John 16:12-15.

The Trinity In The Bible.

John 16:12 “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.

Please be seated.

Brothers, Sisters, Friends Today is known as Trinity Sunday, and so I greet you all in the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit! Amen.

When we read the scriptures it's always interesting, to especially note sections where the Trinity is in focus.

The Gospel we just heard – John 16: 12 – 15 is one of those sections and I believe it would be worth teasing out the details that God wants us to learn about His dream for us!

Jesus first tells His disciples that He was going away to the Father, but He would send a guide and comforter, Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, who will guide them into all truth. [show Bible]...

My brothers and sisters, God's word is truth, and Jesus is the Word Incarnate. Holy Spirit therefore comes to guide us into greater and greater understanding of Jesus. This applies pertinently to us today!

The work of the Holy Spirit

It can be a great eye-opener for some people but it isn't all about us! It's actually all about Jesus., as well. It's Jesus who gave up His position in God to become a man. It's Jesus who lived with all the temptations in the world and stayed without sin and so defeated Satan.

It was Jesus who tasted death for us so that we do not have to die and it was Jesus who rose from the dead so that we could be given eternal life. Holy Spirit promised, has come to give us a saving knowledge of God's only begotten Son Jesus.

Next Jesus tells us that Holy Spirit will not speak of Himself but will say what He hears from the Father. What connection!

Like us today, no doubt the disciples did not fully understand, what Jesus was trying to convey.

Jesus tells His disciples that it is for their good that He is going. Only when he has ceased to be with them, in a human body, can He send His spirit to be with them, in a much freer and fuller way.

The Holy Spirit will be their Counsellor, working alongside and in them and helping them….all of them and all of His footstep followers. Today….John 16:5-15. You and Me.

People will be ashamed of the way Jesus was and is treated. He will reveal all Jesus did. That He s now with the Father in Heaven, that He was right Satan was wrong, and Satan's deceit will be, exposed. And his power broken.

The Holy Spirit will teach and guide.

The Spirit will faithfully communicate God's truth to his disciples in the future. He will reveal the wisdom of Jesus in every situation. Just as Jesus had been showing them and teaching them about The Father so now the Holy Spirit.

We are, as Jesus before us did, to say only what we hear the Father say and do only what we know the Father does; and it's Holy Spirit who shows us what is in the heart of God.

We also learn that Holy Spirit will let us know what things are to come, ahead of us into the future. Did you ever realize that as one close to God and listening to the Holy Spirit, that you would be given knowledge of future events that matter to you? I'm not talking about being a prophet! I talking about the smaller local personal things which could affect you; your family, your friends or those who are against you. As Jesus knew the traps that the Pharisees were setting for Him and also that Lazarus was dead, although no-one had come from Bethany with the news! So today, if we believe and trust in Jesus, God, Incarnate, The written word /the logos, then the we too will be divinely led by Holy Spirit.

We must concentrate on edifying Jesus. The bible calls this glorifying Jesus. Glorifying is the word when this applies to God, edifying when it applies to our brothers and sisters…. Human beings like ourselves, as a means of encouragement on glorifying God.. We are to respond to the Holy Spirit within us and edify those we are working alongside us. Do you remember what God tells us in Philippians 2:3?

Phi 2:3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

When we build one-another up guided by Holy Spirit who is our guide, rather than gossip about them, then we are doing what God requires of us. And He shows us the perfect example in Holy Spirit.

All that Jesus has is ours. We have that, not because we have lots of goods or money, but because we walk in this world with Jesus' authority. As Jesus tells us in the book of Matthew.

Mat 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

That's not to be taken in a prideful manner.

We can only use that authority according to the will of God, but we have it to use, and in so doing, we draw close to God in humility.

James 4:6 states….But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Then, every one of us can do the things God promised His believers and commanded them to do.

We can heal the sick, cleanse lepers, raise the dead and cast out demons! And even greater things also!

But, we have to believe; we have to draw close to God; we have to step out in faith; we have to persevere in doing the work of God.

Yes...then God will answer our by His grace

When we command the healing, physical and spiritual, which Jesus provided through His victory over Satan to manifest, God answers our prayers

I bind myself to Thee,………..

When we submit to God and resist the devil; he has to flee!

Lord Jesus, send your holy spirit enable us to do whatever task God has called us to do, help us in our weakness and guide us to eternal life. Amen.

All these things Holy Spirit declares to us as we read the word; as we build faith hearing the word; and as we let Him guide us into all truth. It all comes from the Father; It's been given to the Son and it's declared to us through the Holy Spirit.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, working together, in harmony in our life after salvation.

AMEN.

Janetta.