John 16:12-15 February 3, 2002

"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

Intro: When I was in High School, I was in the school play in my senior year. I played the part of Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music. I learned in that experience that drama was not my calling! However, I also learned that what went on behind the scenes was far more important than the audience would ever expect.

More than once, the prompter saved me from embarrassment by feeding me my lines in a stage whisper that only I could hear. Several times the costume crew made final adjustments that would have been very terrible had they been missed. The stage crew put all the props and the scenery in just the right places so that everything moved smoothly. It certainly was not a spectacular production, but it was OK, not because the actors were great, but mostly because those back stage understood that their role was important even though they could not be seen. However, a glimpse behind the scenes, would have made their work very clear to anyone with eyes to see.

I think, in essence this is what Jesus is doing in this passage, he is giving us that glimpse behind the scene. A picture of what the Father is doing. One of the things that put the actors at ease was knowing that there was someone who could give them lines or cues if they needed them. And today, as we look behind the scene, I believe we will see that the Holy Spirit will do exactly that. He will step in and guide you wherever and whenever it is necessary. But it is even more than that. The Holy Spirit does not just help us when it is necessary, rather he is always providing us with the lines and the cues.

Two weeks ago, I heard about a man who had developed a speaking aid that is designed to assist people who stutter. It looks like a hearing aid, but in reality it is a microphone and speaker that captures the voice of the stutterer and plays it back in his ear so it sounds like he speaking with a group of people. The process aids the stutterer and makes his speech almost flawless. And once again, this is a picture of what the Holy Spirit will do for us. It is a look behind the scene at the wonder of God's dealings with us.

This passage is God's word to us and it comes to us in a variety of forms. First, it is a word of comfort to us. Jesus said, "There is much more that I want to say to you, but you can not bear it now." The message behind the scene is I know what you can handle and I know what you need and I will not place too great a burden on you. Rather, when you are ready, I will provide way.

I don't know about you, but there have been times when I have experienced what I call brain overload. Sometimes it happens in a class, sometimes in a new job setting. My brain has been overloaded by facts and by situations. Isn't it good to know that Jesus understands our emotional and mental limits and has taken that into account as he teaches us. It has been said, God will not give us more than we can bear, and normally we take that to mean trials. This passage suggests that he will be patient in teaching us only what we are ready to receive.

The second word from the Lord is a word of direction. The Spirit, who Jesus will send, will guide us into all truth. We need guides in many areas of our lives. Yesterday, on the television show, "The Walker's Cay Chronicles," Flip was fishing in Alaska. Now Flip is a really good fisherman as well as a terrific story teller. However, at while fishing in Alaska, he contracted with a guide who told him to fish in a grassy flat. He and guide caught many fish, including one that bit his thumb and drew considerable blood. Later he said, "I would have never thought to fish for salmon on a grassy flat." That was the work of the guide.

Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit will be a guide to guide us into all truth. There is a lot in our world that is relative. Scientific investigation has become more and more dependent on the theory of relativity. Time, space, dimensions and even the very building blocks of creation are seen as relative. Truth is hard to find. Some suggest that the best we can do, is try to find our own truth, some personal corner of reality that we choose to recognize as true. However, Jesus said, "I am the truth." No matter what else is discovered to be relative, Jesus remains truth. In him there is no turning. His love does not change. His nature remains faithful. And it is the role of the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth.

This word of the Lord, is a word of guidance.

It is also a word of assurance - He will speak my words, Jesus said. How many times have we heard the words, "Let your conscience be your guide?" These words have mislead people throughout the years. God established our conscience, it is good thing, but sin has also affected our conscience. We may look to it as a guide, but it silent. Lulled to sleep by the many times we have ignored it. Sin has dulled the conscience, but Jesus tells us the Holy Spirit will speak His words.

Have you ever wondered what God wanted you to do? You can't distinguish between words of your own desire and the words of God? The key is in knowing what Jesus has said. The Holy Spirit will guide us by the words of Jesus Christ. He will guide us if we will follow.

Jesus said earlier that the disciples could not hear all that he wanted to teach them. That was assurance of his love, but here we have assurance of his concern, for here we see that Jesus has commissioned the Holy Spirit to complete his work.

Now, my house needs electricity to work properly. However, if I were to go down to the generating station at Consumer's and run a direct line from the generators at the plan to my house, how long would it take for the house to burn down? I do need power, but I can not take it all at once. There needs to be transformers along the way to break down the electricity so that it is useful and does not destroy the house. And that is the work of the Holy Spirit. He takes what Jesus has said, and makes it understandable for us. We can not take all of God's glory and truth at once. Moses had to be hidden so that he would not die when the glory of God passed by him. And so the Holy Spirit, patiently, carefully and continually brings us Jesus words in helpings we can handle. This word is a word of assurance when we don't know what to do.

And finally it is a word of worship.

The people back stage at the play, never were known to the audience. They did not look for glory, they did not try to steal the spotlight. One night a waiter in the Sound of Music put his name on the bottom of the tray he was carrying and when he had emptied it, he turned it toward the audience. It was good for a laugh, but that was not his role. The role of the crew, is to direct attention to those who are center stage. And that is the role of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "He will bring glory to me." When the Spirit is at work, he will never draw attention to himself, the focus will always be on Jesus and his work.

There are many today who would claim to be ministers of the Holy Spirit. I have even heard a preacher say his finger was a Holy Ghost cannon. Another suggested the Spirit of God rested in a tambourine that had special ribbons attached to it. I am sure, the preacher was influential with his finger, and I am sure the tambourine was pretty, but the Holy Spirit will never draw attention to himself. His role is to bring glory to Jesus Christ.

Therefor the role of the Spirit is worship, because when we worship, we are directing glory away from ourselves and our work and our lives and focusing that glory on the Father.

Worship, it is why we were created, God wanted fellowship with us, we find our purpose when we worship. Leading us to worship is the role of the Holy Spirit. Everything else he does, the guidance he provides, the teaching he gives, and the assurance with which he fills us all have as their purpose, bringing glory to Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is always behind the scene, directing us to Him. Just as the stuttering aid whispers words into the ear of a stutterer, so the Holy Spirit is encouraging and directing us every step of the way.

This morning we are going to share together the elements of the Lord's Supper. As we share them, the Holy Spirit will use these elements to bring to our mind Jesus words. But His ministry will not stop there. Jesus said, "As often as you eat bread and drink wine, remember me." Let us ask the Lord to use every common event in our lives to remember Him. Today I would challenge you to ask God to tune your ears to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit so that you will no longer stutter when you speak his words, or forget your lines as you live each day. I challenge you today to be attuned to God's work behind the scenes.