a little melancholy. When trouble comes in, there's too much of a concentration upon what Henry says, the dark side of the cloud. And I pray that this would be helpful and instructive so that When hard things come to our life, when sorrow comes in, this is not don't worry, be happy, just sing a song and make yourself smile. This is don't Focus on the sorrow and the grief.

Focus on the truths and the reality of who God is, what He's doing in the world, what He's promised about you as a Christian, and let your heart fill with joy. Give a little space in your heart for joy so that hopefully instead of sorrow filling your heart and there not being room for the joy, your heart would fill with joy and push the sorrow out. So that was our first point. The lack of understanding, and that sounds so cerebral, it's much more than just some facts. Just fill your head with some facts and you won't have a sorrow filled heart.

No, you've got to put your roots down deep into the truths and the promises of God in order for a full or understanding of what God is for you in this life to help you battle against a sorrow-filled heart. And actually, you're not alone in doing this. This is part of what we do for each other. If you come up to me and I sound like Eeyore, put your arm around me and remind me of the faithfulness of God. Remind me of the promises of God.

I need it often. So don't be bashful. Let's now look at verse 7. Verse 7, I'm going to re-read it. Jesus says, 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 depart, I will send him to you. Here in verse 7, if you're filling in blanks on the handout, there's three blanks there. It's the advantage of Jesus departing and the Spirit coming.

The advantage of Jesus departing and the spirit coming It's one of Like I did in verses 5 and 6, just look at a couple of the phrases here. The first one I want to draw your attention to is, is, nevertheless I tell you the truth. What does that harken your mind back to? It's not exactly the same level of stress. Verily, verily, truly, truly, Jesus is saying, pay attention.

Does Jesus always tell the truth kids? He does. He's saying this for emphasis. Jesus doesn't ever need to say, just in case you thought I was lying to you, I'm going to tell you the truth now. He never does that.

He is saying, nevertheless, I tell you the truth. Pay attention. Not quite as strong, but in the same direction of amen, amen. Listen up. But before we consider how Jesus' departure is an advantage, his departure and the Spirit's coming is to our advantage.

I want to circle back and think a little bit more about the idea of indomitable march of redemptive history. In this verse, Jesus teaches us that if he doesn't go away, the Spirit will not come. In our week and family worship discussion was like, well wait a minute, I thought Jesus can do anything. But yet he's saying here, if I don't go away, and in another place that we'll look at in John 7, It's a prerequisite for Jesus to depart so that the Holy Spirit can come. So kids, don't think of this at all as a limitation of the power of Jesus.

It's actually quite the opposite. It's an emphasis of the power of Jesus. The Spirit is not coming yet because there is a sovereignly designed order to everything. That's why the Spirit isn't coming yet. Jesus said something like this in John chapter 7.

Listen to what he says in verse 37 forward. On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out saying, if anyone thirsts, and I'd imagine, I don't remember if it was Gary, If it wasn't Gary, it should have been Gary that read this when we preached it. But standing up, I mean, this is a feast day. It's loud. You can picture Jesus maybe getting up on something to elevate himself.

But he says loudly, if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scriptures have said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. You imagine standing in a crowd at a festival and somebody stand up and say that? He'd quickly call the insane asylum to host them away. Nobody talks like this but Jesus, the Son of God.

And then verse 39 explains what he's talking about. He says, but John writes, but this he spoke concerning the Spirit whom those believing in Jesus would receive for the Holy Spirit was not yet given because tying this back to verse 7 because Jesus was not yet glorified. It was critical, It was absolutely necessary for Jesus to be glorified before the Spirit could come. This is so helpful. Over and over again, You've heard, start here.

Your doctrine of the Holy Spirit, start here. Why is it necessary for Jesus to be glorified for the Spirit to come? Can't the Spirit come? I mean, are they separate persons? Kids, is the spirit and Jesus is a separate person?

Is your trinity test? Are they? Yes or no? They are. They are separate persons, three persons, one God.

So the Spirit, the restriction is not on, you know, they're like crazy analogies that mess the Trinity up, you know, ice and water and all that nonsense. They're separate persons, they could come at the same time. It's because Jesus has to be glorified. And the point of that is that the Spirit's work is all about pointing to the glorified Jesus. If you interact with people that love the Holy Spirit and they don't make much of Jesus, run away from that nonsense.

The Spirit's primary work on the earth is to make much of Jesus Christ. Not any man or any power or any of that. If they are not glorifying Jesus Christ, it's probably not the Spirit of God, it's the Spirit of the devil. Confusing and making this nonsense of the Spirit's work. Listen listen to this.

I just want to read this verbatim. The Spirit could not have come in full power while Jesus was on the earth. The Spirit's coming in power is based upon the finished work of Christ on the cross. Risen, triumphant, ascended. The Holy Spirit's ministry, it's not power in general, It is power.

Let's not be afraid of that. Let's be true charismatics in the sense of full of the Spirit and take back this hijacked word that people take and abuse it and make much of man. Let's grab hold of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our ministries, but to make much of Jesus Christ. It's not just about power, it's about Christ glorifying power. Gospel glorifying power.

As we will see in the Old Testament passages, It was such a blessing to read and think about these Old Testament passages we are going to turn to in just a minute. But the promise of the outpouring of the Spirit of God, these New Covenant promises, often you will hear us read in our Lord's Supper meditation of Jesus purchasing with His blood the benefits of the new covenant. This is what I'm talking about. Jesus had to purchase them. He had to purchase them and be crucified, die and be buried and raised again and ascended in order for the Spirit to come because the Spirit's primary work was glorifying this glorified Jesus, this risen and reigning Jesus.

So I'm going to take you to three places in the Old Testament. I want you to first turn to Jeremiah chapter 31. Jeremiah chapter 31. Chapter 31. Jeremiah chapter 31.

The pouring out of God's Spirit on His people, it's not a new idea. It's not new. That's what I'm trying to build up this emphasis on this sovereign and dominable march forward of redemptive history. So in Jeremiah 31, I'm going to read verses 31 through 34. And be listening as I read these three passages for the advantages of the coming of the Spirit of God.

Behold the days are coming says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not According to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord.

For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." You should have caught at least three, maybe four advantages. We'll review those before we move on to the next section. But I want to take you to two other places in the Old Testament. The next place is Ezekiel 36. I'm going to read three verses out of Ezekiel chapter 36, starting in verse 24.

Be reading verses 24 through 27. Again, put on your listening ears for what are the advantages that God is telling us here of the coming of the Spirit. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries and bring you into your own land. And then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you will keep my judgments and do them. I've highlighted in here at least two advantages And I want to keep going and we'll come back as we close this section out. The last place I want to take you to is in Joel chapter 2.

I'm going to read verses 28 through 32. This is actually quoted, I couldn't not read this on the advantages of the Holy Spirit coming. This is an inspired cross reference. Peter at the end of his sermon at Pentecost takes them here, takes them to what they are seeing and references Amos chapter 2, I'm sorry Joel chapter 2 verse 28 through 32. And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your old men shall dream dreams. Your young men shall see visions. And also on my men servants and on my maid servants. I will pour out my spirit in those days.

And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved, for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said among the remnant whom the Lord calls." Obviously some of this is its future yet to be fulfilled, but Much of this referring to the coming of God's Spirit is actually in our rear view mirror. And we're in the midst of these days. To think that we, to some degree, are in these days, I need to be reminded, and I have been this week, about the age and redemptive history that I live in.

It should be pretty exciting. It should be pretty exciting that we live in the days of the outpouring of God's Spirit on the earth. Maybe we're so used to it that it's not that big of a deal. But if we had been around pre-Pentecost and post, it obviously would stand out a lot more to us. I pray that for us that we would get more of an understanding and an excitement of the days that we do live in.

What God has served up on the table for us as Spirit-filled, born-again believers in Jesus Christ. So let's pray towards that. So let's consider the question now, what are some of these advantages of Jesus departing and the Holy Spirit coming? I've already read three different Old Testament passages that highlight many of the advantages and the three that I'm going to list out, they're really big, kind of overarching areas that is an advantage. We could drill down into these advantages and talk at more length about them, but I just wanted to put out three big topics that apply when we are thinking about the question, what are some of the advantages of Jesus departing and the Holy Spirit coming.

But one clarification, we shouldn't be mistaken to think that This is the Holy Spirit's foray into the world. The Holy Spirit has been working. The Holy Spirit has been actively working. There's not one Old Testament believer that looked forward to the promises of God that did that in and of themselves. The Spirit quickened them just like the Spirit is quickening you and I and giving us the gift of faith.

So don't be mistaken and think the Spirit has not been at work up to this point. It's a matter of volume and the scope. The volume is being turned way up and the scope, praise the Lord, is worldwide. Versus being isolated in a geographic spot there around Jerusalem and surrounding region. So three advantages I want to draw our attention to as we close out the second point of the sermon.

Number one is internal teacher. We have Christians have an internal, an indwelling, a permanently, this is not just influence, this is a, he lives inside of me. Wake up! Your mind should be smoking to think that God lives inside of you. It should be incredible to think that God through the presence of the Holy Spirit is indwelling me.

Such an encouragement to think on the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Thank God we are not left to our old forgetful memories on what Jesus has taught us. Thank God when I get into hard conversations in my home that I'm not left to myself and my own wisdom to think of what to say. Thank God that I'm not left to myself. I'm such a prideful person.

And so uncountable numbers of times during the day, little nudging of the Spirit of God in my heart. If He didn't live inside of you, I would be undone. If left to myself and My sinful inclinations, praise God for the internal teaching, convicting power of the Holy Spirit. John 14 26 says that the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to remembrance all things that I said to you." So the first advantage is the internal presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The second advantage is more about the scope.

It's decentralized, one man said in men's study Monday morning. Omnipresent. I asked my kids, how many places could Jesus be when he was on earth? How many places could he be at once when he was on earth? Jesus, the person of Jesus.

You may want to redeem themselves from telling me the Holy Spirit and Jesus were the same person. One spot. Be in one spot. That was not hard to understand, is it? Jesus leaves, the Spirit can be everywhere.

He's in Turkey right now. He's in Malawi. He's maybe at home if there's friends and brethren away from us, ministering to them. It's incredible. Decentralization.

God, think about pre-Pentecost and the state of Christianity. And even think about, and my next point is power, think about these disciples. And then go post-Pentecost. Like TNT exploded. It did.

The Gospel. The Gospel is the power of God. Just explodes across the world and it still is. And it still is exploding in your life and my life, power. That's the third advantage.

John 14 verse 12, most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also. Is that enough for you? And then he goes on and he says, and greater works than these he will do because I go to my Father. And whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.

This all tied back because I go to my Father, the departure of Jesus. Luke 24, 49, Behold I send the promise of my Father upon you, but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." Closing out this section, teaching, bringing to our remembrance, promptings, correcting, Stopping us in our tracks with that word that's on the tip of our tongue that would just slice our wife or our kids in two and he stops us. Thank God for that. Where would you and I be without this help? Oh, let us be a people that weep at the thought of offending or grieving this spirit.

He can be offended and he can be grieved. Let us be troubled, not at Jesus' departure, but let us be troubled at at grieving or offending the spirit take stock today Ask the Lord God What are ways that I'm offending is it with what I'm looking at with my eyes or thinking with my mind or how I am speaking with my tongue. What are ways I am grieving or offending you? If what I am talking to you about in terms of the advantages of the Holy Spirit, I am not getting any of that Mike. If you are truly born again, so start there.

But if you are, then your life is probably full of offense and grieving the Spirit so that His power is not on display and exhibited in your life. Seek the Lord and ask him to show you any way in which you're grieving his spirit. Last section is verses 8-11. So Let's turn back to John chapter 15. This is one of the more challenging sections, so I left myself five minutes to deal with it, so I wouldn't make nonsense of it here.

But I am going to preach confidently, like this is what I think this is getting at. So if you want to talk later, you're welcome to come up and ask me. But verses 8 through 11, let's read those together. And when he has come, he will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. And then he unpacks each of those.

Of sin because they do not believe in me, of righteousness because I go to my Father and you see me no more, of judgment because the ruler of this world is judged. You're filling in blanks. It's the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Listen to J.C. Ryle's comments on these verses.

The common superficial explanation that our Lord only meant that the work of the Spirit in saving individual believers is to convince them of their own sins, of Christ's righteousness, and the certainty of judgment at last will hardly satisfy thinking minds." He always has a problem mincing words. He continues to say, It is a shortcut and superficial way of getting over Scripture difficulties. It contains excellent and sound doctrine. That's true. The Spirit does do that.

However, it's truth that Ryle writes. It's not the truth of the text. I would maybe insert there it's not the central or the primary truth of the text when he's writing about the work of the Spirit. It is not individuals here and there whom he says the Spirit is to convince or to convict. It's the world.

Raoul closes out, let us see whether we cannot find a fuller and more satisfactory interpretation. In these verses we are taught about the Spirit's work on the who. Look at verse 8, and when He has come He will convict the world, the world of sin. If we turn back to John 15 and get the context of who the world is in these verses, They are not our friends. This is, remember the, it's not religious versus irreligious.

This is true believers and those that are opposing you. Those that hate you, those that are going to excommunicate you and those that want to kill you or will kill you. It's with this context in mind that I'm understanding verses 8 through 11. I think the choice of the translators in the New King James Version convict, For me at least, it takes me in the direction of this work of the Holy Spirit being primarily on unbelievers to convince them of their sin, their lack of righteousness and judgment and to repent and to believe. But I'm saying I don't think that's the primary work that Jesus is talking about here.

Let's real quickly just listen for sake of time. Three other places that John uses the word translated convict. It can be translated reprove, rebuke, expose, or convict. Translators have chosen to go with the convict aspect here, or the convict word. John chapter 3 verse 20, for everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be exposed.

Exposed is the word. Same word in verses 8 through 11 that's translated convict. John chapter 8 verse 9, Then those who heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest, even to the last. This is the woman caught in adultery, and those that came to stone her. They were convicted.

They were exposed. Their sinful hearts were laid bare in their pretenses of wanting to kill this woman they call in adultery. John 8, 46, Jesus actually says of himself, which of you convicts me of sin? And if I tell you the truth, Why do you not believe me? The Spirit's work in these verses is to silence, refute, reprove, or to expose the enemies of Christ.

I want you to picture cross-examination. This is kind of the mental picture I think of what the primary focus of the work of the Spirit in verses 8-11. Picture the Holy Spirit as a prosecuting attorney and the world is on trial for their unbelief. And He is bringing, this really fits in well with the overarching purpose of the Gospel of John. I write these things so that you would believe that Jesus is the Christ.

The world in the docket. John putting forth the evidence saying, you have no excuse. Why don't you believe? I think this is the force of what Jesus is. He's trying to encourage His disciples.

He's just told them the world is going to excommunicate them and kill them. But then He says, but I'm going to send the helper. And he's going to be like a prosecuting attorney shutting their mouth. He's going to be like a prosecuting attorney exposing them. Think of Stephen.

What happened when Stephen was preaching? They were just getting waylaid with truth and beat up. What did they do? They stuck their fingers in their ears and they ran at him screaming. That's kind of what I think here.

Of the power of the Holy Spirit on your side and your side. No matter, you find yourself in a hard conversation with a family member, you find yourself in a hard conversation out in public, take confidence. You have a prosecuting attorney with power, a divine one, that will expose or convict them of their unbelief, of their lack of righteousness, of their pretend righteousness that they want to pretend that they have, and of judgment that's resting on them. That's the three-fold work of the Spirit that we see here. He'll convict the world of sin because they don't believe in Me, of righteousness because I go to My Father and you see Me no more.

I am vindicated. What I said was true. Who I am, what I said about myself is true, and I was vindicated by raising from the dead and of judgment because the ruler of this world is judged. The Power and the Spirit of God comes upon the world in a circumstance and interaction like this. Their only solution is to kill us or stick their fingers in their ear and run at us.

Be confident in the power of the Gospel and the power of the truth of God to stand in the marketplace and speak boldly to those that are opposing the work of Christ. In closing I have three applications. They're really just reiterating applications I've already given you. Three applications are, do not turn a deaf ear to the voice of joy and gladness. This is not, don't worry, be happy, but it's an exhortation to feast upon the faithfulness and the sovereignty of God as you navigate life's ups and downs.

This is drawing back to the quote from Matthew Henry of the common fault and folly of melancholy Christians to dwell on the dark side of the cloud. Don't turn a deaf ear to the voice of joy and gladness. Whether that's you with your boots off, sitting with the Word of God drawing strength individually, or receiving it from one another. The second application is, to whatever extent you are grieving the Spirit of God, to whatever extent that these advantages that I talked about are just foreign, or you know there's more there, repent and ask your heavenly father that you would know, not just hear, but experientially know more of his power in your life. And lastly, the last application, go into the marketplace or wherever you find yourself with confidence.

You have a very powerful helper. He is actively working on those who oppose you. Let's pray. Oh Heavenly Father, I pray that we would give ourselves to the study of Your Word, what depths there are, Bottomless ones and There's joy to be had There's there's spiritual food in these depths that we have yet to taste of that would Give us so much confidence and peace and bone so much fruit of your spirit lord Give us a desire to want more of the power and the fruit of the spirit in our lives And pray that we would get this from your word and draw this from one another speaking your word into our lives. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.