May 27, 2007
Rev. Terry D. Campbell

While Jesus Is Gone
John 14:15-20

“If you love me, you will obey what I command. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— ¹⁷the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. ¹⁸I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”

“While Jesus is gone . . .” What does that imply? It implies that Jesus is coming back. That was Jesus’ promise—to actually, physically return to this world. Pentecost, the birth and life of Jesus’ Church, should always be lived in the light of “Jesus will be returning—and until then . . .”

What will Jesus be looking for when He returns? Jesus asked in Luke 18:8-“’when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?’” That is to be our goal while Jesus is gone—to have the Faith, to proclaim the Faith and to live the Faith of Jesus Christ in every part of our lives. That means . . .

I. We are to continue Jesus’ work.

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.”

The context of today’s Bible passage is Jesus and the disciples talking and one of the disciples asks Jesus, “Show us the way to God Tell us how we can connect with God and we’ll be happy.” Jesus responds with, “Don’t you know that I am the way, your connection with God. It is through me that you have all of God’s fullness.” Then Jesus continued saying when I am gone, you will continue to do the same kinds of thing I have been doing—in fact, you will do even greater things than these because I will be gone to heaven.

Notice that Jesus said that while He is gone to heaven, Christians are to continue to do the work He began. If we love Him, we will show it by continuing to make happen the things that please Jesus. This reminds me of the words of the old church song, “Living for Jesus a life that is true, trying to please Him in all that I do . . .” That is how we can answer “Yes” to Jesus’ question, “When the Son of man returns will he find faith on the earth?” We are to continue Jesus’ work.

Luke says in Acts 1:1-2-“I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach ²until the day he was taken up to heaven.” That work can be categorized:

Not just play church on Sunday mornings. Not to go through the organizational motions of a religious organization. But to reach out to people offering them the love and salvation of Jesus Christ, while living Jesus’ life and character as completely as we can. “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” While Jesus is gone, whether we are disciples of the first century who walked with Jesus physically, or disciple of Jesus living in A.D. 2007, we are to continue Jesus’ work.

II. We are to live by the power of the Holy Spirit.

“¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— ¹⁷the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

Here is where we learn the importance and necessity of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit! It is not enough to live in the experience of water baptism ritual and human commitment. We must also have the enabling of God’s presence! That is why Jesus told the disciples before the first Pentecost, in Acts 1:4-5-“’Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’” Water baptism is our call to work for Jesus, but the Holy Spirit is God enabling us to do that work.

Since the creation of the Church of Jesus Christ—when the Holy Spirit came to Christians at Pentecost and Peter boldly preached about Jesus—people were not just promised salvation if they would give their hearts to Jesus. Acts 2:38-39 promises, “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.’”

While Jesus is gone, the Holy Spirit keeps us from living as orphans. We all know that there is strength in numbers. Jesus promised we will never be alone—but that God’s presence will always be with us. Orphans struggle to believe they are loved, that they are worthy, that any one cares about them, to feel connected and people-empowered. God gives us help to do that through the wisdom and motivation of “another” Counselor—the Spirit of truth.

Living for Jesus is more than I can do (or should attempt) by my self. Human nature gets in the way. God within me. A supra-natural experience (not supernatural, but above natural). Not naturally experienced. Jesus-insight, Jesus strength. The Holy Spirit brings Jesus’ life within us—Jesus’ thoughts (more than our consciences) power, insight, desires.

I’ve read about a mother picking up the rear of a car off her child. It’s not her ability, but adrenaline. She had it in her when called upon. The same is true with Christians and the Holy Spirit living inside of us. We have that resource on which to lean and call—non-Christians do not. Zechariah 4:6-“Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord.”

Spirit things are uncomfortable for the western mind. We like control—when the Spirit is in charge, we are not in complete control and that makes us uncomfortable. But God wants us where we have to look to Him, trust in Him and follow Him. That is Christian discipleship. Without life in the Holy Spirit Christianity is not possible. We are to live by the power of the Holy Spirit.

III. We are to mature in Jesus’ presence.

¹⁹Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”

The result of our following Spirit-led Christian leadership and training is found in Ephesians 4:14-15-“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”

We learn to walk by faith more than by sight. We walk and live more and more like Jesus did when He was on earth. The reason this is important is that the world won’t see Jesus, but they will see you and me as followers of Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit living in you and me as Believers, God will speak to the unbelievers in the world and call them to Him.

The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. The Spirit is Jesus-related because He is part of the Trinity. The world is in rebellion from God—no matter what they think or feel. Life is about living God’s way. They will see the Lord in you as we mature in Jesus and more and more manifest the life of the Holy Spirit: Galatians 5:22-23-“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control.”

What will you do now?

While Jesus is gone—it’s Pentecost time! It is time to be about Jesus’ work, empowered by Jesus’ power in the indwelling Holy Spirit, and striving to be so controlled by this life that we look more and more like Jesus in everything! If that is our goal—when Jesus returns, He will be saying to us, “Well done, faithful one.” Amen.