John 15:18-16:15, What Do You Need?

The Apollo 13 Analogy and the Difference Between Needs and Wants

When part of the Apollo 13 spacecraft Blew up on the way to the moon. It lost most of its power. It had very little battery power left and so to figure out how to get these three men on board get them back to earth.

They you know the scientists and the engineers of NASA and the astronauts had to rack their brains and then experiment over and over again what functions of the spacecraft they could do without. You know, they could just turn off and What they really Absolutely needed for these men to survive and get the spaceship back.

They could do without the computer most of the time. They could even do without the heat Even though that would make it very cold inside. For a while, they didn't think they had enough electricity to survive and to make reentry but eventually they found out what they absolutely needed and that they barely had enough.

Barely had enough of power to meet those needs. What do you need. I.

Mean absolutely.

Essentially need there's all kinds a lot of things we think we need but you get right down to it. What do you absolutely have to have to survive? Money. More money. I'll get a job or spend less now. Sometimes we really do need money.

We can't get you know, so super spiritual and talk as if we we really don't need any money. We would have this building without money. You wouldn't be able to drive here without money. But is that really an essential need?

Maybe you're lonely and Think what you really need is that a special someone a companion and there's a need that goes all the way back. To creation before at before sin, you know, Adam felt he needed something and the animals weren't quite hitting the spot.

So there's nothing wrong with admitting That you have that need you you were made with it at times. You might feel overwhelmed by that need. But is it really? Your biggest need. Maybe you need health.

Now we'd be kind of callous when we we just make a light of that need is all you don't really need to worry about your body. We all we all know of course the body we know it's temporary that we're aging and our health will give way someday.

But it's still a real need. In fact, we Christians believe that need is so real. Eventually one day our bodies will be resurrected and we'll live in perfectly healthy bodies for eternity. So but you know as big a need as that is.

And this hope we have that a perfectly healthy body which will get one day that having that doesn't mean anything if we have it taking care of our biggest need of. Having a place to live in that perfectly healthy body.

We all have a lot of needs or things that we feel that we need and I think most people are maybe well Maybe not most many people. Most of us are right most of the time. Most of the time we think what we think our real needs are our needs.

Oh, there's exceptions. No. You don't need a Porsche. A Ford Escort will get you around just as well. You don't need a trip to Dairy Queen. You might enjoy it. But you don't need it. You don't need. Sorry, Shannon.

You don't need a video game. Now Shannon might need other people to want video games and maybe his need but you know for most of us. It might be okay for some fun every now and then but in fact, it's probably more likely though that you'll need to Sometimes cut out the video games if you're gonna if they're taking away from what you really need like Studying now sure.

There are some things sometimes we just crave and we want so much that we fool ourselves. And the thinking that we need them, but mature people know the difference between what they need and what they want.

Well, what trips us up most of the time is is knowing the difference between What is on the one hand what we need for now sort of a temporary need and need to achieve a purpose. A Need to get us where we're going like Literally a car or a companion or even health those kinds of secondary needs.

Useful needs and on the other hand What are really your essential needs. What do you know like the astronauts on Apollo 13. Absolutely need. You cannot do without. Well, we see that here and We see that we've been given What we need in two major parts first the revelation and second the inspiration.

Revelation: The Gospel Requires Knowledge, Cost, and Suffering

Now first we need revelation. Other words, we need God to reveal Things to us to reveal knowledge to us. We need to know the truth about What is what is facing us? My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.

God says he said through Hosea so now it's not just any knowledge not like the knowledge you can You're tested for on the SATs or that you can get through the newspaper or online. We need knowledge Revealed to us by God in particular.

We need to know that even though With Jesus comes glory and love and joy and eternity of life that the gospel is such an Overwhelmingly good deal for us that we'd be we have to be spiritually blind and deaf and hard-hearted and depraved.

Not to seek it. That it's like a field, you know, Jesus compares to a field with the pearl of great price. And so it's worth selling everything you have to get it. Because in the end by far it's it's worth much more than anything We have we have to sacrifice to have it.

Yeah. Yes. That's all great and in true but You will have to give up something for it. And not only will you share Christ's resurrection? You'll need to share some of his sufferings too. You will in fact use a hard word be.

Persecuted.

Now right away. We need to find what I mean by persecuted because by my thing there's no way. We're beginning persecuted around here. I mean a casual County or the south side of Virginia. This is the Bible Belt.

We might think because we may think it well persecuted that means Christians being fed to the Lions, you know when the Roman crowds cheer on. They're cheering for the Lions by the way, because they hate us Christians or maybe in some parts of the world today.

You're being beheaded by Isis terrorists. And so we yeah, okay, if that's what you think persecution me with that's certainly persecution. This is a virus form, but that's all you think it is. Yeah, sure.

Very unlikely we're gonna face that here in our lifetimes. Possible but unlikely Christians who go through that faithfully and bravely deserve our admiration and maybe maybe we feel like you know. We don't even use we don't even use the same word that we might suffer here for what they suffer there because we almost feel.

Like we're insulting that the enormous sacrifice. That they're making by comparing it to our slight inconveniences. But we need to know that any adversity that we suffer for the sake of Christ being insulted whatever is a bigot or a hater or being banned from a campus or a paper graded down because of what we Believe being fined because we won't go along with their sin being rejected by worldly people.

Maybe some sometimes worldly people who are actually in the church and who make it necessary that we have to leave that church. Because they don't want to hear the word of God. Anyway that the world makes it harder for us to follow Jesus.

I think it's right to say that that's. Persecution may not be as severe as some others, but it's it's it's still some suffering in the book of Hebrews. It talks about how persecution started with the Christians property being confiscated.

Now it didn't start with them being fed to lions. That's where it ended. It started with their Possessions being taken just like in some parts of the country today now some Christians have lost their businesses there.

There are their ability to make a living and they've lost it because of their refusal to go along with the world sin. And we did we need to know that and we need to expect it so that when it happens We'll be will be honored that God counted us worthy to suffer a little something.

Even it seems very small compared to what some others have experienced, but we have experienced a little something. Something of what the martyrs suffered, you know, what what do you need? You know when it comes to distance running.

What do you need you need first the power? The strength the ability to finish the race however long it is the miles to go. Plus you also think I need you need I think you need the the knowledge. That you're gonna be suffering along the way if you run this race.

You don't just give up when it gets uncomfortable. You're going to face discomfort. You may agonize and maybe it will be hard. Because if you don't know that you just go in this race. You think it's gonna be like the first 50 yards it's just gonna be easy and you're just gonna keep flying and and and and then when you hit when the fatigue hits and the Pain hits the sweat is pouring and you're breathing hard and you you feel like your lungs are burning.

Then if you think this is some incredible spirit never expected this in the million year. That's the way you think. You're probably gonna stop. Oh, we're gonna sit down walk. Not supposed to suffer. I'm gonna I'm gonna lie down here.

You need to know that there's suffering coming. Well here in the short hours before his arrest and crucifixion. The Lord Jesus gives us the knowledge that we need to prepare for life in this world for being hated and he does that in three parts first the cause.

The cause of our suffering of our hatred then the counselor and finally the counter. First the cause of our being hated in verse 18 He says if the world hates you now some you could say well, look at that.

That's if it's a conditional sentence and the world may not necessarily hate us. You're being too dark. You're being too conspiratorial. Too too paranoid too dramatic. Well, maybe he's here speaking to these disciples Jesus is and all of all of all but one of whom was Was killed by the world for their testimony of Jesus and the one who wasn't killed John who's the writer here was exiled for it now so certainly.

For his immediate audience the people John is writing to when he first wrote this there was no if. Okay, it was this is gonna happen. The world did hate them. Now for us today if we're following in his footsteps, this is true, too.

But I think it's still true if we are of the world in verse 19 if we if if we're like them. If what we think we really need is the same as what the world thinks it really needs. You know, we need money above all you need pleasure.

We need to seek our kingdom first. We need our will to be done if we're like that. Okay. Yeah. We're not gonna seem very different. We're not gonna be different at all and we're not gonna suffer anything, but that's not the case.

We are different and we suffer for it now sure. We have an advantage here. And now there are many more people around us. Then there were in the Apostles Day who are also not of the world, you know, they have.

Look for a long history of them has helped, you know being salt of the earth. They they prepared the world for they made it much better for us. And they're not of the world and they also have been chosen by Jesus out of the world and then there's many others.

Maybe they're not Jesus's people. But they have been impacted positively by those who have and who have maybe they have mothers or fathers. Who are our spouses who are followers of Jesus? And so they can't so easily jump on the bandwagon to hate us and the world here doesn't mean all people.

But it's that society of people who are outside the kingdom of God the world is a society of rebels and so it hates those who are in joyful allegiance to the king and we have. I think we have less of the world around us now than John did then and so we have fewer people who Who hate us but that could change and we still have the world.

It's the cause of our rejection. It's not really because okay, she's wondering sometimes because it's not really because we're a bunch of hicks. We're uneducated. We're just bigoted. We deserve it. No, it's because they hate the king.

And we need to know that's the cause. The world will never tell us the real cause, you know, they'll blame us. It's your problem because you're like that's what. So and so because the world won't tell us Jesus reveals it to us.

Just as he was hated and persecuted so will we be. After all, he's the master or his servants. We can't expect it have it indifferently or any better than he had it. Can we they will mistreat us because of his name in other words because we're associated with him if we don't know that you know, we don't know that's the cause of Rejection of our hatred.

We're likely to fall for one of their excuses. Because they have their excuses of why they hate us. Other of their persecution they will say we really love Jesus too. We admire Jesus, too He's a great teacher or whatever.

And they'll say they don't really want to take anything away from us that we need to follow Jesus. But only if we'll only you all you people all you need to do is this and every other nice person does it?

Why don't you?

Whatever it is this small thing every decent person does it then in their time. It was. You know burn incense to Caesar say Caesar is Lord if you do that. You know, you can go worship. You can say whatever you want about Jesus.

You could worship in your churches any way you want. You just got to burn a little incense to Caesar say Caesar is Lord. It's the patriotic thing to do. Every loyal Roman citizen does it. What's wrong with you?

The people of all kinds of other religions do it. Why won't you? Now it's and they will say it's our fault in other words and so they'll hate us when we don't go. And they say it's not because we hate Jesus.

They would say is that you just need to compromise on this one little point and then you can go back to your churches and Do your thing worship Jesus if that's what you want to do. That's what the world said then and Today it will say something similar.

It's not that we're trying to wipe out the Christian faith. We want you to be free you just need to be more whatever may be more tolerant, however, they want to put it. That's what the world says. Now.

The revelation from Jesus is that we're being persecuted because they hate him. Just as most of them persecuted him in their time in verse 20 rejecting his word. And during his lifetime they hated him so they will do now now some of some of course accepted his word and some will now.

But you need to know that there will be opposition. Now the cause of that opposition is that Jesus came and exposed their sin. By coming and speaking God's Word to them. Jesus showed that at the heart of the work of the world that they they have that rebellion.

That is the root of all sins. That rejection of God's kingdom. That fundamental choice that my will will be done. That's why they don't seek first. God's kingdom. They seek their own and Jesus exposed that in his teaching and his behavior.

And so now they have no excuse for their sin. They hate Jesus because. And here's here's the cause of their hatred of which Hate here's the cause of their hatred of us, which is caused by their hatred of Jesus.

Which is caused in verse 23 by their hatred of the father.

The world.

Has put to the test here. Jesus has put it to the test and the leaders of Jesus's day They saw what he did. You know people say if they only see the miracles or if you can only reason with them. Well, if the only you can be nice to them, you can win them over.

No, they've seen miracles. They've heard Jesus's teachings. He's he's proven that he is the I am and yet they hated him. Anyway, and that happened he says in verse 25 and here's really the ultimate cause.

The word that is written in their law must be fulfilled. They hated me without cause. They hated him without cause because God determined that he that what he revealed about them must be accomplished and He used their depravity To cause it.

The Holy Spirit as Helper, Convictor, and Completer

Well, the second revelation that we need is that even though the world hates us we have a helper. Okay, we have a counselor. We said we have the power we need To finish the race and we need a helper for to bear witness to a hostile world.

And so Jesus promises his Apostles here to send the Holy Spirit from the father. And by the way, here's notice. All three persons of the Trinity coming together. Verse 26 when the helper comes the helper of the Holy Spirit whom I was in whom I the son will send from the father.

Notice that there's all three persons in Trinity working in different ways. The helper the spirit of truth. He he reveals the truth comes sent by the Son Jesus from the father. More about the spirit the Holy Spirit soon.

Well, the third revelation that we need is how to counter.

The persecution.

Now if they are we if we're taken by surprise by the hatred of the world you know in the analogy used early if you're just if you're running and you're taken by surprise of this this discomfort in this.

This fast breathing and heart rate.

Beating.

In you this agonizing feeling you want to stop if that takes you by surprise. Well here it's like these people if you're taken by surprise by the opposition it could be crushed to be discouraged. You give up.

We didn't believe this, you know the gospel. To get in. We didn't get into this to being Christians. To be enemies of anyone. I don't think any of you think that I want to. I want to oppose these people.

So I'm going to church. We don't understand why we've inherited these enemies. It's not what we signed up for. We thought we want to be right with God. Now here these disciples thought that they were signing up for a revolution that Jesus would be a new king and that they would be.

Like his they would be his mighty men like David had a mighty man under him that they were gonna ride his coattails into power. But now he's talking about going away. He's talking about betrayals and renunciations and now persecution that there's gonna suffer if if Jesus here.

Didn't warn them of.

The coming days of opposition. This hour he talks about this hour of the world when it will oppose Them when it will kill them. It will throw them out of synagogues. It'll the it will it will give them conflict if he didn't tell them that He says They would fall away.

They would stumble the Greek word. There is means they'll be scandalized by it. It would be that that lack of knowledge of knowing that opposition is coming would be like a Stumbling block on a runner's way.

They'll trip over it and fall. Like when you maybe you learn something totally shocking or disappointing. It's about someone you admire. Now you don't admire them anymore. You don't want to care about them anymore here.

It would be a scandal for them if Jesus hadn't prepared them beforehand for the difficulties that are coming. Like it's a shot to prosperity believers today. These people believe they confess the right thing.

They'll always have health and wealth. It's a shock. I would to them when When the real world hits them. When they realize that Jesus is invitation to take up the cross was for real. When they experience a little of the suffering.

And they've realized that everything they've been sold about You know make the right confession and they never have to suffer any Sickness or opposition or anything poverty and they realize that's it's all false.

And people fall away because of that often Christians who are who are told that their faith is a ticket out of Trials and suffering are being set up for a fall. So the revelation that there is hatred and enemies and rejection and suffering coming.

Because you believe in Jesus. Now that's not to make us morbid and depressed and feeling sorry for ourselves as victim mentality. Woe is us. It's to prepare us. So that when it happens We don't fall away and give up.

You know, yeah, he told us this was gonna happen and we keep going. But imagine something here about Jesus he's the one going to the cross. This is the cross is now just hours away. They're likely walking on their way to Gethsemane as he's saying this.

He and.

Jesus's mind. You know, but he could be just overwhelmed with the suffering he's about to experience. Jesus's mind is on preparing.

Them.

The disciples.

So.

He tells them that they will be expelled from synagogues. There's some of them like later Stephen Will be killed by people like Paul who thought that their hatred of the Christians was actually zeal for God.

He's telling us now today and you know these Isis terrorists beheading Christians that yeah, they're doing it for zeal for God. Don't be surprised by that. That's that's nothing new. It may be in our in the US and in this culture enemies who are shouting there were bigots.

You're expelling us who are banning us or insulting us who think they're doing it because of their zeal for tolerance and love. Yeah, that's you know, he's telling us this is gonna happen. Now Jesus is warning us so that we'll know That when the world hates us.

It really wasn't our fault. Now. We sometimes we can do things that aggravated to make it worse, but it's really because. They hate the father. And here Jesus is thinking of us. Even as every step takes him closer to the cross.

He was he was thinking of us to help us counter the coming opposition. Because to be forewarned is to be forearmed. They're walking to Gethsemane likely the disciples were fearful of what is coming next they've been forewarned.

It's a forearmed of opposition. They think they need above all. For Jesus to be with them. Alright, Jesus could if he can raise the dead he can probably call fire out of heaven. You can do anything. They want they want Jesus with them physically and so they're overwhelmed with this where he's talking about going away.

But here starting in verse 5 Jesus tells them what they really need. They need Inspiration and I don't mean just a you know, like a good halftime coaches pep talk. Picking up their spirit. I mean literally a spirit in them we need Inspiration and he tells them here in three parts who the Holy Spirit is and what he does.

That they need so much and he does that in three parts. Also. He is the comforter. He is the convictor and he is third the completer. Now Jesus didn't tell them at first about the coming opposition at the first the beginning of his ministry.

He didn't say that first and the coming Holy Spirit because then he says he was with them. They didn't need all that Knowledge at that time, but now that he's going back to the father now, they need to know these things and you do too.

You need to know. Especially about the Holy Spirit. You need to know first of your need for him. The disciples are filled with sorrow he says in verse 6 now they can only think of themselves. At this moment that they're thinking they're being abandoned.

Jesus had just earlier said no, I'm not abandoning you. I'm not leaving you as orphans. I'm bringing sending you the spirit, but they're this that's just filling their minds that they're wondering whether they can even survive without Jesus with them.

Even when they ask earlier. Ostensibly about you know, where are you going? They weren't really interested in knowing where he was going. It was but they were more like a child that was protesting, you know.

Like a child been wanting to play catch with his father. They you know. And but he has to go away. Work is calling something urgent is calling and it's more important is to their advantage. Actually that the father does go away and does what he has to do, but the child doesn't understand that.

He protests where are you going? And that's what they've been doing here and Here. Jesus tells them that as unimaginable as it would be to them at this moment. All they can think of he's talking about he's talking about leaving.

He's talking about us being persecuted. We can't survive that way. We Absolutely need him. But he says it's to their advantage. To the vantage means it's better for you in verse 7. He says it's to their advantage.

That he goes away. It's better for them that they have the Holy Spirit inside them. Then that they have Jesus beside them. That's a that's another amazing statement in this whole Teaching here's Jesus giving in these last few hours.

Think of that. It's better that you have the Spirit inside you than that. You have Jesus beside you. And we tend to think today that we're just kind of barely hanging on, you know the church today. We're hardly getting by we're waiting for Jesus to return and when he comes physically then we'll have it made but for now.

Let's hunker down. Let's hope we can survive that we get through but here Jesus says We are. Think of this because this is just as true for us now. Astoundingly, we are better off with the Holy Spirit in us.

Then if we had Jesus with us if he was here with us raising the dead and healing people who are born blind. Speaking directly to us. How can that be? Well, what do you really need? You need a comforter you need a helper.

You need the Holy Spirit. And all of us need that helper in us and the spirit can be in all of God's people all over the world all at the same time. And reform people all their good doctrine name. They need to know this probably more than any others Christians.

They tend to think what we need, you know we would call ourselves reformed we tend to think what we need most of all is.

Information.

Not inspiration. And even if you tell them you need the Holy Spirit, they'll think well what we need then is lectures on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. We need an education. But Jesus here says that what we really need is inspiration.

We need the comforter. We need the power to help us in our need. We need the Spirit inside us more than we need Jesus beside us. What do you need. You need a convictor. We're called to go out and bear fruit in the world fruit that will last but the world hates us.

So what we need above all is not strategies, you know knowledge on how to communicate to a resisted audience. Information on how to win friends and influence people. Advertising campaigns gimmicks to attract seekers.

Even though those things I'm not all mocking all that those things can be useful like money is useful. But it's not ultimately what we need. That those things we can do without if we have absolutely have to.

If we absolutely have to we can do without that. Like like the astronauts and Apollo 13 could do without their computer and their heater. What we absolutely cannot do without is the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit to convict now naturally.

And think of that we need that because naturally people in the world. Assume that their sins are just normal. They should be accepted. Now say that's the way the world works, you know. It's the way life is money makes the world go around and so people living for the dollar.

Don't don't call that greed. Greed is good. They'll say People are driven by lust and say so don't be such a prude. Something's wrong with you. You're disapproving of what people want to do. People have their egos.

It can't be challenged. You just got to get used to it. It's the way people are. Now that's that's the worldly minds way of thinking if they're to repent it and and to believe. They need to be convicted.

Meaning they need to be shown their sin. They need to be convinced that their sin is sin. Not just the normal way of human life. They need to have the truth exposed to them we can testify to that truth.

But without the Holy Spirit, they'll never see it. Here in verses 8 to 11. Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit will help us by convicting the world.

Concerning.

Three major things. He lists them. Three things that the Holy Spirit specializes in Convicting the world of first their sin, especially the root of their sin. Which is the lack of faith in.

Jesus.

So that he Convicts them of that sin so that just like the people in the in the temple on the day of Pentecost Peter comes in there full of the Holy Spirit and he challenges them that the Jesus that you crucified Was proved to be he says Lord and Christ.

And what happened? Because the Holy Spirit was there they were cut to the heart it says. They were convicted and many of them were converted by the thousands. That's the first thing the Holy Spirit convicts up.

Second concerning righteousness. That is so they'll know even with Jesus no longer here to show them What is right that now the Holy Spirit will tell them what is right that they will know the Holy Spirit will show what?

Righteousness is being right with God. Show them that their so-called righteousness What they think is right is like filthy rags before God. They need their sense of self-righteousness torn down and We need the Holy Spirit to do that.

And then the third thing the Holy Spirit convicts the world of is judgment that There is a judgment coming that they will have to face that even if everyone around them approves of their sin. That's just it is just normal now to be a racist or to be unfaithful to your word or to be sexually immoral or whatever.

It is.

That you know that won't matter. It might may be true than our society today. Those things are normal, but that won't matter when you stand before the judge of the whole earth and even more importantly notice in verse 11 He would convict them of people the world of judgment.

That judgment has already begun Jesus says because the prince of this world That's Satan is judged. It's happening now. It's happened now and now in what Christ has done on the cross so that means for us Now that we're after the cross after the resurrection.

We are now living in the time of judgment. It's not all future. It's going on now and we need the Holy Spirit to make the reality of that ongoing judgment.

Clear.

So clear that it just it fills the hearts of those who are shown it.

With a holy terror.

That they are facing judgment, too. And so must repent now. We cannot do any of that just by rational argument. You know using sound logical lessons we can't. The Holy Spirit has to do it and Reform people need to understand this most of all.

But a dozen years ago Mary and I were trying to help a new reform church in Pennsylvania and They weren't doing any of the things that typically new churches are supposed to do. You know what the experts say?

You need to do to plant a new church. You have a big event or have a mass mass mailings or have booths at fairs. They weren't doing any of that. That's okay. I guess I don't think you absolutely need that.

But I also don't know of them having any prayer meetings that I don't recall any to pray for help. Pray for the power the conviction of the Holy Spirit. The one thing they tried to do which they advertised in the paper was have a professor of church history come and give a lecture.

That I guess is what they think they needed. I'd love to think that lectures on church history is what we really need. If so, I'd give one every Sunday, but it's not We need the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit is third thing the.

Completer.

Starting in verse 12 Jesus reveals the completing Ministry of the Holy Spirit. Jesus says that he still has many things to tell them. Notice that in verse 12. That's I've still got a many things To tell you but I can't do it now.

But you think of this. You know, he's walking. This is the last few hours. He's walking to Gethsemane. And you think if not now when? Many things when are you gonna tell him? You know, you know you next coming is the betrayals the trial the cross.

It'll be the resurrection. There'll be a few brief appearances and then he ascends to heaven. So when is he gonna tell them all the these things that he needs to tell them. And there were things that we need to hear.

Too.

You know, we left without him. Did he just leave it hanging? I need to tell you all these things but I can't. And then times up. Is that what happened? We lose something. Oh. He says the Holy Spirit will do that for him later in verse 13 when the Spirit of truth comes.

He will guide you into all truth. Now here's a verse people like to take out of context. He'll guide you into all truth. I don't believe this is a promise. You know that the Holy Spirit will guide every hunch you have.

So, you know if you need to know the right numbers to scratch off on a lottery ticket. He'll guide you into all truth. So you become a multimillionaire or about which answer to choose on a multiple-choice exam?

So you can do perfectly on the LSAT test because he'll just guide you. You don't you need to study. Don't you don't fall for that or which item on a menu will be the most delicious you got a guess. I'll the Holy Spirit will guide me to know.