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"THE HOLY SPIRIT TEACHES"
TEXTS:
Jn. 14:26; 15:26; 16:7-16; 1 Tim. 4:1; 1 Jn. 2:26-27
INTRO:
Without the Holy Spirit's teaching ministry we would have no love or
interest in Spiritual things:
ILLUS:
LIKE THE WOMAN WHO PURCHASED A BOOK AND READ A FEW PAGES OF IT BUT FOUND
IT BORING AND UNINTERESTING. SHE LAID IT ASIDE AND RARELY LOOKED AT
IT. THEN ONE DAY SHE BECAME ACQUAINTED WITH THE AUTHOR AND A TENDER
LOVING RELATIONSHIP BEGAN TO GROW WITH HIM. FINALLY IT RIPENED INTO
DEEP LOVE AND BETROTHAL RESULTED. NOW SUDDENLY THE BOOK WAS NO LONGER
DULL, EVERY SENTENCE WAS FULL OF MEANING, EVERY PAGE HELD HER HEART, SHE
WAS ENTHRALLED BY EACH CHAPTER. THE ONLY THING THAT HAD ACTUALLY
CHANGED WAS THAT SHE NOW HAD BEEN TOUCHED BY THE AUTHOR AND THIS BROUGHT
A WHOLE NEW PERSPECTIVE ON THE BOOK ... THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE AUTHOR
BROUGHT ALIVE THE BOOK'S CONTENTS!
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
This is a main ministry of
the Holy Spirit ... to teach us truth, God's truth!
This is also why the Bible
is considered by those who are not saved as just a boring uninteresting
book, they often see little value or power in it. Unless they have the
author, the Holy Spirit revealing it to them they are lost in its pages.
In several places in the Bible the Holy Spirit is called,
"the Spirit of truth" ... He is
our teacher!
PROP.SENT:
The Bible teaches us that the Holy Spirit is our great teacher;
primarily He does this through the written Word by revealing to us its
meaning. His role is to lead us into all truth!
I.
SPIRIT OF TRUTH! Jn. 16:7-11
A.
Plan 16:7
1. Up until the day of
Pentecost living for God had been tough and stormy!
a. Jesus' presence had been a great help, but when He left for
heaven the disciples would need the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide
them!
b. The Holy Spirit
would be able to be with each one of them all the time, unlike Jesus
which at the time He was on earth was limited mostly to time and space;
thus it was necessary for Jesus to finish His work so He could leave and
send the Holy Spirit to help them all!
2. The presence of the
Holy Spirit would make dramatic changes in believers, it would change
the whole meaning of living for God.
a. Now storms would
become great opportunities rather than setbacks.
b. The Holy Spirit
would teach them in ways their own intellect had failed.
ILLUS:
ONE OF THE FIRST ADVENTURERS ON THE MIGHTY OCEANS WHO SAILED TO SOUTH
AMERICA WENT AROUND A CAPE ON A STORMY SEA. HIS SHIP WAS THREATENED TO
BREAK INTO PIECES; SO HE CALLED THE PLACE THE "CAPE OF STORMS." BUT
VASCO DA GAMA, WHO CAME LATER CHANGED THE NAME TO THE "CAPE OF GOOD
HOPE" FOR HE SAW AHEAD OF HIM THE JEWELS AND TREASURES OF INDIA. HIS
VISION SAW BEYOND THE REALITY OF THE STORMS TO A BRIGHT FUTURE! THE
HOLY SPIRIT HELPS US TO SEE BEYOND THIS WORLD TO A FUTURE THAT IS
BRIGHTER THAN ANYTHING HERE, AND SO HE TEACHES US TO VIEW LIFE NOW IN A
DIFFERENT WAY THAN THE WORLD DOES! HE TEACHES US A DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVE!
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
3. And so, God's plan
was to send the Holy Spirit, this new age of the Spirit would bring
spiritual knowledge and understanding to ordinary believers. It was
thus imperative for Jesus to return to Heaven so this new age could come
in its fullness!
B.
Purpose 16:8-11
1. The Holy Spirit's
coming would be to teach about 3 main areas:
a.
SIN (16:8a,
9)
(1. The Holy Spirit
will reveal and convict about sin ... even unbelievers understand man is
a sinner, the Holy Spirit reveals the truth about our fallen nature!
ILLUS:
A WEALTHY HINDU BOARDED A SHIP AT BOMBAY LOADED DOWN WITH CHAINS; HE
COULD MOVE ABOUT ONLY WITH THE HELP OF SERVANTS AND COULD NEVER KNOW
PEACE OR COMFORT. SQUATTED ON THE DECK IN THE MIDST OF THESE CHAINS HE
EXPLAINED THAT WHILE STILL A YOUNG MAN HE HAD VOWED TO PUT ON A LINK FOR
EVERY SIN HE COMMITTED AND NOW THAT HE WAS OLDER HE WAS HELPLESS UNDER
THE CRUEL WEIGHT OF 600 POUNDS OF IRON LINKS! HE HAD COME TO UNDERSTAND
THE TRUTH ABOUT SIN ... BUT HAD YET TO UNDERSTAND THE TRUTH ABOUT JESUS
AND FORGIVENESS! THE HOLY SPIRIT HAD HELPED HIM TO UNDERSTAND HIS
SINFULNESS BUT AS YET HE HAD NOT OPENED HIS HEART TO RECEIVE CHRIST AS
SAVIOR!
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
(2. The work of the
Holy Spirit is available for all people ... they cannot be saved unless
they come to understand that they are sinners!
(3. This is the
general work of God's Spirit in the world, to reveal the truth, to teach
us about sin!
(4. When someone gets
saved it is because the Holy Spirit has awakened in them the realization
that they are a sinner first!
(5. No one is saved
without this ministry of the Holy Spirit first, thus He teaches the
world about sin. The first step toward salvation has to be a
realization of the nature of sin, and the truth about sin.
b.
RIGHTEOUSNESS (16:8b,
1O)
(1. This teaching work
of the Holy Spirit is critical for salvation for it is the truth that no
human works can save us, only the righteousness of Christ which comes by
faith!
(2. Without the
teaching of the Holy Spirit on this subject men will try to save
themselves ... they will do good works as a means of salvation, or turn
to vain teachers and mystics for promises of salvation.
(3. This work of the
Spirit is critical for gaining salvation, He convicts us about the true
nature of righteousness, that it can only come through Christ and not
through our own efforts or goodness!
(4. How different the
concept of salvation is in Christianity than in most other religions!
(a. In most other
religions salvation always has something to do with our works.
(b. In Christianity
works are important as a result of salvation, but not the means
of salvation, salvation comes by grace and faith in Christ!
(5. This is a true
revelation for man, for we would never have thought
this up ourselves, only
the Spirit of God has revealed this!
ILLUS:
THE VERY CONCEPT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IS TAUGHT BY THE VERY CHARACTER IN
CHINESE CHOSEN TO REPRESENT THE WORD "RIGHTEOUSNESS." WHEN
CREATING A CHARACTER FOR THIS CONCEPT THEY TOOK TWO OTHER CHARACTERS AND
BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER, THEY TOOK THE CHARACTER FOR "LAMB" AND PUT UNDER
IT THE CHARACTER FOR "ME!" THIS REPRESENTED THE TRUTH ABOUT
RIGHTEOUSNESS, THAT ONLY AS I AM UNDER THE LAMB OF GOD CAN I TRULY KNOW
GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS! THUS I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD'S EYES NOT BECAUSE OF
WHAT I DO, BUT BECAUSE OF WHAT THE LAMB OF GOD HAS DONE FOR ME! THIS IS
THE WORK OF GOD'S SPIRIT TEACHING US IN THE NEW COVENANT OF CHRIST, THIS
WAS QUITE A BIT OF NEWS FOR BELIEVERS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT REVELATION!
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
(6. This teaching of
the Holy Spirit from the pages of Scripture thus frees us from bondage
and penalty, it enables us to enjoy our relationship with God and gives
us peace!
(7. Thus the New
Testament saint is free from the tyranny of guilt and shame all the time
for we are righteous by being clothed upon by Christ's righteousness!
c.
JUDGMENT (16:8c,
11)
(1. This work of
teaching by the H.S. is about judgment and justice, the fact that
Christ's death and resurrection assures a future time of judgment
against sin and sinners, of which Satan is already now condemned, when
justice will be served!
(2. This work of the
Spirit breeds into the hearts of men and women a sense of eternal life
that yet awaits all, a future of either judgment or heaven!
(3. Only those who
shut out the voice of the Holy Spirit will have no sense of a coming
eternity, the Holy Spirit is at work in hearts to reveal to us the truth
about our eternal soul!
ILLUS:
TWO SOLDIERS ON AN AMERICAN TROOPSHIP CROWDED AROUND THEIR CHAPLAIN AND
ASKED HIM, "DO YOU BELIEVE IN A HELL?" HE RESPONDED WITH "I DO NOT!"
THEY THEN RESPONDED WITH "WELL, THEN CHAPLAIN, WOULD YOU PLEASE RESIGN,
FOR IF THERE IS NO HELL WE DO NOT NEED YOU, AND IF THERE IS A HELL, WE
DO NOT WISH TO BE LED ASTRAY BY YOU!"
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
(4. These men knew
instinctively the truth about eternity, even an unbelieving chaplain
couldn't convince them of any other truth other than what the Holy
Spirit taught them in their hearts!
(5. The work of the
Holy Spirit to teach is critical!
2. Thus, the Holy
Spirit is at work in the world to teach in these 3 ways … to teach
about:
a. Sin
b. Righteousness
c. Judgment
3. The Bible is the
foundational tool of the Holy Spirit for teaching truth.
a. The principle tool
the Holy Spirit uses for His teaching all men and women is the Word of
God, the Scriptures!
b. That is why it is
the most important book the world has ever known!
c. Men and women of
all ages have come to a saving knowledge of Jesus
many times by merely
reading the Bible and having the Holy Spirit convict them through those
words.
d. Or many have come
by hearing the Word of God preached.
e. Or by seeing the
Word of God lived out by a believer.
f. In any case, it
always is connected with the Word of God!
4. This is one of the
main purposes of the ministry of the Holy Spirit, to teach all people
truth, and in doing this lead them to Jesus Christ:
"the truth shall set you free!"
JOHN 8:32
II.
SPIRIT WHO TEACHES! Jn. 16:12-16; 14:26; 15:26; 1 Tim. 4:1; 1 Jn.
2:26-27
A.
Problem 1 Tim. 4:1 1 Jn. 2:26-27
1. 1 of the problems
in the last days will be people following deceiving spirits, buying
falsehoods, and abandoning truth!
a. It is disturbing to
read here that there will be "some who
will abandon THE FAITH…"
b. If we are not tuned
into the Holy Spirit and this means Scripture, it may be that many may
be led astray even if they originally accepted Christ!
c. Any movement that
emphasizes experience over the Word of God is headed down a dangerous
path!
2. Without the Holy
Spirit's teaching us through the Word of God we are apt to become
gullible, ready to swallow anything that appears to be spiritual!
a. The Word of God is
the textbook for Christianity ... the Holy Spirit is the teacher!
b. It doesn't matter
how interesting any other teacher is, if their teaching is not found in
THE BOOK it should be avoided and held suspect!
3. It is most
important who you allow to be your teacher, the Holy Spirit is the only
reliable teacher!
4. John writes about
this also in 1 Jn. 2:26-27:
a. Here John warns the
early believers to be on guard against a group within the church known
as “Gnostics” ... these were
people who made great claims of deep spirituality and deep understanding
about iritual things, they claimed knowledge superior to all other
Christians!
b. They were marked by
their arrogant attitude toward other Christians and even toward the
Apostles, claiming they knew far more about the Holy Spirit that even
the Apostles or the written Word!
c. They emphasized
experiences over Scripture and so they were in danger of leading the
church astray!
5. John writes here to
the believers reminding them that they have the
"anointing" (a reference to the Holy
Spirit) in them as a teacher already … and that human teachers are
not above the Spirit of God, this Holy Spirit would
"teach them all things"…
a. This was not a
reference to literally "every" thing ... but all the
"things" they needed to know about
salvation and walking with God!
b. The body of this
teaching was in Scripture and the Apostle's doctrine!
6. John's point was
simple; the Holy Spirit by revealing truth from God's Word had taught
them how to live in the light, they are being warned not to be tempted
to leave that lightlest they be in danger of spiritual apostasy!
ILLUS:
IN FORT WORTH, TEXAS THERE IS A ZOO THAT IS QUITE UNIQUE. THERE IS A
BUILDING THAT KEEPS TROPICAL BIRDS, AND IT HAS A UNIQUE DESIGN. THE
HALLWAYS FOR VISITORS IS VERY DARK WHILE THE AREA WHERE THE BIRDS ARE
KEPT IS VERY WELL LIT. THERE IS A LARGE AREA THAT IS A MOCK UP OF A
TROPICAL RAIN FOREST, INCLUDING A REAL WATERFALL, A POOL, TREES, AND
ROCKY LEDGES. BRIGHTLY COLORED BIRDS ARE EVERYWHERE, AND IRONICALLY
GUESTS ARE AMAZED TO DISCOVER THAT THERE IS NO GLASS TO KEEP THEN IN!
THE WHOLE AREA IS OPEN; YOU CAN ALMOST REACH OUT AND LITERALLY TOUCH THE
BIRDS. THE INEVITABLE QUESTION COMES UP, "WHY DON'T THE BIRDS FLY AWAY
WITH NO BARRIERS!?" A SIGN ABOVE THE AREA EXPLAINS THAT THE BIRDS ARE
EXTREMELY AFRAID OF THE DARKNESS ... WHEN IT GETS DARK THEY SLEEP, AND
THEY WILL NOT WHEN AWAKE FLY FROM LIGHT INTO DARKNESS ... HENCE THE
REASON WHY THE AREA WHERE VISITORS STAND AND WATCH IS KEPT EXTREMELY
DARK! AS CREATURES OF LIGHT, THEY ARE NOT PRONE TO WANDER BACK INTO
DARKNESS, IT IS AGAINST THEIR NATURE! AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT IN CHRIST,
WE TOO WOULD BE WISE TO STAY AWAY FROM FLYING INTO DARK AREAS; IT IS NOW
AGAINST OUR NATURE TOO!
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
7. These false
teachers tried seducing the saints by their apparent deep spirituality
which characterized itself by:
a. Superiority.
b. Harshness and a
claim of great and new knowledge that even the Bible supposedly didn't
have.
c. They were
judgmental toward those who would question them!
d. They were not
accountable to anyone or anything other than God alone ... or their
definition of God!
8. John's point is
simple; the real Holy Spirit doesn't divide God's people, He unites
them, and the Holy Spirit teaches us all primarily through the Word of
God which is available to all believers!
9. These false
teachers are going to be everywhere in the last days and the sad fact is
that many Christians who are not as knowledgeable about the Bible will
only mean that they are more likely to be drawn aside.
a. We need the
teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit.
b. And we need the
textbook of the Holy Spirit, the Bible!
B.
Protection Jn. 16:12-16;
14:26; 15:26
1. Jesus here states
that He would like to teach them more but because the Holy Spirit had
not yet come as in the New Covenant they couldn't understand yet, but
when the Spirit comes “He will guide them
INTO ALL TRUTH!”
16:13
a. Again, this is
"all truth" in the sense of those
things we need to know about salvation and eternity ... not all truth in
the scientific sense!
b. Notice John states
that the Spirit will do this by speaking only what He has heard from the
Father and the Son ... a clear reference to the Word of God.
c. His focus will not
be on Himself; the Holy Spirit doesn't draw attention to Himself, but to
Christ!
16:14
2. This will bring
protection to the saints of God, everything can be tested by the Word of
God!
3. The greatest test
must be that it looks and sounds like Jesus, and this picture is found
only in the Word of God!
ILLUS:
ONE RAINY SUNDAY AFTERNOON A FATHER WAS BABYSITTING HIS CHILDREN AND HAD
THE TASK OF KEEPING THEM ENTERTAINED. HE ASSIGNED SPECIFIC TASKS TO
EACH CHILD. TO KEEP HIS 10 YEAR OLD SON BUSY FOR A WHILE HE TOOK A
PICTURE OF A MAP OF THE UNITED STATES FROM A MAGAZINE AND CUT IT UP INTO
LITTLE PIECES AND ASKED HIM TO REASSEMBLE THE MAP CORRECTLY. THINKING
THIS WOULD TAKE SOME TIME, HE WAS SURPRISED ONLY MOMENTS LATER TO HEAR
HIS SON CALL HIM BECAUSE HE WAS DONE ALREADY! AS THE FATHER LOOKED IN
AMAZEMENT, THE SON HAD PUT THE MAP TOGETHER PERFECTLY, FAR FASTER THAN
EVEN HE COULD HAVE DONE AS A DAD! HE ASKED HIS SON HOW IN THE WORLD HE
HAD DONE IT SO WELL, SO QUICKLY! THE BOY ANSWERED, "WELL DAD, I
PROBABLY COULDN'T EXCEPT I NOTICED THAT ON THE BACK WAS A PICTURE OF A
MAN, I SIMPLE PUT THE PICTURE OF THE MAN TOGETHER CORRECTLY AND THE
WORLD TOOK CARE OF ITSELF!" THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO US WHEN WE HAVE A
CLEAR PICTURE OF JESUS TAKEN FROM HIS WORD ... THE REST OF THE WORLD
WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF AND WE WON'T BE LED ASTRAY!
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
4. If you are not
studying the Word of God, the Holy Spirit as a teacher will not be able
to ground you as you ought to be!
5. The role of the
Spirit is to take Jesus and His Words and help us understand them! He
will teach us truth and this will protect us from false teachers and
false teaching!
a. The Spirit will thus
teach us "all things" ...
"all the things needed!" 14:26
b. The Spirit will
testify about Christ, the truth of God! 15:26
6. Without this role
of the Holy Spirit we would be adrift on the road to truth, each man
doing that which is right in his own eyes and never sure about
salvation!
7. Fortunately, the
Holy Spirit is our guide, our teacher, the Spirit of truth ... and we
don't have to be driven by every wind of doctrine or practice that omes
down the pike! We can stand on solid ground as the Holy Spirit teaches
us!
CONCLUSION:
Without the Holy Spirit we could not clearly understand the true nature
of sin or the nature of salvation!
The
role of the Holy Spirit as our teacher is critical!
His
role is to direct attention to Christ, not Himself.
He
reveals the truth about Jesus and salvation so that we might be saved.
The
Spirit's role is to make known the Scriptures and God’s plan for
salvation ... any work of the Spirit will be deeply rooted in the Word
of God.
The
Bible is the textbook; the Holy Spirit is the teacher!
What kind of student are you?
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