All right, back to John 16. John 16. Our Lord continues his personal message to his disciples,
and he says in verse 12, he says, I have yet many things
to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. In three and a half years, that
our Lord was with his disciples, he had said many things. Many
things, and one utterance from our Lord deserves a lifetime of study. One phrase by him is impossible
to fully understand, to fathom. Yet he said many things. And
you have to understand that these disciples were all working class
men, fishermen mostly, unlearned,
uneducated, and really they were not Religious. Fishermen, they were Jews, but
and they were born Jews, which made you somewhat religious.
I like being Catholic now or something. But. Fishermen didn't spend much time
in the church. Reading scripture. Peter didn't
come by that language, his salty language. He didn't get that
in the church out. So everything our Lord said to
these men was totally was brand new. Brand new. Spiritual mistress, our Lord
revealed to them. And yet. He said much, he said
much to them, yet he had much more to say, and he said, you
cannot bear it now. You cannot bear it now. Because
the scriptures had not been fulfilled yet. Christ had not gone to the
cross and died yet. He couldn't fully tell. They would not understand. Just
as he was telling them things that they could not understand
because he had not yet gone to the cross and not yet ascended
up on high, so they didn't know You know how often he told them
he was going to Jerusalem to be killed and buried and rise
again the third day? You know how many times he told
them that? And they still didn't understand what he was saying.
Remember when he was talking about the temple? He said, I'll
destroy this temple in three days. I'll raise it again. Nobody
knew what he was saying. Because he hadn't died yet. He
hadn't ascended yet. And the Spirit needed to come. See, they would have to learn
what they learned the same way we do, from the same walk, the
Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth. He had to come and instruct them
through the Word, the Old Testament, concerning Christ. Later on,
they began to understand all things in light of Christ. Later
on, they began to understand. And that's the way it is with
us, too. When we first hear the gospel,
we don't fully—we don't understand much of anything, do we? We know, like that blind man,
well, I know this much. I was blind, but now I see. We
know a little bit more than he did, because we know who it was
that made us sick. And the longer we hear the gospel,
though, the more we can receive and the more we learn. The longer
we hear the gospel, the more we should be able to receive
and learn, unless we, like Paul admonished the people in the
Hebrews, become dull of hearing. Shouldn't we be able to bear
more of the word now than we did at first? Shouldn't we be able to listen
with a greater understanding? And really, shouldn't we listen
now with a little more enthusiasm than we did at first? I think so. Because, you know, knowledge puffeth up.
Mere head knowledge just makes you proud. But when the love
of God increases in your heart, so should a love for the gospel
and the things you hear now. I really believe we ought to
be able to bear more of the word now than before and be able to
listen with a greater understanding, a little more enthusiasm than
before. I don't know if any of the apostles were sitting around
while Paul was preaching that night, that he preached all night
long. I don't know if any of them were around. Timothy was. Maybe Barnabas was with him at
the time. I bet they paid attention. They were able. As time goes
on, we ought to be more able. So our Lord says to these young
disciples, he says, you cannot bear, you can't bear what I'm
saying to you now. I mean, you can't bear any more
than what I'm saying to you now. You can't fully appreciate it.
All right, look at verse 13. How be it when he, when the spirit
of truth has come? And one more thought on that,
verse 12. I'm glad the Lord does know our
frame, though, and remember that we're dust, but that does not
leave us without rebuke concerning concerning this. All right. Verse
13. How be it when he, the spirit
of truth, has come? The Holy Spirit. He will guide
you into all truth. The Holy Spirit. It's called
the spirit of truth. He will guide you into all truth. Pink said a guide is someone,
a guide is needed either for the blind or someone who's too
weak to walk or someone who's going somewhere they've never
been before. That would apply to us, wouldn't
it? Spiritually bind by birth, the
Holy Spirit need, we need Him. Weak and helpless and going where
we've never been before. We need this guide, don't we?
He'll guide you into all truth. Now, how does the Holy Spirit
lead and guide? How does He lead and guide? How
does the Holy Spirit speak? That's right, we talked about
that Sunday morning, the Word. For this reason, I believe the
apostles all had a copy of the scriptures, Old Testament scripture. The average person did not. They
just weren't printing presses. They were scribes. That's what
scribes did. Scribes made copies of scripture. But those fellows were so wicked
that they kept it from the common man. They kept scriptures from
the common man. That's the way it was in the
dark ages when Catholicism reigned. See, that's where the Reformation
started. Where these fellows started translating
the scriptures into the common language of the people and wanting
the people to have a copy of the scriptures. That's when light,
the word sheds light. And that's when light began to,
and revival came. Scribes and Pharisees, they kept
it to themselves and kept it from the people. Truth sets free. They didn't
want the people to be free. And they themselves were ignorant
of it too, weren't they? But the Holy Spirit uses the
scriptures and I and I believe since he guided them in all truth. I believe each of the apostles
had a copy of the scripture you say where to get. If you ever seen an author who
has a book signing some author who writes a book and he is in
a certain city at a certain time and and he is signing his book
and selling copies of it and so forth, he has all the copies
he wants. The author of the book, you see,
has all the copies that he wants to pass on. Well, the author
of this book saw to it that they had a copy. I'm just certain
of that. And as they read and studied and prepared to preach,
the Holy Spirit taught them the truth The Holy Spirit, it says here,
will guide you into all truth, all right? The Holy Spirit taught
them the truth as it is. That's right. I was hoping somebody could finish
that. Scripture says the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. All
right, he says here, all truth. He will guide you into all truth. All truth is in relation to Christ. All truth is in relation to Christ. Why is that? Because Christ is. Name those three things. He's the way and the light. Where is that found? Don't look
at your Bible. Good, John. Good. John 14, 6. I said to you many
times that I want us to be more noble than the average so-called
church member. And remember some of these verses
of scripture that's that's a foundation scripture like John 17 through.
John 14 6. Christ said unto them I am the
way the truth and the life no man cometh under the father but
by me. Commit that to memory, all right? You want to take a
verse of Scripture to somebody you're speaking with? That's
a good one. Could you preach on that to somebody?
Huh, Barbara? Could you preach on that to somebody
if you had to? You're going to take a text and you're going
to preach to somebody. Right there's a good one. Like I said, I want us to be
more noble than the average person. You know, the average person
says, you remember me saying that to you ladies in the Bible
study, the average person says, well, I think it says in the
Bible somewhere this and that. And we're no better than they
are if we don't know where it's found. OK. John 14, 6, remember
that. Remember that. The way, the truth
and the lie. So the Holy Spirit takes and
guides into all truth, takes the scriptures and guides into
all truth. Arthur Pink said this, too. This
is good. He said the Holy Spirit, the
Holy Spirit, the Scripture talks about three things concerning
Christ. His past glory, it says He'll
bring to remembrance what He said. His present glory, the
Scripture says that He shall testify of me now, His glory,
where He is now. And His future glory, it says
He will show you things to come. Past, present, and future. That's what the Holy Spirit does.
Things of Christ. Because Christ is the same. Where's that? Eight. Good. Close enough, but you found
the chapter. Good. Christ is the same yesterday,
today, and forever. All this is so interchangeable. It's marvelous the way the Lord
does it. The Holy Spirit takes the things
of Christ in the past, the present, and the future. I want you to
turn to 1 Corinthians 2. The Holy Spirit convinces of
three things. Three things in Scripture. The number three and three lessons
and three truths and three things. Do you remember the three things that the Holy Spirit
would convince of? Where's that thing? What chapter? Just give me that.
Chapter 16, all right, we just studied that. Verses 8 through
11, he will convince, the Holy Spirit will convince of judgment. Right. Christ is saying
yesterday, today, and forever. And these three things, well,
look at 1 Corinthians 2. The Holy Spirit teaches all his
people, all things as they relate to Christ. First Corinthians
2, verses 10 and 11. God hath revealed them unto us
by his Spirit. Spirit searches all things, yea,
the deep things of God. What man knoweth the things of
a man, say the Spirit of man which is in him? Even so, the
things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God. We have
received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is
of God, that we might know the things that are freely given
to us of God, which things also we speak, not in the words which
man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing
spiritual things with spiritual." Right down to verse 16. Who hath
known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?" We have
the mind of Christ. So back to the text. Back to
the text. So he says here, the Holy Spirit
who guides you into all truth, all truth, the truth as it is
in the Lord Jesus Christ, he shall not speak of himself, but
that means That means he does not speak independently or separately
from God the Father or God the Son. He does not speak of himself
independently, but he's with the Father and with the Son in
this. Read on. He shall not speak of
himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak. And he will show you things to
come, things to come. Whatsoever he shall hear, that's
what he'll show you, things to come. All right? Who does he
hear it from? Who does he hear it from? The Father sent who
to this earth? Christ, the Son. All right? Christ goes back to the Father. Who sent the Spirit? Christ sent
the Spirit. The Father instructed his Son
what to say, and Christ bore witness of the Father. Christ
sent the Spirit and instructed him what to say. Who does the
Spirit bear witness of? The Son. Look at Revelation 1
with me. This is not the revelation of
St. John the Divine. I despise that head in there. One of these days I'm going to
get a big marks a lot if it wouldn't show through the paper and mark
through that. Because the very first verse
tells you who Revelationist is. Now look at verse one, the revelation
of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him to show unto his servants. All right? Who shows unto his
servants? The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, that's who Christ
sent. Read on. Who bear witness, and he gave
it unto his servant John, who bear record, verse 2, of the
word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things
that he saw. Blessed is he that read it, they
that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are
written therein, for the time is at hand. Read on. To the seven
churches which are in Asia, grace be unto you, and peace from him
which is, and which was, and which is to come. And from the
seven spirits which are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ,
who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the
dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, unto him that loved
us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and made us
kings and priests unto God and his Father. To him be glory and
dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, he cometh. Remember back there where it
says the Holy Spirit will, whatever he shall hear, that shall he
speak, and he will show you things to come. Things to come. What things? Well, Armageddon
and all. He cometh. He cometh with clouds
and every eye shall see him. They also which pierced him.
Look down at verse 10. I was in the Spirit. John said,
I was in the Holy Spirit on the Lord's day. All right, if you're
on the Lord's day and the Holy Spirit sent to you. And he will
show you things to come. What's he going to show you?
Rather, who? Because what did John say? I
was in the Spirit on the Lord's day and heard a great voice. And he says, I turn saying, I
am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the
last and all in between, the way the truth, the lie. Yesterday, today, wherever I
am, John heard a great voice. He heard Christ speak through
the Spirit. And then he turned and he saw
somebody. He heard a voice and he saw something. What did he
see? He saw many things in Revelation, but the first thing he saw was
Christ, didn't he? That's what the Holy Spirit does.
Back to the text now. He says, He shall glorify me.
Look at verse fourteen. He will show you things to come.
What things? He who was and is and is to come.
Isn't that what Christ said? I am he that was alive and is
dead and will live forevermore and will live forevermore. Who
was and is and is to come. I am that I am. So he will glorify
me, verse fourteen, he the Holy Spirit shall glorify me and receive
of mine, he shall receive of mine and show it unto you. This is the mission and message
of the Holy Spirit. This is the message of the Holy
Spirit, to reveal Christ, to reveal Christ. He said he will
receive of mine and show it unto you. Look back at chapter fourteen
quickly. I'm going to wrap this up. It's not going to be long
at all. Chapter 14, look back there quickly. He says here in verse 26, The
Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send
in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things
to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you. He will
remind you what I said unto you. And then over here he said he
will guide you into all truth. Well, you know who was sitting
there when the Lord was saying this? Peter. And James. And John. And all of them. But let's hear what Peter learned
here. OK? Look over at 1 Peter chapter
1. Let's see if Peter was listening. Let's see if the Holy Spirit
didn't reveal later on to Peter some things that Christ had said. things from the Scripture that
guide him into all truth. Let's see if Peter did not preach
the truth. See if he didn't learn something.
He didn't know anything, did he, Nancy? I mean, when the Lord
was talking to him, that's what the Lord just said. He said,
I have many things to say unto you. Remember, Peter, in a little
bit, Peter's going to try to keep Christ from going to the
cross. I think that's in John. It may
not be. gospels, Peter tries to keep him from going to the
cross. He didn't know anything, did
he? I mean, he didn't know anything. A little later, when the Holy
Spirit began to teach him, let's read. Let's read what he learned
here, okay? 1 Peter chapter 1. He says, Peter,
an apostle of Jesus Christ to the strangers scattered throughout
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asian, by then he elect, according
to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification
of the Spirit and obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus
Christ. Grace unto you, and peace be
multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again, born us again unto a lively or living
hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance
incorruptible and undefiled. that fadeth not away." That sounds
kind of like chapter 14, doesn't it? When Christ was telling Peter,
I'm going to prepare a place for you. We have inheritance,
Peter said, that fadeth not away. Reserved in heaven for us. Verse
5, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation,
ready to be revealed in the last time. That sounds a little bit
like later on where the Lord said to Peter, Satan that desired
you. But I pray for you. Hey, we're kept by the power
of God, Peter said, ready to be revealed through faith unto
salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Verses 10 through
12. And this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently
who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you. Searching
water, what manner of time the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit
of Christ which was in them did signify. When the Spirit testified
beforehand of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that
should follow, he's learning now, isn't he? He didn't know
then, when Christ was telling him, ought not Christ to have
suffered. Entered into his glory. He knows
now, doesn't he, John? He knows now. The Spirit's teaching
him. Read on. Unto whom it was revealed
that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the
things which are now reported unto you by them, or the apostles. that it preached the gospel unto
you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, which things
angels desired to look into." Verse 18, "...forasmuch as you
know you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver
and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your
Jewish fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of
a lamb without blemish and without spot." He's learning, isn't he? He's learning. who barely was
foreordained before the foundation of the world, was manifest in
these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that
raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your
faith and hope might be in God." Verse 25, "...the word of the
Lord endureth forever." And this is the word which by the gospel
has taught him, didn't it? In all truth. I love that whole
chapter. So in our last verse in our text,
Verse 15 of John 16. So he says, The Holy Spirit will
glorify me. He will receive of mine the things
that I have said and done, and show them unto you. The person
and work of Christ, and show them unto you. And verse 15,
I'll close. All things that the Father hath
are mine. All things are mine. All power,
Christ said, is given unto me in heaven and earth. All authority,
all power over all flesh is given unto me. All mercy, God has put
it into my hand. All grace, all gifts. Isn't that what Paul said, according
to the measure of the gift of Christ, of grace? Salvation is in the Lord Jesus
Christ's hands. Life and death is his to give
all things. God has placed all things in
his son's hand. And that's what the Holy Spirit
tells us, reveals unto us. Like Pharaoh with Joseph. Like Pharaoh did to Joseph. If anybody wanted anything, they
had to go to Joseph. And if any human being needs
anything, they're going to have to get it from Jesus Christ.
from Jesus Christ. Therefore, he said, therefore
said I, that he, the Holy Spirit, shall take of mine, the things
of mine, and show it unto you. He will take the things of mine
and show it unto you. Now mark it down, people. The Holy Spirit is in the Christ
preaching business. That's what he does. The Holy
Spirit is in the Christ-revealing business. The Holy Spirit's business
is to take the things of Christ and show them unto us. Now, we're
not jumping and shouting and dancing and carrying on and doing
the wave. And the choir is not dancing
a jig. And I'm not running all over
the stage carrying on a bunch of nonsense. But we've been talking about
Christ all night. Is the Holy Spirit in there? Now, not to
the world. The spirit of this world wouldn't
say so, would it? is the message. Knowing Christ
is the goal. Winning Christ is the goal. Christ
is the center of our least endeavor. That's what the Holy Spirit does.
And no matter how spectacular the sight. I've watched all this
going on today in religion. Some of it seems very impressive. I received A letter from this
promise keepers organization wanting me along with other pastors
to join up and urge our people along. The name of Christ is
not mentioned in that letter. So I know God's not in that.
No matter how spectacular the site, no matter how powerful
the speaker, the preacher, no matter how charismatic he may
be, what he may be able to do, No matter whatever things are
going on, if Christ is not being lifted up, if men are not being
pointed to Christ, the Holy Spirit is not in them. The Holy Spirit
is not in them. Christ said all truth. He'll
guide you into all truth. And all truth is in Christ. In
Him are hid all the treasures. You think about this verse. You
want a verse to stay with you the rest of the week? Think about
this verse. In Christ are hid all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge. That's profound, isn't it? That's
deep. All. And that's what he said, Barbara,
that the Holy Spirit would guide you into all truth. All things
are things of mine and shall endure. So Nancy, do you need
a bunch of, do you want me to lead you in a chair? You can
go to the Franklin County Stadium and get that at a ball game,
can't you? But you want me to point you to Christ? You want
to take the things of, look at the things of Christ? That's
what you need, to grow in grace and a knowledge of Christ. The foundation. All right, stand
with me. Our Father, we thank You that we are indeed a blessed people.
We don't know how blessed we are, really. Surely we must take these things
for granted, having so much of them and so often. There was a time when we first
heard the Gospel and things were fresh and new, when we felt transcended, we felt transported,
and we felt like we could not contain ourselves. Our hearts
were, like the psalmist said, ready to bubble, burst. The things
we heard, new things, fresh things, the good news, the truth as it
is in the Lord Jesus Christ. But surely now we are no different
than the church of old. there in the Revelation, which
grew lukewarm at times. He said, I would that you were
cold or hot. Lord, you have sent your Holy
Spirit, and we have the mind of Christ. And flesh and blood
didn't reveal it to us, but our Father which is in heaven. And
we are blessed above all people this little place. The mercy
seat is in this place and God meets with us where the blood
is poured on the mercy seat. Thank you, Lord. Now, I ask our
prayer collectively is that you would take not thy spirit from
us. And that you would continue to
Send Him to us, the Comforter, and bring to remembrance all
things that Christ has said. Show us His glory. Take the things
of Christ and show them unto us. Convince us, O Lord. Convince
us by Your Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can convince.
No preacher can. No man can. Only the Holy Spirit
can convince us as we need convinced of. So send your Holy Spirit,
we pray. Now, keep your people throughout
this week. Watch over them, lead them and
guide them and bring to remember something that you have said
through your word, we pray. In Christ's name, we've met together.
Amen. You're dismissed.