December 16, 2018 Receive the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-24)

Sermon Outline

God
is love.
He
loved the world and gave His Word.
This Word is God (Jn 1:1).
The Word is life (Jn 1:4)
and the Word is light,
that is, He is God’s glory (Jn 1:14).
The Word became flesh and appeared among us.
The Word shed blood on the cross
and saved us from sin (the Law) (Jn 6:53-58).
As He sent the Holy Spirit again from heaven,
He is the Advocate (Jn 14:16).
‘Advocate’ means ‘Defender’, ‘Comforter’, and ‘Councilor’.
If you depart from the faith, you become a hypocrite seared with a hot iron (1 Tim 4:1-2);
if you become corrupt, it is difficult to repent again (Heb 6:1-8);
and if you sin deliberately, there is no sacrifice for sins (Heb 10:26).
Though a demon came out, it will come back with more wicked demons (Mt 12:43-45).
When this happens,
the condition will be worse than it was before.
Receive the Holy Spirit, the Advocate.
○ Believe Jesus and be cleansed of sins.
The Lord saved us.
Only the blood of Jesus saves us.
○ Receive the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit again saved us (who had died)
and made us into God’s children.
○ Receive the Advocate, the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit will protect me forever.
He protects me in this age and the age to come.
※ The testimony of believers is the precious blood.
It is proof that they became God’s children.
They will be with the Advocate forever.

Semuon’s Letter

It has almost the time when I finally reach the age of 82 years old. But what are the thoughts of other men of my age, when they also think about the final days of their lives, which are sure to come? They might say to themselves, “The day of my death is near, so it seems best for me if I rest in peace until that that day comes.” These might be the typical words that come from a person who is in my situation, but these are not at all the words that I say myself.

Instead, I ask myself the question, “After I am born and enter into this world, what can I do to fill up the limited time that I have?”. I ask such questions as these to myself, and then, in response, find that special work, and then do it. If I had only ten years to live, then I would do in advance that very work that I needed to do for those ten years. While others may grow weary and have the desire to rest, I, on the other hand, desire to do that special work that I have found. If I could possibly offer my body to God in His service more than I already have, I would gladly do it. As long as I am able to lift my eyelids and go about the world, I want to do that special work given me.

We cannot afford to be void of any work while we are healthy and strong in our flesh. We mustn’t regard that special work that we do as the work that will, sooner or later, no longer be able to be done when our bodies are aged. Instead, we must regard that special work as the work that we can always do, as long as we are in the flesh. We must live for this special work. The days are now passing like thunder. We must value the opportunity we have during this short time of the flesh. God has today given us valuable wisdom. This special work that we can still do, even when our bodies are old, is to be a witness of God.

The truth is not something that can be saved onto a computer or a machine. The truth is that which has been present from the very beginning. God created our spirits so that we can store this truth within ourselves. Our flesh digests the food that we eat, and stores away the energy that comes from that food. Our minds absorb the multitude of information that is found in the outside world. However, the truth that comes from God cannot be stored or saved within our minds or our reason. The truth of God can only be stored away in our spirits. God has created mankind, and has made mankind’s flesh similar to the flesh of other beasts that walk on the earth. However, God gave mankind the intellect to rule over all the material creation. God made mankind, the lord of all creation.

However, just because God had made mankind like this, does not mean that he had the capability of storing within himself the truth that comes from God. After God had made man into ‘a living spirit’, he enabled him, for the first time, to be able to accept the truth that comes out from the mouth of God. He enabled him to store within himself the truth of God, to be free by dwelling in the truth, and to be able to fight against the devil with the truth– to fight against him until the end of the age and to overcome him. God had fulfilled his work and we became ‘living spirits’ – living spirit who could become children of God. However, the devil destroyed the spirit of man and made him unable to hear the truth. We came to lose the eternal power to store away the truth and to testify to it.

In order to return man to his former state, God sent His Son into the world, and by the blood of Jesus, our souls have achieved restoration, and we have received this salvation. God has, therefore, enabled our souls to eternally prevail against the seduction and temptation of the devil. Furthermore, he has enabled us to hear the truth, to accept the truth into our souls, and to obey the truth. The result has been that he made us into the Body belonging to God.

We are not like the beasts that walk along the earth. We are living beings that have ‘souls’ within ourselves. The duty of the soul is to be free by dwelling in the truth, and to become a witness of the truth. God will forever dwell with us – from Hades all the way to the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit can enter into no place except our souls.

Semuon