Prep+ Podcast #4
00:00:00:34 - 00:00:29:30
Unknown
Welcome. You're listening to the Prep Plus podcast. We're seeking to energise and equip you as a growth group leader to have a fantastic time with your group. Going deep in the word such that it goes deep in you and growing as disciples of Jesus. This is our fourth study, our final growth group time in our Holy Spirit series, and we're looking at the final promise that Jesus gives to his disciples concerning the spirit in John 1612 to 15.
00:00:29:34 - 00:00:45:09
Unknown
We've been zooming in on this section, the the upper room discourse all. And what is our big prayer for this final time on the Holy Spirit? And of course, you're going to keep on talking about the Holy Spirit. But these four study on the Holy Spirit. What's a big prayer? Would you pray it for us? Absolutely.
00:00:45:14 - 00:01:13:01
Unknown
What we're thinking about here is how, the New Testament that we have is the witness of the disciples, the spirit led witness of the disciples or the apostles, to the Lord Jesus and why we should trust in the New Testament witness as a result. Let's let's pray that, loving father, thank you for the promise of the Holy Spirit in coming to them and speaking the truth.
00:01:13:06 - 00:01:39:03
Unknown
The fact that the spirit speaks not only own authority, but speaks your word to us and helps them to understand what's going to happen in the future as well, and declare it to us through their writing. Thank you so much for the Spirit's witness. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen. So this is our full study. And I do like that opening question.
00:01:39:03 - 00:01:58:48
Unknown
Imagine you, one of the 11, to whom Jesus said, I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. What might you be feeling at that point? At that moment, we had a laugh about some of the different possibilities for that question, about how they might have been feeling, but I think what I like about it as well is it just reminds us of the particular context of this passage.
00:01:58:53 - 00:02:21:33
Unknown
It's not Jesus kind of downloading a doctrine sermon on the Holy Spirit. He's speaking to his particular disciples, who would be the apostles and really comforting them before his death, loving words to them. Love, really? He loved him to the end. That's what John 12 says. He loved them to the end. That's the beginning. You know that speaks about him on a jump to John 13, speaks about loving them to the end.
00:02:21:34 - 00:02:40:28
Unknown
It's so tender, isn't it? And is it really tender and intense? Kind of context. We're looking at the final. Yeah. Final promise that he gives in John 1612 to 15. And you've got there a question about what is spirit, least what the spirit is going to do. What kind of things would we be noticing in that question?
00:02:40:28 - 00:03:00:52
Unknown
What does he do according to these? Well, he he's going to speak and he's going to speak not for himself, but he'll speak what he hears. So there's something there about the spirit and his place in the Trinity and what he'll do. And I think, again, it goes back to we've known this series, the Holy Spirit, he who leads us to Christ, isn't it?
00:03:00:52 - 00:03:30:49
Unknown
And it's because of passages like this where he's so Christ focussed. Yeah, yeah, he'll glorify me. Yeah. And he'll take, he'll take what is mine and declare it to you. This will be Jesus speaking to them through the spirit. And so this this is a kind of a shorter study. So there's going to be an opportunity with questions at the end to kind of do an overview of the whole, kind of learning that we've had on the Holy Spirit.
00:03:30:54 - 00:03:51:04
Unknown
We've got some questions there and a cross reference to two Peter to just show the confidence that we can have that in the New Testament is this is this promised to us or is it it's to them, but it kind of helps us understand, because the holy, the Holy Spirit speaks today through God's Word, through the Bible.
00:03:51:09 - 00:04:04:24
Unknown
And so how what how does this help me understand if someone comes up and says, look, I've been spoken to by the spirit. How do we weigh that up? What do we do with that if we think that's happening with us? How do we weigh that up? What do we do with that? I think we've got to be careful with the you hear?
00:04:04:24 - 00:04:21:36
Unknown
I think we're tempted, particularly with this passage, to think, oh, this is some Jesus speaking about what's going to happen in the future. And he's speaking to us, to you, the you. We're wondering now we read 12 and say, you cannot bear them now. He's talking to them. They can't bear now. But by the end he's saying all that the father is mine.
00:04:21:36 - 00:04:41:30
Unknown
This hour he'll take what is mine and declare it to you. It sounds future. I'll try to talk to. I'll declare to you the things that are to come. I think we can slip quickly to saying. Oh, he's talking about the future. And where do you hear about I don't know, that's the case. I think he's still speaking to them, but speak to them and a future for them.
00:04:41:34 - 00:05:02:40
Unknown
And I wonder if there's ways. I mean, definitely when you compare it to kind of his high priestly prayer in chapter 17, it's the the final bit of that is so explicit that he's kind of praying about us. Yes. Well, this is not quite framed in the same way. No, but it is helpful in that it kind of clarifies for us the work of the spirit doesn't it, in that he's he's pointing to Christ.
00:05:02:45 - 00:05:20:26
Unknown
And he isn't speaking on his own. Authority's not going to give some kind of new word. So that really, I think, kind of stance, the idea that I have a new word for the spirit that's contrary to the Word of God, or I have a calling from the spirit that's contrary to the word of God or a word that's not going to refer to Jesus at all.
00:05:20:31 - 00:05:42:18
Unknown
Yes, God had nothing to do with Jesus. That would seem peculiar given that promise, given this promise that you have here. That's right. And so even if that is the promise to them in that room at that time, it is helping us understand who the spirit is and how he works today. So if your group has questions around that, those might be some of the discussions that you're having.
00:05:42:23 - 00:06:01:21
Unknown
There, and I hope that's a benefit to you. And then if we turn over to, this live it out section, we could broaden that out, could we? Oh, and if we wanted to, we could actually say, let's look at this series as a whole. What have we learnt about the Spirit's work? The signs of the Spirit's work?
00:06:01:26 - 00:06:17:49
Unknown
I guess you could start with this passage and then zoom out. Could you do it that way? You can use it as a wrap up kind of couple of questions, because I do feel like that final question as well as, as well, where should we be looking to know of the Spirit's work in the world? Could be a really nice recap.
00:06:17:54 - 00:06:36:19
Unknown
But I think, Kate, trying to encourage people to say, okay, where what verse are you looking at for that? Because there can be sometimes temptation. We lift our eyes and just pull in all sorts of things when actually we want to be thinking through. What have we learned, what verses have been helpful? What in John 14 to 16 have we learnt about, the Spirit's work in the world?
00:06:36:19 - 00:06:52:13
Unknown
So maybe you could even reframe that question is, in light of John 14 to 16 and all that we've seen, where should we be looking to know the Spirit's work in the world and in us? And you might choose to have an extended time of prayer. At the end of the study. Thanks so much for listening.
00:06:52:13 - 00:07:10:12
Unknown
We really hope that these, have been helpful for you. Alongside the sermon series, as we've explored who the Holy Spirit is and if there's members in your group who still have lots of questions, one resource, which might be of benefit to you is the The Holy Spirit by, Philip Jensen. That's quite a chunky book.
00:07:10:17 - 00:07:28:21
Unknown
But if you need access to that, then you could ask one of the pastors, even looking. Oh, sorry. The coming of the Holy Spirit is the correct title. Because chances are that a question that has come up in your group or for a particular person, is addressed in that book. And so we could even even lend you the whole book or, show you a section that could be of benefit.
00:07:28:22 - 00:07:45:10
Unknown
There's an appendices, a whole set of appendices in that book. We're answering lots of questions. Really helpful. So a really helpful resource if you want to kind of keep these conversations going with your group and with people in your group. But what a great series. What a joy to be looking at the work of the spirit. Let's keep listening to him.
00:07:45:10 - 00:07:46:58
Unknown
Well, thanks for listening.