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Text: Jn. 14:15-19
Title: "The Holy Spirit, Another Comforter"
Subject: The Holy Spirit as Comforter
Intro: The Bible says, "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever."
In our "Seekers" S.S. class we have just completed a study on the Unforgivable or Unpardonable Sin. In that context Jesus makes an amazing statement about Himself and the Holy Spirit. Of Himself Jesus says, "And whosoever speaketh a word (blasphemies) against the Son of man (Christ), it shall be forgiven him." Now let that sink in! (repeat) In other words, you can say the harshest words, or "speak lightly" of the humanity of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God, who is the second Person of the Trinity, who is the embodiment of God come in flesh, who was mocked, scourged, crucified, and buried for the blaspheming sinner and you can still be forgiven!! But of the Holy Spirit He says, "But whosoever speaketh (blasphemies) against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age, neither in the age to come." So a sinner can say whatever he wants against the humanity of Jesus Christ and be forgiven, but if he blasphemes the Holy Spirit it shall never be forgiven him!
As I was preparing to teach this passage from Matt. 12, this dichotomy hit me between the eyes. Blaspheme Jesus be forgiven. Blaspheme the Holy Spirit never be forgiven! Why is it all right to blaspheme Jesus, but not the Spirit? Since there was no clear answer in the Scriptures I did what all good teachers do, I made something up! Fortunately the other members of our class came to the same general conclusion; that because the Person, work, and power of the Holy Spirit is instrumental and indispensable in drawing the lost to Christ, and making the saved like Christ, to blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to blaspheme the ongoing work of God on behalf of men. When you blaspheme God's agent, you blaspheme all that God is, all that God has done, and all that God is doing in this present age.
This truth then brought into focus the importance of the Person of the Holy Spirit, and how, in many ways, He is the least known of the three Persons of the Trinity. Yet His ministry is the one that most directly effects our lives. So tonight we will consider the Holy Spirit's role as the Comforter.
Jn. 14:15-19 -- "The Holy Spirit: Another Comforter” -- prayer
The context of our message is found in Jn. 13:1 (read). Jesus and His disciples have entered the upper room to partake of the Passover meal which preceded His arrest, trials, and crucifixion. With the "upper room discourse" He is preparing His disciples for that moment in time when their worldly hopes would be dashed, and their earthly supports knocked out from under them. I wonder if you have ever been there? I wonder if what you hoped for, what you counted on, has been dashed by the ever-changing circumstances of life. Jesus knew what was about to befall the disciples, and He knows what has or will befall you. He has already made provision for you, and that provision, whatever it is, and from wherever it appears, is based entirely on His individual love for "His own" and His endless love "unto the end". And the depth of Christ's commitment to His own is seen in the giving of the Comforter. My cliff-hanging friend--hang on!, Jesus Christ has made provision for you!
I. THE CONDITIONS OF THE COMING OF THE COMFORTER (v15)
Note: The two conditions laid down in this verse are the same conditions that God has always demanded of His children. To the Nation of Israel God said, "And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments." (Deut. 5:10). These are also the same conditions that Satan demands of his followers. "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do..." And now for the believer, Jesus says, v15. So here we see the present activity of the believer. Want to know the will of God for your life? v15! Want to know what you should be doing as a blood-bought, born-again believer? v15! Want to know the answers to your problems? v15!
A. Love for Christ
1. Agape = self-sacrificing love; putting aside what you want to do for what He wants you to do!
2. Continuous love (continuous action)
(How do you show this self-sacrificing love?)
B. Obedience toward Christ
1. Keep ("to attend to carefully") My commandments
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." (Matt 22:37,39)
Note: I assume every saved person here knows that at the moment you trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour that the Holy Spirit, in all His fullness, took up residence inside you. Since He is omnipresent, He can be everywhere and in everyone at once. Since He is immaterial (without substance) He can occupy your substance. Since He is incorporeal (without form) He fills your form. Why then are there conditions attached to the coming of the Comforter? Let me give you three possible answers.
First, there is a hint of the frailty of the human nature in the little word, "if." This is called a third class condition, which means it is the furthest from possibility. "If you continue to love Me, which I doubt it, keep My commandments!" So the condition implies the great need of the Comforter in the believer's life.
Second, without the Comforter it is impossible to show self-sacrificing love, and wholehearted obedience to Christ! You can't do it, and you won't do it! Your sin-nature won't let you! So Jesus sent another Comforter, who now makes it possible to love and obey Jesus Christ!
Third because these two conditions directly relate to your comprehension of His Presence. You are only aware of the Presence of the Comforter in direct relation to yieldedness, which is based on your love for Christ, and your obedience to Christ.
For the disciples it was the end of their time with Jesus. If they did not obey Him after 3 1/2 yrs of teaching, it would be proof that they did not love Him. Judas proves the point! Say, how long have you been saved? How long have you sat under His teaching? Do you love Christ; and can you prove it by your obedience? Solomon said it best, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God [love Christ], and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." (Eccles. 12:13).
II. THE GIFT OF THE COMFORTER (v16)
A. Granted on the Prayer of Jesus
1. Jesus' prayer has interceded on your behalf!
Note: You say you see no way out of your present circumstances! Jesus has all ready interceded on your behalf. He is making petition to the Father, right now, for you! How many of His prayers are answered by the Father?
2. Jesus prayer is still working! The Comforter is still given and the Comforter is still here! That's prayer power!
Note: Some of you had a prayer answered years ago, and that prayer is still being felt or is still active in your life tonight! Jesus' prayers work!
B. Given by the Grace/Mercy of the Father
1. Freely given
a. The gift of God is eternal life (for the future)
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom 6:23)
b. The gift of God is His eternal presence (for the present)
"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Heb 13:5).
Note: Look, there is the Trinity! Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! So here we see the present activity of the Trinity. Look again, there you are! The totality of the Trinity is active in providing for you in your time of discomfort! I mean, like, does God love us or what??!!
C. Gained by the Abode of the Holy Spirit
1. "Another (of the same kind) Comforter" = paraclete:
a. So we see that there are two Comforters of the same kind, yet with different roles
1) The original Comforter is Jesus Christ
Note: Don't you know it was comforting, for the disciples, to be in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ? Don't you know the reassuring feeling of walking a dusty trail with the One who did always the will of His Father? Think of the security! Dad and mom, it is the same feeling your children have when they are in your presence and under your protection, yet on a lesser scale. They depend on you for direction and protection in every aspect of life</W>and you had better not let them down! So when Jesus said that He was going away He told them that He would send another Comforter to do the very same work of comforting that He did in His earthly ministry, while He would resume the role of Comforter before the Father.
(Definition #1 for the word paraclete or Comforter)
a) one who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate
b) one who pleads another's cause with one, an intercessor
"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate (comforter) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1). Jesus is our Comforter before the Father
2) Comforter #2 is the Holy Spirit
Note: The reason that the Holy Spirit could step immediately into Jesus' "shoes" (so to speak) is the truth that though the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have differing roles in the Godhead, they are all of the same essence. Therefore to have one of the Trinity is to have all three of the Trinity.
"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." (Rom 8:9)
(Definition #2)
a) Summoned, called to one's side, esp. called to one's aid; in the widest sense, a helper, succourer, aider, assistant
Note: So today, we are continuing the experience of first century Christianity! Think of it, the power of the first century is still with us and upon us!! Where the disciples had the presence of Jesus Christ to meet their needs, calm their fears, strengthen their resolve, and encourage their faith, we have another Comforter, of the very same kind who will actively abide with us forever! Where Jesus was their direct access to the Father, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit as our direct access to the Father!
So it is not as if we do not have "comfort" in times of trial, but it is because we do not avail ourselves of the Comforter! He is unchangeably at our side, but where are we? We are "worried sick." We are "troubled at every turn." We are "coming unglued." We are "mad as a wet hen." We are "out of money before we are out of month." We are "sick of trying." We are everything but yielded to the Holy Spirit. We are everything but loving Christ. We are everything but obedient to His commands. We are altogether backwards!!
Jesus said He would send another Comforter. Do you believe He did?? Jesus said that Comforter would abide with us forever. Do you believe He does?? Then you agree that we have all we need to be victorious over our circumstances?? Do you believe that??
I am going to give you 4 things that you can do to appropriate the power and presence of the Comforter:
1. Yield, surrender yourself to the Holy Spirit’s control. “I yield myself fully and completely to the Comforter's control.” "I ask for complete and full forgiveness of my sins." (Picture your heart turned inside out like an old lady's purse or picture the walls of sin being torn down)
"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18)
One of the problems with this is that perhaps some of you are not Rms 12:1-2 Christians yet!
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies (once for all) a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God (self-sacrificing love), which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind (keeping His commandments), that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Rom 12:1-2)
2. Love Christ. Set in your cleaned up heart and your cleaned up mind one aspect of Jesus Christ for which you love Him.
3. Obey Christ.Determine to take the first step toward the forsaking of your besetting sin. Say, "I will not do this thing and disobey the commandments of Christ." David said that against God only had he sinned. Get the right/God's perspective on sin.
The sin is smoking, the first step is thinking about it!
The sin is bitterness, the first step is thinking about it!
The sin is lack of faith, the first step is thinking about it!
All sin starts as a thought, which leads to an act, which leads to a habit, which leads to your character.
All sanctification starts with the renewing of your mind, or thoughts, which lead to acts, which lead to habits, which leads to your character!
4. "Let God be God." You let God handle your besetting need. You handled or assume responsibility for the things that you can handle with the Comforter's help, but you give to the Comforter all needs outside your abilities or control. You let God work out His will and purpose in every circumstance, while giving the Holy Spirit the opportunity to enforce His presence and perform His comforting work on your behalf.
Note: In closing I want to suggest a concrete way of communicating your besetting need to the Comforter. You see it is your responsibility to trust the Holy Spirit in His role as the Comforter
(Summoned, called to one's side, esp. called to one's aid; in the widest sense, a helper, succourer, aider, assistant), but how can we communicate our need, and the resulting Comforter's work in a graphic way.
Take your need and write it on a piece of paper!
Hand that piece of paper to the Comforter! Say, "Holy Spirit, I am giving this need to you, trusting the Father to meet it, the Son to intercede concerning it, and you to comfort me in it. "Bro. Darst, you have gone off the deep end someone call 911!" (Hand another one) "Bro. Darst, the Holy Spirit is immaterial and incorporeal, He doesn't even have hands!" (Hand another one) "Bro. Darst, you are crazy, the paper is just falling to the floor!" (Hand another one)
Note: Let me explain why the paper is falling to the floor. It is not because the Holy Spirit is not here beside you. It is not because the Holy Spirit does not have hands! It is not because the Holy Spirit is not concerned about your circumstances! It is not because the Holy Spirit is not willing to take responsibility for your need! The reason the paper is falling to the floor is because the need has already been communicated by the Holy Spirit to the Father, through the Son, and the necessary grace and mercy to go through the mtn., go around the mtn., or go over the mtn., are already on the way!! The paper is falling to the floor to show you that the need is met in Christ, and the comfort is provided in the Holy Spirit!!
Walk all over the paper to remind yourself of the provision of God on your behalf.
Conclusion: The Comforter's work is a continuation of the earthly work of Jesus Christ on behalf of His own. The Comforter's work begins with your once for all surrender, and daily yielding to His control. The Comforter's work is based on and provides our loving Christ and our obedience to His commands. The Comforter's work is a gift of the Father based on the prayer of Jesus Christ. The Comforter's work is to be by your side to help, succour, aid, and assist you in your needs. What is your work? To pray for the Spirit's filling. To love Jesus Christ, and serve Him sacrificially. To be obedient to Christ's commands. To let God be God in your life.
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