BEYOND CONSCIENCE by Pastor Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson
Introduction: What movie does this line come from? “What’s a conscience! I’ll tell ya! A conscience is that still small voice that people won’t listen to. That’s just the trouble with the world today.”It’s from Pinocchio. Jiminy Cricket says those words to Pinocchio after the Blue Fairy brings him to life. Then he sings that song – “When you get in trouble
And you don’t know right from wrong, Give a little whistle! Give a little whistle! When you meet temptation And the urge is very strong, Give a little whistle! Give a little whistle! Not just a little squeak. Pucker up and blow And if your whistle’s weak, Yell Jiminy Cricket. Take the straight and narrow path And if you start to slide, Give a little whistle! Give a little whistle! And always let your conscience be your guide.” Some people think that’s the Christian life – just listen to your conscience. Of course, they replace the word “conscience” with the Holy Spirit. Today’s message will help us understand that the Holy Spirit is far beyond any conscience. He is a person whose purpose is much more than to help you take the straight and narrow path and you can’t call him by whistling.
John 16 7Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”
Question: Do you have the Holy Spirit? If you’re saved, you do. Are you submitted to the Holy Spirit? Are you grieving or quenching him in your life?
Context: As I mentioned last week, when we began planning for the first few weekends in this new sanctuary, we prayerfully decided that the first few messages should be on the foundational beliefs of Clearview Church. With that in mind, I’ve preached on Prayer, on Unity, on the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ, on the Word of God, and today I am preaching on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s role is primary to the success and the growth of our church.In this message, I want to clear up some confusions regarding the Holy Spirit and layout his true mission.
I. CLEAR UP SOME MISCONCEPTIONS
2 Misconceptions regarding the Holy Spirit: Jiminy Cricket or Spiritual Genie
Background:We’re going to read some passages from what is known as the “Farewell Discourse of Jesus” in the Gospel of John. It extends over five chapters from John 13-17. The disciples of Jesus were troubled and grieved because he was talking about leaving them. So, he said all this to comfort and reassure them that he was not going to abandon them. In fact, his going away was going to make things even better! John 14:12“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greaterworksthan these he will do, because I go to My Father.” Jesus’ departure will not close shop but greater things will come. Some people think that the greater works mean greater miracles. That’s not all true if you look at the context.Listen to the next verse – 13And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do,(1stcondition of greater works is that they should be asked in Jesus’ Name, as if Jesus were approving)that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (2ndcondition of greater works is that they should bring glory to the Father) 14If you ask anything in My name, I will doit.(Another reminder that our will should align with the will of Jesus)15“If you love Me, keep My commandments. (3rdcondition of greater works is loving obedience)16And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.” Don’t miss this. The Greek word is “Paraclete.” There’s a lot of debate over how to translate it. It has a legal tone to it. It implies someone who is “called alongside” to lead, to guide, and to make appeal for you. The best translation is “Advocate.” He is called the “allon parakleton” or “Another Advocate.” Who is the first Advocate? Jesus.
Illustration: Imagine a branch manager of a business is being transferred. Before he leaves, he calls his team that he has been working with for a while. They love him. Things have been great under him. But, he has to go and take charge of another branch. So, he tells them, “Guys, I have to go. But, my going is a blessing in disguise. You are going to make more profit when I am gone because there’s no new branch manager coming. I have personally chosen him. He is amazing! The owner is sending him. You are going to thrive under him!”
The Holy Spirit is not some spiritual genie of the lamp who gives you whatever you want. He is not a spiritual force or power source that you can use on demand. You’re not in charge. The Holy Spirit is and he does greater things than Jesus because they work together. What they are, we’ll see soon.
Something else: Listen to verse 17the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” The Holy Spirit is not Jiminy Cricket who comes to you when you whistle. He is not just your conscience, that still small voice that talks to you when you “start to slide.” The conscience is in every person but not everyone has a Holy Spirit. The conscience is the basic moral code in every human being that comes because we are made in the image of God. But, it can be subdued and retrained.
Illustration: Conscience is like the baby gate. It keeps the baby from getting outside the room and falling down steps or putting their hands in the fire place. But, as the baby grows, the gate cannot stop him/her. If he/she wants to, they can hurt themselves.
Application:Are you living by your conscience or the Holy Spirit? There’s a world of difference!
II. LAYOUT HIS TRUE MISSION.
If I were to talk about everything the Holy Spirit is and does, we will be here for months. I only want to focus on what Jesus told his disciples about him in his Final Discourse:
- The New Advocate has come to point us back to Jesus and his words.
John 14:26“But the Helper (Advocate), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
- The New Advocate has come to bear witness of Jesus before the world.
John 15 26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”
- The New Advocate has come to convict the world of what Jesus has done.
John 16 7“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” The word for convict is “elegcho,” which means to convince or to correct. The difference between witness and convict is that witness is passive and convict is active. Listen to the breakdown of each – 9of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. The Jewish disciples of Jesus were familiar with all 3 terms but Jesus redefined them: Sin is rejecting Jesus; Righteousness is what God the Father has done for Jesus; Judgment is what Jesus did by his death and resurrection.
- The New Advocate will complete what Jesus has begun and now directs.
John 16 12“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bearthemnow. 13However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His ownauthority,but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declareitto you. 15All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declareitto you.”
Application:How do you view the Holy Spirit and his work? If it does not draw you to focus on Jesus, his work and his words, you have a different Spirit.
Questions:
- How do you see the Holy Spirit? Is he a spiritual genie or Jiminy Cricket?
- Is he just a still small voice that guides you or is he the Advocate who points you to Jesus and his words?
- Do you love Jesus more and obey him more because of your understanding of the Holy Spirit?
- Do you have the Holy Spirit? Are you saved?
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