What are the subjects we have addressed so far in this study? These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.

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1 Message 8 The Role of the Holy Spirit (Part 2) Selected Passages from the Upper Room Discourse (John 13-16) INTRODUCTION: We return to our study of Final Briefing as we focus on Jesus delivering an urgent message to his disciples prior to his arrest, trial, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. To help us relate to this passage and apply it to how we are to live out our mission today, let us visualize we are in a room and Jesus is speaking directly to us as he prepares us for the mission we are on right now. What are the subjects we have addressed so far in this study? 1. Serve One Another 2. Be Obedient 3. Love One Another 4. Don t Be Troubled 5. Pray! 6. The Role of the Holy Spirit John 14: These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 15: But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. 1

2 John 16: But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, Where are you going? 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, 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. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. Today, we will look at the second half of our study on the Holy Spirit. We are approaching the subject by asking three questions: (1) WHAT IS HE CALLED? (Covered on May 6) and today we will ask the other two questions: (2) WHAT DOES HE DO? (3) HOW IMPORTANT IS HE TO THE MISSION? I. WHAT DOES HE DO? NOTE: It is important that the disciples know what the Holy Spirit is going to do in relation to their mission (ministry). What does He bring to the table? In our first message 2

3 (Part 1), we examined the names Jesus uses to describe Him in the Upper Room Discourse (Final Briefing). They tell us something of His role. But, Jesus also describes specific actions the Holy Spirit takes in the life of believers and unbelievers. REMINDER: Jesus talks about the Spirit dwelling in us (indwelling taking up residence in us)(john 14: 17). As in the first message, we see that He is the Helper/Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Holy Spirit this is what He is producing in us. A. His Work in Us: Boiling these down to (1) Teaching and (2) Guiding for the purpose of (3) Glorifying Christ. The main emphasis here is upon the Holy Spirit as Teacher and Guide. 1. Teacher a. Teach you (14: 26) Greek is didasko to instruct, to deliver didactic discourses. b. By bringing to remembrance (14: 26) To help us remember what we already know what we have previously been taught. he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14: 26) c. Bear witness about Jesus (15: 26) NOTE: This section of John needs to be interpreted in light of the subject Jesus is addressing. He is dealing with coming hostility and persecution and the Holy Spirit is going to be with them and enable them to bear witness for Christ in difficult circumstances. he will bear witness about me. (John 15: 26) so that we can bear witness (next verse) 3

4 2. Guide (16: 13) - When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, ILLUSTRATION: On October 30, 1993, I was part of a crew of persons recruited to do a test run down the upper Ocoee River in Tennessee. This was part of the preparation for building the whitewater park for the 1996 Olympics. Prior to this, this section of the Ocoee was not runnable due to no water. On this day, they had opened the valves to let water into this section. We paddled out into the river and asked our guide (Ty) what it would be like, he said: I don t know, I ve never run this section before. We didn t worry in these uncharted waters, we had a good guide to take us through. We do not need to fear as we plod through our uncharted course in this world because we have our Guide (the Holy Spirit) to lead us! 3. Outcome (result) We will bear witness about him 1. Jesus is glorified (16: 14) - He will glorify me NOTE: If you glorify another, you turn all of the attention toward them you focus on honoring them. 2. We bear witness (15: 27) - And you also will bear witness (John 15: 27) ILLUSTRATION: What does it mean to bear witness? A person who observed (saw, heard, or in this day, video taped!) something as it took place stands and gives a statement of fact. A person who is a witness speaks truth into the situation. he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14: 26) B. His work in unbelievers (the world) 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 4

5 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. (John 16: 8-12) 1. His work? To convict 2. How He convicts: Convicts is the idea of a courtroom where a conviction of guilt is achieved. a. Sin - they do not believe in me b. Righteousness - I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; - Christ s personal righteousness is no longer visible in the world. His life is convicting, but he is not here for people to observe, therefore, the Holy Spirit takes the role of pointing to His righteousness. c. Judgment - ruler of this world is judged. SUMMARY: SEEING THE BIG PICTURE THE PURPOSE OF HIS COMING (The Outline Bible) a. To convict sinners (16:8 10) b. To condemn Satan (16:11) c. To counsel saints (16:12 13) d. To champion the Savior (16:14 15) 1 NOTE: Using three people, illustrate how life in the mission is reflected in these passages. One person is a Christian, one is an unbeliever (in the world), and one is the Holy Spirit. Illustrate how the Holy Spirit does a twofold work in the believer: (1) He teaches/guides us in our relationship with other believers (2) He leads us in our attempts to speak truth (witness, share Christ) into the life of the unbeliever: (3) He gives guidance and 1 Willmington, H. L. (1999). The Outline Bible (Jn 16:8 15). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers. 5

6 power to the Christian as he witnesses (4) He convicts the unbeliever of his/her sin. The Spirit teaches/guides the believer to bear witness The Spirit also convicts the unbeliever (our goal is to win, baptize, build, send) So that we may accomplish the mission. NOTE: IT WAS IMPERATIVE THAT THE DISCIPLES UNDERSTAND THIS AND WE MUST DO THE SAME WITHOUT IT, THE MISSION IS NOT ACCOMPLISHED! THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS NOT GIVEN SIMPLY FOR OUR PERSONAL BENEFIT OR ENJOYMENT, HE WAS GIVEN TO ENABLE US TO LIVE THE MISSION! he will bear witness about me. (John 15: 26) so that we can bear witness (next passage) And you also will bear witness (John 15: 27) When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, (John 16: 13) He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (John 16: 14) II. HOW IMPORTANT IS HE TO THE MISSION? A. Without Him, the church is lifeless and powerless. and the mission is not accomplished. B. It was the Holy Spirit Who transformed the original disciples from a band of average men into World changers! FOR SUGGESTIONS ON ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDY, PLEASE SEE THE NOTES FROM MESSAGE 8 (The Role of the Holy Spirit Part 1). 6