Depend On The Spirit • John 15:26-16:15 • Jan. 5
Introduction: If you compare Southern Baptist churches with churches of other denominations who put more emphasis on certain gifts of the Holy Spirit, I think you will find we Depend On The Spirit more.
1. Depend On The Spirit When Your . . Testimony Meets Hostility. 15:26-16:4
Perhaps everyone who has sought to be a witness for the Father has run into some form of hostility. Everyone who has been with Jesus should be a witness. The Scripture verses here simply declare we will be witnesses. Many things about being a witness will have to be verified, but the fact that we know Him has caused us to be a witness. Question: If you know you have been with Jesus, how do you keep from being a witness? I have eight great-grandchildren. How do I keep from saying something about them? If you are proud of someone or something, you generally will share.
2. Depend On The Spirit When . . Trouble and Sorrow Fills the Heart. 16:5-7
When Jesus told the disciples He was going away, trouble and sorrow filled their hearts. They did not fully understand this fact, but Jesus told them this must happen in order for the Holy Spirit to come into their lives. Today, we understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit more than they did, but we have had the advantage of the written Word and the interaction with other Christians.
3. Depend On The Spirit When the . . Tempter Seems in Control. 16:8-11
It is interesting to read the reasons why the Holy Spirit will convict of sin. One reason is people do not believe in Jesus. Has it registered with you that one of the reasons you believe sin is sin is due to that fact you believe in Jesus? If Jesus is in your life, you cannot feel good about yourself and continue in a sinful life style. However, many who do not claim to have made a commitment to Jesus do not have the same ideas about sin. But one of the reasons the Holy Spirit speaks about judgment comes from the fact Satan has been and will be judged. Someday his judgment will be final and for eternity. Sometimes Satan is displayed with a hideous laugh but he who laughs last will laugh loudest and that will be the Holy Father.
4. Depend On The Spirit When More . . Truth is Needed. 16:12-15
I am pleased one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit will guide and lead into Truth. If you have a thought, and it does not receive confirmation in the Scripture, then we know the Spirit did not lead to that conclusion. When the Spirit declares something to us, we can be sure, so to speak, He checked it in a Triune circle before he spoke it. His ministry is to glorify Jesus, not Himself or any of us. This, no doubt, is why we can Depend On The Spirit. Amen? Amen! (For a more detailed outline, go to: http://www.preachhim.org/SundaySchoolIndex.html.)
Honor Jesus • John 17:1-8, 20-26 • Jan. 12
Introduction: Christians have the wonderful privilege to Honor Jesus in everything we do or say. At times many, if not all, of us will get the specific opportunities to exalt the name of Jesus. What a great opportunity! Some of us get opportunities to call attention to Jesus and help others to get to know Him. It is a wonderful experience that will last for eternity when we lead others to Christ.
1. Honor Jesus for . . Glorifying the Father. 17:1-5
Jesus came to this earth and ministered with the authority of the Father. This authority existed over all flesh because of this. Jesus can give eternal life to those who trust in Him and His sacrificial death. Christ did an obedient work as He went to the cross as the sinless Son of God. Because Jesus accomplished the completion of the plan of salvation. Jesus ask the Father to glorify Him with the glory He had before the world began. Jesus certainly was the Obedient Son!
2. Honor Jesus for the . . Grace of Giving From the Father. 17:6-8
God is a giving Father. Grace comes from Him to us because He is a grace-giving Father. John 3:16 simply tells us about His love and willingness to give. It is interesting to read the statement about the gifts Jesus gives, and the children knowing Jesus received these gifts from the Father. Jesus tells His new converts that even the words He spoke came from the Father. In addition, all these new believers understood even more that Jesus came from the Father.
3. Honor Jesus for the . . Glory of Oneness. 17:20-23
Oneness in a family is a joy to behold. When a church has oneness it becomes more attractive to others. Sometimes the world thinks their favorite bar has more togetherness than the churches they know about. Did you know this prayer of Jesus includes a prayer for us? Verse 20 certainly includes us as it talks about those who will believe because of the word spoken and passed on by the new believers in the first century. The Lord wants his children to be at one with one another. Such a church is a joy to watch. Today, some in the world question whether Jesus was really sent by God. Part of their reasoning comes because they have never known or experienced the fellowship being described here.
4. Honor Jesus for the . . Gracious Revelation in Sending Jesus. 17:24-26
Can you fathom the fact that Jesus existed before the foundation of the world? The plan of salvation God initiated originated before there even was an earth. This is a very unusual fact created before time, but it began even before the creation of mankind. We are not an afterthought of God. God is Love, and Jesus demonstrated this love to us and enables us to become children of God and be able to Honor Jesus. Amen? Amen! (For a more detailed outline, go to: http://www.preachhim.org/SundaySchoolIndex.html.)