Sermon nuggets Weds Sept 17
Theme- Our Special Counselor
Verses- John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--
John 14:21-24 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"
23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
John 14:26&28 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
28 "You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
John 14:31…but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. "Come now; let us leave.
The Part the Father’s Plays
As I pick the verses that specifically mention God the Father I am seeking to point out the work of the Trinity in our blessing, salvation and relationship with God. It is so hard to fully understand the intermingling of the workings of the Trinity. Frankly I do not think it is an accident that Scripture sometimes moves mid-sentence in describing and overlapping responsibility, because He is three in one. Yet each person of the Trinity is revealed to us as distinct. I like to think of myself as a trinity having a body, soul, and spirit-yet one.
In the passage we see the central plan and purpose comes from God, the Father. Jesus prays to the Father that the Father would send the Holy Spirit, the special comforter, or counselor to us. The Spirit is also under the authority of the Father. In the hierarchy of the Trinity we see the Father is supreme. Both the Spirit and the Son desire to please the Father and move in his wisdom. vs.20 Jesus acknowledges that he is in the Father. vs.21 If we love Jesus we will be loved by the Father.
Part of understanding the relationship between God the Father and the Son is to recognize the importance of unity, cooperation, love, and like mindedness. There is never any thought of jealousy, or competition. There is never any thought of competition between my right leg and my left leg. They like each other. However, my brain tells them both what to do. They are not in competition to the brain either, they love the brain. They are glad to carry out what the brain wants to the best of their ability. The brain does not tell them to play the piano. But to run, stand, sit, walk. The legs do very nicely. Of course the analogy breaks down since each leg does not have it’s own independent personality.
If you reject the Son, you reject the Father. If you love the Son, you love the Father, If you receive the Son you receive the Father. When someone loves Jesus, the Love of the Father is in him. Isn't that great? Not only that but (v.23-4), The Father and the Son come to us and make their home within us. That is why we are called tabernacles of God. Our bodies become the temple of God.
v. 24 tells us that Jesus is only passing on the information that the Father has given to him. We are hearing only that which the Father wants us toknow. Jesus tells us that the Father is greater than he is.
I have never understood this, but apparently I've read it enough to know there are people who picture the Father as stern and unloving and full of wrath and Jesus came to earth in the New Testament and is the God of love and forgiveness. Friends, God is always the God of love. His character does not change, He is also the God of vengeance for unrighteousness and His character never changes. It was the very plan of the Father that brought us through Jesus is revealed. It is tremendous. All that we understand comes from God. The words of Jesus are the words of His Father.
O how great the Father’s love for us.
Pastor Dale
