While you're turning there, I'll just say that after the service, I usually pray when we have a fellowship meal, I will just close the service and then all the young people can go upstairs. We've asked Benjamin Hall to ask God's blessing upon the food. So when the service is conducted, young people can head upstairs. Well, John 14, our focus this morning will be on the latter part of the chapter, but I do want to read beginning in verse 15. If you love me, keep my commandments and I will pray the father and he will give you another helper that he may abide with you forever. The 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. I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you. A little while longer and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in my father, and you in me, and I in you. He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. Judas, not Iscariot, said to him, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world? Jesus answered and said to him, 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. He who does not love me does not keep my words. And the word which you hear is not mine, but the father's who sent me. 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 to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard me say to you, I am going away and coming back to you. If you love me, you would rejoice because I said, I am going to the Father, for my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in me. But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our Father in Heaven, we thank you for this wonderful day. We know that the Lord's Day has been set apart by you for corporate worship, for edification, for fellowship, and we just praise you for these good gifts. We ask that you would be glorified now as we consider Holy Scripture, that as we'd focus on Father, Son, and Spirit, we would be edified and strengthened and built up in our most holy faith. And God, do forgive us for all sin and transgression and unrighteousness. You call us to live in a manner that is worthy of our calling in the gospel, yet we find that remaining corruption, we find that good we wish to do, we don't do, and the evil that we don't want to do, we find ourselves doing. We invoke the blessing, the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, thanking you that He is the advocate with the Father and that He is enthroned at the right hand for sinners like us. And for any and all who have not come to the Lord, that do not know the joy of forgiveness, we pray that today would be the day of salvation, that you'd open their eyes and hearts to see their own sin and to see Christ and all of his offices to save as a prophet, a priest, and a king. And may you draw them effectually by the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit. And may he indeed guide us now and bring to remembrance all things that our blessed Savior has spoken. And we pray in Jesus' name, amen. Well, as we have seen on numerous occasions as we work our way through the Upper Room discourse, that our Lord Jesus, as He is encouraging and fitting His disciples for the task at hand, is reminding them of their great God. In fact, what He is speaking a lot concerning is the nature of the triune God, and this particular section is no exception. And so, as we come to the conclusion of chapter 14, I think there's two particular points that we need to consider. First, the gifts given by Christ in verses 25 to 27, and then secondly, the departure of Christ in verses 28 to 31. His departure being that he's speaking about it and what will occur when he does depart from them. But by virtue of the fact that we have tried to slow down a bit to shine some light upon Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we'll just take up that first section, the gifts given by Christ in verses 25 to 27. And as we consider this, there's two things specifically. First, the present encouragement in verse 25, and then secondly, the future provision in verses 26 and 27. Notice specifically the present encouragement in verse 25. These things I have spoken to you, the things concerning God, the things concerning the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the things that we have surveyed up until this particular point. Things like chapter 14, verses 10 and 11. Jesus says, do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? Verse 11, believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me. Remember, we're in Christ by way of grace and adoption. Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in Jesus by way of mutual indwelling, or that term perichoresis. So Jesus' relation to the Father is not altogether like ours. He is, by virtue of nature, unified with the Father in the way that we are not. And so he conveys that. And as well, he introduces the Holy Spirit. As I mentioned, When we looked at chapter 14, verse 16, the spirit has been mentioned in John's gospel up until this point, but we see, as it were, more exposure, more revelation, more of a light shining upon him in his ministry. And so as the world is collapsing around or about to collapse around these disciples, Jesus teaches them concerning the triune God. So when we look at his statement here in verse 25, these things I have spoken to you while being present with you. The emphasis is upon his earthly ministry. We know from John 1, verse 1, in the beginning was the word, the word was with God and the word was God. And then 114, the word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth. So during that earthly ministry, Jesus taught. During that earthly ministry, Jesus engaged in signs and wonders. During that earthly ministry, Jesus engaged in a whole host of ministry. And so he has said to them, while I am with you, I have spoken these things to you. And then based on what he's about to say, he's speaking of the future in terms of the provision for the people of God. He promises to come to his people in verse 18, I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you. The Lord fulfills that promise by the sending of the Holy Spirit. According to verse 26, the Lord fulfills that promise by leaving and giving his peace. So presently in the upper room, Jesus speaks these things to them to fit them, to encourage them. to ready them. Remember, they're going to go from this place after the ascension of Christ, and they are going to go into the then-known world, preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus, and they're going to face all kinds of opposition and persecution and hardship and woe. They're going to face it later from the Roman Empire, but initially it's going to be the unbelieving Jews, those who had rejected Jesus as the Messiah, those who had resisted the glory of God as revealed in the face and in the person of our blessed Redeemer. They would oppose the church, they would oppose the apostles, they would imprison them, they would beat them, they would ultimately execute them. So when we look at this upper room discourse and we hear Jesus in this passage say, don't let your hearts be troubled, neither let it be afraid, Jesus understands the human condition. Jesus knows what he's asking of these men. Jesus knows what these men are facing. And so when Jesus comes to encourage them, it is with divine disclosure. It is with a revelation more fully of who God is in himself. And that brings brethren, is what we need to investigate now in terms of the future provision in verses 26 and 27. If you're taking notes, there's two gifts that our blessed Savior gives. First, the gift of the Spirit in verse 26, and then secondly, the gift of peace in verse 27. Let's look first at the gift of the Spirit in verse 26. He promises this. So verse 25, 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." Notice that the Lord Jesus is confident that the Father is going to answer his prayer. Remember, previously in the section that I read, specifically at verse 16, "...and I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever." As man, Jesus prayed. As God, He was prayed unto. And here, specifically, He requests or invokes the help of the Holy Spirit for the people of God in His absence. so that they are not left as orphans, so that He may indeed come to them, so that He may indeed dwell with them or abide in them forever. It is through the ministry of the Holy Spirit that we know the nearness of God Most High as our good. And with reference to the spirit, notice again in verse 26, but the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name. Look back at verse 16. He will give you another helper. He's called that in our verse in verse 26. And then he goes on to say in verse 17, the spirit of truth. Now the word helper, oftentimes we refer to him as the paraclete, which is basically a transliteration of the Greek word, because it's a bit of a difficult word to fully encompass in one basic sentence. A famous or popular dictionary of the Greek language defines paraclete this way, one who appears in another's behalf, mediator, intercessor, helper. The language is applied to the Lord Jesus in 1 John chapter 2. We have an advocate, a paraclete, a helper with the Father, even Jesus Christ the righteous. Van Maastricht says that a paraclete is one who takes up the cause for another and indeed for his benefit. So again, look at what Jesus is saying to the saints, to the disciples, to the apostles. These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. He's already announced His departure. He's already told them it would be bloody. He's already told them that He would be resurrected. They know, they understand that the time is short in terms of the hour has come. But He says that that's not going to change the dynamic here. That's not going to leave you as orphans. It's not going to leave you untethered. It's not going to leave you alone. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name. And that causes us to reflect on what we call the procession of the Spirit. Notice, the Father sends the Spirit in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And this teaches us wonderful truths about our God. Again, brethren, this isn't Jesus sort of haphazardly hoping the church figures it out. This is Jesus intentionally, as it were, peeling back the veil and causing us to be able to peer inside and see something true of the living God. In other words, when we see the temporal missions or the historical application of redemption, when we see in the fullness of the time God sends forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, we learn something about the relation between the Father and the Son. The Father sends the Son. Well, in Galatians 4, we learn that the Spirit is sent by the Father as well. We call those temporal missions, things that happen in time, things that happen in history, things that happen concretely. We can see Jesus in the Incarnation. We can see the Spirit or the effect of the Spirit in the Day of Pentecost. So those temporal missions that we see very vividly displayed in Scripture, again, help us to peek behind the veil to see something true of God in Himself. In other words, the temporal missions reveal something of what we call eternal processions. The father is unbegotten, the son is begotten by the father, and the spirit proceeds from the father and the son. So these temporal missions provide for us a bit of a scope to look behind and to see what is true of God as God. Doesn't exhaustively tell us, doesn't teach us everything, but the ad extra operation of God in creation shines the light to some degree on what we call ad intra, the relation of God in himself. And that's what Jesus is doing here. That's what Jesus is highlighting here. So notice the temporal mission. We see him say, but the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name. Look at 1526. 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. There's two movements in verse 26, and when we talk about movement with reference to the persons of the Trinity, it's not local motion. It's not like the Father moves from one space to another, or the Son moves from one space to another according to His divine essence, or that the Spirit moves from one place to another. God is omnipresent. God is immense. This kind of language of movement is for us. It's accommodation so that our puny brains can get it wrapped around. But notice in verse 26, when the Helper comes, "...whom I shall send to you from the Father." This happens on the Day of Pentecost according to Acts 2.33. Again, for anybody who questions or doubts, the Spirit is present in the Old Testament. When David is repentant of his sin, he pens Psalm 71, he says, take not thine Holy Spirit from me. The Spirit of God is present in the Old Testament. But in the New Testament, the New Covenant, with the coming of the Lord Jesus and the coming of the third person, the Spirit of God, we see more revelation. We see more glory. We see more majesty displayed. And then notice, the day of Pentecost, but then he says, the Spirit is of truth who proceeds from the Father. As Sanders points out, that's the only place in the entirety of the New Testament where this particular verb is utilized, proceeds. Now, in and of itself, that's not anything to write home about, but When we're considering the triune God and the fact that Jesus is, who was it? I don't know from the reading yesterday. One of the old brothers said that Jesus was the greatest of theologians or something to that effect. When the greatest of theologians uses a particular verb that isn't used anywhere else, we should probably listen to what he has to say. So you've got Pentecost, but you also have Pentecost, the temporal mission, revealing something true in terms of God at intra, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So 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. Look at 16.7, just to see more of this. 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." And then over in John 20, specifically at verse 22, well, 21, So Jesus said to them again, peace to you, as the Father has sent me, I also send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained. So when it comes to this encouragement that our Lord Jesus gives to the disciples in the upper room, as I said, it is theological in nature. I'm in center. Go to the culture, find out what makes them tick. Go to the culture, find out what kinds of weird food they eat. Go to the culture and figure out the exchange rate in terms of their monetary system. Go to the culture and be hip just like the culture. That's not how Jesus prepares his disciples to take the gospel into foreign cultures. He prepares them with theology. He prepares them with who God is. He prepares them with the encouragement that this God will not leave them on their own when they venture wholly into these unknown regions to proclaim Christ and Him crucified to polytheistic regions that despise the thought of a one God. as well to unbelieving Jews who despise the thought that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah. They loathe that, brethren. It's not a little intramural debate between our religion and their religion. I think Christians have that in their, well, we just get around a few things. They despise Jesus. They reject Jesus. They loathe and abhor Jesus. The idea of Jesus is offensive. And so these disciples preaching Jesus are going to go to synagogues where they hate Jesus. What do you think gets them there? Knowing the culture or knowing their God? Brethren, the church needs more, not less, more theology. Not less, not more practical helps on how to be a better you. The church ain't Joel Osteen, brethren. The church is Jesus Christ. And when we look at what we have in this upper room, he is instructing the people of God, the disciples that are gonna go out in his name with the theology of the Trinity. It is most excellent. So the Holy Spirit is sent by the Father through the Son. The Holy Spirit, notice in 1526, is sent by the Father. He says, in my name. Notice, as Gill says, that is, at his request, through his mediation and intercession, in his room instead, acting the same part, bearing the same name of an advocate or comforter, and for the glory and honor of his name, which act of sending does not suppose any local motion, which cannot agree with an infinite and immense spirit, nor inferiority in him to the other two persons. since he who is sent by Christ and in his name is also the sender of Christ. But it denotes the joint consent and agreement of the father, son, and spirit in this affair. He will send him in my name. Look back at John 5, specifically at verse 43, and see the name in whom Jesus came. John 5, 43, I have come in my father's name and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, him you will receive. Again, with the triunity of God in this divine and infinite being, there are three subsistences, the Father, the Word, or Son, and the Holy Spirit, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided. What distinguishes the persons? The Father is unbegotten, the Son is begotten by the Father, and the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. So the second London divines, basically imitating the Westminster and the Savoy, who basically imitated Chalcedon and Nicaea, didn't just make these things up. Wow, let's just confuse the people of God with this whole talk of Trinity. No, they're accurately expounding what we find in passages like John 14 concerning the relations between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name. This, as I said, this temporal mission reflects something of the eternal procession. How would we describe the Spirit? He comes from the Father, through the Son. So He's from. Sanders makes the point. Behind the sending of the Spirit into salvation history stands the eternal procession of the Holy Spirit within the life of God. Again, brethren, as we've gone through this, trying to go slow. Don't want to confuse anybody. There's no tests or quizzes today. You're not going to have to try to vie for a star because you got all the answers right. It's trying to introduce to you some stuff that the church has utilized to help navigate the doctrine of the Trinity so that we don't end up in some sort of contradiction or in some sort of a heresy or in some sort of a twisted mind because we can't comprehend it. We can comprehend propositional revelation. We can comprehend it with the help of the church that has gone before us, that has provided to us unique strategies and tactics, hermeneutical methods and principles, such that we aren't confounded, or that we aren't twisted, or that we aren't confused, or worse, that we aren't heretics being exiled from Chilliwack off to some island somewhere because we're the new Judases. Not that that's gonna happen, but watch yourselves. Just kidding. Sanders says, behind the sending of the Spirit into salvation, history stands the eternal procession of the Holy Spirit within the life of God. In fact, the salvation historical fromness depends on the eternal internal fromness and manifests it for us. On the basis of the Spirit sending, we can recognize that even within the life of God, the third person is eternally from the Father. The fact that the Father sends the Spirit in temporal mission reflects something of eternal procession, that the Spirit proceeds from the Father. We would argue as well from the Son, but the specific emphasis here is that Jesus is conveying this blessed reality. This is, to basically say, what the Nicene Creed captures. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified." Then it goes on to say, "...who spake by the prophets." So we have the Holy Spirit speaking by the prophets in the Old Covenant, We have the Holy Spirit coming upon the Lord Jesus in terms of promise and prophecy in Isaiah chapter 11. The full disclosure or the revelation comes in the temporal missions of the Son and the Spirit. The incarnation of Pentecost opens the veil so that we can behold our God in a way that we hadn't been able to prior to this. It's blessed, it's beautiful. And this is what Jesus uses to encourage the people of God. So notice the promise of the Spirit in verse 26, the first part of the verse, but the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name. Now notice the purpose for the gift. We'll see that here. I mean, the section, these three small verses or two verses are beautifully structurally similar. I'm gonna give you a gift and there's a reason for the gift. Right? When you give your child or your spouse a gift, there's not usually a reason. Okay, I gave you this, now get in there and clean your room. I mean, I guess that's probably latent in the heart at some level. Well, I just gave you this, you should go do that. But Jesus specifies that he's providing these two gifts for two particular functions in the ministry of the disciples. So notice what he says concerning the provision of the gift of the Holy Spirit. He will teach you all things, and He will bring to your remembrance all things. So let's just ponder that for just a moment. I would suggest, first of all, the all things is biblical and theological truth, not chemistry and auto mechanics. He says specifically that the Spirit will teach you all things. I believe it's all things that Jesus had taught. The gospel of Christ, the mission of Christ, the glory of Christ, the power of Christ, the saviorhood of Christ. Notice, as well, the all things ultimately become crystal clear at Pentecost. Remember Pastor Barcelos when he was here at the conference? He made that observation on a few occasions. Prior to Pentecost, the disciples got things wrong, didn't they? I'm not saying they were reprobate, heretic, arch fiends of the devil. No, no, no. They got some things wrong. Lord, when are you going to restore your kingdom? Acts 1.6. Prior to Pentecost, there were some melon scratchers for the disciples. There were times when on the heels of divine revelation given in a very powerful way, Jesus then rebukes Peter and says, get behind me, Satan. But on the day of Pentecost, what happens? The Holy Spirit comes. Again, not that he had never been on the scene, but he comes in a fuller, more powerful measure in accordance with the prophet Joel to enable and empower the church for missions to the end of the earth. And so when that spirit comes, what does he do? What do you think he's teaching these disciples? Again, it's not auto mechanics. Not that auto mechanics are bad. but they're being taught the truth as it is in Jesus, such that when that Spirit takes up residence in them and they pen gospel narratives, or when they write epistles to churches, they do so infallibly and inerrantly, not because they're infallible men or inerrant men, but because the Holy Spirit had been given to them to teach them these things. And then notice to bring to remembrance all the things that I've spoken. Did John have a pen and paper in hand? Probably not. Do you have anybody in your life that always has a pen and paper in their hand? No. Why? Because that's weird. Right? It's weird. Why do you always have a pen and paper in your hand? Because I'm writing down everything I ever see. Those people don't exist. How do you think John, several years after the events, is able to pen the fourth gospel? Because the Helper, the Spirit of Truth, whom I will send, or the Father will send in my name, He will teach you the significance of gospel truth, and He will bring to remembrance these things, so that you're able to pen infallibly and inerrantly the authoritative, abiding, blessed Word of God Almighty. And when it comes to this passage, again, look at the second half. He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Are we supposed to sort of dissect the triune God and say, well, the only ministry that the Spirit has is to teach and to remind us? Wait a minute, doesn't Jesus teach and remind us? Yes. Doesn't the Father teach and remind us? Yes. So why the focus upon the Spirit here with reference to teaching and reminder? Well, remember the strategies that I've at least tried to introduce to you that the church has developed or implemented to protect the unity of the divine nature. Inseparable operations. Everything outside of God is done by the one living and true God. Everything add-extra, creation, providence, redemption, it's all ascribed to the one true and living God. Well, what happened, or what would happen if there were no appropriations? We would never think of triunity. The appropriations help us to appreciate and to understand, and again, see behind the veil as it were, that this divine and infinite being exists eternally as three persons, father, son, and spirit. So to say that the spirit will teach and remind us is not to suggest the father doesn't, is not to suggest that the son doesn't, It is rather to suggest that in this one divine infinite being, there are three persons. And when Jesus appropriates teaching and reminding to the Holy Spirit, it helps us to remember one true and living God who exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. See, with the Christian God or the Christian doctrine of God, you cannot be just okay by maintaining monotheism. That's to put yourself with the Jew and the Muslim. There is something uniquely distinct about Christianity and our doctrine of God. He is one, true, and living, but he exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And we're not supposed to think otherwise. Augustine makes the observation on this particular passage. He says, The whole Trinity, therefore, both speaks and teaches. But were it not also brought before us in its individual personality, vis-à-vis the Spirit will teach and remind, it would certainly altogether surpass the power of human weakness to comprehend it. For as it is altogether inseparable in itself, it could never be known as the Trinity were it always spoken of inseparably. So in other words, if all we ever focus on is inseparable operations, we never look at appropriations, we're gonna have half of God. If all we ever look at is appropriation and we never consider inseparable operations, guess what our problem is then? Tritheism or some other type of heresy that'll land us in hell. You say, well, that's pretty grave. It'll land us in hell. Brethren, there's a difference between persons who haven't been taught. and persons who have been taught and reject that. Right? There's a difference between non-credal and anti-credal. I would suggest that every church that is not reformed is probably non-credal. The Nicene what? The Chalcedonian who? The London what? They just don't have those things. But when taught the truth of those things, under the power of the inspiration to see that they accurately expound Scripture, they should confess it. They should amen it. They should embrace it. Because if they don't, it is a rejection of the true and living God. And again, as it faithfully, those documents faithfully represent Scripture. So Augustine was a bit A little bit difficult. I read this the other night at family devotions to my beloved wife. That's when you know that you don't have little children anymore. I don't suggest Augustine's lectures on John's gospel, at least in the upper room discourse to your five-year-olds, because it's a bit of a melon scratcher. But I think Gregory of Nazianzus says it in a bit more of a popular way. It's kind of a way that I think is more worshipful, promoting. Not that Augustine isn't. I think Augustine's absolutely bang on. But listen to Gregory. No sooner do I conceive of the one, than I am illumined by the splendor of the three. No sooner do I distinguish them than I am carried back to the one. When I think of any one of the three, I think of him as the whole, and my eyes are filled, and the greater part of what I am thinking escapes me. I cannot grasp the greatness of that one, so as to attribute a greater greatness to the rest. When I contemplate the three together, I see but one torch, and cannot divide of measure out the undivided light. Beautiful. So when Jesus says here, these things I have spoken to you while being present with you, he is speaking this for their encouragement with the absolute realization that he's going to depart from them. He's told them that, he has announced that, the hour is upon him. He's gonna make that crystal clear as we consider God willing next Sunday morning in verses 28 to 31. But these promises of the spirit and of peace is to help them. is to be the balm of Gilead to their souls, to prepare them for the work that is at hand. So the gift of the Spirit, verse 26, notice the gift of peace in verse 27. He makes a promise, verse 27a, and then gives the implication in verse 27b. Remember I said you give a gift, typically with no strings attached. Well, here he's saying, I'm giving you this gift, and the string that's attached isn't go clean your room. The string that is attached is don't let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Matthew Henry said that when Christ left the world, he made his will. You do that, right? You've got to get your affairs in order, even if your affairs aren't that multifaceted. You don't want the government getting its greedy paws on any cent, so you better get your affairs in order. So when Christ left the world, he made his will. His soul he bequeathed to his father and his body to Joseph. His clothes fell to the soldiers. His mother he left to the care of John. But what should he leave to his poor disciples who had left all for him? Silver and gold had he none, but he left them what was far better, his peace." Notice in verse 27, peace. I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you." Remember the context, brethren. There's a general application for us. Christ is our peace, who has made peace through the blood of His cross. The specific application is for this ragtag team of fellows that are sitting around him that are having to go out in the Roman Empire to preach the glory of Christ in a very hostile environment. So what is it that they need? How to figure out the culture? No, you need my peace. This is his bequeathment. This is what he gives. So the Lord Jesus leaves his peace and gives his peace to them. The Lord Jesus as well makes a contrast between his peace and the world's peace. I was thinking about this when I was a youngster. That's old man language. When I was a youngster, my peace, as the world conveyed it, was sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Really, Pastor? I grew up in Southern California in the 70s and the 80s. What do you mean, really, Pastor? In your situation, it may have been fundamentally different. Peace for you was industry, hard work, making a million bucks. Whatever it is, whether it's good peace or bad peace in a general sense, whatever the world offers ultimately comes up short. What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? Listen to Gill. He makes a distinction between Jesus' peace and The world's peace. The peace Christ gives is true, solid, and substantial. The peace the world, the men, and the things of it give is a false one. The peace of the world is at best an external one, but the peace of Christ is the giver of, is internal. The peace the world affords is very transient, unstable, and short-lived one, but the peace of Christ is lasting and durable. The peace of the world won't support under the troubles of it, but the peace which Christ gives cheerfully carries his people through all the difficulties and exercises of this life. I think that's a good way to get at that contrast. Not as the world gives. Temporary, may feel good for a time, but it's fleeting. It's transient. It's not lasting. As well, it's orchestrated for the external. It feels good. It feels right. That's the glut of our age, is what is emotionally stimulating? Because that must be true or that must be right. No, that's not true and that's not right. And when the world comes along and says, this will provide you peace, they usually do it when they're selling you something. So always be mindful of that. He gives not as the world gives. And then if we parse this out a little bit more, what does he mean? Like, what kind of peace is he talking about? I would suggest that the rest of the scripture, as we reflect upon it, provides for us grounds to say there's both an objective, concrete, in place, absolutely true peace, and then subjective, our appropriation of that peace. Objectively, already at least alluded to Ephesians 2, 14 to 18, He Himself is our peace. Why is He Himself our peace? Because He reconciled us to Himself through the blood of His cross. That's objective. What about Romans 5? Well, understanding Romans 5, you got to kind of back up to Romans 3 and 4. What's Paul doing in Romans 3 and 4? Well, the middle part of Romans 3, he summarizes his case that all the world is liable before God for their sin, their rebellion, their wretchedness. They deserve the wrath of God that is targeted against them. 321, he then changes gears to say, but now the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. This isn't some new thing. The Spirit is spake by the prophets, spake concerning justification by faith. We see it in David, we see it in Abraham, we certainly see it in any new covenant Israelite. So when Paul declares justification by faith in chapters three and four, how does he start five one? Therefore he says, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God. Objective, rock-solid, intransient, never, ever going away. How do you think Paul can say what he says in Romans 8.1? There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Do you ever reflect on that? Do you ever ponder that? That is now our transition into the subjective piece. Objectively, what God has wrought in the gospel of our blessed Savior, life, death, resurrection, justification, which involves forgiveness and righteousness, what God has done is objectively true. It's most excellent. It's most glorious. It's most wonderful. But again, subjectively, do we appropriate those things? Do we think through those things? Do we consider soteriology? Soteriology is the doctrine of salvation. When we ponder soteriology, we are considering what we have in the gospel. We have forgiveness. We have a righteousness. We will be glorified. But we also ought to ponder theology. Who we have in the gospel. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. See, the objective is concrete. It's done. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. Whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. It's a done deal. Subjectively, though, we struggle. Subjectively, we don't use means. Subjectively, we don't ponder soteriology. I'm not lecturing. I'm not scolding. I'm simply suggesting that this is oftentimes one of the problems in terms of a lack of assurance or in terms of any subjective comfort in the objective truth of what Christ has accomplished. Brethren, we need to think through these things. We need to be glad when they said unto us, let us go to the house of the Lord. We need to be glad to turn to the upper room discourse. We need to be glad to study the benefits of our redemption and the giver of those benefits. So the Lord Jesus promises that peace. It's both objective and subjective. And then notice, not the string attached, that sounds pretty cheesy, but the string attached. It's a good one. Notice in verse 27, peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. And here it is, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Oh, that God of the Bible, he's a harsh taskmaster. Really? Hmm. He doesn't want me to be troubled and he doesn't want me to be afraid. How is that? I think a harsh taskmaster would want me to be troubled. I think a harsh taskmaster would want me to be afraid. I think a harsh taskmaster would crack the whip so that those things always obtained in my life. Notice what Jesus does. I'm conveying this peace upon you because I want you to be stable. You're not gonna go wander in to the devil's gates in a synagogue of the Jews and then ultimately end up in an amphitheater in Ephesus in Acts chapter 19 and not have at least the possibility of a bit of soul trouble and a bit of fear. Think about it, brethren. Again, he's encouraging and setting them up for this. There's a similar exhortation in 14.1. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. See, for Jesus, Trinitarian theology is intensely practical. What we know of God ought to stabilize us in terms of our exploits for God. He recognizes the inclination toward heart trouble. Don't let your heart be troubled. What is he saying? How dare you ever let your heart be? No, he's saying, I know that you're but dust. I know your frame. I know you by nature. I know you by sin. And I know the proclivity, and I know the propensity, and I know the tendency in your heart is to be one of fear or of trouble. So don't let your heart be trouble. Well, how can I not be troubled? Because I've given you my peace, that's how. But then notice what he goes on to say, neither let it be afraid. Why do you think he mentions that? What's fear gonna do with reference to the mission? It's gonna sideline it, right? If these are Nancy boys and they're filled with cowardice and they don't wanna meet the unbelieving Jews in a synagogue, they don't wanna meet the unbelieving Romans in the theater, they're gonna not do it, right? They're gonna choose the path of least resistance. So I'm giving you my peace so that your heart won't be troubled, and I'm giving you my peace so that your heart won't be afraid. Well, does Jesus know something they don't? Sure he does. Absolutely he does. Look at 1518. If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also. Look at 162. He says, they will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God's service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor me. But these things I have told you that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. We've got a similar situation in Matthew, and in Mark, and in Luke, when Jesus tells the disciples, when you're brought up before the synagogues on that day, don't worry about what you're going to say. The Spirit, the Helper, the Spirit of Truth is going to abide in you and give you what you're supposed to say. The book of Acts is one long demonstration that what Jesus was preparing them for was going to be hard. And so he bequeaths upon them his peace so that their hearts aren't troubled, but neither shall they be afraid. And as I said, if these men are afraid, if these men are symptomatic of the sorts of guys that we see today, and they're not gonna go out and fight the battles that God has ordained for them, they're not gonna accomplish what the Lord Jesus purposes for them. Before we bring this all to a close, I just want to focus on the problem of a fearful heart. Yes, generally, you shouldn't be afraid. Each and every day, you shouldn't be afraid. God is good. God is great. God is glorious. God is wonderful. But in the specific context of these men going in to turn the world upside down, I would suggest that the presence of fear demonstrates a lack of kingdom priority. The presence of fear demonstrates a lack of kingdom priority. Matthew 6. Now, the particular issue there is carnal anxiety, but I think there's some overlap. Carnal anxiety and fear. Carnal anxiety is basically fear in the day-to-day. What am I going to eat? What am I going to wear? How long am I going to live? Jesus hushes all that four times. Do not worry. Do not worry. Do not worry. Do not worry. You might say, do not fear. Do not fear. Do not fear. Do not fear. What's his point? 633. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then these things will be added to you. See, when we are sidelined with paralyzing fear, it shows a lack of priority in the kingdom. And I'm not just making this up. I think it's pretty evident in not only the New Testament, but the history of the church. I would suggest that the presence of fear as well indicates bad theology. It indicates bad theology. When Jesus gives the missionary discourse in Matthew 10 to the disciples to canvas the area of Israel, He tells them, you're going to be delivered up. You're going to be tried. You're going to face this opposition. You're going to face all kinds of hardship and affliction and difficulty. Do you know how he encourages them? Don't fear those who can kill the body only, but fear him who has the power to kill both body and soul in hell. In other words, if we are paralyzed by fear relative to men, it reflects something of bad theology. We should fear God, not men. What's Paul saying in Romans 8? He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all. How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? So if we're paralyzed by fear, we doubt that the one who did the greatest delivering up his son is going to provide for us the lesser grace to meet whatever opposition we face. I would suggest thirdly, that the presence of fear destroys kingdom advance. When the pastors are all hiding on their couches, what's happening? Well, the pastors are hiding on their couches. Remember what we looked at in Acts 14 on Wednesday night? In fact, you can turn there because I think it illustrates the point beautifully. This is one isolated spot of a great many in the New Testament documents, but we looked at Paul in Iconium. in the first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas. And we noticed in verse one of chapter 14, now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews and so spoke that a great multitude, both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. Jump into the 21st century. Well, These guys are causing problems for us. These guys are speaking ill of us. These guys are making it hard for us. So we better leave. Verse three, therefore, note the connection. Because the Jews did this, therefore. See for today, it's because the government does this, therefore we'll go sit on our couch. That's not the way it's supposed to be, brethren. Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. Now, to show you that the disciples took seriously Matthew 10, be harmless as does, but be cunning as serpents. And Matthew 10, when he says, if they persecute you in one city, then flee to another. They had that wisdom as well. There are times that you shake the dust off your feet. And it got to that point. Notice in verse four, but the multitude of the city was divided, part sided with the Jews, part with the apostles. And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers to abuse and stone them, They became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. And they were preaching the gospel there. We see the Spirit do that in the book of Acts. He brings persecution so that the people of God will disperse. And when they disperse, they go and preach the gospel elsewhere. So when it comes to this issue of faith, or rather fear, we are, by God's grace, to try and displace it with the peace of Jesus Christ. What we have in the gospel, who we get in the gospel, ought to go a long way to helping us to put to death this carnal fear wherein man becomes far more threatening to us and far more foreboding to us than the God of unrivaled sovereignty. There ought not to be fear in our hearts. And this is why Jesus bequeaths it, peace to his disciples. And the last thing I would say before we move into application, wasn't that it Butler? Yeah, we'll just have a brief, brief moment here in a moment, but the presence of fear characterizes those in the lake of fire. Turn to Revelation 21. For those of you who've been here with me, or with us here for a while, you'll know what I'm about to say, so you can check out for the next 48 seconds to use a cam-ism. It's never 45 or 40 with cam, it's 48, 43. It's a good mnemonic, helps us to resonate, I guess. Notice in 21.8, the cowardly. Unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. I mean, that's a list I think we could all approve of, right? If we skip that first term. But of course in verse eight, we'd say, oh yeah, all unbelievers, everybody abominable, certainly murderers, certainly sexually immoral, those sorcerers, those idolaters, liars, they all belong in the lake of fire. But cowards? I kind of have a fear of snakes. I don't really, but I guess if they're wrapped around my neck, I do. But from a distance, I don't have a fear of snakes, but sometimes people do. People have a fear of all kinds of things. People have a fear of the dark. The nightlight industry has thrived on fear of the dark. Is God, the Spirit, through John the Apostle, telling us that if we're afraid, maybe, you know, I got somebody in my life that's afraid to drive over bridges. And when I ponder that and I look around, it does give me a little bit of a weird feeling when I'm going over that bridge. But does that mean that person goes to the lake of fire for that fear? No, you gotta have read the rest of Revelation. Turn back to chapter two, chapter two. The seven churches of Asia Minor all end on the same refrain. Notice in 2.7. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who, note the language, overcomes. I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Look at verse 11, to Smyrna. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death. Look at Pergamos in verse 17. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. Look at Thyatira. in chapter 2, specifically at verse 26. And he who overcomes and keeps my works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations. Look at Sardis in chapter 3, specifically at verse 5. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the book of life. Notice the church in Philadelphia, specifically at verse 12. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out no more. Look at Laodicea, chapter three, verse 21. To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat with my father on his throne. And could it be that the persons listed first in the lake of fire, identified as the cowardly, are those who at least at one time made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, but didn't overcome? Well, why wouldn't they overcome? Because they were afraid of what the world said. They were afraid of what their family would say. They were afraid to actually step out in faith and do great things for the glory of God. The men, women, boys, and girls who do not overcome end up with the sexually immoral. They end up with the abominable. They end up with the murderers. They end up with the liars. They end up in the lake of fire. The bottom line is simple. Jesus gives us his peace so that our hearts aren't supposed to be troubled and neither are we supposed to be afraid. He gives good gifts to serve his people, to help his people. And I will end on this particular note. If you are looking today at the peace that the world gives you as something that is going to satisfy you, you're wrong. You are wrong. Ask anybody here that professes faith in the Lord Jesus Christ after the service. Do this. So many times after the service, well, what about this? What about that? What about, what about you? Tell me about your life. How'd you come to know Jesus Christ? Do you want to go back to that? Oh, no way. Are you kidding? Why would I go to the city of destruction when I'm on my way to the new Jerusalem? Why would I go back to hell when I am heaven bound? When it comes to this blessed reality, the peace that this world gives is fleeting, it is temporary, it is external, it is here, it is there, it is gone. The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ surpasses all understanding. It is that good conscience, not because we're good, but because of the Christ who's good. It's that good conscience before God, that our sins are forgiven, that we have the righteousness of another, and that on that day when we stand in his presence, we will be welcomed in, good and faithful servant. Again, not because of us, but because of the good and faithful servant, the Lord Jesus Christ. The only way to him is through faith. Believe and you will be saved. Well, let us pray. Our God and our Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you so very much for our Lord Jesus Christ and the gifts that he gives in terms of the Holy Spirit and peace. God, we are equipped to do what you've called us to do in this present evil age. I pray for your blessing upon this church. I pray for succeeding generations in this church. Bless the young people that gather today. I pray that from our ranks you'd raise up men with a call for gospel ministry, missions, and evangelism, and that you would do great things in this country. It is a wretched country. It is a horrible country, not in terms of how you made it, but the way it's governed. And we know that ultimately it's not politics, it's not horses, it's not chariots, but it's the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord that this land desperately needs. Bless those churches we have communion with now. Be gracious to each of them. Use the pastors. Cause them not to have heart trouble and heart fear. Cause them to boldly proclaim the glory of Jesus Christ in this age. And we ask this in His most blessed name. Amen. Well, let us stand together.