Intro

• Where my faith is this year
  • Last year was the year of miracles
  • This year our focus is going to be salvation (Believe with me for the salvation of our entire spheres of influence! 
• Starting the year off
  • Reading the Word WITH PEOPLE! 
  • Nights of prayer
  • Sermon series Fresh Wind culminating with Holy Spirit Night

Tension

• Christ is using a lot of scary language in the end part of John. He says I will die, someone will betray me, I’m going to prepare a place. 
• There is fear in the hearts of the disciples because they are so uncertain of what is to come. 
• Jesus had only been with them for 3 years, but instead of being afraid, He has full confidence they will be ok. There is one thing that gave Him that confidence. 

Passage

John 14:15–18 (NLT) — 15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.

John 14:25–26 (NLT) — 25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

John 15:26–27 (NLT) — 26 “But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. 27 And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.

John 16:7–8 (NLT) — 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.

Body

1. He Sent Another Just Like Jesus
   1. A huge word that starts it all is - ANOTHER “Allos”
      1. Same kind
   2. We must see the Holy Spirit as THE CONTINUATION OF JESUS
      1. Just as the bread was multiplied to feed every person, Jesus the bread of life was multiplied and given to each person. 
   3. Chirst’s goal was not to ghost his disciples, rather it was to fill them with the Holy Ghost. 
   4. The New Testament is the the story of the Spirit of Christ filling every believer
   5. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.
      1. Another so we will not be orphans - NOT ALONE
      2. The danger of being an orphan, tangibly and intangibly.
   6. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 
      1. Another that will be internal, not external - INTERNAL
      2. The indwelling God
   7. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative 
      1. Another that will carry the the authority, agenda, and presence of Jesus - NOT SEPARATE 
      2. “In my name”
      3. The full extension of Christ
   8. But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. 
      1. Another that will even be a superior setup - EVEN BETTER
      2. How could it be a “better setup”?
      3. The Christ on the outside came to live on the inside. 
2. He Sent Someone to Stand With You
   1. Greek word Parakletos - Para “With” Kletos “Called” - Literally called to stand with
      1. Consider having help come on stage
      2. Advocate (legal) 
         1. Standing in the courtroom to defend
         2. Not an unbiased mediator, but a very biased companion, on your side
      3. Encourager (military)
         1. A commander who would come alongside the troops to encourage them in the battle
      4. Companion (relational)
         1. Called upon in moments of grief, overwhelming circumstances
      5. Counselor (learning)
         1. Seen like a mentor, to come alongside and coach. 
   2. And He uses it at the moment when:
      1. fear is highest
      2. loss is imminent
      3. responsibility is about to increase
   3. I’m convinced we don’t rely on the Holy Spirit like we should. It’s not a question of if He is here, because He most assuredly is. 
3. He Sent Someone Who Reveals and Teaches
   1. Jesus paints a picture of the Holy Spirit as being the one that is an instructor, a teacher.. Just like Jesus is the teacher, the Holy Spirit is one in the same. Remember if everyone called Jesus teacher, then the Holy Spirit is His continuation! 
   2. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth
      1. Truth is not a download, it’s a journey! 
      2. Think of a guide that is leading you into the discovery of truth
   3. he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you
      1. He is a teacher
      2. Many times it’s recall before revelation
   4. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.
      1. He will testify about me
      2. The Holy Spirit will always put Christ at the center of instruction to us. 
   5. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
      1. While He is guiding us, teaching us, testifying about Christ, HE WILL ALSO BE CONVICTING THE WORLD! 
      2. He will convict of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement to come - He will reveal the sin of the world which is unbelief in Christ. He will reveal righteousness in Christ, that Christ has already done it all. He will reveal judgement to come, evil has a doomsday. 

Closing

• The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him.
• Here is the crux of the issue, people don’t receive him because they aren’t looking for him, and they don’t recognize him. 
• The Holy Spirit is present and personal, not distant or reserved for a few.
• If Jesus continued Himself through the Spirit, we were never meant to carry life alone.
• The Spirit reveals and teaches so we don’t have to figure everything out ourselves.
• He convicts and testifies because changing hearts and outcomes was never our burden.
• Fresh wind doesn’t come from trying harder, but from leaning deeper.
• Today is not about learning more, but about choosing to lean on the Holy Spirit who is already here.