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Sort of silly to start the recording halfway through the first sentence or something like that John chapter 16 what I want to at least get through 17. I mean since we start we start all the way back. What in 13 something like that it just seems silly to step out from that but And there's just so much that needs to be covered but beginning at chapter 16 These things I've spoken to you so that you may Be kept from stumbling they will make you outcasts in the synagogue when hours coming.
For everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God these things they will do because they have not known The father or me, but these things I have spoken to you. So when their hour comes you may remember that I told you of them.
These things I did not say to you at the beginning because I was with you again very briefly. There is no question in Jesus' teachings to the disciples that a time of difficulty is coming this only further necessitates the role spirit He has told them he's not going to leave them alone.
But now in the midst of that is now introduced what they need to understand and that is while at this point the primary Hatred of the world has been expressed toward Jesus now. It's going to be expressed for those who represent him.
Since he is going to be in the presence of the father then the coming of the spirit becomes absolutely necessary so that the People of God can have the strength and the ability To endure the difficulty that will be there is even so much So that an hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think that he is offering service to God.
So this Obviously has primary application to the immediate persecution of the church that takes place in the decades after the death of Christ, but Unfortunately, this has had fulfillment down through the ages of the church Continues to have fulfillment today there are there's a tremendous amount of Persecution going on in the world today in regards to Christians being persecuted by Muslims who believe they are doing service to God by by what they are doing.
I Don't think we could necessarily leave out those whose God is the God of Atheism or humanism or whatever else it might be the point is that there are people who Recognize that the gospel of Jesus Christ in alterably places everyone either on the Lordship of Christ or Under the Lordship of something else and if you are dedicated to something else and you have to stand in opposition to To Christianity, this is one of the reasons why pluralism is just such a foolish idea amongst Christians.
The idea that you can be a Christian pluralist. The idea that there are many ways to God just makes absolutely no sense whatsoever because what is Hateful about the Lordship of Christ in the gospel is that it creates these?
Utterly irreconcilable authority conflicts. And so when you have a world that is dedicated to one source of authority one kind of authority. Where that be naturalistic materialism humanism Islam? Sometime well potpourri during the Middle Ages, whatever it might be there is going to be a irreconcilable conflict between those who bow the knee to Christ and those who bow the knee to these other systems of authority and So Jesus explains that he didn't he didn't start off their discipleship by saying now After my death burial resurrection, you're going to be persecuted tremendously.
This wasn't the first the first element of his Presentation to them because he was with them and as I said their primary focus. The primary focus of the world's hatred was against Jesus and only secondarily against his disciples.
Now, of course There is an expansion of that but now verse 5 I am going to him who sent me and none of you asks me. Where are you going now some people. I It's it's interesting that my Muslim friends actually brought this up.
And one of the debates if we get which one of them when they were six of them in a row is sort of hard to remember exactly. It was either at the University of Johannesburg or in Linnesia. I forget which one it was but one of my two opponents raised this very attacks and Point out that it's an alleged contradiction because earlier in Chapter 14 you did have a discussion of of where where is he going?
Of course this different audience actually I think it would be chapter 13. But obviously there's a context here. That that says none of you asked me. Where are you going? Because Jesus is now explained I'm going back in the presence of the father.
There's there's a context here. And unfortunately people don't like to follow context and like to isolate words from their context. None of you asked you where you're going. But because I have said these things to you sorrow has filled your heart.
They know that he is going away is going back in the presence of the father. If I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you. But if I go I will send him to you now notice.
Again, I mentioned this last time which was long long time ago now which was the 60 hours inside an airplane to go for me. Let's just put it that way nothing compared to our brother here. I mean, I'm just I'm just a I'm an amateur but.
But I've got that platinum flyer card now, and I I like that, you know, it's all sudden. I'm somebody. It's like yes, sir. Yes, sir, right here this way sir, you know, yeah, but I earned it. I earned it through Seeing many TSA agents non smiling face.
Let's just put it that way it's anyways, I don't know how I got of that but It Has has been a long long while so it's hard to remember where it was but notice notice what says here. Last time we were together.
I mentioned a Controversy and while I Fire this up. I'll ask any of you What was the what was one of the controversies that I mentioned last time in regards to the Eastern and Western churches? I did mention it honest.
I did. The filial clay clause and filial clay is a Latin term which means and the Sun and the controversy Is between the East and the West the original Nicene Creed? Did not contain the filial clay clause did not say that the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son and The West added that the East refused to do so.
Most of us would sit here going really does not seem like a big reason to have a huge fight, but this is the key this section of John is the key battleground and It I pointed out to you last time that we spoke back in September sometime.
That's when this The text discusses the sending of the Spirit. We should look at the relationship of father and son and so doing notice verse 5 says. But now I am going to him who sent me. So here you have the father sending the son and then in verse 7 If I did not go away the helper will not come to you, but if I go I will send him to you.
So you have the very same kind of Terminology being used here once again for us. It's fairly easy for us to hear these words and go well sure you know within Trinitarian theology. You know the father sends the son the son sends the spirit.
We don't have any problem with that, but again. I just I just warn you That one of the things you need to be thinking of are the evidences of the deity of Christ that are not Necessarily those that people would just naturally see.
There is just so much evidence of the deity of Christ that because we already know it we overlook it. Here's another one. Who sends the son the father who sends the spirit the son? The helper won't come to you, but if I go I will send him to you.
Well, who is this the spirit of truth? This is the spirit of God of the Old Testament the spirit of Yahweh and yet. He's sent by the Son. What what kind of a mere creature and and and I get faulted once in a while by some of my?
Better opponents, but say well. It's not he's not just a mere creature. It's a highly exalted Creature. Well the point is then that it's probably been a few years since I've emphasized this point that when it comes to ontology when it comes to beingness a discussion of of what makes something what it is.
There is a massive chasm between That which is uncreated and eternal Self-sufficient. And that which has come into being no matter how exalted it might be there is a vast chasm between the two and You've got a side where Jesus fits in there if you're an Aryan.
It's sort of like the north side of the Grand Canyon is Uncreated and eternal the south side is Is created now you can be right on the edge of the canyon and be a highly exalted created being or you can we weigh down here in Phoenix and Be just a little old person.
It doesn't matter where you are in the continuum. You're on that side of the chasm and There is no crossing over between the two. There's no bright angel trail or Kaibab or any of the rest that kind of stuff there's if you're created you're created now you can be highly exalted and glorious and everything else you're still created and The Aryan Christ is created and the Jehovah's Witness Christ is created in them and them the Muslim Christ is created and the Mormons don't even get into this conversation because they don't they don't have an ontology.
It's even they don't have anything on the north side. I can't have the problem. That that's there's only one side of the canyon in in Mormonism and the other the other side is just a vast Wasteland, there's nothing there.
So they don't even get in on the conversation, but the point is that Mankind's religions will find all sorts of places on the south rim for Jesus. But that's the dividing line. That's the chasm either Jesus is has eternally existed as God not as in a human being.
He did not eternally exist in flesh. There was a point in time when he became flesh but as the Son of God he has either eternally existed or he is not and That really is the dividing line at that point and so Jesus ascends the Spirit and it is to our advantage.
So in other words, you know Jesus physically could only be with a certain number of people the Spirit as the Spirit can be with all of God's people at all times in all places and so. Some people say I just wish it was like back in the days of Jesus.
No, you don't. Because then you would have had to have been in that small number of people who could have been physically with Jesus. Now some of you might be aware of the fact that over the past couple weeks there's been a Explosion of discussion yet once again of the charismatic movement.
Over at John MacArthur's Church Grace Community Church in Southern, California. They had the week before last the strange fire conference and I had heard about this coming and it sort of ran into the last bit of my traveling there and so I sort of bumbled and stumbled into it and and Actually, I think Thursday Hopefully Thursday of this week. We're going to be hosting on the dividing line a debate on the subject between Reformed Baptist scholar Sam Waldron And Michael Brown on the subject of the continuation of the supernatural sign gifts or the Cessation thereof etc, etc, and This past Friday I read all of the strange fire book That has not technically been released.
But when you know the editor that wrote it that part doesn't really matter too much and there's a lot of discussion of the role the spirit a Lot of needed condemnation of the absurdities That have become unfortunately commonplace but at the same time an interesting Dialogue between The cessationist camp and the quote-unquote reformed continuationist camp.
And that would primarily be Wayne Grudem and John Piper in regards to their particular perspectives. Obviously John 14 through 16 came up a good bit in in those discussions as would would need to be. But obviously a lot of the conversation had to do with What the role of the spirit is in the church today.
Many charismatics would say that non charismatics are afraid of the Spirit of God and a lot of Non-charismatics would say well given what you think the Spirit of God is we might have reason to be afraid.
Given some of the things we've seen on YouTube and other places. Especially when you have Holy Ghost bartenders and all that kind of absurdity and blasphemy going on and so on so forth, but Clearly Jesus is teaching is it is to your advantage that I go away.
There is something that should be a cause for rejoicing For us there is something that should be a regular Reason for our giving of thanks for the ministry of the Holy Spirit. That Jesus has ascended to the Father and Because he has ascended that means his work has been Completed and accepted on the part of the Father and so he sends the Spirit.
There's a sense in which the coming of the Spirit actually becomes part of the vindication of the ministry of Christ the indication of the fact that his work has been accepted and So the Spirit that is sent by the Son to you not just sort of Into the world in a general haphazard fashion.
But there is a sending of the Spirit to particular people to the disciples in Particular there is going to be a Ministry to them, but there's also a broader ministry because notices and he when he comes Will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment so the gift is this the the sending of the Spirit is to us and It is through his presence.
That we experience the presence of the Father and the Son remember back in John 14 leaves verse 23 That Jesus says I and the Father will come to you we will make our abode with you. Well, how do they how the Father and Son make their abode with us is by the presence of the Spirit but then there is so there's a ministry within the body within the believers and Then there is an external ministry as well.
He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. Concerning sin because they do not believe in me and Righteousness because I go to the Father and you no longer see me and concerning judgment because the rule this world has been judged now this is almost dangerous to go through at Speed but I have to keep pushing myself if we're ever going to get on to other things.
Concerning sin because they do not believe in me now, that's That is an interesting Expression. I mean you would think that it would say something like concerning sin because they are profaning marriage because they are profaning my law because they are Selfish because they are hateful and you just think of all the lists of the sins, but it's interesting that it is sinful to disbelieve in Jesus.
That's not normally how we present it is it? That's not normally how how faith in Christ is is presented in most evangelistic systems. There's there's rarely a statement to people that it's actually a sin and rebellion against God.
To not believe in Jesus, but the fact the matter is when you think about it given the clarity of the testimony That God has given concerning Jesus Christ in the resurrection and the ascension of Christ to disbelieve is to be Is to continue in your rebellion, it's a sinful attitude.
It's not. Many of us have the idea that there again. It's the myth of moral neutrality. We have been taught within our cultural framework to think that you can be morally neutral about Jesus and that's a That's not a sinful thing.
It's not a good thing. It's just it's not anything. It's it's it's not to be put into the category of what is right and wrong true or false sinful or righteous. Jesus does not allow for the myth of neutrality.
It may be a part of our our cultural religious thinking but He doesn't allow for it. So the spirit convicts concerning sin because they do not believe in me so there is a a a role of the spirit in so exalting the person of Christ the person who rejects him is convicted of their non-belief in him.
That's again. Just not the normal way that we think and that's why we need to be exposed the Word of God to have our thinking Changed by the Word of God rather than changing the Word of God to line up with our thinking.
Which unfortunately is a whole lot easier to do so there is a ministry of the spirit in Convicting the world concerning sin because of unbelief in Jesus it is sinful to reject. The testimony the God the Father has given concerning his son and that's true of the atheists.
It's also true of the Muslim or a relative. I'd be who has a false Jesus who does not believe in the true Jesus. Considering righteousness because they go the father and you no longer see me and again we go.
How is that relevant to righteousness. I mean In fact how do you convict the world concerning righteousness? Well again The Ascension of Jesus Christ to the right hand of the Father again a a Fact of the biblical record that I think we'll have to admit we probably somewhat under-emphasized de-emphasized.
Haven't really thought of that much. It's just sort of like well. It's something that happens. But it's actually rather important when you think about it because once again Think back to that section in Hebrews.
That talks about Christ entering into the holy place how we have an anchor within the veil because he has entered in we have the surety. There is a very proper sense in recognizing that the ascension of Christ into the heavenly places is one of the mechanisms and means by which God gives testimony to his acceptance of the work of Christ.
Which was a really big issue especially at this point in time. I mean we've certainly seen this in the book of Hebrews in our study through Hebrews, but For many people it would be like all right, so Jesus did these things.
How do you know that that's what God wanted him to do and how do you know that this was a fulfillment of prophecy? How do you how do you know that that how has he been vindicated? For example my Muslim friends say that one of the reasons Jesus cannot be who we say he was is Because the Old Testament law does say cursed is everyone who hangs upon a tree so he was accursed.
He was accursed. Well, how do you respond to that well if the father Raises him from the dead and and brings him into his very presence in the ascension. Is that not clear indication that your understanding of?
What it means to be a curse what Jesus is doing is wrong. Jesus has been vindicated. By these means the vindication of the claims of Christ and the ministry of Christ is clearly What is what is found here, and so I think that's what we have concerning righteousness.
It is it is God's righteousness that is demonstrated in the fact that The Work of the son has been accepted is the son's righteousness That is vindicated demonstrate in the fact that he has gone into the presence of the father.
These are this is all again a part of the work of the triune God notice again The gospel is a triune gospel and here you have the working out of that gospel a father son and Holy Spirit Being brought forth here and Concerning judgment verse 11 because the ruler of this world has been judged the ruler of this world he has usurped that position has been judged and Has been demonstrated to have been incapable of of Stopping the plan of God now.
I won't go into this, but there is an interesting Realm of interpretation That I haven't had time to look at as closely as I would like to That a friend of mine who's scholars spent a lot of time working on this Focused primarily in John chapter 12.
But also looking at the same phraseology in in Paul where he talks about the ruler of this world, which has normally been taken to mean Satan and That's the normative interpretation, okay I'll Take that but there's another possibility.
What if the rule of this world is the fact God and the judgment is his vindication? There is a stream of interpretation that sees the vindication of God and what he's done the vindication in his having allowed sin and it's having provide a perfect way of Salvation from sin and so on and so forth.
And of course Paul does bring that up in Romans chapter 3 Let God be true and every man a liar and it talks about the vindication of God. So they I just mentioned in passing The possibility that while it's the normative interpretation to say well the rule this world that Satan He's been he's been judged and whatever that in that includes.
There's another possible way of seeing that as God's rule this world He has been judged and he has been shown to be just in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And he has been vindicated in all that he has done just mentioned that as a as another possibility.
I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when he's a spirit of truth comes he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own initiative. Whatever he hears he will speak and he will disclose to you.
What is to come? Again credibly key text Indication on the part of Jesus that it has never been his intention in his earthly ministry to provide an exhaustive Revelation of everything the church is to know.
People have wondered, you know, why is it that. You know shouldn't the New Testament be pretty much all in red letters is is what a lot of people would like I've talked about hyper red letter ism before people who?
Give a fundamentally higher level of authority To something that is written in red letters than to something that is written in black letters and This is a Fundamental denial of the nature of Scripture itself that all Scripture not just parts of Scripture are they honest us God breathe.
But here you have Jesus saying there's gonna be more it's going to come and the the mechanism by which that is going to come is is the spirit and When he the spirit of truth comes he will guide you into all the truth.
We will not speak on his own initiative. Whatever he hears you'll speak and he will disclose to you as to come now. Obviously the modern charismatic movement looks at this and they look at the he will guide you into all the truth.
They recognize at least the better of them recognize that there is a special fulfillment of this In the Apostles, but they don't want to limit it in that sense, especially when it comes to the concept of revelation.
Though again people like Piper and Grudem and others attempt to create a distinction between revelation that is scriptural and revelation that is personal and In many instances fallible. It was interesting to read the documentation of how many times in the modern charismatic movement the leaders will defend the idea that The revelation that's found by the Spirit in the church today is completely fallible and That you know to read Charismatic leaders saying well, you know during our revival here.
We're up to a 66 accuracy level in our prophecies and they're like it's never been that good before. And you're just sitting there going. Yeah, those those rags at the at the checkout counter are right around that area, too.
What are you talking about? But there's this creation of these categories. So as to allow for Errors, you know one of the chapters I listened to this week was on Benny Hinn and I thought I knew everything about Benny Hinn, but I don't think anybody knows everything there is know about Benny Hinn.
I Noticed that old Benny was sort of MIA for a while there. I hadn't caught up on on the news, but he and Paula White in Rome, so I've got caught coming out of a hotel together and so on so forth and Then they gave the excuse that they were both there representing their ministries and they were going to be making donations to the Pope.
It's right. Sure. Yeah, I want you to give your jet Benny anyway but Some of the stuff this guy has has prophesied about you know the homosexual. Prophesied that God would destroy the homosexual community United States before 1998.
I think it was what it was. I'm just sort of like well, that's not a you know, that's not only missing it. That's getting it backwards. It's one thing one thing to miss the prophecy is another thing to get the prophecy exactly backwards.
You know that type of thing and I think it was the fire too is is what he had said. But all this all this kind of amazing stuff, but they've got to leave room for that. Because well, they just don't have anybody who actually prophesized like the prophets did in in the past.
But even Wayne Grudem Tries to create these categories so as to allow for a different kind. And a lot of it would be based upon this. Except it says he here will guide you into all the truth. That that particular phrase to to lead to guide Isn't necessarily a Synonym for revelation.
And so We have noted that Much of this section and all the way into chapter 17 we have a primary fulfillment in the in the disciples of Jesus and then a Secondary fulfillment in all those who follow after them.
So One of the questions that has to be wrestled with is When it's talking about the you of verse 13 is there something specifically about the Apostles? Especially because Jesus says verse 12. I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now so there's a temporality involved here and if the temporality is Apostles before crucifixion Apostles after Pentecost that would make sense.
If you make that now Jesus ministry now and then throughout the rest of church history there's going to be ongoing revelation. I think you're Pretty much abandoning any foundation for solo scriptura or even the concept of the closed canon.
Because what what allows the canon to be closed? I've had to think a number of times this past week from a charismatic perspective, what is what is the the theological biblical basis for denying the possibility of the continuing of Scriptural revelation, how can the canon be closed there have been some who have gone so far as say that it's not obviously there is a I Didn't even know about this it shows you how Isolated I I can be and I'll be.
I'm a whole lot less isolated than some of you are. But the new and a NAR how many of you heard NAR? Okay, two two people have heard NAR new apostolic Reformation. You know sort of scares me that you're aware that he's a cop so I can't be too worried about but but you're not so.
That's what worries me. How do you have have you have you heard of NAR? You read a lot. You arrested some of them. You you work with one One of the real Apostles because it's only it's only in America.
It's only I think $69 a year. To be one of the one of the Apostles, yeah, no seriously, or it might be for 69. So it might be a little more expensive. I'm not sure but Peter Wagner Who I think with some trepidation I think I'll have to check this.
I didn't Google it. But I I think Peter Wagner has actually taught at Fuller Seminary. Yeah, I graduated. Listen Peter Wagner is the big guy in the new apostolic Reformation and some woman at a prayer conference prophesied over him that that he had the gift of apostleship and so they have this idea that there are there are Apostles and.
Yes, yeah, yeah, this is this is a little different because they have decided to redefine What the office of an Apostle is they're not trying to say it's exactly the same it's a new thing and It's all connected with him.
But oh, yeah, they're well the Mormons have had him for a long time too, but sure, especially within the Pentecostal charismatic movement there there have been those who've made these claims, but but now the whole gift of a gift of again, if you really are an Apostle in almost any way like the twelve were then.
If you give a prophecy, how is that not Scripture? How is that not the honest us? What's what is the real fundamental ground upon which you can say that remains? Special unchanging and different than this.
Is that a that a hamster? Maybe that's sort of like a charismatic prophecy there. Maybe Peter Wagner Wayne Grudem complicates it a lot yeah, but you're right it is this concept of Concept is given to them is always accurate and true, but the human person is the one who sort of can mess it up in the expression well, that really causes the real issues regarding how we got the Bible to because I.
Yeah, yeah. No. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's. It's interesting. It's interesting. Oh Sure. Yes, he's a bright man. Very very bright man. So is John Piper. So is Michael Brown for that matter? Being nice and bright is not the same thing as being consistent and We we got it some people that are not nice and bright Happen to be right and some people are nice and bright happen to be wrong.
That's just the way it is and we got to keep that in mind. Well, we've gone over time. Let's let's close the time of the word of her Heavenly Father we do. Thank you for your word We thank you that we possess it that we are able to study it that we still have this freedom May we rejoice in it while we have it.
May we count the cost should we lose it? We ask you to be with us now as we go into worship lift up our hearts in our minds. We might worship you are right. We pray in Christ's name.