This is part 8 of the preaching series on John’s Gospel chapters 13 to 17.
This week the sermon is from John 14:25-27.
The sermon is available as a Podcast, downloadable PDF notes and the text of it is pasted into this post.
The material is made available so that any may use it, preach it or adapt it.
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Sermon John 14:25-27
1 Jesus sends the Holy Spirit
“I have left you the car keys in case you need it.” Then you discover the engine is missing! How would you feel?
What Jesus offers to us today, and has offers down the centuries works! It is substance not just words. Today’s topics of “the Spirit”, “truth” and “peace” remind us that to live the Jesus way is a whole way of life. And it works!
The “Lord’s Prayer” in Luke 11 leads on to the prayer for the Holy Spirit. Luke 11:13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
2 Truth and the work of the Spirit
Lead into all truth? Teach you all things?
Different readings of this:
Tasker’s rather timid, “…the words spoken to them by Jesus on earth will not only be recalled, but become radiant with hitherto unsuspected meaning…”
Hendrickson’s bolder suggestion that we have here two applications, they would recall all he had previously taught them and the Spirit would teach them new things.
See Acts 11. Was this a new thing?
11:7 Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
11:12 The Spirit told me
Lead into all truth? Individual or the church?
How far does “new” go?
(a) A powerful experience, yet we must not make doctrine from experience only (the argument over “tradition” or Scripture).
In church history:
Some experienced what they interpreted as an event of sanctification, and they made a doctrine out of it.
Some experienced the wonder of speaking in tongues, and they made a doctrine out of it.
Some failed to experience what they expected or requested, and they made a doctrine out of it.
(b) We do not need to debate with cults and sect about their new and novel doctrines and revelations. Ask yourself these questions,
“Why did Jesus forget to teach this?”
“What is wrong or deficient with Almighty God that He could not have managed to communicate these novel teachings earlier in the 2,000 years of gospel proclamation?”
“If the Spirit is leading His church into all truth, would he not have got round to it before now?”
Or perhaps this is what is warned of in Galatians 1:
Galatians 1:6-9
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-
7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!
9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
3 Peace of the Spirit.
What is this peace?
“Peace” (Hebrew: shalom) (1 Samuel 25:6)
“Peace (Hebrew: shalom) to this house,” To be pronounced upon a dwelling (Luke 10:5)
“Peace to you” (Hebrew: shalomleka) The greeting of Jesus to the disciples after his resurrection ( John 20:21)
Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. NIV
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. AV
Luke 10:5
But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’
Eph 6:15. The gospel is the gospel of peace.
“..and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace..”
Philippians 4:4-7
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
“Peace, be still!”
Matthew and Luke record that “he rebuked the waves.” (Matthew 8:23-25)
Mark mentions the command (though not all translations render it the same).
Mark 4:39 “Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.” NKJV
