Bad news makes the good news really good.

Steve Brown:
Bad news makes the good news really good. Let’s talk about it, on Key Life.

Matthew Porter:
Being adopted into the family of God is not about doing more or trying harder. It’s about being welcomed by God because of His radical grace, free from the penalties of sin and never alone in your suffering, that grace is what Key Life is all about.

Steve Brown:
Thank you Matthew. I hope you guys had a great week-end and I hope your pastor’s sermon was as good as my pastor’s sermon. If you’re just joining us, you’re coming in toward the end of a very long series on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. We’re going to land the plane over the next two or three weeks and we’re going to be looking at some important things about the Holy Spirit that makes our lives so much better. Lives of joy. But before we do that, we have to go to the bad news. And out of that bad news, the good news gets really good. Let’s pray before we study as is our practice. Father, we come into your presence aware that we have no right to be here. We’re simply not good enough. We’re not pure enough. We’re not faithful enough. We don’t know enough. But we also realize that the owner gave the invitation to us personally and we’re here because we’re his. Father, you know everybody who’s listening to this broadcast, and you know the hard stuff and the easy stuff. You know the laughter and the tears, you know the joy and the pain, and you are sovereign and good over every bit of that. Teach us to remember and to rejoice in the fact that you’re in charge. Father, you know us, and not by number, but by name. And we have a new name someday, when we get to heaven and we rejoice in that too. Now Father, forgive the one who teaches on this broadcast his sins, they are many, we would see Jesus and him only and we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. In the gospel of John, Jesus prepares his disciples for what they can expect and it’s not really pretty. It’s blood, sweat, and tears. He talks about persecution. He talks about how they’re going to be hated just the way people hated him. He’s talking about the hard road to which he is calling them. And then in the middle of all of that, and I referred to it last week, he says some really good things that are so important, and most of them are about the Holy Spirit. Bad news, you’ve got to look at, and you’ve got to understand, and you’ve got to make it yours, in order for the good news of the gospel to be really good in your life. So, Jesus has just said some really harsh things. And then he says, and this is John 7:37 through 39.

” If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'” But this he spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in him would receive, for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Steve Brown:
And then in John 14:23 he says.

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

And then in John 14:25 through 27

“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, 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. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Then in John 15:4 through 5.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit, unless it abides in the vine, Neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; and you’re the branches. He who abides in me and I in him, bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing.”

Let me give you one more, and I could give you a bunch, and then we’ll look deeply at some of the things that are taught about the Holy Spirit and about the darkness. This is John 16:13 through 15.

However, when he, the Spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will tell you things to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he will take

he being the Holy Spirit

will take of mine and declare it to you.

You see it? Jesus promised the disciples they would be persecuted, they would feel weak and powerless, but more important, he would never leave them and would in fact, give them his supernatural power and presence and would enable them to do works even greater than he himself had done in the Incarnation. Listen to his words.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do will he do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to my Father.”

A number of years ago, a friend of mine, Dave O’Dowd, was telling a new Christian about what she could expect to find in her new walk with Christ. She was complaining to him about how hard it was to be a Christian. Dave, she said, I never knew it was going to be this hard. I’ve lost my friends, my family is angry with me, I live on the edge of failure and sometimes I think of giving this whole thing up. Dave’s response to her was insightful, and at the heart of the Christian faith. He said to her, young lady, would you rather not have known him? Oh no, she said, smiling at the thought of Jesus. Now, that I think about it, he is worth it all. We Christians lie to unbelievers. And that is perhaps one of the reasons our witness falls on deaf ears. We tell them about the upside of following Christ, as we should, but without telling them the downside. We talk about meaning and forgiveness and joy and eternal life, but we fail to tell them about the struggle, the sin, and the failure. We tell them about the healing, but we don’t tell them about the wounds. So, let me on this broadcast, before we bring our teaching on the Holy Spirit to the end. Let me remind you of the wounds. I suspect you already know about them, but we need to be reminded so we don’t think we are abnormal and weird, or more important, we don’t think that he has rejected us or gone away on vacation somewhere. The myth of the super Christian really is that. It’s a myth. Not only that, it is from the pit of hell and it smells like smoke. Not only that, it is that myth, perhaps more than any other, which prevents unbelievers from coming to Christ, Christians from living the life of joy and freedom in the Holy Spirit that they are offered. And God from getting the glory and praise that is rightfully his. Here are some things that human beings who belong to Christ share in common. Well, I don’t have to get into them. It’s really kind of negative. And I’m going to devote the broadcast tomorrow to that. But enough said. If you’re a Christian Jesus didn’t promise you a rose garden, but he did promise that he would never leave you, that he would give you the Helper, the Holy Spirit. And in that reality, that you would find life, freedom, joy, and eternity. Not a bad deal. Hey, you think about that. Amen.

Matthew Porter:
And that was Steve Brown resuming our series on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Again, our text today was John 7:37-39, John 14:23, John 14:25-27, John John 15:4-5, and John 16:13-15. So much more to discover tomorrow. Join us for that, won’t you? Hey, I see you there. Summertime, relaxing by the pool. Maybe you could use something to read? Well, may I suggest the newest edition of Key Life magazine? It’s packed with encouraging and thought provoking articles from Steve, Chad West, Alex Early, and Kendra Fletcher. Plus, a whole lot of other fun stuff, like this. A picture of Steve skydiving. What? Claim your free copy right now by calling us at 1-800-KEY-LIFE that’s 1-800-539-5433. You can also e-mail [email protected] to ask for the magazine. To mail your request go to keylife.org/contact to find our mailing addresses. Again, just ask for your free copy of Key Life magazine. And finally, if you find value in the work of Key Life, would you support that work through your giving. You could charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope. Or simply pick up your phone and text Key Life to 28950 that’s Key Life, one word or two. It doesn’t matter. Text that to 28950 and then follow the instructions. And Hey, if you can’t give, or maybe you’re not called to give right now, no worries. But if you would pray for us, okay? Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and CCCC in Canada. And we are a listener supported production of Key Life Network.