- From Atlanta, Georgia
The entire AOC Sunday Report is RIGHT HERE!
The
Fourth Sunday after Easter.
The
Collect.
O
|
ALMIGHTY God,
who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men; Grant unto
thy people, that they may love the thing which thou commandest, and desire that
which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the
world, our hearts may surely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
5 But now I go my way to him that
sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? 6 But because
I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the
truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the
Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will
reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin,
because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my
Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot
bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you
into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall
hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14
He
shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said
I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. (John 16:5-15)
But now I go my way to him that
sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? The Lord had told them often that He must
leave them. The reaction of the disciples had been one of casual inquiry as to
where He would go, but never a serious, heartfelt persistence in learning the
answer (John
13:36 & 14:5). A casual
inquiry into the Will of God in prayer will generally lead to no prompt
response to that prayer. The Lord would have us make our petitions in earnest
and serious persistence. The manner in which we pray will determine the manner
in which we receive an answer. While Christ was with the disciples, the full
brunt of hate would be directed towards Him. When He would depart, that hatred
would descend upon His disciples – and upon us!
But because I have said these
things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Why the immoderate grief at the loss of a
loved one by Christian people? If we know and believe that our loved ones
ascend to the Strong Embrace of our Loving Lord, why the grief? We place too
great an affection upon this present world and on all of it which we enjoy. The
grief may more appropriately result from our own lot in remaining behind and
missing the present company of our loved one. It is likely that the disciples,
at this point, had believed only with a superficial understanding what Christ
had meant about His returning to the Father. Rather than looking to the
glorious resurrection and ascension, their foresight ended, where it had always
ended in this mortal life, at the Tomb!
Nevertheless I tell you the
truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the
Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. Christ came to us in human form. A human
body lacks the versatility of movement that a spirit possesses – that is, to be
at all places at once. It was expedient that Christ fulfill all of the
requirements of the law for our redemption, and to return to the Father so that
the compassionate and loving Holy Spirit would come to us! We have already
observed how faithless the disciples were when physically parted from Christ –
the disciples on the stormy seas, the men on the road to Emmaus, and Peter the
night preceding the crucifixion! The Holy Spirit (or Comforter) would ALWAYS be
with them and strengthen in the hour of trial and weakness. I need not remind
you of the amazing courage and faith demonstrated by these same disciples once
the Holy Spirit descended. Do we have that courage and conviction today? Do we,
perchance, offend the Holy Spirit? Through the agency of the Holy Spirit,
Christ is with us forever in our Emmaus walks.
And when he is come, he will
reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. A profoundly meaningful discourse here.
Christ describes herein the ministry of the Holy Spirit in His operation toward
the individual as well as the larger masses, the believer as well as the
unbeliever. Not only will the Holy Spirit reveal righteousness to the Christian
believer, but He will also CONVICT of sin the unbeliever and remove all doubt
or excuse from His lips at the Judgment. He will accomplish this conviction
through the power of the Word, for it is a two edged sword either to convince,
or condemn! Of
sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Of judgment, because the prince of this world is
judged. That seals up the whole! Satan has already been
judged and his fate sealed!
I have yet many things to say
unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. It is likely that Christ has much more to
say to each of us in due course, but we cannot receive it at once. Just as the
disciples could not believe that Christ would raise Lazarus, or rise again on
the third day, Himself, as prophesied prior to the crucifixion, we, likewise,
cannot be mature enough at all points of our walk with God to have all things
suddenly revealed to our unprepared ears. The knowledge of God requires
consuming the Bread and Water of Heaven to build strong spiritual bones and
muscles. Such bones and muscles do not appear overnight. “Line upon line,
precept upon precept!”
Howbeit when he,
the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall
not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he
will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of
mine, and shall shew it unto you. I do
love this passage! How shall He reveal that which is written about Christ if we
have not yet taken the trouble to read and study the Word? He is our Guide, but
we, too, must at least walk and follow. The Holy Spirit will not speak of Himself! In many churches
today, we hear that they are a Holy Spirit
Church. When such a claim is made, we can be sure that they are NOT a Holy
Spirit Church for He will not speak of His own, but point, invariably, to
Christ! He shall show us precious treasures and beauties from the Word
concerning Christ alone! All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said
I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. The
Holy Spirit will teach us ALL of Christ! And not only of Christ, the Son, but
the Father as well, for They are ONE with the Spirit! The Church belongs to
Christ for He purchased it with His own blood. So our Church is a Christian
Church if we heed these truths, AMEN!
