When the Advocate Comes
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The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force but the living embodiment of God's love—personified as the love between the Father and the Son, as St. Augustine described. In this sermon, Pastor Dave Ripper unpacks Jesus' promise in John 16 that the 'advocate' (parakletos) would come after His departure, revealing four transformative roles of the Spirit: testifying about Jesus, convicting the world of sin and righteousness, guiding believers into all truth, and glorifying Christ. The sermon emphasizes that being filled with the Spirit isn't passive—it requires imitating His work through bold testimony, openness to conviction, humility in seeking truth, and intentional glorification of Jesus in daily life. Drawing from personal experiences, archaeological discoveries like the 230 AD mosaic declaring 'Jesus is God,' and the legacy of Billy Graham, Ripper illustrates how the Spirit's witness is both historical and ongoing. Ultimately, the path to being filled with the Spirit is through self-emptying—pouring ourselves out in love, service, and friendship, which creates space for God to fill us anew.
The Holy Spirit is the love between the Father and Son—God Himself is love, not just a force.
Being filled with the Spirit means imitating His four roles: testifying about Jesus, convicting of sin, guiding into truth, and glorifying Christ.
The Spirit’s conviction is not condemnation but liberation—leading us toward repentance and faith.
The oldest known evidence that early Christians believed Jesus was God dates to 230 AD, found in a prison mosaic in Megiddo.
True spiritual growth comes not from knowledge alone, but from obedience—truth is lived, not just studied.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Welcome & Church Updates
Pastor Dave Ripper welcomes listeners back from a trip to Virginia Beach and Charleston, shares highlights from a family road trip, and thanks pastors Anson and Dan for covering in his absence. He announces the upcoming series on being filled with the Spirit.
Who Is the Holy Spirit?
“God is the one that loves, that is loved, and is love itself.”
The Advocate: Parakletos
The Greek word parakletos—translated as 'advocate'—means helper, comforter, one called alongside. Ripper explains how the Spirit is present with believers everywhere, empowering them for mission and endurance.
Four Ways the Spirit Works
“The Spirit convicts not to condemn, but to free you and help you find the life God made for you to live.”
The Spirit as Teacher & Guide
“The best teacher I've ever had is the Holy Spirit.”
“The best teacher I've ever had is the Holy Spirit.”
“God is the one that loves, that is loved, and is love itself.”
“To glorify God means to think and act in such a way that the goodness, greatness and beauty of God are constantly obvious to ourselves and all those around us.”
Host
Holy Spirit
person
Jesus Christ
person
Dave Ripper
person
Crossway Christian Church
organization
Billy Graham
person
Dead Sea Scrolls
other
St. Augustine
person
Museum of the Bible
organization
Jake Scott
person
Megiddo mosaic
other
Series Introduction
Crossway Pond Sermon Podcast • 34m • 4/12/2026
A New Heart and New Spirit
Crossway Pond Sermon Podcast • 28m • 4/19/2026
The Spirit as Teacher
Crossway Pond Sermon Podcast • 33m • 4/26/2026
Praying with the Spirit
Crossway Pond Sermon Podcast • 31m • 5/10/2026
Your Body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit
Crossway Pond Sermon Podcast • 36m • 5/17/2026
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