Jesus is Advocate
How many ROCKS have you picked up along the way?
3 stories: ( Story 1: Acts 14:1-3, Story 2: Acts 7:54-56, Story 3: John 7:53-8:1-11)
1 Theme: Jesus
1 tool: a stone
FOUNDATION
I John 2:1-2
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an ADVOCATE with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
ADVOCATE, adʹvo-kā̇t (παράκλητος, Gr. paráklētos): 1 John 2:1
“If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
The Greek word has several shades of meaning: (1) a legal advocate; (2) an intercessor; (3) a helper generally.
Numbers 14:10-20(NIV)
10 But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. 11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? 12 I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.” 13 Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them. 14 And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard that you, Lord, are with these people and that you, Lord, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. 15 If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, 16 ‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath, so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ 17 “Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: 18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ 19 In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.” 20 The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked.
Jesus is given legal responsibility to go forth on our behalf. He goes forth as our intercessor, and our helper.
5 attributes of an advocate
1.Compassion
He Felt
“John 8:6-8
6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
How many stones are in our hand? How many times have we missed opportunities to intercede for others because we were casting stones against them? We must have compassion and pray for others in there time of struggle.
2. Grace
Enlighten & Empowered
Acts 14:9-11
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
We must not be an accuser but we must have the attitude of an advocate and help bring people closer to Christ.
Romans 8:31-35(NiV)
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
3. Intercession
Christ leads the way
Romans 8:34-35
34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
We should be interceding and advocating on behalf of those who are lost.
4. Sacrifice
39 Lashes
I John 2:1-2
1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an ADVOCATE with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
Our advocate is the sacrifice, Christ is the sacrifice.
5. Mercy
Great Love
Numbers 14:18-20
18 The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ 19 In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.” 20 The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked.
We have to move from a place of perspective to a place of vision.
The spirit of an advocate is slow to speak. We have to put the stones down and stop being accusers. We are to run towards the hurt, the broken and the pain and embrace them. We have to bring in the lost. Is our gospel big enough?
Jesus wants to unpack the rocks in our pockets.