THE HOLY SPIRIT AS ADVOCATE John 15:26-16:11

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1 THE HOLY SPIRIT AS ADVOCATE John 15:26-16:11 READ TEXT: John 15:26-16:11 (995) Jesus is with his disciples in that upper room as they celebrate the Passover...he s still in the process of encouraging them in all that he has taught them. Reminding them of what they have seen, what they have experienced, and why they are to do about it. And more than anything, at this point, he s letting them know what is to come. That their future and what they are going to experience with the world is gonna be tough. He says in 15:18 (John) that the world is gonna hate them but they should know that they hated him first. Which they will come to remember later on, and realize later on. It s guilt by association. BUT they need to know that the Advocate comes. The Paraclete comes, whom He will send to them from the Father and HE WILL TESTIFY ABOUT CHRIST. Today, we think of an advocate as someone who comes to our aid. Someone who publicly supports us. Someone who knows not only you but knows your rights and aids you in your receiving a fair and equal trial or treatment even helping you get the access of services that meet your need. And more than anything an advocate is your helper. In the Old Testament the word advocate is not found but the concept of advocacy is. Abraham interceded with God on behalf of Sodom (Gen 18:23-33) Moses with God on behalf of the Israelites (Ex 32:11-14); Samuel with God on behalf of the children of Israel (1 Sam 7:8-9) and those are just a few. When we jump to the New Testament we see this word throughout the book of John because of no only what John was trying to convey but it s a term the ancient Greeks new and

2 used and it meant what we know and define it as today. Someone who comes alongside to help and needless to say, the disciples were going to need a helper an advocate for what was going to eventually come down the pike and hit them like a truck. In the midst of a hostile world where they were to be hated as much as Jesus was hated they needed a helper. RC Sproul states that their lives would be filled with pressure, hostility, and persecution from the world. And no one wants to enter that kind of scenario without help. So Jesus, as he is about to depart, promises to send them more help. And they would have understood that an advocate wasn t a doctor or nurse or someone who would help console them or heal their wounds when they got beaten and battered to them, it was understood more of as someone who would come alongside when there was trouble. That he would show up in the midst of the struggle and jump in. He would speak for them, act for them, encourage them, and build them up. Jesus is trying to get them to not only realize that all of THIS JUNK is happening out there but WITHIN that there will be a Helper. That there is an Advocate that they have. And not only any advocate but THE Advocate of God. For God who is God. And this Advocate not only helps you in what is going to happen TO YOU but he will help you and speak truth THROUGH YOU to others when you need him (which we can, and would argue is always). But we eventually see all of these things play out not only in the case of Stephen in Acts 7:59, but then again in James in Acts 12:2 and to other disciples as read in Acts 9:1-4. Two weeks ago, in Youth Group, we talked about sharing the gospel to others and the different ways that it can, and does happen. We talked about good ways and bad ways that it is done. Done in and with love done with hatred and fear promotion done with grace and kindness and honesty. But to an ever-increasing culture it is becoming harder and harder to

3 have conversations about Jesus and what he has done. About the Father and the sacrifices he s made. About the truth of the Gospel and how it speaks of THE TRUTH and how that will set you free but that it does, and must, look different than what the world says is freeing. This last week we then talked about relationships and intimacy and how there is a world that says we should toss aside celibacy and honor and respect and instead live for active sexual relationships because society says THAT is OK when we know God calls us OUT of that that we are called to NOT be pulled into it but we are to speak against those things and live outside of them. In a world that condemns you for speaking the truth and is harsh when you do things counter-culture what do you do? Where do you go? In a world where sin and darkness is rampant and you can easily fall into those pits where do you turn? The Holy Spirit the Advocate. The One who speaks the truth. The One who is called alongside to help in all situations at all times. The third Person of the Trinity who is by your side and never leaves. The one who is a personal being and dwells within every believer and speaks to them. THAT is our Advocate this is the Spirit of truth. But what does the Spirit of truth have to do with anything? It s actually imperative for us to understand because this is 100% of what the Holy Spirit does. He SPEAKS the truth. And Jesus words to his disciples, and to us, is that there are the ways of the world (which are lies) and there are the ways of God (which is truth). And there is no way to understand truth if you don t know what it is nor are given any way to speak into it or do anything about it! So we need to know truth. We need to understand it feel it, experience it, and live into it. What is truth?

4 Isn t that the question Pontius Pilate made in passing to Jesus (John 18:38)? Well I think the best way to begin is to understand that truth is the ONLY thing that comes from the Spirit. He speaks pure truth and he does so into our lives. Jimmy Reed was an American blues musician and songwriter during the late 40 s and through the 1970 s and Jimmy had a massive impact on rock and roll. Elvis Presley, Eric Clapton, Hank Williams Jr, Stevie Ray Vaughan.the Rolling Stones they all speak of his abilities and how Jimmy s music did something to and for them. His style of play, the way he conveyed the music and the words he used. His lyrics were powerful. And there is a story behind his music and they say that if you crank up his records and you listen closely you can hear a woman s voice in the background it s his wife, Mary. In his music you can hear a soft, subtle voice that comes through just before Jimmy s voice saying the exact same words. So you hear Mary whisper, Well baby you got me runn n and then you immediately hear Jimmy sing WELL BABY..YOU GOT ME RUNNIN Yeah baby you got me runn n around. YEAH BABY! YOU GOT ME RUNN N AROUND! Now this sermon today is not about how behind every good husband is a strong wife and that wise husbands should simply repeat everything their wife tells them to (although there might be a sermon in there somewhere) but I bring this up because THAT is what we have with the Holy Spirit our Advocate, the Spirit of truth. Someone who gently whispers the truth so that we can know it and repeat it. Someone who purely speaks 100% truth. The One who gives us wisdom so that we can produce wisdom. Someone who is devoted to the truth and proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ and the love of the Father and who will impart that information into us and then help us share that in an ever-increasingly hostile world.

5 I like how one person writes that Jesus tells his followers that the role of the Holy Spirit is, in effect, to whisper the lyrics of the gospel song in the ears of the faithful. When Jesus was present with the disciples, he was the one who instilled in them the right words, coached them through the proper verses, and taught them the joyful chorus of commandments. But when Jesus was approaching his death, when he knew that his brothers would be on their own, that task, that song, those inspirational lyrics, were handed over to the Holy Spirit. And what a beautiful song He sings a song of truths 3 to be exact 3 truths : We must declare what is wrong declare what is right and declare who won. We must declare the truth of sin, declare the truth of righteousness, and declare the truth of Jesus Christ all of them together (we cannot separate them). The world must know that there is evil and sin in the world and that we shouldn t be gluttonous, we shouldn t seek out our own needs above the needs of others, we should love all people, we should accept refugees, we shouldn t put up boarders and walls, we should give without ceasing and never ask for something in return, we should love without ending, forgive when wronged these are the right things that for some reason the world says is wrong! And we declare those are the right and truthful BECAUSE OF JESUS CHRIST and that He is the righteous One. Christ WON the battle over sin and death even though both are still rampant today. So our job, is to speak the truth into a world that is not wanting to hear it or live in it or want anything to do with it. We are to use our voices to speak truth.but we can t not on our own we can t. That s why we need the Advocate The one who speaks into us and for us truth. The one who reminds us of the truth by singing it into our lives. Reminding us what Jesus taught so that we can depend on his Word in those difficult times and proclaim them to all who have ears to hear, eyes to see, hearts to speak into, and lives to touch.

6 Oh but it doesn t stop there either. In John 16:8 we read that when the Holy Spirit comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin. This is the courtroom setting that we all will stand guilty at and in. Sin has plagued our lives and we cannot get around it. And because of that we all will stand before God in HIS courtroom being held to HIS standards, being asked how WE lived up to them. How we abided by them. How we spoke truth. And this will go for all people and we all will be found guilty guilty because even while we have the Holy Spirit whispering into our lives you and I know that we don t always listen. We, have on occasion, treated the Holy Spirit more like an annoying fly that was buzzing around our head when we SHOULD have been focusing on him and listening to him. Fully understanding that this world is broken and in need of a Savior, God sent his Son to die for you and me to take away our sins. Now that was done and carried out upon the cross.but the finality of that happening here and now has still yet to fully play out. Sin has been defeated but it still is present. So the Holy Spirit has come to lead and teach us and fill us up with grace and goodness and help us to live out our faith each and every day. That is how he is our Advocate he gives us what we need each day to overcome sin and speak truth but it doesn t stop there because as our Advocate he will stand with us in the courtroom of God as we wait out judgement. But again it still doesn t stop there because the ULTIMATE kicker, since the Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity and is fully God that SAME Advocate who stands with you to defend you before God and proclaim your love for the Son and the Father.is also across the aisle from you as your prosecuting attorney. So your advocate, the advocate for the defense is the same advocate who is ready to condemn those who do not speak truth. Who go against God and care nothing of his Son. The Holy Spirit is playing both roles. Now to some, that may seem scary and harsh but to those who have faith this is simply a reminder of how much God loves you.that he was willing to stack the

7 deck for you. While requiring you to stand before the harshest and strictest prosecuting attorney ever he also has given you the best defensive attorney there ever was or will be it just so happens that it s the same person. We have been given an Advocate who knows you, loves you, and is not only present but active in our lives but the question at hand though is are you listening to Him.are you listening to the truth? And if you are are you repeating that truth to people out there? Are you responding to that truth out there? Are you living that truth out out there? Let s pray.