God's Last Words

TUNING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT!

John 14: 15-21 NRSV

The Apostle Paul warned believers that they need to frequently assess themselves and to be ready to give an accounting of themselves. As a Pastor I do this searching and testing often. It is in this spirit that I present this message.

The Baptist preacher just finished his sermon for the day and proceeded toward the back of the church for his usual greetings and handshaking as the congregation left the church. After shaking a few adult hands he came upon the seven year old son of one of the Deacons of the church.
      
"Good morning, Jonathan," the preacher said as he reached out to shake Jonathan's hand. As he was doing so he felt something in the palm of Jonathan's hand. "What's this?" the preacher asked.

"Money," said Jonathan with a big smile on his face, "It's for you!" "I don't want to take your money, Jonathan," the preacher answered. "I want you to have it," said Jonathan. After a short pause Jonathan continued, "My daddy says you're the poorest preacher we ever had and I want to help you."

A pastor was crossing a road one day when a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess." He bent over, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket.
      
The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I will stay with you for one week" The pastor took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to the pocket.
      
The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I'll stay with you and give you anything you want." Again the pastor took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket.
      

Finally, the frog asked, "What is the matter? I've told you I'm a beautiful princess,that I'll stay with you for a week and give you anything you want. Why won't you kiss me?" The pastor said, "Look I'm a pastor, I already have a wife, but a talking frog, now that's pretty unique!"

You know I rarely complain about what it’s like to be a pastor but you are expected to be always on the job, and you are always the source of jokes and not-so hidden challenges from those members of the congregation who know you really can’t fight back, and think they are too polite to really share their feelings.

Even your family (especially your family), don’t cut any slack. Here’s how it usually goes:

I asked my family, “What’s gray, has a bushy tail, and gathers nuts in the fall?” Chylle hesitated, looked at her mother, and said, “I know the answer should be Jesus, but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me.”

Other times are even tougher. If I make a comment regarding another person’s intelligence Chylle will say something like, “If I repeat that and someone asks me where I heard it – you’re going down!”

That’s just the way it is. But don’t feel sorry for me. I know God has my back!

I guess my point is to remind you that each of us here on earth are not perfect and never will be, even the holiest person we know, someone like Billy Graham or James Dobson, both have some human manifestation of sin or, as the Apostle Paul put it, “a thorn in the flesh.”

Jesus knew we wouldn’t be perfect, and would have a hard time after He left. So He has given us a “helper,” an Advocate, a counselor, called the Spirit of Truth. This Spirit of Truth is intended to become an intimate part of a believer. We are to immerse ourselves in the Spirit of Truth, from the Greek word, “paracletôs.”

But most of the time we’re like the older gentleman who stood up in a prayer meeting at a church one day and prayed: “Use me O Lord, use me – in some advisory capacity.”

Sadly, most of us learn to turn down the volume of the Holy Spirit! Some people even know how to turn to other channels. Do this often enough and you’ll mute His voice.Let’s hear why Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit (John 14: 15-21):

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

"I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I inyou.

They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them."

The German Reformed Church believed that God wasn’t overly personal and that some of the gifts of the spirit had ceased after the Disciples died. They felt that the Holy Spirit was a very real presence that should be seen and heard in the Christian Heart through actions, not words. But the problem was – how to learn to “tune” in.

The concept of the Holy Spirit can be hard to get. The very basic function of the Holy Spirit is told to us by the Apostle Paul in Romans 8: 16-17:

The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, then also heirs – heirs of God and co – heirs with Christ – seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

It becomes a matter of learning to trust, recognize, and live closely in the Spirit. But it takes a lot of work – sometimes more work than we think we can do.

The Karre language of equatorial Africa was difficult for the translators of the New Testament, especially when it came to the Greek word translated as “Paraclete.”

One day the translators saw a group of porters going off into the bush carrying bundles on their heads. They noticed one didn’t carry anything. They assumed he was the boss, who was present to make sure the others did their work.

However, they soon discovered he was not the boss. Rather, he was present so that, should anyone fall over with exhaustion, this man would pick up the man’s load and carry it for him. This porter was known in the Karre language as “the one who falls down beside us.”The translators had their word for Paraclete, and we have a better understanding of the Holy Spirit.

As believers, we must be careful about our spiritual connections, making sure we are fully abiding in Christ, and trusting in the Holy Spirit. Jesus warned us that it would be difficult for us to discern and understand earthly and heavenly things.

The Holy Spirit serves as our advocate, friend, translator, guide, and comforter when life gets tarasso’d.. He is the “one who falls down beside us.” The life we live, the examples we give, and the coping we do to live a faithful life, tells the story of how we are getting to know Him. Listen to the words of Jesus:

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. Amen.

Amen.