Read john 15:26-16:15
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 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 go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
PONDER
Consider the contrast between the warning and the promise of this passage.
- The world will hate the abiding Jesus follower because it hated Jesus (15:18-25).
- The disciples will be put out of the synagogues, killed by those who believe they are honoring God (16:2).
- Yet this is to their advantage, for Jesus is going to send a Helper, the Spirit of truth (15:26; 16:13).
- We have not been left as orphans (14:18).
Let these realities lead you to worship!
PRAY
- Father, thank you for your Spirit. He is our Helper, the Spirit of truth who speaks what He hears and guides us into all truth.
- Father, keep us in your Word so that we would not fall away. Guard us from the evil and unbelieving heart. Give us eyes to see and a zeal to flee temptation that would lull us into complacency.
- Father, through your Spirit strengthen us to live for your glory.
- Father, as we study your Word, may we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing, may we have life in His name.
- Father, prepare me to gather with my church and worship you. You are worthy! To you be the glory!
PRactice
Gather! 9:30 or 11:00am. Purpose to read, sing, pray, and give to worship our Savior and build up your brothers and sisters in Christ.
5 Practices for Gathering Well:
- Be Present – The first step to gathering well: Gather!
- Be Early – Prioritize the gathering with your time. Don’t be late. The practical discipleship of this priority can be profound for you and your family.
- Be Prepared – Ponder, pray, sing, fast, and praise are all good ways to prepare.
- Be Uncomfortable – Sit with different people. Sing loud. Challenge routines. Gather on mission.
- Be Responsive – Don’t just be hearers of the Word, be doers. Pray. Ponder. Practice. Too often we gather to affirm what we already hold, rather than be taught, rebuked, corrected, or trained in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). Gather to be transformed.
- Get help and accountability in Prepare Sundays at either 9:30 or 11:00 downstairs in the adult hall. Prepare is a Go Study Group aimed to help us grow as doers of the Word by working through the next steps required to faithfully apply the biblical text we’re reading and preaching through at TCBC.