Introduction

• John 13:1
• “His own” – compare Matthew 26:20; Mark 14:17; Luke 22:14
• Jesus is referring to the apostles in this context.
  • John 13:2, 6, 23
  • John 21:20-24
  • John 14:5, 8, 22
  • John 15:16, 27
  • John 17:6, 12, 18

Jesus is preparing the apostles for their work (John 13-17)

• John 13:20 – They would be representatives for Jesus.
• John 14:16-18 – The apostles would not be left alone.
• John 15:3-5 – They needed to abide in Jesus.
• John 15:16
• John 15:26-27 – The Holy Spirit would come and be a helper and advocate for them.
• John 16:4-15 – The apostles had a big task, but they would have help.
• I Corinthians 2:11-13

Listen to their words!

• Acts 1:1-9
• Acts 2:1-4, 36-41 – The first people were baptized.
• I Thessalonians 2:13

Don’t try to apply Jesus’ promises about the Holy Spirit to us today.

• If you strongly believe that the Holy Spirit will guide you or speak to you, it is possible you will misinterpret events and attribute them to the Holy Spirit.

The Bible doesn’t tell us to expect direct guidance like that.

• Ephesians 3:4
• Acts 2:38 – The gift of the Holy Spirit was salvation.
• Ephesians 5:18; Colossians 3:16 – Is this work of the Holy Spirit different from the word?

Beware of other influences.

• II Thessalonians 2:11
• Could you be deceiving yourself? Could it be Satan’s deception?

The Holy Spirit is not going to contradict Himself in Scripture.

Source material

• Why God Gave Man the Bible by Gene Taylor

God has a purpose for everything that He does.

• Isaiah 55:8-11

To tell man he is lost.

• Luke 9:25
• If someone has sin and they don’t know it, they can’t fix it.
• I John 3:4; 5:17
• Romans 14:23
• James 4:17
• Micah 6:8
• We must spend time in God’s word to know what sin is.
• Genesis 1:27
• Genesis 3:23-24
• God gives us the information we need. He is just.

To assure man that God desires for all to be saved.

• I Timothy 2:3-4
• II Peter 3:9 – God doesn’t want anyone to perish! God is patient.
• John 17:17
• Romans 1:16
• II Timothy 3:16-17
• II Peter 1:3
• John 3:16-17
• Romans 5:8
• Matthew 16:18-19
• Acts 2:47

Jesus was always the plan.

• Genesis 3:15
• What Jesus did was a deathblow to Satan’s plans.
• Hebrews 2:14
• I John 3:8
• This was in God’s mind even before Creation.
  • I Corinthians 2:6-9
  • Ephesians 1:4
  • II Timothy 1:9-10
• I Peter 1:18-21

Jesus came to save us.

• Mark 1:14-17, 21-28 – Jesus was teaching people to turn to God.
• Mark 2:15-17 – Are you spiritually sick? Come to the great physician.
• All of this was just so that we that are not good enough can come and be saved.
• Luke 19:10
• Jesus doesn’t care if other people have bad attitudes about you. He came to save us.
• Titus 3:5
• Matthew 11:28-30

He demands absolute submission.

• Matthew 28:18-20
• Matthew 19:16-26 – Nothing can be left undone with Jesus.
• If Jesus went right to our sore spot, what would He say?
• The grace of God allows us to overcome all our weaknesses.

Deuteronomy 18

• Deuteronomy 18:1-8 – Levite portion
  • The Levites would be supported by a portion of the offerings. This worked great as long as the people did what they were commanded.
• Deuteronomy 18:9-19 – Who should Israel listen to?
  • They were to stay far away from witchcraft and sorcery.
  • Israel was to listen to the prophets to come.
  • See John 1:21. This is a reference to the Prophet in Deuteronomy 18:15.
  • John 7:40-43
  • Acts 3:19-26 – All the prophets looked forward to the coming of Jesus.
  • Moses’ words have now come true in Jesus.
  • Acts 7:35-53 – Stephen compares the Jews rejection of Moses to their rejection of Jesus.
  • Hebrews 1:1; 2:1-4
• Deuteronomy 18:20-22 – The test of a prophet.

Deuteronomy 19

• Deuteronomy 19:1-13 – Cities of refuge
  • God clearly considers motive. There is a difference between murder and manslaughter.
  • Numbers 9:10-13.
  • Note that these are matters of the heart. The Law of Moses was not merely a physical law. The heart mattered.
• Deuteronomy 19:14-21 – Miscellaneous laws relating to honesty.
  • Quotes from America’s founding fathers:
    • “Public virtue cannot exist in a Nation without private Virtue.” – John Adams
    • “Virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government” and “Human rights can only be assured among a virtuous people.” – George Washington
    • “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.” – Benjamin Franklin
    • “To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people, is a chimerical [imaginary] idea.” – James Madison
    • “No government can continue good but under the control of the people; and … their minds are to be informed by education what is right and what wrong; to be encouraged in habits of virtue and to be deterred from those of vice …” – Thomas Jefferson
    • “Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. He therefore is the truest friend of the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue.” – Samuel Adams
    • “A vitiated [impure] state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, is incompatible with freedom.” – Patrick Henry

Deuteronomy 20

• “When you go out to battle …”
• Deuteronomy 20:5-9 – Reasons for men to be excused from battle.
• Deuteronomy 20:18 – They were going to battle to prevent the spread of idolatry.

Introduction

• Job 1:12; 2:6-10
• Job 17:1 – Job was broken by what he’d gone through.
• How do we keep from getting overwhelmed when things pile up in our lives?
• Job 7:20
• Job 14:1 – Job had lost perspective.

This is temporary. God is going to fix all this.

• God does not owe us an explanation for anything. He has told us what we need to know.
• James 4:5
• James 5:10
• Hebrews 11:10

God is in control, even when I don’t understand everything.

• Job was ignorant of what was going on behind the scenes.
• Job 13:3, 15, 20 – Job wanted to argue his case before God.
• Job 23:3
• Job 1:20-22
• Job 42:3
• It is okay if I don’t understand everything.

I should blame Satan, not myself or God.

• Job 1:1
• Luke 13:1-3 – Sometimes bad things just happen.
• Be careful about assigning things to God.
• Job 1:22 – Job never blamed God.

Nothing on earth is worse than Hell, or better than Heaven.

• Matthew 25:34, 41

I need to spend time with mature Christians.

• Job 22:23; 8:6; 11:14 – Job’s friends had terrible advice.
• We need to spend time with people who will give good advice.
• Acts 2:46; 12:12 – Early Christians came together.
• Seek out mature Christians who can help.