Sermon Notes + 11.12.2023

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I Will Not Leave You as Orphans
John 14:15-31
Dr. Tony Chute, Lead Pastor

Overview: As Jesus continues His farewell discourse, He promises the disciples they will not be alone even when He is gone because the Father will send the Holy Spirit to dwell in them. The presence of the Spirit is unique to the followers of Christ in that He cannot be seen, known, or received by the world. The Holy Spirit will unite the disciples with the Father and the Son, enable them to keep God’s commandments, assure them of God’s love, bring to mind the words of Christ, enable them to understand the teachings of Christ, keep them in the peace of Christ, and cause them to rejoice in Christ. Jesus is clear that His departure is necessary and will be sudden, but He reminds the disciples that everything He is doing is in obedience to the Father and accomplished out of love for the Father. Jesus has thus given the disciples many reasons for their hearts not to be troubled, and He promises the same for all who believe today.

01. Jesus has not left us as orphans in the world.

02. Jesus has provided for all that we need in this world.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION & DISCOVERY

1. Why does Jesus refer to the Holy Spirit as “another Helper”? What evidence from the text suggests the Holy Spirit is fully divine, just as the Father and the Son? Why is it important for us to recognize the Holy Spirit is not a force, thing, or an “it,” but rather the third Person of the Trinity? How could the Holy Spirit do any of the things listed in this text if He were merely a force?

2. Why cannot the world receive the Holy Spirit? How is our reception of the Holy Spirit entirely dependent on the work of Christ, specifically His death and resurrection? Are you able to outline or summarize the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the planning, achieving, and applying the work of salvation? Put another way, how does each person of the Godhead participate in our salvation?

3. Consider the words of Jesus in verse 19: “Because I live, you also will live.” Do these words bring joy to your soul? Could we ever praise the Lord enough for the gift of eternal life? Is there anything lacking in your life right now in light of this great promise?

4. How does our love for God manifest itself, according to verses 15 and 21? Do you think of obedience to the Lord as an act of duty or an act of love? How does the Holy Spirit give us a hunger for God’s Word and a heart for God’s Word?

5. What is the world’s way of giving peace? Is it by the promise of health, wealth, and freedom? How do these promises of peace ultimately fail? What makes the peace of Christ so valuable in this life and in the life to come? How does Jesus demonstrate complete peace of mind in verses 30-31 as He faces the cross?

For Further Reading: Robert Peterson, Salvation Applied by the Spirit: Union with Christ (Crossway, 2015)