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e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e good morning everyone welcome to the house of the Lord for our time of worship together this Sunday morning couple of announcements before we get started you may have noticed when you came in on the back table that there's spread out the draft of our church directory um so there's lots of additions and Corrections needed there if you don't mind going by just make sure that your email address your telephone number your photo is correct uh there may be some new people that need to be added uh so check on that and if you have any updates that you can't fit on there or a photo you want to include send it to whim uh whim is looking after getting that all organized so he would like to get that published as soon as possible so we have a a small size that you can carry around with you for our church directory so that's the one thing we're going to be celebrating the Lord's Supper this evening come prepared for that at 5:00 p.m. and Wednesday night bible study again is at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday and then the conference coming up that's approaching quickly on April 26th and 27th confessing the faith conference I haven't had any update but I know we have over 100 people uh register for that seats pardon me five seats oh okay five dinner seats left there's far more people registered for the conference than for the dinner but we do have um limited seating for the dinner and there's only five seats left so if you're still thinking of coming to the dinner or haven't made your decision do that quickly so we can keep in mind Dr uh Jim renahan and Dr Richard barcelos who will be speaking to us and the people that are coming from all over uh western Canada it's going to be a good time time together moving on to our worship this morning let's turn to Psalm 73 for our call to Worship in your Bibles Psalm 70 or sorry 93 my mistake Psalm 93 we will read the entire Psalm Psalm 93 the Lord Reigns he is clothed with Majesty the Lord is clothed he has girded himself with strength surely the world is established so that it cannot be moved your throne is established from of old you are from Everlasting the floods have lifted up O Lord the floods have lifted up their voice the floods lift up their waves the Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many Waters than the mighty waves of the sea your testimonies are very sure Holiness adorns your house O Lord forever amen we're going to start by singing Psalm 145 in our Suter Himel Psalm 145d as in dela 145d and stand with me as we sing ever I bless my by mying still through his mesty shall shall all my glory all my and well my the and of shall from every my love and mercy ofing me of Mery of kind and compassion to love God is good to all creation his his goodness all th shall bless me all [Music] my and you may be seated we're going to turn to the Lord in prayer in particular remember the the work there in Elder at Kenya Pastor Butler gave very encouraging report about their trip uh to Kenya and the work that's being done there we thank the Lord for our connection with that church and we'll continue to uphold them in prayer let's go to the Lord in prayer our gracious Heavenly Father we thank you that we can gather in This House of Prayer to worship to praise to adore our Triune God we thank you for the good that you are doing in our midst and all across the world thank you for the good that you are doing in Kenya and for the good report thank you that you gave Pastor Butler Mrs Butler and the Neils is this time away and time to visit the church there and see the work that's being done in Kenya and in the and by extension the country's surrounding Lord we pray that you would bless that church Grace Baptist Church in Elder we pray you'd bless the pastors there Pastor naph Remy and Moses we thank you for these faithful Brethren thank you for the work that they are doing with meager means uh locally but you are supporting them and we thank you for the good that they are able to do not only in that city of Elder but to uh to cities throughout Kenya and by training young men for the ministry to the neighboring countries Lord we pray that you would bless them continue to keep them in good health continue to uh keep that congregation United and we pray oh God that they would see much good come from this uh the the expansion and their building as this project is wrapping up we pray oh God that they would be able to use that building for much good in training Ministers of the Gospel to send forth to other parts of that continent of Africa we thank you for these brothers and we pray oh God that you would bless them Lord we know it's a very poor area there are many in the congregation that have very little Lord we pray that you'd be gracious that you would uphold especially widows and orphans and those that are without means that are unemployed Lord we pray you'd be gracious and we pray that you would yet Prosper that work in spite of the challenges that they face encourage those Brethren oh God we pray and continue to work in their midst we thank you Lord for our Brethren here in Canada thank you for the good that you are doing especially this conference that's coming up shortly in a couple of weeks here in chilak thank you that so many people from various parts of British Columbia western Canada are coming and we pray oh God that it would be a wonderful time of unifying your church and bringing the body of Christ together as we uh meet and as we study and as we get to Fellowship Lord we pray that it would be the beginning of even greater things in the future Lord we pray for for our sister churches the church plants here locally bless the Brethren that are meeting this morning in surri bless Pastor Kirkpatrick as he ministers to them we pray again that you would Prosper them cause them to grow not only in number but in maturity and in in their appreciation of the Theology of the of the Cross Lord we pray for the work in the northern Okanogan bless our Brethren there bless Pastor malar as he ministers in in Armstrong encourage that group Lord I pray that you'd continue to build them up in their Most Holy Faith and be with our Brethren out in dren Ontario we pray for that fledgling congregation that you would continue to encourage them and strengthen them and bring into their midst new members and Lord we pray that they would eventually be able to um Cong uh form a church officially constitut a church and Lord we pray that they would also be able to be an Outreach to neighboring cities and communities in Ontario we thank you oh God for the good that you're doing here and abroad we pray oh God that your church would March forward as we know you have promised that she will prevail and that Christ will have dominion over this entire Earth we look forward to the day when we gather to worship before you with people from every tribe every Kindred every tongue and every nation and Lord we know that you are in the business of building that church and saving people and we pray that this day a great multitude would be gathered in Lord we pray for our brethren in countries that are suffering persecution for being Christians for maintaining the truth and for holding fast to the Gospel of Jesus Christ Lord we pray that you would bless those that are suffering and especially those that are in prison or those that are perhaps even fleeing hiding for their lives be merciful to your people oh God we do not want to forget our Brethren that are in chain it seems so foreign and so far away to us and yet it's very very real to them and Lord we pray you'd be gracious and merciful to our Brethren Lord continue to bless us with freedom in this country we pray we pray for the magistrates that you would do a good work we know that we need to see a Revival in your church we need to see an Awakening on the street before we're going to see a a massive change in government but we pray oh God that you would restrain and by your your power and by your grace and mercy you would continue to allow us to see the gospel go forward and the church preaching as she ought we ask that you would be with us this morning bless Pastor Butler as he comes to preach open our hearts to receive the truth and may your spirit be present we pray in Jesus name amen amen if you'll turn in your Himel to Psalm 20b as in bravo for our second Hy hymn Psalm 20 be as in bra and stand as we sing his GL and your heart all your Sal your and his anointed one of the Lord High we [Music] are we you may be seated for our morning scripture reading turn with me to Matthew chap 23 Matthew chapter 23 we will read the entire chapter then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples saying the scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses seat therefore whatever they tell you to observe that observe and do but do not do according to their works for they say and do not do for they bind heavy burdens hard to bear and lay them on men's shoulders but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers but all their Works they do to be to be seen by men they make their filteries Broad and enlarge the borders of their garments they love the best places at feasts the best seats in the synagogues greetings in the marketplace places and to be called by men Rabbi Rabbi but you do not be called Rabbi for one is your teacher the Christ and you are all Brethren do not call anyone on Earth your father for one is your father he who is in heaven and do not be called teachers for one is your teacher the Christ but he who is greatest among you shall be your servant and whoever exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted but woe to you scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men for you neither go in yourselves nor do you allow those who are entering to go in woe to you scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for you devour widows houses and for a pretense make long prayers therefore you will receive greater condemnation woe to you scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for you travel Land and Sea to win one proelite and when he is one you make make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves woe to you blind guides who say whoever swears by the temple it is nothing but whoever swears by the gold of the temple he is obliged to perform it fools and blind for which is greater the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold and whoever swears by the altar it is nothing but whoever swears by the gift that is on it he's obliged to perform it fools and blind for which is greater the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift therefore he who swears by the altar swears by it and by all things on it he who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it and he who swears by Heaven swears by The Throne of God and by him who sits on it woe to you scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for you pay tithe of mint and Anis and kumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law Justice and mercy and faith these you ought to have done without leaving the others undone blind guides who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel woe to you scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgent self-indulgence blind Pharisee first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish that the outside of them may be clean also woe to you scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for you are like white wash tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly but inside are full of Dead Man's Bones and all uncleanness even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness woe to you scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites because you build the tombs of the prophets and Adorn The Monuments of the righteous and say if we had lived in the days of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets therefore you are wit is against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets fill up then the measure of your father's guilt serpents brood of vipers how can you escape the condemnation of Hell therefore indeed I send you prophets wise men and scribes some of them you will kill and crucify and some of them you will Scourge in your synagogues and persecute from City to city that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of bariah whom you murdered between the temple and the altar assuredly I say to you all these things will come upon this generation oh Jerusalem Jerusalem the one who kills the prophets and Stones those who are sent to her how often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings but you were not willing see your house is Left To You desolate for I say to you you shall see me no more till you say blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord amen let's pray gracious Father in heaven we thank you that Christ creator of the universe was also the greatest Prophet the greatest man that ever lived because he was both man and God perfectly righteous and we thank you that he gave these warnings and in so doing gave his audience yet another opportunity to repent we thank you that there were those who repented in the book of Acts we see that many of the many of the priests believe the gospel Lord we thank you that you can turn the hardest of hearts even the chief of Sinners Like Saul of Tarsus into saints that love you and spread your gospel we pray that you'd continue that work we ask this in Jesus name amen for our final hymn we're going to turn to 391 in the Himel we'll be singing it to a different tune than it's written to in the Himel but one that we're familiar with hymn [Music] 391 with us the our heart with C we see holy is and show us bless when wees our Lord our be and be with us day by day to GL we holy and mighty all things th work of for the may be seated will you can turn with me in your Bibles to the Book of John as we work our way through John's gospel we're in John chapter 14 John 14 our Focus will be verses 16 to 18 it's the second part of something we did a few weeks ago the mission of the disciples after our lord Jesus encourages the disciples that he goes to prepare a place for them in chap 14 veres 1-6 he then underscores with reference to his father that if you have seen him you have seen the father verses 7 to 11 and then he turns his attention and directs his energies to specifically preparing the disciples for the mission that they face after Jesus dies he will be raised again but he will Ascend on high and from that Throne at the right hand of the father he will give the spirit and he will give them power to carry out Greater Works remember the Greater Works are not competition Jesus doesn't say you're going to do Greater Works and show me up the Greater Works in here are the works of Christ from the right hand of the father as done through the disciples so in verses 12 to 18 we see specifically this emphasis on the mission of the disciples so I just want to read again beginning in verse one to verse 18 and then we'll start let not your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me in my father's house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there you may be also and where I go you know and the way you know Thomas said to him Lord we do not know where you are going and how can we know the way Jesus said to him I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the father except through me if you had known me you would have known my father also and from now on you know him and have seen him Philip said to him Lord show us the father and it is sufficient for us Jesus said to him have I been with you so long and yet you have not known me Phillip he who has seen me has seen the father so how can you say show us the father do you not believe that I am in the father and the father in me the words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own authority the father who dwells in me does the works believe me that I am in the father and the father in me or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves most assuredly I say to you he who believes in me the works that I do he will do also 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 if you love me keep my Commandments and I will pray the father and he will give you another helper that he may abide with you forever the spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him but you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you I will not leave you orphans I will come to you amen well let us pray our gracious God and Holy Father we thank you for this beautiful day we thank you that you have blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus we thank you for so great a Salvation we thank you for a church that we can gather together to sing your praises to hear from your word to call upon you in prayer and to hopefully edify and encourage one another in our Most Holy Faith we ask now that your spirit would guide us the spirit promised by our Lord to the disciples In this passage we know that on that day of Pentecost he poured out the spirit in a great way and we are the benefactors of these blessings we ask that you would guide us by the spirit instruct our minds and hearts we pray that you would encourage and edify the saint we pray for those who are dead in their trespasses and sins they would hear of everlasting life in our Lord Jesus Christ we thank you for his gospel we thank you for the life of perfect obedience to the law we thank you for that death on Calvary as a as a as a substitutionary atonement as a sacrifice for Sinners we thank you for his resurrection for his Ascension on high and we look forward to his coming again in glory to judge the living in the dead may it be the case that all here would be clothed in his righteousness and cleansed in his blood and may you be merciful and may you indeed receive prodigals back to yourself through your grace and For Your Glory forgive us for all sin and unrighteousness and we pray in jesus' name amen well I'm not going to lie to you I have a lot of material and I'm not quite sure if I'm going to be able to get to all that material today the Holy Spirit has been mentioned in John's gospel up to this point he's been mentioned specifically in chapter 1 at verses 32 and 33 chapter 3 vers verses 5 and 6 and then in verse 8 as the one who brings about the new birth or regeneration he's been mentioned in John 424 at least indirectly John 663 John 737 and 39 so he has been mentioned but here I want to take the time to look specifically at the nature of the spirit I had mentioned in the last hour just giving a brief report about our trip to Africa one of the men we asked if he was a Christian or not he said yes I worship the Trinity and as I mentioned in the last hour I'm not sure that many North Americans would describe the Christian God as Trinity I mean if you pushed and you dug and you pressed they would say oh yeah yeah the true and living God is Triune we confess Father Son and Holy Spirit but it's not that readily coming forth out of the people of God today I think as I mentioned yesterday we're going through a book on the holy spirit in our Saturday morning study the spirit of God is as far as all three persons is probably the last uh least understood and the least known in terms of a theological sort of a survey so that's why I want to spend some time in this section dealing with the Holy Spirit just by way of reminder we've seen the mission of the disciples specifically in verses 12- 14 Christ reiterates that he's the object of Faith notice in 12a most assuredly I say to you he who believes in me how do we get saved what's the means by which or the manner in which we come to a saving knowledge of our blessed God it's not our good works it's not our Merit it's not our Reformation it's not our stopping to do certain things and starting to do other things it's by God's grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ you believe in Jesus and you will be saved whether you get anything else from the rest of this sermon this morning know this that Christ Jesus the second person of the Trinity the one called the word of God took on our Humanity that means he assumed our flesh with all the essential properties everything that is true of man Christ assumed to himself except sin he didn't have sin he was perfect he was impeccable he was righteous why is that because we needed somebody to keep the law for us God made us to obey him God made us to glorify him God made us to enjoy him but as a result of Adam's sin we forfeit that we are dead so we don't GL glorify we don't enjoy we don't honor him so we need one to stand in our place and keep the law that's what Christ does in his Humanity he always does what the father commands he fulfills perfectly The Ten Commandments he fulfilled all of the law written by Moses given by God through Moses but then he goes to the cross and he goes to the Cross not simply to tell us what love looks like he goes to the cross in light of the old test Testament he is the victim that is sacrificed by the priest in order for the sins of the people of Israel now in Christ's particular situation he is both priest and sacrifice he is both the offerer and the one offered in fact John in his gospel quotes John the Baptist who when he first lays Eyes Upon Jesus says Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world he's got all that Old Testament data in his mind he has all those sacrifices he has Solomon's Temple he has the Tabernacle he has the levitical priesthood he has the sons of Aaron he has the day of atonement and when he sees Jesus he says this is the one that all those things pointed forward to this is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world so believe in him and you get the benefits of his life perfect obedience to the father such that you'll be clothed in his rightous nness but you also get the benefit of his death you get cleansed in his Precious Blood and of course he didn't stay in the grave death had no dominion over him he was raised again the third day and now he sits en throned at the right hand of the father where he ever lives to make intercession for his people where he ever receives guilty vile Sinners unto himself who have been blessed by God with grace to come to him so if you get or don't get all of the Contours of the distinctions with reference to the doctrine of the Trinity that I'm about to get into get this that the way of Salvation the way of peace with God the way of forgiveness of sin the way of gaining a righteousness by which you enter into the presence of God is through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ nothing in my hand I bring simply to thy cross I cling foul I to the Fountain fly Wash Me savior or I die it is the blood of Jesus Christ his son which cleanses us from all sin so Christ reiterates that he's already mentioned it by way of of encouraging them not to be troubled in verse one he says let not your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me there we see something distinct something unique about the Lord Jesus Christ he puts himself on par with the father he does so because of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity one true and living God who exists eternally as Father Son and Holy Spirit and that's one of the things one of the strategies that Jesus is employing in this Upper Room to encourage the disciples to fortify the disciples to stabilize the disciples to give that impetus to the disciples such that when he does ascend on High they'll go into the then Known World and preach the gospel they will face Emperors they will face magistrates they will face relig uh unbelieving Jews they will face the threat of death and extermination why because they serve the true and living God and it is their benefit and privilege to be able to serve him there's that bit in Acts 5 where the apostles are scourged and they leave from there not moaning not whining not calling their attorney but they go from that place rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that love Love Of Christ that faith in Christ has sent many a martyr to his death it has sent many a covenantor to his death it has sent many a person to their death not grudgingly not unhappily but embracing the glory of God most high in that particular instance so it is Faith In Jesus by which salvation is had it is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ whether you're young whether you're old whether you're a notorious sinner or a garden variet sinner the way of acceptance by the father is through faith in the son that's what you need to remember that's what you need to take home that's what you need to pray that God would give you a saving interest in our lord Jesus so he rehearses this he's the object of Faith verse 12a most assuredly I say to you he who believes in me and then notice he speaks concerning of the The Works of the disciples remember he's in the upper room he's equipping them he's in encouraging them he's going to depart from them but he doesn't want them just lying on their couch enjoying Redemptive benefit he wants them going into the Roman Empire he wants them for uh uh uh bringing that gospel to the various Villages and cities that that people the world at that particular time so he says he who believes in me the works that I do he will do also and Greater Works than these he will do and then notice he says because I go to my father other words the Ascension of Christ to the right hand of God most high means good things for the church you see it in Acts two you see the Holy Spirit come in Mighty power upon the people of God there and Peter stands up to explain the phenomena he says this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel back in Joel chapter 2 the time of fulfillment has come the time of realization has come the time of the promise has been brought to fruition and then we read in Acts 2:33 that it's Jesus at the right hand of the father who sends the spirit upon the people of God so it is to their advantage he says to them later in the upper room that he leaves them and again that's a pretty staggering statement they had grown to love him they had been very fond of him he was very close to them and he says it's good for you that I go away well that puzzles people what does that mean what how could it be good that that Jesus is not with them presently well he's always with them spiritually that's how he ends this section in verse 18 I come to you how is Christ present with his people now it's by the Holy Spirit by this other helper by this paraclete by this one that he sends so that we're not left as orphans in this present evil age so he says it is good for you that I Ascend to my father because you're going to then engage in Greater Works the Greater Works are more people affected with the Gospel of Jesus Christ remember jesus' Ministry was locally present there in in Israel what happens after his resurrection what happens when he gives the commission he says go therefore and Make Disciples of all the nations then you see that in the book of Acts acts chapters 1 to 8 you see the emphasis upon J uh acts chapters 1 and two the emphasis upon Jerusalem and then from about 3 to 8 you see Judea Samaria and then with the calling of the Apostle Paul to the uttermost parts of the earth that's what he means by Greater Works and again it's not a competition well Paul won more people to Jesus than Jesus did in his Earthly Ministry it's Christ at the right hand of the father using the Apostle Paul and the Apostle John as they go into the various synagogues to preach the glory of Jesus Christ to save Sinners these Greater Works are the manifestation of the power of Jesus at the right hand of the Throne of God so he tells them they're going to do Greater Works and then notice in verse 13 whatever you ask in my name that I will do Brethren that's conditioned by context he's not saying if you want to be a cowboy then I'm going to go ahead and Grant that to You' you want to fly to the moon unassisted I'm GNA give that to no he's talking about Mission he's talking about going out preaching the gospel and seeing Sinners saved when you ask those sorts of things in my name I'm in that I'm for that once in a while you'll hear me hear he hear me and I hope it's graciously probably not but pick on other churches that make the the the way to the Cross so narrow now I know that the way is narrow and I know that there's a broadness to destruction I I know that I I get that when it comes to gospel preaching who do we take our cue from we take it from Jesus go and preach the gospel to Every Creature right that's what we're supposed to do we're not supposed to qualify it we're not supposed to pair off any edges that we can't uh sort of square off we have a gracious God that is in the business of saving a great m multitude that no man can number so when you and I come to him and we say Lord can you give us some help and some Grace we want to see sinner saved that's what he wants isn't it that's what he's about it's the whole purpose for the cross the Apostle says God is in Christ reconciling the world to himself so this idea that we can only go to this small sliver of humanity it's not biblical we go everywhere now the gospel that we present to them isn't God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life it is Christ lived Christ died Christ was raised all who look to him in faith will have everlasting life that's the apostolic preaching of the Cross repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins so when it comes to the glory and the grace and the mind of God he doesn't throw us off when we ask for Grace to evangelize Sinners maybe the problem is is that we have not because we ask not so the Lord Christ promises now and again there's another qualifier in terms of asking in his name things that are consistent with the will of God Lord in your name I want to go out and fornicate that's not in the will of God that's not going to be an answered petition from God most high it'll be a rebellious transgression on your part and then notice in verse 13 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 again consistent with Mission consistent with what is the will of God in terms of asking things in his name again being a cowboy being an astronaut maybe that is the will of God but that's not what's in view in this particular passage now that brings us then to his promise to the disciples concerning the spirit so I want to look at this promise of the sending of the spirit in verses 15 and 16 second secondly the nature of the spirit and again this is where we're going to look at the holy spirit in a bit more detail verses 16b and 17 and then the passage ends with another promise of Christ to his disciples in verse 18 so you've got promise I want to spend some time at the nature of the spirit and then the promise again of Christ how far we get I will not keep you too long but I do think there are things that we need to emphasize in this particular passage now notice in terms of the promise of the spirit specifically at verse 15 he says if you love me keep my Commandments we looked at that last time now this isn't love me in order to be saved who loves Jesus those who are saved we don't get saved by loving Jesus we get saved and then we love Jesus right we're dead in our trespasses and sins we we're at enmity with God we not only hate him but he's not looking too favorably upon us either just read the Psalms of David so when it comes to this statement if you love me you will keep my Commandments it's not a sort of a remedy or formula for salvation these have already believed on Jesus such that they ought not to be troubled according to 14:1 such that they are reminded this is the foundation for their mission in verse 12a they've already believed on Jesus they're Justified freely by God's grace through faith in our lord Jesus so what's the fruit of justification by faith it's love to God and it's love to one another in fact the Apostle John says we know that we have pass from Death to life because we love the Brethren at one point you probably didn't like Christians at one point you probably didn't want to hang out with Christians and at one point you probably really didn't want to hang out with Christians at the time of worship in a church on a Sunday especially when the sun is shining what more miserable Place could you possibly be but now and probably not to the degree it ought to be but now you like Christians you you love them why is that because you've stumbled upon the key on how to live a successful life no because God in his infinite grace and mercy saved your wretched life that's it that's what causes us now to have a favorable disposition toward one another and a favorable disposition toward God so in the context if you love me you'll keep my Commandments he's reminding them they're saved by grace through faith in him the chief sort of fruit of that the consequence of that saving faith is love for Jesus Jesus and that love for Jesus will then animate them toward obedience to Jesus so again it's not obey me then love me then be saved it's just the opposite you're saved by grace the fruit of that salvation is love for Jesus and then that love is the impetus behind you going therefore to engage in the mission that he's entrusted to them in fact I pointed us to that passage in John's gospel look at chapter 21 and what I think think is the epilogue of the book John 21 specifically at verse 15 so when they had eaten breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter Simon son son of Jonah do do you love me more than these he said to him L yes Lord you know that I love you now the the then these that's a big question among commentaries then these what fish kind of an odd question but Peter's a fisherman who knows probably more than these others that are surrounding us the disciples I've often concluded that the way that we love each other the best is to love Christ the most you're most effective to your your your wife or your husband if Christ comes first the principle of Matthew 6:33 is real for every situation and every condition seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then these things will be added to you remember the autobiography of John G pton he would speak about his father going into his closet to pray and everybody knew you don't mess with dad when he's in his closet not CU he's going to come out like a hippopotamus and scream at them and yell at them and hit them with things but it was sacred time it was where he had dealings with God Brethren that is the best way we can express love to one another is to put the Lord first I know that seems counterintuitive well no my wife my husband then the Lord no you're only affecting effectively loving your spouse your children your parents if you're loving the Lord with all your heart with all your soul with all your mind and your strength the second is like it love your neighbor as yourself but everything in you you pour into God pour into Jesus now notice what he says L yes Lord you know that I love you he said to him feed my Lambs he said to him again a second time Simon son of Jonah do you love me he said to him yes Lord you you know that I love you he said to him tend my sheep he said to him the third time Simon son of Jonah do you love me Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time do you love me and he said to him Lord you know all things you you know that I love you Jesus said to him feed my sheep now there's a lot going on God willing we look at it when we get there in our studies in John's gospel three times probably answerable to the three denials of Simon Peter to that servant girl oh I don't know this man but the point that I want to bring out is that it's love for Christ that is the predicate for the Fe of the sheep it's love for Christ that is the impetus for them to feed the people of God it's love for Christ for them after his Ascension on high to leave their Nets once and for all and go into the Roman Empire it's love for the uh uhh Christ for the Apostle Paul to go into the synagogue of the Jews who were not altogether friendly to somebody preaching Jesus as the Messiah and do that why did he do that yes he loved humans yes he loved the people to whom he preached but he loved Jesus because he loved Jesus he went upon that task so the 1415 if you love me keep my Commandments again I think there's a general principle for all of us as God's people we're Justified freely by Grace We're in the life of sanctification we believe the fruit of that is Faith or our love rather and then we engage in obedience that's all true but specifically with these 11 Brothers that are going to go and turn the world upside down that are going to have to stand before Godless men that want to put them to death that are going to have to do things that weren't theirs by Nature Peter goes from fishermen to a hated and despised individual in the Roman Empire the Apostle Paul had been a rabbi he had been a Pharisee no doubt favored and loved by by all sorts of his comrades and companions what happens when he starts preaching Christ oh Paul that's just another perspective that we love to hear about no what things were gained to me are now lost I've counted everything lost for the Excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord many not many at least Bruce uh FF Bruce speculates Paul was probably married as a first century religious Jew as a rabbi in a synagogue trained under galel probably would have been a married man he speculates she left him she speculates that that's one of the things he's counted loss for the Excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord well mentioned in the last hour Oscar and turkey he gets converted to the Lord Jesus three years ago and his wife divorces him because he's now a Christian he's not a Muslim that sort of thing happens in the world that sort of thing happens with reference to men so if you love me keep my Commandments generally for all of us to be sure but specifically for these disciples that are going to go turn the world upside down for Jesus he is giving them specific encouragement for the task at hand notice then he speaks of the gift of the spirit in verse 16 I will pray the father I will pray the father and he will give you another helper that he may abide with you forever so Jesus underscores something that the Apostle Paul testifies to in both Romans 8 and Hebrews 7 Jesus always lives to make intercession for his people isn't that a great thought I I think it is I might tell you and I hope this isn't true but I'll pray for you Brethren I'm not infallible if I don't have my phone or my notepad that I write stuff on there's a good chance I may forget usually practically I try to pray as soon as I say that so that I don't forget but hey it you know what happens I I hope you as husbands are praying daily for your wives I hope you wives are praying daily for your husbands I hope you parents are praying daily for your children I hope you children are praying daily for your for your folks do you know you miss a day right you got up and you had something else going on and you didn't get to your time of prayer Jesus always lives to make intercession just imagine that for a moment or the Apostle John in 1 John 2 we're going to look at this a little a little bit tonight it's a bit indirectly connected to our text in Psalm 130 he says that we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous so we go out and do we do something sinful we get into those depths of Despair like the psalmist has in Psalm 130 veres 1 and two out of the depths I've cried to thee Oh Lord Lord hear my voice let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication we we we come to him the despair The Depths don't keep us from God they're the very Foundation of our approach to God and in that we pray for the advocacy of the Savior we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous it is a Most Blessed incentive for the people of God to pray Jesus intercedes for the Saints notice specifically what he intercedes for the Saints for in this instance the disciples are going to need Divine aid for the mission imagine that Jesus Jesus okay you're you're you're with Jesus and you personally have witnessed Jesus do things like change water into wine you personally witnessed Jesus healed the noble man's son you've personally witnessed Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead and then Jesus says you know I I'm going to depart but you're going to do greater things would it possibly rise in your mind to question that what do you mean greater things I've seen you raise Lazarus by the word of your power I'm Not Jesus I'm not the Divine word who assumed Humanity Jesus tells them you're going to do Greater Works so what is he doing now he's Furnishing them with the resources necessary so that they can engage those works it's a very simple formula that we find here so notice again verse 15 or verse 16 I will pray the father his intercession and the father will give you another helper that he may abide with you forever the provision of the father through the son is the giving of the Holy Spirit again we'll spend a bit of time on his nature God willing this morning the sending of the spirit from the father and the son I think is the biblical way to interpret the material notice specifically in chapter 15 at verse 26 but when the helper comes for those who were there yesterday those who are somewhat in tune with the history of the church there was a debate at the time of the nyine Creed the Latin or the western church said that the spirit proceeds from the father and the son the Eastern Church said no the spirit proceeds from the father I take the position that he proceeds from the father and the son and that's the way I will progress as we move through John's gospel in the upper room discourse notice in verse 26 of chapter 15 but when the helper comes whom I shall send to you from the Father the spirit of Truth who proceeds from the father he will testify of me we have a from the father through the son in the spirit Motif to describe to us the action of our blessed God one Inseparable operation everything outside of him is done by father Son and Holy Spirit there are things appropriated to each of those persons to indicates something about the glory of our great God but as well notice in John 20 sort of an enigmatic bit of a passage but I think if you read it in light of the upper room in light of trinitarian understanding of scripture notice what we find in John 20 specifically at verse 21 so Jesus said to them again peace to you as the father has sent me I also send you and when he had said this he breathed on them and said to them receive the Holy Spirit spirit this is the the the outward external display of what is going to take place in Acts 2 look at Acts 2 specifically at verse 33 remember the particular issue at hand was the outpoured spirit it is in fulfillment of Joel's prophecy the spirit has come to magnify the Lord Christ his life his death his resurrection and his exaltation and notice specifically at verse 33 therefore being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit he poured out this which you now see and hear I think that phrase It's called in Latin the philio and the Sun is very essential and important to trinitarian theology so back to our particular text the father sends the son through or sends the spirit rather through the son and then notice that last bit in verse 16 so we've got Jesus interceding for for us always at the right hand of the father but we also have the spirit abiding with us forever again Brethren let's not pass over these texts too quickly the spirit abides for us forever you've probably heard those kinds of Christians and I'm not necessarily putting them in Hell or calling them reprobate that that teach that you can lose your salvation how if it were up up to us then yes I agree 100% but it's up to the Triune God Paul says in Philippians 1 I am persuaded I am convinced that he who began this good work in you will complete it unto the day of Jesus Christ how do we know that can be the case because of passages like these do you think the spirit takes up residence in the heart of the believer and then departs you think the spirit's there on Monday to Thursday and then oh you did something really bad so he's done with you I think that's the way we look at it from time to time do you see Brethren if we can lose our Salvation who does that ultimately reflect upon it reflects upon the Savior you mean he couldn't save his people from their sins he couldn't efficaciously wash them from their iniquity he couldn't give them that righteousness that he secured in his 33 years of absolute obedience to the father you see brethren we have the spirit forever there's no end to the blessing of God upon the people of God we have a savior that intercedes for us we have a spirit who indwells us and by that Spirit Christ is present in us it is a glorious and wonderful thing to sort of parse out and consider our great God even Father Son and Holy Spirit now that brings us to consider specifically the nature of the spirit in verse versus 16b and 17 now before that I want to just share something that happened yesterday Saturday morning we have that theology class anybody's welcome to come the book's cheap short it's pretty pretty easy to understand anybody can come 6:30 Saturday morning we call it o Dark 30 started off we'd have that then we'd have breakfast and it was me doing all breakfast I'm like no more breakfast but then it was time we want to change no 6:30 was good we have our whole Saturday great so a question came up because it's been in my heart to to set before the Brethren the things concerning our Triune God and just made the comment based on a book that we had read previously a couple of books ago about the Trinity and in the first chapter of Matthew Barrett's book simply Trinity he has a chapter called Trinity a drift he says how did we end up where we're at in this present generation and where we're at is not altogether good in the study of God where we're at has Jesus as God submissive to his father that's not good theology that's very bad theology Jesus as man submitting himself to the will of his father is absolutely Orthodox but Jesus being God himself consubstantial with the father and the spirit being submissive or the father exercising an authority over that's not good Christian theology so kind of playing on that theme how did we end up where we ended up the brother asked that particularly and of of course I wasn't that quick witted to think up this response then but I thought about it in the afternoon bit this morning and I'm not a guru but I just want to share this imagine if you had a a a Mountain Road it was windy and there was Cliffs on either side of that road and you happen to be driving up that road one day and you notice a bunch of cars off the cliff you get to the top of the hill you meet the guy that lives up there and you say why are all those cars off the Cliff he says well you know it's crazy we used to have guard rails along the side of the road there we used to have guard rails that even if a guy fell asleep or God forbid he drank or whatever and he started to Veer off the road those guard rails would would stop him from flying off the road and then you ask the homeowner well what do you think would be the best question to ask why did they take the guard rails away that's where we're at in trinitarian studies in the 21st century in reformed and Evangelical churches I'm not talking about the charismatics and all those people out there I'm talking about guys that teach theology proper and christology at some of the better seminaries so if we ask the question what are the guard rails in that illustration I would suggest two from the early church and one from the Reformation Church the early church gave us the nyine Creed the early church gave us as well the definition at Caledon so 381 and and 425 respectively somewhere around there 431 431 I think anyways you got NAA and then you got Caledon you move to the time of the Reformation you got our brothers our London Baptist Brothers those faithful guys that did the work putting together a confession of faith those serve as guard rails so that we don't Veer off the the road and fall off the cliff so Barrett points this out the church in the last generation or two has gotten rid of some of these very efficient guard rails and the guard rails are such that they help you not to mess up the doctrine of the Trinity so when it comes to considering this we might ask the question well what why would they get rid of guard rails just seems like such a good idea to me right if I'm driving I I like to know there's a barrier between me in certain death I'll take the bashed car that's preferable than the bashed skull that the the the off the cliff thing results in why did they get rid of the guard rails I don't know that's profound hey I don't know I have a few thoughts again these aren't inspired or infallable I would suggest one of them is biblicism biblicism sounds good oh we need to be biblical but you see biblicism reads the Bible without the church biblicism reads the Bible without NAA reads the Bible without Caledon we say well wait a minute n seea and Caledon those were men that were writing about the Bible shouldn't we be more concerned about the Bible we should always be more concerned about the Bible but we should see in the Bible that Christ ascended on high that he led captivity captive and he gave gifts to men specifically atius he gave Augustin he gave theologians to set up guard rails not apart from the Bible but to protect the Bible so they read in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God then they read 114 the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory so they write these Creeds and these confessions as guard rails so that we don't mess up John 1:1 and John 114 biblicism comes along and says no just me and the spirit but the spirit gave us athanasius the spirit gave us Augustine the spirit gave us verigi the spirit gave us van nastri the spirit gave us Spurgeon are we going to say no Spirit we can do it better and brighter and more effectively we need those men I would suggest as well there's an anti-intellectualism that is settled upon the church now Brethren as I say these things there's good things happening there's really good things happening so it's not all bleake and dark and bad and wo and doom and all that sort of thing but I I I think I'm basically giving you a defense of theology oh we just we just want to go love Jesus we don't need all that theory and Doctrine we don't need all those eyes dotted and te's crossed again as often said which Jesus then are you loving and anti-intellectualism is betrayal to our God we're to love the Lord Our God with all our heart all our mind with all our soul what does Paul say in Romans 12 be transformed by what by the renewing of your mind say well it's just too hard for me well try harder so I said to the brothers yesterday just because something is hard doesn't mean you don't do it if that's true for you then you're master stop and you need to repent you know when you raise your kids they say it's just so hard okay son Let's just plop you in front of Nintendo for the rest of your life because that's not hard you don't do that you don't parent that way why would you function that way it's just too hard that's why there's guides that's why there's helps that's why there's guard rails that's why there's strategies that's why there's tactics that's why there's a way to read the Bible so you don't end up up a Jehovah's Witness there's ways to read the Bible so that you don't end up a heretic and if you just take the time to see passages like these and listen to the church as a whole it really isn't that hard Brethren I'm not the brightest bulb in the chandelier by any stretch of the imagination but just trying to read it trying to get my mind that that's a consistent testimony of other non- bright bulbs and the chandeliers that I've met David was actually right the law of Yahweh makes wise the simple David was right that the law of God has made him able to stand before the teachers and The Debaters and the the wise men of his age the Apostle issues that declaration in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 where is the Scribe where is the disputer where is the debater the wisdom or rather the foolishness of God will shut the mouths of these wise men mentioned Paul before fesus when he's preaching Jesus Christ and fesus says oh Paul much learning is driving you mad what does Paul say I'm not mad most noble Festus I speak the words of truth and reason there is an anti-intellectualism this idea that emotions is all that we need in the Christian Life Brethren I'm for emotions I'm happy to be happy but that ought not to be the goal the goal ought to be to be right to be truthful and to get the feeding of the emotions from the truth of God's holy word because if you're all emotional and you're a heretic that's not good okay that's not that I'd rather not be emotional and be Orthodox and go to heaven than be an emotionally you know vibrant zealous person that is going to hell again it's a pretty simple equation in my mind as well I would suggest there's a degree and please I'm not targeting you he said I'm lazy there's laziness amongst us Brethren there just is right put putting your mind in gear learning things that perhaps are are fresh or new or things that stretch you I believe in I believe in God well how is this one God exist eternally in three persons I don't know well maybe you should try to start asking the right questions and reading up on it because great are the works of the Lord they are studied by all who Delight in them in other words if we Delight in anything external to God as Blood Bought children of God we really ought to Delight in him and if we Delight in him then we'll want to know him and wanting to know him means to know not Austine level though I'm not saying don't or acius level but to some level how the one true and living God exists eternally as father Son and Holy Spirit how are you able to present a case to a Jehovah's Witness if you don't know that case how could you ever speak to a Mormon if you don't know how could you ever speak to the Pagan the Heathen do you realize that many of our early brothers were writing against these very Notions aquinus in the 1200s was writing against Islamic philosophers those who were monotheistic but were not trinitarian in in the early church the patristics they're writing in the Pagan Roman Empire that had a had a had a polytheistic view everybody was God in those days and here comes the Christians with their monotheism but with this sort of a take that one God is eternally Father Son and Holy Spirit so do they say well you know it's just too much I just going to be happy and I'm not going to deal with that praise God that some of those Brothers weren't lazy praise God that some of those Brothers took pen to paper and defended the faith as well there can be Pride again I'm not picking on anybody here I'm not I'm just suggest in that these are things that we need to come to grips with in the church today because it is simply unacceptable to hold heretical opinions about who God is I don't know when we authorized that probably when we took the guard rails down oh yeah you can be you know Jehovah's Witness and still be an Evangelical you can deny the the the glory and the consubstantiality of the Lord Jesus Christ and still be a faithful church member that's when the guard rails went down that just wouldn't happened back in the day do you realize that if you were wrong theologically in the early centuries you got exiled that that really means what it is they got exiled okay new Judas off you go forget your family forget your house forget your car forget your summer home you're going to go live out in the desert and be there with you and your sin and if you repent and you forsake and you confess the glory of Jesus for real we'll receive you back they got exiled in those days they they they they thought that theology mattered they thought that it was something that was worth investigating there is a pride that is settled upon us in our scientific age right we we got all the answers it's tough to sort of navigate when we have all the answers this is modern man science has said science has spoken well let's be beholding to science we had two or three years of that how'd that work out for us not Bueno as far as I'm concerned science is good in so far as it makes refrigerators it keeps your car running science is very helpful but it's not God is not God but in a scientific Age We we've arrived we've got running water we've got Costco the you know the middle class dream all that sort of a stuff all that sort of stuff and there's this Pride that that that CS Lewis speaks of he calls it chronological snobbery we we don't read old authors because I mean they're rubs right they didn't know about refrigerator so why why should we why why should we read them chronological snobbery it's a it's a it's a pride thing no brethren we need to read the apostles the prophets our lord Jesus we need to read Moses and we need to read aanus we need to read Augustine we need to read the confessions we need to read the Creeds we need to see the guard rails and by God's grace those guard rails need to be put back in place so we quit driving off the cliff right never a good thing to drive off a cliff there's a simple fix a very simple fits I'm not saying we got to split the atom here put the guard rails back up right you're banging your thumb with a hammer what's the simple fix stop banging your hand with the thumb with a hammer sometimes the answers are very very simple and with reference to the doctrine of the Trinity we need those guard rails and I would suggest and this is probably connected to laziness and I hope it's none of us I know you're busy I'm busy we're all busy everybody's busy here in the west we're governed by clocks that's not true everywhere but we are we got a clock in our pocket we got clocks on our walls we're surrounded by clocks have you ever noticed that on a computer how many clocks are there how many times do I need to be told how what time it is I I'm inundated with clocks we have as Neil per said many hands on our time I get it we're all busy but laziness in theology produces or promotes heresy but as well just not having an interest think about how busy you are think about how many hands are on your time but think just for a moment if somebody came along and said I've got this thing that if you did it for a half hour you would have a great benefit to your life many of us would move our schedules around many of us would get up earlier many of us might stay up later we might actually accommodate that schedule that is highly regulated by the clock to fit it in Brethren the point is you can fit in a little bible study you can fit in a little reading of the confession of Faith you can fit in the reading of a good book that treats the things that I'm speaking about here there has to be in the heart of the people of God a desire to know their God John 17 where we're heading in this Upper Room discourse is to the high Priestly prayer in John 17 Jesus says this is eternal life how would you f uh fill in the blank you already know it so you know it's probably a bad bet but how would you feel that this is eternal life if you're a bowler oh I'm going to go to the big bowling lane in the sky you happen to like auto mechanics I'm going to go to that big garage in the sky this is eternal life that they may Know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou sent we get sidetracked with a lot of other things we get disinterested in some of the main things well I don't need to know about all that theology that's what the pastors are for you need to know that theology because that's what that's what's going to come to stabilize you in the moment of grief do you know what's going to help and benefit you when tragedy sets in an understanding of who God is an understanding of the Blessed Triune god father Son and Holy Spirit it's that that buoys the soul it's that that's the Pinnacle of everlasting life it is that for which we were created to glorify God and to enjoy him forever that's the first question in westminster's Shorter Catechism what is the chief end of man it's not your temporal prosperity it's not a a house full of kids which those things aren't bad temporal Prosperity God Has Smiled Upon Us house fulls of kids that is great love to be in the church and see all the kids but the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever how do we get that we're back to where we started believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved well we'll look at the nature of the Holy Spirit God willing next Sunday morning I wanted to give this defensive theology because as we move through this material not just here but through through the rest of the upper room Sinclair Ferguson is right when the world is collapsing around the disciples Jesus Takes the opportunity in the upper room to teach about the Trinity not well this is the way you evade the public authorities this is the best lawyer that you can get to argue your way out of a court situation he talks to them about God Father Son and Holy Spirit there is no more glorious subject there is no more practical subject than understanding who God is it is the essence of eternal life it is the glory of the creature to behold the the the magnificence of the Creator and to stand in his presence Redeemed by Precious Blood and clothed in the righteousness of another so may it be the case as Believers we pursue these things unbelievers come to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith and you will be saved well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for your word we thank you for what we find here in the upper room discourse concerning our blessed and our glorious Triune God even Father Son and Holy Spirit I pray that you would give us wisdom give us ears to hear Hearts to receive and an appreciation for the essence of ever everlasting life the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ whom thou has sent we thank you for the Holy Spirit we thank you for his indwelling us forever and we thank you that he has sealed us and guaranteed to us that Final Redemption in our Lord Jesus Christ and again we pray that others would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus they would believe on him and know the joy of being found in him and we ask this through Christ Our Lord amen will you can turn with me as we sing a doxology of praise to our Triune God page 568 568 PR all creers here me PR pra father son andly Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all amen amen thank you Father for this glad hour thank you for this day help us to glorify you and be over us and protect us and cause your face to shine upon us and we ask in jesus' name amen well please be seated for a brief time of meditation e e e