- By Rev. Devadosan Sugirtharaj
- Posted 12/20/2020
- Viewed 17620
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The Royalty of our King: Advent Sermon Series
Wonderful Counsellor
John 14:16-26
Rev Dr Devadosan Sugirtharaj
Introduction
- In the Advent season, we continue to meditate on the royalty of our king and God. He has revealed to us in Christ as the Wonderful Counsellor.
- In the bible, our Lord is wonderful because he is incomprehensible and, at the same time, he is a Counsellor because he teaches and guides us in the right direction.
- Today we meditate on our Lord’s advent as the Wonderful Counsellor.
Word Study
- The Greek word for the counsellor is parakeleto and it means to counsel, assist, advise, support and advocate.
- In the New Testament, the word counsellor is the one who leads believers into all truth and presents this truth in the light of Christ.
Context of the text
- When Jesus preached his final discourse to his disciples before his crucifixion in the gospel of John, the disciples were sad. In order to assure them, Jesus said that he is not only a divine counsellor to them but also the Holy Spirit is also another counsellor to them so that they may continue to walk in the truth.
1. Our Wonderful Counsellor reveals to us the amazing presence of God that we are not alone but Emmanuel is always with us in our daily lives. John 14:16-18
- 16 I will pray to the Father, and He will give another Helper, that He may abide with you forever- 17 “the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18. I will not leave you orphans; I will come in you.
- Lord Jesus clearly told the disciples that He will be with them through the presence of the Holy Spirit to experience the presence of God in their lives. The world does not know him so that they may not experience his presence. However, they will do it as God is living with them always.
- Our Wonderful Counsellor does not just give guidance but also lives with us always. God’s presence is important in his wonderful counselling ministry. Being with us always is the primary ministry of the wonderful counsellor in our lives.
- Haggai.2:5: According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. so My Spirit remains among you: do not fear!
- Romans.8:11: But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
- Biblical Example: God led his people of Israel in the wilderness towards the promised land by giving them the Tabernacle so that they may experience tangible the presence of God among them. Exodus. 25:8: And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.
- Sermon Illustration: One rainy day, a father was babysitting his children and had the task of keeping them entertained. He assigned specific tasks to each child. To keep his 10-year-old son busy for a while he took a picture of a map of the united states from a magazine and cut it up into little pieces and asked him to reassemble the map correctly. Surprisingly, the son had put the map together perfectly far faster than he thought. He asked his son how in the world he had done so well, so quickly. The boy responded: Well dad, I probably couldn’t except I notices that on the back was a picture of a man. I simply put the picture of the man together correctly and the world took care of itself. This is what happens to us when we have a clear picture of Jesus’ presence in our lives.
2. Our Wonderful Counsellor reveals to us amazing truths of God through his word daily that we will be set free by his truth in our daily lives. John 14:19-21
- 19 A little while longer and the world see ME no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.
- Jesus told his disciples that He will continue to teach them the truth of God through His Spirit through his word so that they may experience God’s wonderful dimensions of truth so that they may experience God’s amazing ways in their lives.
- The important ministry of our Wonderful Counsellor is to teach and explain the word of God daily how it is fulfilled in Christ Jesus and also to know the truth practically so that the truth may set us free every day in our lives.
- Psalm.119:24: Your testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.
- Proverbs.11:14: Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
- Bible example: When Jesus talked about the end time signs, he told the disciples that they would face difficulties and persecutions. However, He will not abandon them but reveal his truth through his Spirit. Mark.13:11: But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak but the Holy Spirit.
- Sermon illustration: One time a woman purchased a book and read a few pages of it but found it boring and uninteresting. She laid it aside and rarely looked at it. Then one day she became acquainted with the author and it became a loving relationship with him. She married him. After her marriage, now suddenly the book was no longer dull. Every sentence was full of meaning, every page held her heart, and she was enthralled by each chapter. The only thing that had actually changed was that she now had been touched by the author and he brought a whole new perspective on the book. The relationship with the author brought alive the book’s contents.
3. Our Wonderful Counsellor guides us in our problems as our Helper so that we may experience his wisdom in our decision makings and also in all our walks of life. John 14:22-26
- 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the [g]Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
- Jesus knew that the disciples would face difficulties and problems every day and he promised that He, as our Wonderful Counsellor, would guide them to overcome the problems through his wisdom and guidance.
- We have a wonderful counsellor in our lives so that we can trust him to listen to our problems and guide us in the right direction. Our wonderful counsellor listens to our problems and to our prayers so that he may guide us through his wisdom and understanding.
- Psalm 32:8: I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
- I will guide you with My eye.
- Philippians.4:6: 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
- Bible example: 2 Chronicles 20:15-17: When King Jehoshaphat was panic in his life with all inhabitants of Jerusalem, God sent Jahaziel these words: 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the [a]brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”
- Sermon illustration: A century or so ago, a ship in a storm was dashed against the rocks in Cornwall, at the South West corner of England. A fifteen-year-old sailor swam to safety on an offshore rock. He climbed up and waited all night until he was rescued the next morning. A reporter interviewed him and commented, ‘You must have been shaking all night as you clung to that rock.’ ‘Yes,’ the young sailor replied, ‘I trembled all night with fear and cold.’ Then he added, ‘But the rock never trembled once.’
Conclusion
When we prepare to celebrate the first advent of Christ, Christmas, we are reminded that Christ is our Wonderful Counsellor. As the wonderful counsellor, he gives three important blessings to us through his Spirit.
- Our Wonderful Counsellor reveals to us the amazing presence of God that we are not alone but Emmanuel is always with us in our daily lives. John 14:16-18
- Our Wonderful Counsellor reveals to us amazing truths of God through his word daily that we will be set free by his truth in our daily lives. John 14:19-21
- Our Wonderful Counsellor guides us in our problems as our Helper so that we may experience his wisdom in our decision makings and also in all our walks of life. John 14:22-26
Questions for Discussion
- Christ is our Wonderful Counsellor. He is with us through the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. When you feel alone or abandoned and helpless, how does God’s presence in your life to maintain a faithful and fruitful discipleship life in this world?
- Christ is our Wonderful Counsellor. He teaches us his truth through his word daily. What does it mean for you to obey God? How do you listen to Jesus every day and understand the word of God? Does his teaching change the way you see what you understand God, yourself and the world?
- How does Christ guide you to make the right decisions every day and how do you learn about yourself and God in that experience?