Remembering What Jesus Said

"Remembering What Jesus Said” John 14:16-27 INTRO. In Hebrews 1:1-2 the Scripture says, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." Before Christ came God spake to mankind by the Law and the Prophets, but since Christ came God speaks to us by His Son. I want to title the message, "Remembering What Jesus Said." In our text, we see Jesus and the twelve in the upper room just prior to His betrayal by Judas Iscariot; and just prior to His crucifixion on the Cross for us. He has told His disciples, in the beginning of this chapter, that He is going away to prepare for them and for us, a place. The Twelve, now eleven being less Judas Iscariot, who has gone to betray the LORD, are bewildered and fearful. The LORD is going away and seemingly leaving them all alone. Imagine the loneliness and despair the disciples must have felt. The One that they loved and that cared so much for them was going away. But wait, according to V16, the LORD said, "I will not leave you comfortless." We have that great promise just as the disciples had if we are saved that He will never leave us or forsake us! The Lord in v17, tells them that the Spirit of Truth is coming, and He will dwell with them, and be in them! What a great privilege we have, as believers, to have God's Spirit living inside us! "The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost,” the Lord says "will teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you." (v26). Let us turn our hearts today to the promise of the Lord found in v26. The LORD said many things during His earthly ministry, but I want us to consider 7 things our LORD said that WE MUST NEVER FORGET! REMEMBER: (1) YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN John 3:3-8—“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of flesh is flesh; and that which is born of Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth were it listeth, and thou hearest the the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” A. THE PRIORITY OF THE NEW BIRTH. Our Lord Jesus said to Nicodemus in v7 —“Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” Matthew Henry said, “Birth is the beginning of life; to be born again, is to begin to live anew, as those who have lived much amiss, or to little purpose. We must have a new nature, new principles, new affections, new aims. By our first birth we were corrupt, shapen in sin; therefore we must be made new creatures. No stronger expression could have been chosen to signify a great and most remarkable change of state and character. We must be entirely different from what we were before, as that which begins to be at any time, is not, and cannot be the same with that which was before. This new birth is from heaven, Joh_1:13, and its tendency is to heaven. It is a great change made in the heart of a sinner, by the power of the Holy Spirit. It means that something is done in us, and for us, which we cannot do for ourselves. Something is wrong, whereby such a life begins as shall last for ever. We cannot otherwise expect any benefit by Christ; it is necessary to our happiness here and hereafter” (Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary). It is a dire necessity without it all hope is gone! Jesus said in vv. 3, 5-- "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.” Oliver B. Greene in his commentary on the gospel of John writes: “There are many people today who say they are good, they have never done wrong, they have always lived a good life—but men do not go to hell because they are bad, nor do they go to heaven because they are good. People go to hell because they reject Jesus (John 3:18)…The all-important question is not ‘Are you good? or Are you bad?’ but ‘ARE YOU BORN AGAIN? What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He?’ Do YOU have a new heart through the miracle of His saving grace and His cleansing blood? If you have not, regardless of how ‘good’ you are or how much good you have done, you are not fit for the kingdom of God and you cannot enter there!” (Oliver B. Greene. The Gospel According to John. Volume 1. pp. 147-148).

B. THE PURPOSE OF THE NEW BIRTH. WHY MUST WE BE BORN AGAIN? : 1. To See The Kingdom Of God (John 3:3). 2. To Love The Way God Loves (1 John 4:7). 3. To Be Able To Be Overcomers (l John 5:4-5). (2) I AM COME THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE LIFE John 10:6-11—“This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” A. HE GAVE HIS LIFE SO THAT WE MIGHT HAVE ATONEMENT FOR SIN. The apostle Paul said in 1 Timothy 1:15—“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” Peter speaking of Christ in 1 Peter 2:24 says, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” And in 1 Peter 3:18 we read, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.” It costs God nothing, so far as we know, to create nice things; but to convert rebellious wills cost Him crucifixion. -- C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity. Christianity Today, Vol. 40, no. 9. ILLUS: Imagine a destitute mother being arrested for stealing a bottle of milk in order to feed her hungry child. Her crime of theft makes her a law violator. She is subsequently indicted and tried in the criminal justice system. When the prosecuting attorney presents his evidence in court, the judge has no alternative other than to find the poor woman guilty as charged. Because of the mitigating circumstances, the judge imposes the minimum sentence, a five-dollar fine. However, a woman who can't afford to buy a bottle of milk for her starving baby can't even pay such a small fine. The judge is a kind and caring man. But how shall he maintain respect for the law and show mercy to the woman at the same time? He resolves the dilemma by removing his judicial robe, taking five dollars from his wallet, and paying it to the bailiff in satisfaction of the judicial sentence. This frees the woman to go home to her baby. Something like that happened when Jesus went to the cross. We have been indicted for our sins and found guilty as charged. The penalty is death (Romans 6:23), and Jesus has paid the debt.-- J.D. Thomas, quoted in "How Do I Know I'm Saved?" by Norman Bales, copyright 1989, by Gospel Advocate B. HE GAVE HIS LIFE SO THAT WE MIGHT HAVE AN ABUNDANT SALVATION. Jesus said in Luke 19:1O—“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Without Him we have no life! Paul says in Ephesians 2:12—“…At one time ye were without Christ… having no hope, and without God in this world.” But Christ gave His life not only that we might live but that we might enjoy an abundant life through Him! Jesus said in John 10:10—“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” ILLUS: A father once took his small son to visit a huge cathedral. As the two were walking down the aisle, the boy pointed at the cross on the altar and said: "Father, what is that big plus sign up there?" If we ever think that the Christian religion subtracts something from our lives, we are grievously mistaken, for the Christian religion is the big plus sign that adds the best there is to our lives. The words “more abundantly” are translated from one Greek word which means “superabundant, superior, and beyond measure.” Warren Wiersbe writes: “The True Shepherd came to save the sheep, but false shepherds take advantage of the sheep and exploit them… When you go through ‘the Door,’ you receive life and you are saved. As you go ‘in and out,’ you enjoy abundant life in the rich pastures of the Lord. His sheep enjoy fullness and freedom. Jesus not only gave His life for us, but He gives His life to us right now! (Warren W. Wiersbe. The Bible Exposition Commentary. Volume 1. Matthew-Galatians. p. 330). Jesus said, YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN, I AM COME THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE LIFE and thirdly… (3) I WILL COME AGAIN John 14:1-3—“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18—“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” *In light of these words of Jesus, what should we be doing? : A. WE MUST BE SAVED (Matthew 25:10). Not just have the appearance of salvation as did the foolish virgins, but have the assurance of salvation because of our faith in Jesus (1 John 5:11-13). B. WE MUST BE SERVING GOD (Matthew 24:45-46). Serving Him earnestly, energetically, and enthusiastically! The psalmist said in Psalm 100:2—“Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.” C. WE MUST BE SHARING THE GOSPEL (Matthew 28:18-20). Because we know not the day nor the hour of our Lord’s return we MUST be sharing Christ with all we can! ILLUS: The problem with witnessing for most of us is that we know more than we do! We are hearers of the word, but not doers. Most of us have won a study course seal, but have never won a soul! While we continue to use new methods, new soul winning ideas, and new institutes and tracts to inform people how to be soul winners the truth of the matter is that most of our people do not want to be soul winners. - John Bisagno Listen folks, Jesus is coming soon and it is OUR responsibility to tell others about Christ and salvation through His name. God has set His people as watchmen in this world and as Ezekiel 33:6 tells us, “But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” I don’t know but I don’t want any blood on my hands! REMEMBER WHAT JESUS SAID: YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN, I AM COME THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE LIFT, I WILL COME AGAIN and… (4) IF YOU ASK ANYTHING IN MY NAME I WILL DO IT John 14:13-14—“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” Matthew 7:7-8—“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” *If we are going to claim this promise of Jesus 3 conditions must be met: A. ASK—“If ye ask... "--We must ask. B. ANYTHING IN JESUS' NAME—“in my name. "--In God's will. C. ASSURANCE—“I will do it". (5) IF YE ABIDE IN ME... John 15:1-8 *We must be abiding! Our word “Abide” that Jesus uses in these verses is our translation of a Greek word which means “to stay, continue, remain, dwell, and endure.” Warren Wiersbe writes: “The sooner we as believers discover that we are but branches, the better we will relate to the Lord; for we will know our own weakness and confess our need for His strength… What does it mean to ‘abide’ ? It means to keep in fellowship with Christ so that His life can work in and through us to produce fruit. This certainly involves the Word of God and the confession of sin so that nothing hinders our communion with Him (John 15:3). It also involves obeying Him because we love Him (John 15:9-10). (Warren W. Wiersbe. The Bible Exposition Commentary. Volume 1. Matthew-Galatians. p. 355). Unless we are abiding in HIM: A. WE CAN’T BEAR FRUIT (v4). B. WE CAN’T DO ANYTHING (v5). C. WE CAN’T EXPECT GOD TO ANSWER OUR PRAYERS (v7). ILLUS: S. D. Gordon tells of a spring storm that broke a large limb on his cherry tree. Although it hung by a very slender strand, to his surprise the blossoms came anyway. Later some fruit began to grow as it did on the other branches. He noticed, however, that only those in full contact with the tree bore "much fruit," while the partially severed branch produced only a scanty supply. As believers, we must be careful about our spiritual connections, making sure we are fully abiding in Christ. The fruit we bear, whether much or little, tells the story. REMEMBER WHAT JESUS SAID: YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN, I AM COME THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE LIFE, I WILL COME AGAIN, IF YOU ASK ANYTHING IN MY NAME I WILL DO IT, IF YE ABIDE IN ME and… (6) COME UNTO ME Matt. 11:28-30—“Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” A. IT IS A GREAT INVITATION—“Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden...” (v28). B. IT IS A GRACIOUS INVITATION—“Take my yoke upon you and learn of me... " (vv. 29-30) C. IT IS A GREAT PROMISE—“And ye shall find rest unto your souls." (v29b). REMEMBER WHAT JESUS SAID: YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN, I AM COME THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE LIFE, I WILL COME AGAIN, IF YOU ASK ANYTHING IN MY NAME I WILL DO IT, IF YE ABIDE IN ME, COME UNTO ME and finally… (7) TAKE UP THY CROSS Matthew 16:24-26—“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” There are 3 Things Involved in Taking up The Cross: A. DENYING SELF (v24a). All of us are one time or another have a problem with self importance. If we as God’s people could learn to discipline SELF we could do great and mighty things for God! ILLUS: Many are like this man I read about: Near Lincoln, Kansas, stands a group of gravestones that boggles the imagination. A farmer named David, a self-made and determined man, managed to amass a considerable fortune, but had few friends and no relatives for whom he cared. When his wife died, David erected an elaborate statue showing both her and himself sitting at the opposite ends of a loveseat. So pleased was he with this monument that he commissioned the sculptor to create another, this time showing him kneeling at her grave with a wreath in his hand. And that made such a fine impression upon him that he set out to erect still another tombstone depicting his wife kneeling at his future graveside with a wreath. He even put wings on her back as she now resided in another world. So, as time passed and one idea led to another, he eventually spent over a quarter of a million dollars on monuments to his wife and himself. David had no interest in aiding his fellowmen or benefiting his nearby town. Nor did he become a blessing to the church, for he used all of his resources on shrines to self. He died at the age of 92, a resident of the poorhouse, and his cherished stones are slowly but surely sinking into the Kansas soil, victimized by vandalism and neglect, weathered by time. ‘ German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was executed by the Nazis because of his testimony, made this statement: "When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die." To follow Jesus no matter what the cost -- that's the way of the cross. B. TAKING UP OUR CROSS (v24b; Luke 9:23). To deny self does not men to deny things. It means to give yourself wholly to Christ and share in His shame and death. To take up a cross does not mean to carry burdens or have problems. I once met a lady who told me her asthma was the cross she had to bear! To take up the cross means to identify with Christ in His rejection, shame, suffering, and death. -- Warren W. Wiersbe in A Time To Be Renewed. Christianity Today, Vol. 32, no. 5. C. FOLLOWING JESUS (V24c: John 12:26). Our word “follow” used here is translated from a Greek word which means “to be in the same way with, to accompany.” B. W. Johnson in The People’s New Testament notes: To follow Christ is to take him for our master, our teacher, our example; to believe his doctrines, to uphold his cause, to obey his precepts, and to do it though it leads to heaven by the way of the cross. The old hymn, Anywhere with Jesus goes: Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go; Anywhere He leads me in this world below; Anywhere without Him dearest joys would fade; Anywhere with Jesus I am not afraid. Anywhere, anywhere! Fear I cannot know; Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go. Jessie Brown Pounds

CLOSING: In our text John 14:26 Jesus said, "but the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." Has the Holy Spirit brought to your remembrance today one of our LORD'S Words? Is there one who needs to be saved, remembering what Jesus said, "You Must Be Born Again"? Christian, Are you serving Him daily, remembering what Jesus said, "I Will Come Again!" Are you abiding in Him, remembering His Words, "If Ye Abide In Me…"? Will You bear reproach for His name, remembering He said, "Take Up Thy Cross"? Will you come today?