One way I’d describe the Christian life is that it is a life-long adventure. Did you know there are somewhere near 33 million book titles available at Amazon? Yet what does the Apostle John say in John 21:25? If everything Jesus ever said and did were written down, I suppose, “… not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written.” We’re like the Oprah book club, but with one book. We will never exhaust all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge found in Christ.
As we sit here, the human race is on the brink of a whole new revolution. Our great-grandparents saw the steam engine (and later gasoline engines) transform society. They also saw the electric power revolution. Around 1980, came the digital and internet revolution. You literally wear the World Wide Web on your wrist. We are hyper-connected, and hyper-entertained.
But right now, we’re on the brink of a cyber-revolution… the birth of Artificial Intelligence. Artificial intelligence has read those 33 million books on Amazon. There are about a trillion webpages on the Internet. There are more webpages than your brain has neurons. If it hasn’t already, it has the ability to read the Internet (and I mean, the whole Internet). AI knows the mind of man, and is being trained not just to think, but “out-think, out-create, out-man” man. Within years you will interact with more AI systems than with fellow human beings.
A few weeks ago, we were having lunch with Lara’s parents, and I was explaining what I know about AI… and for giggles and laughs, showed them a tamed down version of Artificial Intelligence. I wrote, “Write me an original love poem for Lara.” It was good enough to make her ears turn red and blush! I wrote, “Tell me Abraham Lincoln’s view of God.” Then I put, “write an awesome sermon for me about John 16.”
Who knows. AI might certainly master the “mind” of men, but it certainly won’t master the “spirit” of man. The spirit of man is uncontainable. And as incredible as it is to think man’s spirit might be mastered, AI will never master The Mind, much less The Spirit of the Living God. 1 Corinthians 2:11 says, “For who knows a person’s thoughts except his spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” And again 1 Corinthians 2:16 says, “For who has known the Lord’s mind, that he may instruct him [God]? But we have the mind of Christ.”
It's that last part of 1 Corinthians 2:16 and John 16 that I want to talk about today. You and I are the beneficiaries of a revolution that now greatly precedes, and far and above exceeds even the cyber revolution. It’s the Spiritual Revolution that was inaugurated at Christ’s departure from the earth. John 16:7 says, “Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.” And John 15:26, “When the Counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father —the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me.”
When I leave, I will send the Spirit of the Living God into you. The Spirit of Truth, The Counselor, The Teacher, The Helper. Just think about it! The Spirit of Christ will give you the Mind of Christ! Through the Spirit of Christ, we can query the mind of the Father Himself, and know Father’s Love in profoundly new, fresh ways. We can read all about the industrial-eclipsing, digital-eclipsing, even cyber-eclipsing “Spiritual” Revolution of Jesus in John 16. I’ll be honest, it’s a stretch for me to even get my mind around John 16 but I’ll try.
First, the Holy Spirit will bring a Revolution of Light. Do you recall how in John 1:5 we were told how the light of Christ “shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it?” Some translations say, the darkness has not “understood” light. And again in John 3:19, “This is the judgement: The light has come into the world, and the people loved darkness rather than the light their deeds were evil.” But John 3:20 add an additional insight, “For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed.”
Imagine how revolutionary it might be, if despite man’s discomfort, and indeed his hatred of the light, God were to crank up the lumens of light anyway? John 16:7-11, “Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9 About sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 11 and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”
Every solid sentence has a clear subject, verb, and direct object. When he comes, “The Counselor” [subject] “Will Convict” [Verb] the “World” [Direct Object] of sin, righteousness, and judgement. The willful and evil spirit of man may very well go on resisting the Holy Spirit, but he won’t be able to ignore Him forever. Those who reject the light of Christ’s words and works are without excuse, because the convicting (exposing) lumination of the Spirit of the Living God renders all men without excuse! All will be held accountable for their unbelief.
Second, the Holy Spirit will bring a Revolution of Truth, Teaching, and Discipleship. John 16:12-16, “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t 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, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.” 16 “In a little while, you will no longer see me; again in a little while, you will see me.”
Imagine how revolutionary it might be, were God to begin writing his law directly on men’s hearts and minds by His Spirit? Jesus says that time has begun! Imagine how revolutionary it might be, were God to begin writing his law directly on men’s hearts/minds by His Spirit? I am sending my Spirit. He will directly guide, directly teach, speak, declare, He directly gives you the things of God! John 16 is in fulfillment of the ancient promises God made through the prophets, regarding his Holy Spirit. Hebrews 10:16-17 recalls, “This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, the Lord says, I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds, and I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts.”
I believe we see a snapshot of this revolution in Acts 2:42-47, where Spirit-filled people are spontaneously devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Acts 2:43-47, “Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. 44 Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. 45 They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” This is what Spiritual Revolution of light and exposure, truth and discipleship looks like!
Third, the Holy Spirit will bring a Revolution of Hope and Comfort. John 16:17-22, “Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this he’s telling us: ‘In a little while, you will not see me; again in a little while, you will see me,’ and, ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They said, “What is this he is saying, ‘In a little while’? We don’t know what he’s talking about.” 19 Jesus knew they wanted to ask him, and so he said to them, “Are you asking one another about what I said, ‘In a little while, you will not see me; again in a little while, you will see me’?
20 Truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. 21 When a woman is in labor, she has pain because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a person has been born into the world. 22 So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you.”
Imagine how revolutionary it might be, were men to begin living in light of all eternity? In the 1st Century women didn’t just experience pain in childbirth, far more often than today, they would die in childbirth. But what Jesus is saying here is that for those who believe, there is GREAT JOY on the other side of all the pain, suffering or even death the world throws at you. That JOY will so eclipse the pain, the pain will be little more than a faint blip of memory. How revolutionary might it be, in the face of death, that the Spirit fill us with a transcendent “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control?” HE DOES!
Fourth, the Holy Spirit will bring a Revolution of Sonship and Prayer. John 16:23-28, “In that day you will not ask me anything. Truly I tell you, anything you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. 24 Until now you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. 25 “I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. A time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 On that day you will ask in my name, and I am not telling you that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”
How revolutionary might it be if every single barrier were removed between you and God, and you could approach the very throne of God with every confidence knowing that not only does God hear you, but the Father LOVES you. If only I had another hour. Romans 8:14-17, “For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”
Romans 8:26-27, “6 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Hebrews 4:16, “Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.” Go back and look at Jesus words in John 14 about the power we find in prayer to ask anything, and to invite God to do in our lives and world even greater things.
Fifth, the Holy Spirit will bring a Revolution of Victory and Peace. John 16:29-33, “His disciples said, “Look, now you’re speaking plainly and not using any figurative language. 30 Now we know that you know everything and don’t need anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.” 31 Jesus responded to them, “Do you now believe? 32 Indeed, an hour is coming, and has come, when each of you will be scattered to his own home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
Let me end by saying this. The promise of the industrial revolution—and all her technological offspring… whether the revolution of the engine, electricity, computer, artificial intelligence… the promise of technology is to bring peace to sinful man, and to help man escape (if not defer) the power of death. There is only one revolution that has brought true peace to man and victory over death—and it’s the spiritual (Spirit-led) revolution of Jesus.
John 16:7 says, “Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.”
Write that sermon, AI.