7. Jesus said, when the counselor comes home, I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of True, to go out from the Father. He will testify about me. And you also will testify for you have been with me from the beginning.
Let's pray. Father, we are humbled by the reality that as we think in terms of the sacredness of each and every word in Scripture, we pray that that sacredness would touch our minds and hearts. We pray that these truths would begin to accomplish their purpose and your will in our lives. We pray, O God, as we attempt to grab these words that Jesus spoke and the voice that He speaks through.
We pray, Lord, that You would be honored and that indeed we would be transformed. We commit ourselves to Your truth and we commit ourselves to Your Spirit who brings truth into our lives. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
We believe in one God and three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And the Apostle John clearly presents this truth and the word in the beginning of Gospel of John became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We understand that Jesus clearly is the expression, as Ken pointed out in Hebrews, He is the radiance of God's glory. When we see the person of Christ, we clearly understand that is what God looks like if you give Him a human body.
And that's difficult for us to grasp, it's difficult for us to try to communicate, it's difficult for our minds to get around that this person in flesh is truly God walking upon the earth. And yet the beauty of this scripture clearly is that this word has become flesh, He's made His dwelling among us, the Apostle John also reveals that this is the same word who was in the beginning and this word was with God and the word was God, He was with God in the beginning. The important thing that we attempted to look at last week is Jesus comes to represent the Father. Everything Jesus did, everything Jesus said, everything that Jesus taught was about the Father.
It was to bring glory and honor to the Father. And that is why many times we get to store to teachings because we get the idea, well if He's God, why doesn't He just tell us. We're going to look at some scriptures that help validate that, but it's important to know that though there is one God, entry persons, Jesus has submitted Himself to a will higher than His own. His whole purpose and intent was to glorify His heavenly Father.
And last week we talked about, therefore, you and I need to understand the beauty of making Jesus look good and the heavenly Father. Our lives are all about, not our will, it's about the will of the Father. And so our faith as followers of Jesus Christ is we have that submission to the will that's not mine, but the Father. And so the Trinity teaches that and reaffirms that Jesus is God in person.
He is not another God. He is the same one, even in Romans chapter 10 verse 12 simply quote that, for there is no difference between you and Gentile, the same Lord is Lord of all. And He richly blesses all who call upon Him. It's important that we understand that Jesus is not an afterthought.
He's not a second plan. He is the same Lord who has been and is and always will to be. We need to recognize the Lordship of Jesus Christ. What's interesting is we can do a little comparison here because it verifies that what Jesus taught and the way He was presented is He is constantly trying to live and demonstrate this submissive plan so that many people who would not give Him His worth would miss His identity.
It's so important that Jesus begins to see or become the focus of our faith. Look in Luke chapter 3 verses 4 through 6. Luke chapter 3 verses 4 through 6. I want you to open those scriptures and then hold them because we're going to look into the prophet Isaiah and just see a very profound revelation.
A truth that you and I must understand on how people struggle with the identity of Jesus being God, it's because of these kinds of concepts that are presented. God has kept something secret until you and I humbly get our heart in the right place and the light comes on. His purpose is that you and I might know what the scriptures clearly teach about Jesus Christ. If you look at Luke chapter 3 verses 4 through 6 and then open your Bible as well, you got to have two hands or at least two fingers and look at Isaiah chapter 40 and we'll look at verses 3 through 5.
Isaiah chapter 43 through 5. I realize that this might seemingly be a long, tedious task but it's important to know that the way Jesus communicated truth is the expected us to look into the scriptures in the Old Testament to verify, to validate, to affirm and so you and I are a people that are associated with this will of God that has been written throughout the scriptures even in the Old Testament. In Luke or I'm sorry Isaiah chapter 40 verses 3 through 5, it says a voice of one calling in the desert, prepare the way for the Lord. Now if you have a Bible, I'm going to ask you to look at the name Lord.
Is it capital L, capital O, capital R and capital D? That does not mean he's master, it does not mean he's a man of authority, it doesn't mean like when you go to England that there are leaders who are called lords, this is the real Lord, the one Almighty, the one who has no name above him. Now turn back to Luke chapter 3. What does it say?
A voice of one calling in the desert, prepare the way for capital L, little O, little R, little D. Jesus came to submit himself to a plan greater than himself and the Gospels are presented in a way that he looks like a little Lord, but the scriptures in the Old Testament say he's the big Lord. You with me? You got to understand Jesus is not coming to show off, he's coming to lay down his life, he's presented to humanity as a little Lord, but in reality he's the big one.
And so when he returns someday he's not coming as the little Lord, he's coming as the big Lord. Has he changed his identity? No, but what he's changed is his purpose. We believe in one God who is big Lord and he's in the person of Jesus Christ.
It's important we understand that the scriptures are so important for us to put the pieces together so that we might affirm that that guy who runs around pretending or appearing, he's a little Lord, he's really the big one and he's in human form. It doesn't stop there as we look at Isaiah chapter 40 verses 3 through 5, make straight in the wilderness a highway or what does it say? God, let's go back to Luke and see what it says. Make straight paths for him.
Once again we see the empty in the humiliation of the person of Christ. So when people saw the Jesus, he is appeared as if he is empty of his glory and yet the scriptures teach that he truly is the Lord, he is our God, will keep on reading verse 4. Every valley shall be filled, raised up in every mountain and hill will be made low, the rough ground shall become a level and a rugged place is a plain and verse 5 and the glory of the Lord will be revealed and all mankind together will see it for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Notice verse 5 and Isaiah equates to verse 6 in Luke and all mankind will see God's salvation.
God's salvation is in the person of Jesus Christ but you see all through the New Testament the appearance as if Jesus is just a common ordinary person and yet Isaiah the prophet says he really is much higher, much greater, much more worthy of honor and praise and because God's word reveals this to us we know that he is in indeed God. So when people argue and say but the Bible Jesus never said he's Lord what you and I need to understand is when they borrow a quotation from the old testament that clearly says he is Lord then what he's doing is he's making a statement by the very things he says that he really is. So you got to understand when Jesus walked this earth we see him in appearance made as a man we see him walking in humbleness and and he has emptied himself of the glory because that is what the cross is about. How do you know that you and I are on the right page?
We're not running around trying to be big L's O R D. We're attempting to recognize the Lordship of Christ and we have come to serve him. We do not preach ourselves we preach Christ and him crucified huge difference in the flow of things we know we're on the right page because we're not trying to be about me we're trying to be about him that's the that's the identifying qualifying marks of the true Christian faith is that we are trying to get out of the way we are trying to be like John the Baptist a voice in the wilderness we must decrease and he must increase. This is important we understand the Trinity is what lays the back drop the foundation for what identifies us as we are a people who worship God in His Majesty and yet we walk in humility.
Well let's look at Isaiah a little bit more. Isaiah chapter 7 and verse 14 because these are communicating a unique message and so it's important we try to understand the Trinity Jesus is not trying to maintain his seat of glory he's come to give it up that's gonna be important when we look at the role of the Holy Spirit because we can end up with some very interesting teachings about the movements or the Spirit of God if we lose sight of this humiliation in our walk with God. Isaiah chapter 7 and verse 14 this is a theme of Isaiah he's attempting to communicate this mystery as is it found in many of our Christmas stories our plays our songs therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign the Virgin will be with child and get birth to a son and we'll call him a manual a manual that is God in a human form that is God with us that is God among us we have come to worship him because he is God but as he walked the earth he does not demonstrate his full majesty or glory he gave glimpses here and there as to his true identity but Isaiah is clearly communicating the reason the people misunderstood Jesus's true identity is because he says they do not know the scriptures and that's what we're attempting to look at is what do the scriptures say about the identity of Jesus Christ and as we look into this I trust you just hold on put your seat belts on we're going for a ride because in order to prepare ourselves for the teaching of God's Holy Spirit among us we need to lay the backdrop about the concept of humility it must be established that you and I can begin to look at the glory of what God attempts to do because he has imparted his Holy Spirit in people like you and I and so we need to recognize as we look at these on the significance of that Isaiah chapter 42 you begin to notice when we look at some of these scriptures as to why people were agitated over the Jesus guy and if you read through the gospels you might not catch what it is that so infuriated these people but you'll notice in these scriptures some of the names the titles the statements the things he said the things he taught the things that the apostles taught it should irritate him unless Jesus truly is a manual Isaiah chapter 42 verses 10 through 14 sing to the Lord a new song his praise from the ends of the earth you will go down to the sea and all that is in it you islands and all who live in them let the desert and its towns raise the voices let the settlements you know pastor you're in the long chapter 10 through 14 you have to bear with me okay chapter 40 I'm sorry Isaiah chapter 40 verses 10 through 14 see the sovereign Lord comes with power and his arm rules for him see his reward is with him and his recompense accompanies him he tends his flock like a shepherd he gathers the lambs in his arms he carries him close to his heart he gently leads those that have young who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand or with the breath of his hand mark off the heavens who has held the dust of the earth in a basket or weighed the mountains in the scales and the hills in a balance who has instructed the mind of the Lord or instructed him as his counselor whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him or who taught him the right way who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding they are communicating in Isaiah that Jesus comes revealing and teaching the mind of his father and communicates that he is the shepherd who leads his people so when Jesus says he is the good shepherd especially in Psalm 23 it says the Lord capital L capital O capital R capital D the Lord Jehovah is my shepherd so when Jesus says I'm the good shepherd that will get you nailed to a cross it's important to know that as we see Jesus and we read through the gospels that we realize what he's saying is he is the prophetic fulfillment of the shepherd of the Old Testament he is the Lord most high he is the sovereign Lord turn with me to chapter of 44 verses 6 through 8 Isaiah chapter 44 6 through 8 you'll notice many more terms or titles that are clearly identified with Jesus and you might want to underline them in your Bible this is what the Lord says in verse 6 Israel's king and Redeemer the Lord Almighty I'm the first and I'm the last apart from me there is no God who then is like me let him proclaim it let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people and what is yet to come yes let him foretell what will come do not tremble do not be afraid did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago you are my witnesses is there any God besides me no there is no other rock I know not one Jesus really got himself in the trouble of mentioning that I will show you what a man is like who builds his house upon this rock he hears my words and puts them into practice if you like a man who built his house upon the rock we go on and on and on thinking in terms of numerous scriptures and what Jesus is saying is he is a somebody but he does not do it in a way to boast he simply presents truths that if you were to look back in the Old Testament scriptures you would say aha he is the one he claims to be and will consider the concept of what that truly means in the beginning because they were not willing to accept him so they had to kill him he's considered blaspheming the truth and so it irritated the people who despised the person of Jesus Christ look at chapter 45 and verses 5 through 7 Isaiah 45 through 7 I am the Lord and there is no other apart from me there is no God I will strengthen you though you have not acknowledged me so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men will know there is none besides me I am the Lord there is no other I form the light and I create darkness I bring prosperity and I create disaster I the Lord do all these things look down in verses 21 through 23 turn to me and be saved all you end of the earth for I am God and there is no other by myself I have sworn my mouth is uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked before me every knee will bow and every tongue will swear they will say of me in the Lord alone our righteousness and strength let me just do a little survey how many knew that when it says in Philippians chapter 2 every knee will bow and tongue confess Jesus is Lord knew that's that's a quotation from the Old Testament not many you and I need to recognize the way the truth verifies itself the way it validates is God has already spoken it and the Holy Spirit has enlightened people to know that this is the Jesus this is the Christ he is the one who is high lifted up because he is the word and now he's become flesh he is the one that was written is now revealed he is the word who has come down among us and pitched his tent he's tabernacle among us you and I need to realize in one God in three persons Jesus never spoke on his own authority he clearly communicated that way he says the Father has spoken to him and everything he expresses himself is a revelation of what God the Father has willed and purpose and plan John chapter 14 now let's go back to John chapter 14 because we're gonna have to jump ahead here and consider how this plays into the oneness of the Holy Spirit because we need to humbly consider this so that we might have a foundation established the gospel John chapter 14 verses 6 through 10 now Jesus answered I am the way and the truth and the life no one comes to the Father except through me if you really knew me you would know my Father as well from now on you know him and have seen him Philip said Lord show us the Father and that will be enough for us doesn't that make sense Jesus you're saying things that go way over my head just just show us the Father give us a little glimpse open the window just for a second so we can we can see His Majesty that'll be enough Jesus answered in verse 9 don't you know me Philip even after I've been among you such a long time anyone who has seen me has seen the Father how can you say show us the Father don't you believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me the words I say to you notice there they're not just my own rather it is the Father living in me who is doing his work Jesus makes it clear that the fulfillment of all the prophecies of the coming Messiah and the key evidence is not the strength in His miraculous powers it's not in the proof of His divine displays of greatness but it's rather His submission to the purpose and plan of His Father in heaven it's extremely important to recognize that the Antichrist comes doing exactly the opposite he is all about show he's all about performance he's all about power he's all about look at me look at me he's all about his own agenda his own voice his own patterns Jesus comes and he is in continuous submission to the authority of his Emily Wanna John chapter 7 verses 16 and 18 the gospel of John chapter 7 verses 16 and 18 the beginning of our face begins when we humbly come to a place what I say is in submission to Jesus Christ the way I live is in submission to Jesus Christ the beginning of faith is to put trust in Jesus rather than trust in ourselves I know that we can learn answers that seem to dodge that issue but the bottom line is we're connected to Christ and Christ lives in us when we come to a place where it's all about Him it's Christ in me that is my identity that is my hope of victory it is my faith my faith is Christ in me that is the reality of this relationship John chapter 7 verse 16 and 18 I once or skip verse 17 because I want to drive home a point verse 16 Jesus answer my teaching is not my own it comes from him who sent me verse 18 because he who speaks on his own that's the devil does so to gain honor for himself but he works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth there's nothing false about him and that is the beginning of our pain because we've come to a place that it's no longer my words my thoughts my opinion I am constantly asked by people how do you know the Bible is true and I said well the Bible says it's true but what do you think I said it doesn't matter what I think it's what God says well what about this question then go off on another question what do you think it doesn't matter what I think it matters what God says and so when we come to faith we've given up the right to the freedom to not necessarily not think but we have given up the right to have our opinion continually be what is promoted and publicized we are a people that Jesus is the final answer he is the beginning and the end he is the statement of my identity he is the focus of my destiny it is truth that guides us and moves us through life my trust we've come to a place or we have humbly at least ask God to remove the opinion out of me because it is probably just my opinion rather than the truth that is presented in Jesus Christ he is constantly submitting himself to the words of the Father now here's where it gets complicated to explain look at John chapter eight verse 42 and we're gonna read several down here to verse 55 because it introduces not only the the other father who is the father of lies but it presents and leads into the role of the Holy Spirit because this is where we need to roll our minds out and we need to embrace the heartbeat of God so that we know that we are not duped by the devil assuming it is the voice of God's Spirit in verse 42 of John chapter 8 it says Jesus said to them if God were your father that is he speaking to those who do not like Jesus he says to the religious leaders if God were your father you would love me now how can you say that it's because Jesus is God for I came from God and now and I come on my own but he sent me why is my language not clear to you because you're unable to hear what I say you belong to the father of the devil and you want to carry out your father's I mean these are really harsh words Jesus is in essence saying we are either connected to the father or we're connected to the voice of evil it's important that when we come to faith we are transferred from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of light it's not this huge gray area in between it's not a long road between leaving our past and our connection with with the devil and moving into the future many of us we struggle the idea you mean the devil had that much say over my life well that's what the Bible says the Bible says we are free in Christ Jesus it's the truth that says it's free so when that truth becomes personal and precious we are free in Christ and truly indeed but what's going to happen is there's going to be a similarity expression written all over us we are people that are so fascinated with Jesus that he is our new identity our new focus our new hope it goes on to say you belong to the father the devil and you want to carry out your father's desire he was a murderer from the beginning not holding to the truth but there's no truth in him when he lies notice here he speaks his native language for he is a liar and the father of life Jesus says it's a reality he talks the way he talks because of who he is the way he speaks the way he thinks the way he operates it's simply who he is when you and I come to faith in Jesus Christ we end up with a new language we end up with a new expression of our lives because of who we have become our identity is in a new king who rules and reigns over this castle of our heart when we come to faith it's more than just a head game it's more than we simply just agree to a certain set of things we are now a new creation in Christ Jesus because that truth is now what works within our lives it was on to say in verse 45 yet because I tell the truth you do not believe me can anyone of you prove me guilty of sin if I'm telling you the truth why don't you believe me he noticed here he who belongs to God hears what God says the reason you do not be here is that you do not belong to God he's speaking to the religious leaders he said your hearing is connected to your heart and you and I as we come to faith in Jesus Christ we will hear what the Spirit says to us we will know what God is communicating to us but now we need to look at that a little bit closer because now he has he sort of moved the dust aside he said the bottom line is this is until we have identified with Jesus and broken or renounced any affiliation with our past opinions or the demonic teachings we're gonna have a problem with the hearing and as long as there's a problem with the hearing we may not know the difference between a spirit that's holy and a spirit that is unholy and many of us have been exposed to spirits that are unholy we've been exposed to spirits that are genuinely true it's important to understand a person must be connected to Jesus to hear the truth of Jesus otherwise we're going to enjoy a couple lives and we're going to delight in a couple lives and we're gonna repeat a couple lives and we might even prophesy a couple lives it's important to know that our relationship with God belonging to him has a great emphasis on what you hear okay verse 48 the Jews answered him notice this aren't we right in saying that you're a Samaritan and you're demon possessed well of course they're going to conclude that if you're on the wrong side of the kingdoms you're going to assume that Jesus who is on the other side he must be the bad guy because we are the good guys in other words they were listening to a spirit of deception there was a spirit of influence that's extremely important that you and I understand when God speaks he speaks to his people when God communicates truth he speaks truth to his people and if our people are we ourselves are not connected to God you and I are going to like the wrong spirit we're going to desire the wrong spirit we're going to hear the wrong spirit and we will not understand the difference between a spirit that is evil and a spirit that is true because of the beauty of the Trinity they're all on the same page when you and I are on the same pages Jesus we hear the truth on the same page and if someone's not on the same page they're not going to hear the same way you and I hear it I realize that might be a little confusing but let me go on we've got to get down to the teaching of the Holy Spirit Jesus says in 49 I'm not possessed by a demon said Jesus but I honor my father knows again I honor my father and you dishonor me I am not seeking once again glory for myself but there is one who seeks it and he is the judge I tell you the truth if anyone keeps my word he will never see death that this the Jews exclaimed in verse 52 now we know you're David possessed Abraham died and so did the prophets that you say that anyone who keeps your word he will never taste death are you greater than our father Abraham he better be otherwise he's even possessed he died so did the prophets who do you think you are Jesus replied notice here if I glorify myself my glory means nothing would he have been right to say of course I've been around longer than Abraham yes that is true but he is committed to the written word that his role his identity is I'm not here to promote myself the father will take care of that on his own his purpose is to glorify the father and it's important to know that the way the Spirit of God manifests himself the way that Christ lives in us is we all people that the glory belongs to someone else and our true clarification or verification to the world around us is people should recognize you guys walk in humbleness you have a devotion to someone higher than you though you and I have the King of Kings living in our hearts we live as if we're servants we go through life as if we don't seem to be the champions while others seem to reign and rule and others seem to have all kinds of success and popularity and people flock to hear them and they want to see them you and I understand we are not here to glorify ourselves that's the evidence is that Jesus himself clearly set down that glory he has every moment in the world to show what a real punch can look like from a Savior he's saving that there'll be a day when he comes to demonstrate his strength there's a day when he comes to allow himself to be glorified and lift it up but for now if I glorify myself my glory means nothing my father whom you claim as your God is the one who glorifies me though you do not know him I know him if I said I did not know him I would be a liar like you well let's drop down now to verse 42 or no we're gonna we're gonna have to jump ahead here chapter 16 of John in verses 13 through 15 now we get to a little bit more specific about the role and the work of the Holy Spirit I trust that we have we have recognized Jesus came to make the Father look good though he is God he comes to make the Father look good complete entire submission to the will of the Father he submits himself to the plan of the Father which is the written word of God everything he said was it or did was in order to fulfill the scriptures everything was written written written written written he simply expressed what is written he illuminated what is written he highlighted what is written he does not come speaking on his own he simply gives what is written John chapter 16 13 through 15 but when he the Spirit of Truth comes he will guide you into all truths notice he will not speak on his own he will speak only what he hears and he will tell you what is yet to come the Holy Spirit when he comes the Spirit of Truth he will not speak on his own he will speak only but he hears the Holy Spirit is in complete submission to making Jesus look good and to making the Father be glorified it's very important to understand it's the same pattern it's the same consistency it's the same truth it's the same identity and the way that we look at this with because we run out of time what we go into next week is to recognize that the voice of the Holy Spirit we have a tendency where we get confused when we take in terms of the power of the Holy Spirit because now all the rules change and the real power or the real punch are Spirit built people and those that don't seem to have a punch they're just preachers that are common and ordinary that's not true the power is in lives who come to Jesus Christ and that's what you and I need to recognize as the Spirit of God comes he doesn't come with his own identity he is God in three persons he is the same Spirit of God as he is the same Spirit of Christ he's the same Spirit that filled the temple in the Old Testament as the same one that dwells in your body even today as temples of the living God we have a validation going on a confirmation a consistency of truth is when the Holy Spirit comes he's going to bring us to a place where you and I can't really fake it anymore because he's going to do an inner work in us and he's going to point us to Jesus but the glory keeps going to Jesus it keeps being magnifying Jesus if you'll look in in John 16 we look at verse 13 we read now 14 he meaning the Holy Spirit will bring glory to me notice by taking from what is mine and making it known to you he's not coming with a new language he's not coming with a new task he's not coming with a new agenda he's simply taking everything Jesus said and putting it in your heart and mind so that you and I are enabled to reflect Jesus Christ his purpose is to transform us from the inside out so when people see us they see a demonstration of God's miracle in a human person we in and of ourselves are not going to really make Jesus look good in this world as a matter of fact we're going to make Jesus look foolish but because of his spirit he's enabled us to be light to the world salt to the earth we are the living walking Christ in this world it happens through the gift of God's spirit so as we attempt to break this down and look at it we need to realize that what it is that the Holy Spirit wants to accomplish in our lives and how he expresses himself is based upon the foundation that we are not looking to see if we can grab some kind of power out there we are focusing on a person because we're in a relationship of submission and loyalty it's about the lordship and the exaltation of Jesus Christ otherwise you and I might be looking for a power that really is not the holy one it's not the pure one it's not this amissive one it might be more about us that is about him this is the sacredness of the Trinity let's pray father we realize as we we search through the scriptures that there are some things that are very difficult to understand and yet some things are so simple we pray that we might understand the beauty of a humble heart the beauty of us when we come to that place of surrender to give up the need to be seen to give up the need to prove a point to give up the need to be somebody and we can rest knowing that Jesus you're everything God give us the courage to walk in a way that we recognize that what you have promised in your word is able to come to light and life in us yet we pray God as we walk and follow you that the glory would be to you in Jesus name God bless you we'll work on this one a little bit more it's gonna take them another couple ten years I guess