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.
To download PDF of notes - DOWNLOAD
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
Our very own pastor was raised a Mormon and can verify that the information in this animation is an accurate portrayal of Mormon beliefs, although some of it is kept secret from their members until they reach a certain level of Mormonism.
This week George Critchley was our guests preacher. His sermon was on the meaning of Communion (or Breaking of Bread, or whatever various traditions choose to call it).
George explores what a difference a good understanding of this truth should mean to our daily lives.
Our usual preacher wasn’t with us this Sunday but John Barton gave an excellent sermon on the importance of JOY.
For the past year or so, on the first Sunday of every month we’ve been having free Church Lunches and a Wesley Owen book stall. This has proved to be a popular combination. For the first four church lunches of the new academic calender we decided to have themes that reflected the different ethnic groups represented in our church. Last Sunday we kicked things off with and an African church lunch. We had folk from: Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. The African cuisine went down a treat and all in all it was a lovely afternoon! Look out for our next Church Lunch on Sunday 4th November, it’ll be Indian!
Is there more to life than this?
Ask big questions in a relaxed environment. Enjoy a coffee and a bite to eat while you’re at it, all this for free!
Where?: FUSE Cafe, Swinegate, York. Next to the Biltmore Bar & Grill.
When?: Every Tuesday from 16th October, 5.30-7.30pm.
For more info telephone (01904) 767283 or 07737 729821 and ask for Graham or Penny, or email: mail@york-epc.org.uk.
This Sunday we had an African theme. Much time was spent hearing about the needs in that continent and then spending time praying for a number of the countries there.
I preached briefly at the end of the meeting, before our church lunch, on a theme in John 14 (in verses 15, 21, 23) if we love him we will keep his commandments.
James Norman has been featured in the York Press for his mature handling of the situation when he and his friends discovered a woman lying unconscious in the woods on their way home from school.
Well done James.
See the article for further details.
