1.26.25
Pastor Daniel Triller
Holy God, your Spirit inspired those who wrote the Bible and enlightens us to hear your Word fresh each day. Help us to rely always on your promises in Scripture. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
In New England, where I went to seminary years ago, the infrastructure is such and everything is so densely populated that to get on the freeway, you had to do so with almost no onramp and make an immediate merge going 0-60 mph. It was always absolutely terrifying.
And if sermon introductions serve as onramps onto the sermon freeway, then we’re in New England for today. So if you will, join me on the freeway here, and I invite you to open up your bibles to page 1536.
With our annual meeting after the service this morning, Lord knows, you’re going to hear plenty from me today, and so let’s get after it.
We’re in the middle of a sermon series called Famous Last Words, where we’ve been looking at some of the famous last words that Jesus shared with his disciples on the night before his crucifixion. And last week, we looked at that section where Jesus makes this famous declaration, saying, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
One of the disciples, Thomas, was in total confusion, thinking that Jesus would give them a map, an address, directions, anything, to wherever Jesus was going. And yet, what Jesus wanted them all to see was that the way was not a road that they would travel, but rather a person they would follow. Where the path is a person.
And this theme continues in our scripture. Yes, Jesus is indeed about to leave them, and yes, it’s true, where he is going, they cannot come, and yet, the path is still a person, as we are introduced to the person of the Holy Spirit.
In fact, I want you to see something, notice the language in verse 17, Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of truth, and he says, “The world cannot accept him.” And shortly thereafter, Jesus says, “But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” The he/him language that Jesus uses here, is not to communicate that the Holy Spirit is male, but rather, that the Holy Spirit is a person.
In other words, to describe the Holy Spirit as an “it” just won’t cut it. The Holy Spirit is not some kind of junior varsity God, or some kind magic 8 ball that you carry around with you. Rather, the Holy Spirit is a person, and the path is still a person. So for today, let’s talk about the Holy Spirit and the role the Holy Spirit plays in our lives today.
And to do so, we’re going to look at this passage in a unique way. First, we’re going to look at …
The Holy Spirit Individually and then afterwards, we’ll look at The Holy Spirit Communally.
So first, the Holy Spirit Individually. In other words, the work of the Holy Spirit in each of us individually. Take a look at verse 16, Jesus says, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.” This word for advocate can also be translated counselor, comforter, helper. Now notice how all of those words are well, personal. In fact, vocationally speaking we might describe the Holy Spirit as someone who works in the helping profession.
In addition, that word “another” is an important clue. In other words, the Holy Spirit is another one like Jesus. In fact, skip down to verse 26, where we get even more insight into the Holy Spirit’s job description, Jesus says, “the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you.”
Teach and remind. Teach and remind. Teach and remind. It’s as if the Holy Spirit is this friend in your life who is continually pointing you back to Jesus, fingers pointing towards Jesus, saying to us, “What he said, what he said, what he said.”
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And his job is not simply to teach and remind, it’s also to love and obey. Notice how frequently Jesus makes this connection between love and obedience. He says in verses 15, 21, 23, and 24, four times in fact, some version of what he says in verse 15, “If you love me, keep my commands.”
And so the Holy Spirit is this animating, personal presence in our lives, that guides in not only knowing Jesus, but also in loving Jesus and having the desire to obey Him too. And notice, where the Holy Spirit is located, where he dwells. For example, take a look again at the end of verse 17, “for he lives with you and will be in you.”
Think about this for a minute. Jesus was given the name Immanuel, meaning God with us. And now here’s the Holy Spirit, God in us. This all comes together so beautifully in verse 23, Jesus says, “we will come to them and make our home with them.”
That word for home Jesus uses here is a breathtaking call back to a verse from last week, as Jesus mentioned that “his Father’s house has many rooms, and he was going to prepare a place for them.” Those words home and house, same word. And so it’s as though Jesus is saying, “While you wait here on earth for your home in heaven, I’m going to create a home away from home for you.” God himself taking residence in his people.
These are beautiful promises indeed, and yet, and yet, you and I may still struggle to pinpoint those exact moments in our lives where the Holy Spirit is at work in us. In other words, you and I might think to ourselves, I believe in Jesus (check), I believe in the Holy Spirit (double check), I believe Jesus when he promises us the Holy Spirit (triple check), while still struggling to identify what’s the work of the Holy Spirit and what’s not in our day to day life.
For example, have you ever had a thought or idea come your way and thought to yourself, “Is that the Holy Spirit, is that some other guy, or is that something I ate?”
Look, I know I’m being playful here, but in a way I’m being really serious. Like, how do you know?! In fact, raise your hand if you’ve ever had a moment where you thought to yourself, “Is that the voice of God, the Holy Spirit moving in me, or was that something else?” If you’re not raising your hand right now, I either don’t believe you or I fear I’ve already lost you.
But seriously, how do you know? How can you tell?
Scott Dudley, the pastor at my previous church, sometimes would describe the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives as those moments where you have a “thought that’s not your thought.” You know what I’m talking about, where you have a thought that’s not your thought, where you’re thinking to yourself, “Where did that come from?”
Maybe it’s a nudge to reach out to someone who randomly comes to mind, maybe it’s literal divine inspiration to accomplish this thing that you’ve been putting off, maybe it’s a comforting scripture that you remember seemingly out of nowhere, maybe it’s newfound courage to share your faith with someone else, maybe it’s this unexpected gravitational pull back to church after years of being away, maybe it’s even this gentle yet steady conviction of sin.
Speaking of sin, when it comes to sin in your own life, the Spirit convicts yes. He’s the Spirit of truth after all. And yet, the Spirit will not condemn. That’s the other guy. The devil, the prince of the world, as Jesus describes him in this passage. The Spirit wants to bring you closer to God. The other guy wants to pull you away from Him. The Spirit wants to pick you up when you are down. The other guy wants to kick you while you’re down. The Spirit wants to remind you that Jesus defines you. The other guy wants to remind you that your sin defines you.
The Spirit convicts, the Devil condemns. And so pray to God, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, the other guy’s microphone would be taken away.
And so, as you discern what’s the work of the Holy Spirit and what’s not, ask, is am I being invited to draw nearer to God or am I being pushed away? Am I being drawn outward to love and serve my neighbor or am I being drawn inward to serve myself? And of course, test what you hear and feel and experience with the words of Jesus. Or run it by trusted friends, in community. And speaking of community …
That’s the Holy Spirit Individually
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Let’s now shift gears to the Holy Spirit Communally.
Just in case the Holy Spirit wasn’t complex and mysterious enough, we’re about to take this sermon one step further by talking about the Trinity. Yes, the Trinity. Trinity is a word that is found nowhere in scripture and yet it captures something fundamental about the God who is revealed in the scriptures, that we as Christians worship one God who exists eternally as three persons. The God who is both 1 and 3. And if that makes your head spin a little, well, good. It’s a beautiful and mysterious both/and.
And the reality of the Trinity is this strong undercurrent that runs all throughout our passage today. Notice how you’ve got God the Father, God the Son (that is, Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit all working in concert in this passage. There’s a stunning unity and diversity going on here. Notice how all three persons are on the same team while each fulfilling a distinct role in the plan of salvation, this rescue mission that is the gospel.
We can think of the roles of the triune God in the following ways. God the Father sends. The Son (Jesus) accomplishes. And the Holy Spirit applies.
For example, look at verse 24, Jesus says, “These words you hear are not my own, they belong to the Father who sent me.” The Father sending the Son. Now look at verse 31, Jesus says, “He comes (talking about the prince of the world, the Devil) so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” The Son about to accomplish the mission that the Father has set before him through his life, death and resurrection.
And of course, once again, verse 26, Jesus says, “The Holy Spirit will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you.” The Spirit applying the gospel message to the hearts and minds of believers everywhere. One God, three persons. Different roles, same team, all working towards the same goal.
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And through the Spirit’s guidance and power, so it is, and should be, within the church, within the body of Christ. You see, the Trinity gives us a model for Christian community today and life within the church. One church, many members. Different roles, same team, all working towards the same goal.
So how does this play out practically in our everyday life?
Comedian Chris Rock has this bit where he shares two rules for any relationship and I kid you not, it’s some of the best relationship advice I’ve ever heard. And stay with me here, the first part is a bit of shock and awe before making an unexpected turn.
He says, Rule #2: There’s no equality in a relationship. People say “We’re both equals.” He says, No you’re not. You're both there to serve. You’re in the service industry. When you’re in a relationship, you're in a band. And when you’re in a band, you have roles that you play in the band. Sometimes you sing lead, and sometimes you’re the tambourine.
Whether it’s within a marriage or family, in a church or at work, in the choir or on the sports field, that is some of the very best relationship advice I’ve ever heard.
Friends, like the disciples with Jesus that night, you all as a church are about to enter some uncharted territory, with some uncertainty as you look into the future. Yet never forget, you do not go alone. If you’ve got Jesus, you’ve got the Holy Spirit with you. God in you. To teach you, remind you, counsel you, help you, equip you, empower you for all that is ahead.
And you’ve got each other as you work in the service industry together. In this season, some of you will need to lead and exercise a leadership muscle like maybe never before. Others of you need to jump in to play the tambourine or one of the instruments in between. Giving sermons, visiting the Beehive, running A/V, serving in youth ministry, folding bulletins, caring for widows, washing dishes, getting on the ground in the playroom. Some of you will need to lead by serving. Others of you will need to serve by leading.
Friends, if there was ever a season to find your place in the band, this, this, this is it. And ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. With the Holy Spirit with you and in you, everything and everyone you need for this next season as a church is already here.
And as Kathy Goodrich’s husband George, who is also a pastor, often says, we pastors bring no more of the Holy Spirit into the pulpit or into the hospital room than you do. You have what, or rather who you need.
On his final night, with his closest friends, Jesus says to them, 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
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