Sermon notes - John 14:15-31 - Littleby Baptist Church - September 3, 2023

 1.     As the night continues, Jesus is pouring into His disciples.

a.      Believe in God, believe in Him, and don’t let this stuff trouble you.

b.     He is going to prepare a place for them.

c.      He mentioned that He will come back for them.

d.     Eventually they will be reunited with Jesus.

e.      He went on stating that He is the way, the truth, and the life!

f.      That the path to eternity with the Father is through Him.

g.     These are promises to them and promises to us.

h.     Promises that if we believe in Jesus and accept the gift He is offering us…

i.       We will spend forever with Him.

2.     John 14:15

a.      If we love Jesus, we are to keep His commands.

b.     In John 13:15 He tells us to do as He has done.

c.      In John 12:26 if we are to serve Him, we are to follow Him.

d.     If we love Jesus, we will keep His commands.

e.      Our Lord demonstrated this to us by His following the Father’s will.

f.      We are to follow what our Savior has given us.

g.     Listen to His teachings and carry out the mission He has given us.

h.     To love others as He loves them.

i.       To be His messengers to those in our lives and to the ends of the earth.

j.       We are to make disciples, by walking besides each other in life.   

k.     He is faithful to fulfill His promises and asks us to faithfully follow Him.

l.       Thankfully He gives us grace for when we fall short.

3.     John 14:16-17

a.      The Spirit of Truth.

b.     The Holy Spirit will be with all believers.

c.      The concept is not foreign to the disciples.

d.     They understood that in the OT times, the Spirit would fall on individuals, and they would prophesy or carry out God’s will.

e.      The difference being that once the day of Pentecost happens the Holy Spirit will be with all who believe.

f.      Romans 8:9

g.     He will live in us.

h.     As a child of God, as a follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit is in you.

i.       He is our counselor in that He guides us and comforts us.

j.       He will teach us as we read the Word or hear it taught.

k.     He guides our steps when we listen to Him.

l.       He convicts us of the sin in our lives.

m.    He works in us, because He is in us.

n.     Those that don’t know Jesus as Lord, are not filled with the Holy Spirit.

o.     They don’t know Him or see Him.

4.     All believers are filled with the Holy Spirit.

a.      Some will tell you that means you must speak in tongues, a prayer language.

b.     While I believe that all of us are filled with the Holy Spirit, I do not believe we all receive the same gifts.

c.      Paul discusses this in 1 Corinthians 12.

d.     He reminds us that we are all different and have different parts to play in serving our Lord.

e.      Using his example, some are heads, eyes, hands, and feet.

f.      We are all part of a body that is to work together to bring honor to God.

g.     Paul goes on to question if all are apostles, prophets, teachers, miracle workers, healers, and so forth.

h.     We are not all the same.

i.       The Holy Spirits gifts each of us in different ways.

j.       No one person has all the gifts, and no gift is given to all people.

k.     Together, united in our love for God and each other, we carry out His will with all of our giftings working together.

5.     John 14:18-19

a.      In these verses Jesus is reaffirming that His death will happen.

b.     BUT.

c.      That is not the end.

d.     When Jesus leaves, it will only be for a time.

e.      He is coming back.

f.      In this instance Jesus is referring to His return as the triumphant King.

g.     His death is not the end.

h.     The disciples will see Him in a few days, as the Resurrected Lord.

6.     John 14:20

a.      When Christ returns as the Risen Lord, their will be no doubt.

b.     They will know that Jesus is one with the Father.

c.      They will know that Jesus is alive.

d.     Then when the Holy Spirit fills them, all the truths, all the teachings they did not understand, became known to them.

e.      The Holy Spirit works in us the same way.

f.      He is the one who helps us understand the Word of God.

g.     He is the one who opens up the truths in a way that helps us change our lives.

h.     He is the one who gives us the words to speak into the lives of others.

i.       John 20:19-23

j.       Jesus had appeared to Mary and now appears to most of the disciples.

k.     He breathed on them, and the Holy Spirit filled them.

l.       With the filling of the Holy Spirit, they knew Jesus better then they had.

m.   They understood His teachings.

n.     The dots were connected.

o.     When the Holy Spirit filled them, they knew that Jesus and the Father are connected.

7.     John 14:21

a.      Christian love and faithfulness are seen by us keeping and doing the Lord’s commands.

b.     This does not mean we are saved by our actions in any way.

c.      It is all about how our faith is lived.

d.     If we truly love Jesus we are going to want to absorb His Word as much as we can.

e.      We are going to want to carry out His calling to all believers about meeting needs, being a witness, and making disciples.

f.      Our love for Christ should result in us living our faith.

8.     John 14:22

a.      Thaddaeus, questions this as he does not understand how they who live in the world will see Jesus, but others will not.

b.     The pieces will fit together in a couple of days for them once the Holy Spirit comes.

9.     John 14:23-24

a.      Follow Jesus.

b.     Hold His words close.

c.      Follow His teachings.

d.     Then the Father and the Son will be with them forever.

e.      Don’t do these things and loose an amazing gift.

f.      To be clear, we are not loved by God because of doing something.

g.     Salvation is not earned by how many Christian things we can check off of our to do list.

h.     Salvation comes through faith.

i.       What Jesus is saying is that faith is seen by us embracing the words that ultimately came from the Father.

j.       We can read the words, say we are Christians, but if the Word does not settle in our heart and change who we are… we are no more than a clanging symbol.

k.     If the Word of God dwells in us, our faith is true and God is truly with us.

10.  John 14:25-26

a.      Jesus has spoken the words.

b.     But until the Holy Spirit comes to them, they will not truly understand.

c.      The Holy Spirit will help them to see the truth of Jesus’ teaching.

d.     Will teach them things they did not understand.

e.      A truth spoken to the guys there that night and something that is true to us still today.

f.      The way these Words impact us greatly depends on if the Holy Spirit is in us.

g.     Without Him, it is a good book to read.

h.     With the Holy Spirit it is a life changing.

i.       Helps us to see what it means to follow Jesus.

11.  John 14:27

a.      Faith in Jesus, brings forgiveness of sins, which will bring the peace of God in our lives.

b.     Not the peace you have sitting on your deck or patio relaxing.

c.      A peace given by Christ that is with us even when we are battling on the front lines.

12.  John 14:28

a.      The disciples did not understand that Jesus in human form was inferior to who He really is.

b.     If they understood this they would be celebrating His return to the Father.

c.      His return to His rightful place.  

13.  John 14:29

a.      They did not understand now, but when events unfold it will bring great comfort as they see the pieces fall tougher.

b.     Their faith will grow as they see how Jesus fulfilled many prophesies.

14.  John 14:30-31

a.      Time is almost up.

b.     Jesus was ready to be obedient even unto death, according to the Father’s will.

c.      Get up, let’s leave this place… time to head to the garden where Jesus was arrested.

15.  As we sit here this morning… God is at work in us.

a.      His Holy Spirit will take the Word we have studied and work on us.

b.     He will help us see the truth found in it.

c.      He will show us what we need to learn.

d.     What in our life needs to change.

16.  We need to let the Word of God fill us.

a.      Let it speak to our hearts.

b.     Let it guide our thoughts, choices, and actions.

c.      Keep the Word of God and let the Holy Spirit work in you.