If you will recall, last Sunday we looked at the cost of discipleship. We looked at the words of Jesus to his disciples on how the world around them hated them. He told them that the persecution that they had experienced was not going to end once he was gone. In fact, the persecution of all those who follow Christ has done nothing but continue up to our world today and will do so into the future until Christ comes again. So often we think only about the good things that come with being a Christian, and there are many good things. Actually, everything is good about the Christian faith, but there are some aspects to it that cause us difficulty at times. The most glaring of those is what we talked about last Sunday and that is that the world is against us and seeks our demise. However, we have Christ. God is on our side, so there is no way that we can lose. In our text this week, Jesus begins by describing a little more what the persecution of Christians by the world will actually look like: being driven out of synagogues, killed in the name of God, and seemingly separated from what they hold dear. Think about these things for a second, to be driven out of the synagogue would be like being cut off from the presence of God Himself during this time. The synagogue was the epicenter for daily life for so many people, especially those who were very zealous in their faith, and Christ is saying that his followers are likely to be driven out from there. Also, his followers, who are deeply devoted to God, even run the risk of being killed. But not only are they perhaps to be killed, but their deaths are to be seen as if they are an act of great service towards God. Those opposed to Christ see the killing of Christ’s followers as if they are actually honoring God and bringing great glory to Him. They view it as if they are slaying great heretics. They view it as if they are destroying the enemy.
Jesus doesn’t tell his disciples these things to scare them, but to encourage them. It seems odd at first, but not really once you think about it. When we know what’s coming, we are much less likely to be afraid. Sure, there might still be a little fear, but it isn’t nearly as great when we know what to expect. It’s kind of like being tickled. The reaction of laughing when someone comes at you and pokes you in your side or under your arm is actually a response by your body to fear. You cannot tickle yourself and make yourself laugh, because you know what’s coming. You don’t think I’m telling the truth, then go try it, but please, wait until after the service to try it and see if I’m right. Sure, poking yourself in the side may not feel great, but the reaction of laughter is eliminated. Also, Christ has waited until this point to tell his disciples about this persecution because up until this time he has been with them. There was no point in scaring them with what would come after he had left them because it wasn’t anything impending until now. It would be the equivalent of me worrying where my daughter is going to attend college when she gets of age, and we’re just getting ready for pre-K this year. For me to fear that she might pick another school, one in particular, over my beloved Mississippi State is just plain foolish and idiotic.
However, the time has come. Jesus is returning to the Father, the one who sent him. This should have been a wonderful moment for the disciples. I mean, Jesus returning to his place of glory should have been what they longed for and wanted to have happen. But we know from our text that that is not the case. The disciples weren’t so much concerned with where Jesus was going, but what they were to do after he was gone. All they seemed to be concerned with is the perceived absence that they were to experience. What mattered wasn’t the gain of all Christ’s followers, but their own personal loss, proving once again their lack of understanding as to Jesus’ intended work. And that’s not to degrade them, but it’s just to point out that they still do not get the whole and larger picture.
Then, Jesus makes the astounding statement of verse 7, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” One of the most common statements I hear from folks who struggle with believing all that Scripture holds and in turn that Christ is our only means of salvation is, “well, if I had lived when I could have seen Jesus, then believing would be much easier.” I understand such statements. I don’t agree with them, but I understand them. And my response is always along the same lines; I tell them that if you lived in that day, then you wouldn’t know the Holy Spirit. Like we said a few weeks ago, the ascension of Christ made it possible for the Holy Spirit to now descend upon all believers. Christ tells us why it is so important that the Holy Spirit is coming; he tells us what is going to happen when the Holy Spirit comes. He will convict the world. “He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” The Holy Spirit will convict us and show us what sin actually is, while also very much transforming us so that we are left without doubt as to the validity of Scripture and the truth about Christ.
In our world today, we struggle with the definition of sin. We know that a sin is anything that is outside of what God wants and commands of us, but we struggle with exactly where that line is. Even though I think this is a dangerous thing, it’s probably still better than the other notion of counting everything as a sin and just dismissing it without any hint of changing our thoughts, motives, or behavior. However, getting back to the issue of defining sins, we struggle with what we call a sin and what we call acceptable. There are countless issues within our society that hinge upon this very discussion and distinction. The issues of homosexuality and homosexual marriage are probably the most prominent examples that come to mind. Many in our world struggle with the notion of is it a sin or is it the way God created a person, because if God created someone that way then is it really a sin? Part of the reason why we struggle so greatly with this debate is that there are very few people in our world today who do not know at least one person who considers or classifies themselves a homosexual. Now, I’m not going to state my opinions on this matter at this time. Many of you know my thoughts on this and I would be happy to speak with anyone about this matter in a different setting, but it is not what our text today is about. I bring it up only to illustrate the point about the conviction of the Holy Spirit, the conviction that he brings upon the world. When the Holy Spirit comes, he convicts us. When we truly allow ourselves to be completely consumed by God, then we are left without questions. When we remove our own thoughts and opinions and experiences from the equation and allow the Holy Spirit to dictate our understanding of life, Scripture, and the world around us, then we know exactly what is and is not a sin. We know because God, through his Holy Spirit, has written it upon our hearts and we cannot escape it or deny the truth.
Christ goes on to tell the disciples that he has much more for them to know, but that it must wait. There’s still some time left and what he has to tell them isn’t information that they must have right then. However, Christ doesn’t have to tell them at all. When the Holy Spirit comes, he will point them to the truth. Just as we have said, the Holy Spirit will make known to them all the things of God. The Holy Spirit will lead them to what they need. I want to give you a little insight into the week of a preacher. Well, maybe not the entire week, but at least the preparation that goes into a sermon. Many people are curious as to how a pastor prepares a sermon, and the preparation is different for every preacher. For me, I begin Monday morning by reading the text that I have selected for that week. I work on it as much as I can on Monday and Tuesday. I go over the text somewhat with our group of men who meet together on Wednesday morning. Then, I hardly touch it Thursday through Saturday. Come Sunday, I wake up early in the morning, somewhere between 5 and 6 am, and I pray for God to lead me in my preparation and then I read it through one last time. There have been times when little changes were made and there have been times when entire sermons were thrown out and re-written on Sunday morning. It just depends on the direction in which the Holy Spirit is calling me to lead God’s people that particular day. I have to rely upon the Holy Spirit for guidance because without him I can’t find the true meaning of the text that is before me.
Now, the power of the Holy Spirit doesn’t end there with making things known to us. The power of the Holy Spirit isn’t just about leading us down the right path. The true power, the power that will change your life, is the power of God working through the Holy Spirit in applying the redemption achieved by Christ to us. We find near the end of the last several verse of our text some language dealing with the Holy Spirit declaring to us something that is Christ’s. What Jesus is talking about here is his righteousness. He’s talking about his perfection, his purity, his obedience, his salvation. The Holy Spirit is the one who applies the redemption of Christ to our hearts. So you see, it is not a bad thing that Jesus left his disciples and ascended into heaven. Had he not done so, then the Holy Spirit could not have been sent by him to apply such redemption to us. It is through the work of the Holy Spirit that we are saved. No matter how great the forces are against us and no matter what hardships we may face, the work of the Holy Spirit is not stopped. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, God is shaping us, those that He has called, to be more and more in His likeness each day. And that process, the process that we call sanctification, will continue until such time and we enter into our eternal state of glory with the Father. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment