​Have you ever had moments when you were just scared to death?  What has terrified you the most or given you the most unrest in your spirit?  Maybe it was news coverage of a calamity or evil on world news or the announcement of a local tragedy.  Or for you, it may be the political state of our nation or just politics in general, both international and domestic.  We all have things that we fear and that give us anxiety and unrest.  Yesterday was the remembrance of September 11th, the day fifteen years ago when all of America was struck with fear by the destruction of three key buildings and icons of American liberty.  Since then, there have been many acts of terror, tragedy, and evil committed around the world that can cause us to fear and fret.  Therefore, the final words Jesus speaks to His disciples in the Great Discourse are a timely message for us.  

​Joy.  We hear that word so often within the Christian world.  There are multiple books written on why one must obtain it, sermons dedicated to the pursuance of it, and within this John 7-21 Study we already looked at “Fullness of Joy” being found by abiding in the Vine.  So why are we going to look at this quality again?  Why rehash such a reoccurring subject?  Well, because Jesus brings it up again.  The word joy is used seven times in the gospel of John and four of them are found in John 16.  So this is obviously an important topic to Jesus!  

​Have you ever experienced the uncomfortable pricking of your conscience?  Doesn’t it make you feel miserable and tie your insides up in knots after you’ve done something you shouldn’t have?  It’s been said that the conscience is man’s internal moral compass pointing out the difference between right and wrong.  Well, the world also has a conscience whether it knows and appreciates it or not.  Its name is the Holy Spirit. 
 
Although the Holy Spirit was promised in John 14, Jesus goes back and continues to share its purpose in John 16, with one of them being to convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment.

 “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:  concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”
~John 16:8-10