1. Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher - Jim Rickard Thursday, January 6, 2011 www.GraceDoctrine.org

2. Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.— Amen.

3. Memory Verse 2 Tim 2:4, “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.”

4. Chapter 16 Outline:

5. Introduction: In Chapter 15 the disciples were told what they should do. In Chapter 16 Jesus predicts what the Triune God is going to do for the disciples.

6. Chapter 16 tells us that: 1. The Holy Spirit will convict the world, and lead the Church into all truth. Vs. 8, 13

7. 2. Likewise, the Son will impart joy (+H) to the hearts of His disciples (via His resurrection and the sending of the Spirit). Vs. 20

8. 3. In addition, the Father will continue to love them. Vs. 27

9. All of this tells the disciple that victory in the Angelic Conflict is certain.

10. These verses are preparing the disciples for opposition so that they are prepared when the trial comes, lest when it comes they should stumble and fall.

11. Persecutions are designed by Satan to shake your faith, and expose you to the danger of apostasy. Compare Luke 24:21-25.

12. If you are not made aware, if you do not know why, and if you are not encouraged with the promised aid of the Holy Spirit, you would sink under the trial, and forsake Christ.

13. We also learn that: 1. If believers are left to themselves they will fall away and perish.

14. 2.God affords means and helps beforehand to keep you in the path of duty.

15. 3.The instructions of the Bible and the help of the Holy Spirit are all granted to keep you from apostasy.

16. 4.Jesus knows all your dangers and enemies. 2 Tim 1:12, “He is able to guard what you have entrusted to Him until that day.”

17. The Greek word for “stumbling” in John 16:1 is SKANDALIZOS from which we get our English word “scandal”.

18. It means one who causes a scandal, that is the one who has stumbled (i.e., sinned).

19. It also means being caught in a trap or a snare, or to stumble over a block in one’s path.

20. Persecution is the trap that Jesus does not want His disciples to fall into and potentially fall away in the spiritual life.

21. As Jesus did, we too should look to the fulfilling of Scripture for peace, comfort, hope and joy (+H) in the face of persecutions.

22. We should not ask, “Where do the troubles come from?” or “why?”, but instead say, “I know they work for good.”

23. It is the common fault of believers to look only on the dark side of the cloud, and to turn a deaf ear to the voice of joy and gladness in the midst of tribulation.

24. The disciples’ hearts were filled with sorrow because of their too great affection for this present life.

25. Nothing hinders your joy (+H) in God more than the love of the world, and the sorrow of the world which comes from it.

26. Grace Fellowship Church Thursday, January 6, 2011 Tape # 11-003 Chapter 16 Outline and Introduction Part 2 John 16:1-33; Luke 24:21-25 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2011