A Theology of Family
Genesis 2: 15 – 25; Mark 10: 1 – 9; Matthew 16: 13 – 20;
Acts 9: 1 – 6; Ephesians 5: 25 – 33.
I. Introduction.
In anticipation of Fathers’ Day, the Harris Poll conducted an online survey last month. The poll consisted of one question with no multiple choice answers supplied. Very simply, the poll asked, “Thinking of television fathers, who would you most like to have had as a dad when you were growing up?”
Here are the top ten results of the survey: 10. Tim Taylor, Home Improvement; 9. Ben Cartwright, Bonanza; 8. Charles Ingalls, Little House on the Prairie; 7. Howard Cunningham, Happy Days; 6. Mike Brady, The Brady Bunch; 5. Ozzie Nelson, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet; 4. Andy Taylor, The Andy Griffith Show; 3. Jim Anderson, Father Knows Best; 2. Ward Cleaver, Leave It to Beaver; 1. Cliff Huxtable; The Cosby Show.[1]
While I am not here today to interpret statistics gathered by the Harris Poll, I do find this list of fathers interesting. It’s interesting that none of these “Top Ten TV Fathers” are on prime time TV in 2009.
Does this mean that TV is so filled with reality shows and crime dramas that there are no fatherly role models on TV in 2009? Or does it simply mean that there are no fatherly role models on TV in 2009?
Every year on Fathers’ Day, I remember a conversation I once had with a retired football coach from Baylor. He said, “You know something that’s not fair? It’s not fair that every Mothers’ Day we come to church an hear an uplifting sermon about Godly mothers and how none of us would ever become Christians without the influence of our Godly mothers. Then, we come to church on Fathers’ Day and hear a sermon about how the entire American culture is going to hell, because there are no Godly fathers anymore.” I made a promise to myself that I would not be that kind of preacher.
So, I am not here today to discriminate against fathers. I am not going to recite the statistics about American culture and try to blame all our cultural problems on fathers. Instead, I want to be positive. I want to show you what I believe the Bible has to say about families. If any of our fathers feel guilty today, please don’t blame me. I am not trying to make you feel guilty. Don’t blame me. But, listen for the Holy Spirit to bring conviction to the way your family functions.
The Bible is filled with stories about real people and real families. It would be very difficult for me to find a perfect family—or even a perfect father—in the pages of Scripture. Of course, the only perfect father in Scripture is our Heavenly Father, the Father of Jesus Christ. He is our model. Yet, all the earthly fathers in Scripture fall short of God’s perfection.
I believe there is some comfort in this as we read the Bible. We can read the Bible and encounter men just like you and me. We can read about their mistakes and find ourselves mirrored in what they have done. We can even learn from their mistakes by reading about the logical conclusions to their mistakes and stop before our families end up like theirs. But, the greatest lesson we can learn is that God continues to use imperfect people and imperfect fathers.
The first family in the Bible was Adam and Eve and their children…
II. Genesis 2: 15 – 25.
This is my favorite Scripture to read when I perform wedding ceremonies. I like it, because it places marriage in the context of God’s activity in creation. In other words, I believe that God created the physical universe, everything that lives in the physical universe, AND God created marriage.
We can find several significant points about marriage in the story of Adam and Eve. God looked at all of the created beings on the earth to find a mate for Adam, but there was none that “fit.” The only mate which “fit” with Adam was the one God created in a special act of creation—woman. Only woman “fits” with man, and only man “fits” with woman.
I use the word “fit” to describe the relationship between Adam and Eve. The Bible uses the word “suitable,” but it means the same thing. We could even say something like, “corresponding otherness.” Adam and Eve were not created to be the same. They were created to “fit” together. Male and female “fit” together spiritually, emotionally, intellectually and physically. This relationship between one man and one woman is the only relationship that “fits” the Bible’s description of marriage.
It is also significant that God is the one who brought Adam and Eve together in marriage. Jesus helps us to interpret this in one of his conflicts with the Pharisees…
III. Mark 10: 1 – 9.
Notice that the Pharisees instigated this conflict with Jesus by asking him about divorce. That is significant, because Mark has already told us in chapter 6 how this was the very issue that caused John the Baptist to be executed by the king. John spoke out against the king’s divorce and remarriage. The king placed John in prison and had him killed. Now, Jesus is in danger of facing the same thing.
However, Jesus didn’t talk about divorce here. Jesus chose to speak about marriage. Specifically, Jesus told the Pharisees that marriage originated in the story of creation. Then, Jesus taught that it is God himself who puts a husband and wife together. “What God has joined together, let human beings not separate.”
Jesus’ interpretation of the story of creation tells me that marriage was created by God. God created marriage to be a relationship between a man and a woman. God created marriage to be an eternal bond between husband and wife.
But, marriage is not the only “institution” created by God…
IV. Matthew 16: 13 – 20.
The verse I want to emphasize today is verse 18, “(Jesus said) And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
Jesus’ words to Peter can be interpreted in two different ways. There are some who believe that Jesus intended to build the church on Peter, as the church’s first Pope. Others believe Jesus intended to build the church on Peter’s confession of faith—that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. I believe it was the latter, since Peter never served as a Pope or Bishop in the early church. James came a lot closer than Peter, serving as the early church spokesman in the book of Acts.
Notice the way Jesus used the words “I” and “my.” Jesus said the church is his church. It doesn’t belong to the Baptist convention, the pastor or even the deacons. The church belongs to Jesus. Also, Jesus said he will be the one responsible for the growth of the church. Again, the Baptist convention, the pastor and the deacons cannot build or grow the church. Only Jesus can grow his church.
The connection between Jesus and the church is even more apparent in the story of Saul’s conversion in Acts…
V. Acts 9: 1 – 6.
At this point in Saul’s life, he was a good Jew but not a Christian. Saul knew everything a man could possibly know about the history of Israel, the Jewish religious traditions and the Old Testament Scriptures. But, Saul did not know the teachings of Jesus. You and I just read Jesus’ words claiming ownership of the church. So, we should not be surprised at what happens in the story.
Acts 9: 1 tells us that Saul was “breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.” It does not say the church, but we know from reading the first eight chapters of Acts that the disciples had formed themselves into a church when the Holy Spirit was poured out on them.
When Saul was on the road to Damascus to attack the church, he was stopped in his tracks by a blinding light and a voice. Notice what the voice said to Saul in verse 4, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Saul didn’t recognize the voice, so he asked the speaker to identify himself. The answer is in verse 5: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
I imagine that at this point, Saul was just a little confused. The book of Acts does not tell us this, but I think Saul must have at least thought, “I am not persecuting you. I am persecuting the church.”
Again, you and I are familiar with the teachings of Jesus; and we just read that Jesus claims ownership of the church and takes the responsibility of growing the church. So, we are not surprised that persecuting the church is the same thing as persecuting Jesus. In other words, “If you mess with the church, you are messing with Jesus.”
After this encounter with Jesus, Saul’s name was changed to Paul. Paul became the greatest missionary of the early church and the greatest theologian, who described what Jesus’ church is supposed to look like. One of Paul’s teachings on the church is in Ephesians 5…
VI. Ephesians 5: 25 – 33.
Notice that Paul quotes from Genesis 2: 24, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” Jesus quoted this same verse to describe the permanence of marriage in Mark 10. Now, Paul quotes this same verse to describe the church! There is a connection between church and marriage! Marriage is a picture of the church. And the church is a picture of a marriage.
Since God created BOTH marriage and the church, I believe we should understand each in the context of the other.
VII. Conclusion.
The story of Saul’s conversion teaches us that “messing with the church is the same as messing with Jesus.” I think we can say the same thing about marriage.
Just as God does not attack churches, so God does not attack marriages. Satan is the one who attacks churches and marriages. On Fathers’ Day, I think we can expand marriage to include the relationship between parents and children. God does not attack your family; but Satan is intent on destroying your church, your marriage AND the relationship between parents and children.
I also believe we can find a connection between the purpose of the church and the purpose of the family. I believe the “five purposes” for the church are easily transferred to become purposes for the family.
1. Evangelism…One of our primary purposes as a church is to share the Good News with the world around us. As fathers, we have the same responsibility to lead our children to faith in Jesus. We do this by demonstrating our own faith and by sharing with our children what Jesus means to us. Fathers have a God-given responsibility to place their children in places and situations where they will learn about Jesus. The church is one place where children will hear about Jesus. You need to bring your children to church, but that is not enough. You need to teach Jesus in your home.
2. Discipleship…Discipleship is what takes place in a Christian’s life after he or she becomes a Christian. The best analogy I know is to compare discipleship with growth. God does not take us out of the world as soon as we profess Christ as Lord. He leaves us here to grow in our understanding and in our relationship with Christ.
This is why it is important for parents to read the Bible and to pray with their children. Model for your children the kind of Christian growth you want them to have in their own lives. In 1971, when my parents were expecting me, they attended a worship service at First Baptist Church, Starkville, Mississippi. In that service, there were two men teaching about the importance of reading the Bible with your children. My parents “walked down the aisle” of that church and made a commitment to read the Bible with me when I was born. (One of those two men was Jerry Merriman, who grew up in Lufkin and joined our church two years ago.)
3. Worship…It’s important for parents to worship with their children. Notice that I didn’t say parents should worship their children. Worship God alongside your children. Yes, this is supposed to happen at church on Sundays. And, yes, it should happen at home as well.
4. Mission / Ministry…Mission and ministry are two words we use to describe serving other people in the name of Christ. Jesus left us with a job to do on earth until he returns. Our job on earth is the same job Jesus modeled for us in his life—preaching the Gospel to the lost, casting out demons and healing the sick. What are you doing with your family to serve others in the name of Christ?
5. Community…Some people use the word “fellowship” here. Fellowship is a good word, but community is my preference. Our community within the church is more than an accident of our birth or the jobs that brought us to Lufkin. Our community is based on our personal relationship with Jesus and our commitment to serve him in Lufkin. Our community is a reflection of Christ.
The world sees Jesus when they witness our love for one another. The same is true for your family. The world should see Jesus when it sees your love. Does your family demonstrate Jesus through your love?
[1] http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/pubs/Harris_Poll_2009_06_16.pdf; and http://www.marketingcharts.com/television/top-15-tv-dads-reflect-days-gone-by-9497/harris-interactive-top-15-tv-dads-june-2009jpg/
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009: Work Versus Worship
Work Versus Worship
1 Samuel 8: 1 – 22 and Colossians 3: 22 – 24.
I. Introduction.
Last Sunday, my brother and his family visited our church. After church, we drove to New Braunfels for a week of vacation. On Monday, we spent an entire day riding the water slides at Schlitterbahn with five children. At the end of the day, we were worn out! On Tuesday, we drove to San Antonio and spent the day at Sea World. By the end of the day, we were worn out. On Wednesday, we drove back to San Antonio to see everything we had missed the day before at Sea World. Then, we toured the Alamo, strolled along the River Walk and ate supper at the Rainforest Café. When we got home, we were worn out. On Thursday, we went back to Schlitterbahn to visit the two parks we had missed on Monday. Again, by the end of the day, we were worn out. On Friday, we could barely get out of bed. After a week of vacation, I am ready to get back to work!
No matter what you do for a living or what social circles you find yourself in, one thing we all have in common is the way we meet people for the first time. Typically, we ask someone, “What do you do?” We rarely ask other people who they are. We ask what they do.
There is a difference between what you do and who you are; just as there is a difference in your being and your doing. Yet, you can learn a lot about someone by asking what they do. Where a person spends their day to day working life often reveals something about that person’s experience, priorities and even their character.
The one side of being a minister that I haven’t gotten used to is the way some people respond when they first discover what I do for a living. When I meet someone for the first time, I often try to avoid talking about being a minister for as long as I can. But the inevitable question always comes up at some point in the conversation…What do you do?
It’s not that I am embarrassed to be a minister. But, I often find myself getting embarrassed for other people when they find out that I am a minister and then feel like they have to say something spiritual. Once I met a married couple at a football game. When the wife found out that I was a Baptist minister, she said, “We used to go to a Baptist church in Alabama, but we haven’t found a church in Texas.” I found out later that they had left Alabama seven years earlier.
Then there was the time that Shauna and I moved from an apartment in Waco to a duplex. She was seven months pregnant and couldn’t help move anything heavy. I asked some of the college students to help us move and had only a couple of guys respond. The night before, one of those guys called to ask if we needed any more help. He was in a fraternity and thought it would be a good idea to make the new pledges come and help his college minister move. The next morning I had 15 new pledges show up whom I had never seen before and never saw again. I was riding in the truck with one of those guys when he found out I was the college minister of First Baptist, Woodway. He said, “I go to Calvary Baptist.” I said, “I have not been here very long, but I recently had the opportunity to meet Ken Massey. He seems like a great guy.” He said, “Who is Ken Massey?” I said, “He is the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church.”
In January 2006, I spent a week in Nashville with 18,000 college students from all over the world. We were challenged by John Piper, Beth Moore and Louie Giglio to declare God’s renown to the nations. But Louie made a very important point in the final session. He said that many of the 18,000 students at Passion wanted to be ministers and missionaries, but there were some students who perhaps felt guilty that God had not called them to go to the nations.
Maybe that is your story. Maybe you have heard a lot about mission and ministry, and you have gotten excited about what God is doing, but that just hasn’t been what you felt God calling you to do. Does that make your calling and direction in life less important than what other people are called to do?
Work is an important part of our lives. On one hand, work can give us a sense of dignity and importance and purpose and even a sense of satisfaction. But this brings with it a great temptation. Our work can give us a false sense of security by tempting us to become less dependent on God and more dependent on ourselves.
The story of Israel and its first king illustrates this very danger. We can become so interested in work that we begin to think that we do not need God. Our work can replace our worship.
Read 1 Samuel 8: 1 – 22.
This story gives us an important insight into human nature—Or at least it gives us a key insight into the way God has chosen to deal with human beings. God gives us freedom to choose, and the freedom to suffer the consequences for the choices we make.
Samuel’s sons chose not to follow in their father’s footsteps and obey God’s commands…This is another sermon in this passage of Scripture that I preached on Fathers’ Day a couple of years ago…Notice that Samuel is always held up as a godly example in the Bible…Nothing is ever mentioned about Samuel, criticizing him for disobedience or failing in his spiritual life…Yet, Samuel’s sons did not grow up to serve and follow and obey God…His sons had the freedom to choose not to serve God and thus had the freedom to face the consequences…Samuel was never held responsible for the disobedience of his children…
The people of Israel chose to turn their backs on God’s leadership by asking for a human king…just like the nations around them…
In the book of Exodus, we read the story of how God used Moses to release God’s people from slavery in Egypt and to lead them into the Promised Land. During their forty years in the wilderness, God made his covenant with the Hebrews and established them as a nation. This is the only nation in world history that was set up as what we call a Theocracy—meaning, “Ruled by God.” (Our nation is set up as a Democracy—meaning, “Ruled by the People.”)
Theocracy was based on one very important element…Someone has to listen to God and speak God’s will to the nation. That person was Samuel. However, when Samuel’s sons stopped listening to God and began to rebel against God, the people of Israel got concerned. They could no longer trust their priests to lead them and to show them God’s will. So they made their own choice…They asked the aging Samuel for a King…They chose to abandon the Theocracy in favor of the human system that seemed to work for all the neighboring countries.
Israel faced two choices…To do things God’s way…OR…To do things like the world around them…Ultimately, every choice comes down to the same two categories…
We know how this story eventually played out…God told Samuel to give in to the people’s wishes and anoint Saul as the first King over Israel…
And Saul started out as a great king…He was tall, good-looking, he was a real charmer, and he was a military genius…But eventually Saul’s gifts and abilities began to work to his disadvantage…He began to depend less on God and more on himself…
The first time this happened was in 1 Samuel 13…Saul was at war with the Philistines at Micmash and were greatly outnumbered…Saul and Samuel had an arrangement that Samuel would lead the army in worship and burnt offerings before every battle…This was a way of searching for God’s will and assuring that Israel’s army was fighting God’s battles and not their own…On this particular occasion, Samuel had told Saul that he would join Saul and the troops on the battlefield after seven days…However, before Samuel arrived, Saul became anxious and decided to take matters into his own hands…Instead of waiting for the priest to come and offer sacrifices, Saul offered the sacrifices himself…Samuel arrived just as Saul had finished the ritual and pronounced God’s judgment on Saul and his kingdom…
The second time this happened was in 1 Samuel 15…God had spoken to Samuel about the Amalekites…These were the same people who had “waylaid” the Israelites as they moved into the Promised Land…God had a special plan for the Amalekites…He planned to use King Saul to utterly and completely wipe them off the face of the earth…However, Saul refused to listen to the Word of the Lord as spoken by Samuel…Instead of destroying these people, Saul spared the life of their King, Agag…Instead of killing all the flocks and herds of animals, Saul kept the best animals for his own coffers…The Word of the Lord came to Samuel again, informing him that Saul had disobeyed God’s commands…So, Samuel went to Saul the next morning…As Samuel approached, Saul greeted him by describing how he had done exactly as the Lord had commanded him to do…Samuel responded, “Then why do I hear the bleating of sheep?”…So, Saul told another lie—If you lie once, you have to keep telling lies to cover all that you’ve told before… “We kept the best sheep and goats in order to offer a big sacrifice to your God.”…Once again, Samuel pronounced the Lord’s judgment on Saul and his Kingdom…
Notice how both times Saul got in trouble it was about worship…Both times were at the height of Saul’s accomplishments as King…Defeat of the Philistines and Defeat of the Amalekites…In both cases, Saul had become so self-confident and self-reliant, that he refused to listen to God and follow God’s direction…He allowed his work to replace his worship…
In some ways, this reminds me of the Experiencing God materials written by Henry Blackaby…The greatest point of that Bible study is found in the two points…God is already at work in our world…We should join God in what he is already doing…
Saul worked contrary to God’s work in the world…And refused to listen to the Word of the Lord in worship…
My favorite Pastor-Theologian is a Presbyterian minister Eugene Peterson. Peterson helped me make this connection between work and worship in his book Leap Over a Wall. He points out that God is a worker…We first see God at work Creating everything in heaven and earth…Then we see God at work Redeeming his people through Moses, the Judges, the Prophets and ultimately in Jesus…This leads us to think of our own work as making us God-like…In other words, when we are creative and doing good work it is only a small step to jump from thinking of our selves as God-like to begin thinking that we are actually god…
This is a problem that the Apostle Paul addressed in the New Testament when he gave instructions to Christian slaves…
Read Colossians 3: 22 – 24
I like to say that when we work as if we are working for the Lord Christ, our work actually becomes an expression of our worship…And then we are less likely to allow our work to stand in the way of our relationship with God…
Not every kind of work is good work that can be offered up to Christ as an act of worship…Just because you have exerted energy and draw a nice paycheck and come home feeling tired at the end of the day does NOT mean that you have done good work in the name of Jesus Christ…
II. Good Work Brings Dignity.
To bring honor to self and to other people…
Just as God values all human life, so our work ought never to devalue or to shame or to bring dishonor to any other person…
III. Good Work Gives Life.
Compare our work to God’s work in creation…
Just as God gave life in creation, so our work ought never to kill or destroy or tear apart the life of another person…
This includes destroying the life of your own family…
IV. Good Work Glorifies God.
Can you do your job in the name of Jesus Christ?…
Name is a reference to character…Can your job be done according to the character of Jesus?…Would Jesus do your job?…Or are there some things about your job that Jesus could not be comfortable with?…
V. Good Work Joins God’s Work.
God’s work is ultimately about salvation of humanity and restoring creation to its original intent…Good human work participates in God’s plan of salvation for all of creation…If you have never made the free choice to accept God’s offer of salvation, then you cannot participate in what God is doing in the world…To bring salvation to humanity and to restore creation to its original intent…
VI. Conclusion.
In France in the 1600’s, a man named Lawrence entered into a Carmelite Monastery. He was a very spiritual man, but he was not very educated. Since he was not educated, he had no hope of ever becoming a priest. Yet, he wanted to enter into the Monastery to grow closer to God.
Since Lawrence was a layman, he didn’t get one of the “cool” jobs in the Monastery. He was assigned to kitchen duty. Every morning after breakfast was served, Lawrence would go into the kitchen to wash the pots. As soon as the pots were cleaned, it was time to reuse the pots to cook lunch. Then, after lunch, Lawrence would return to his work of washing the pots. Again, as soon as the pots were cleaned, it was time to use them again to cook supper. (Does this sound familiar to anyone?) And after supper, Lawrence would once again wash the pots.
Lawrence thought that he would have more time to spend with God in the Monastery, but all his time was spent washing pots. This led Lawrence to a great spiritual discovery. Washing the pots was a way for him to spend time with God. He was not washing pots for himself, he was washing pots for others. He was not only washing pots for the Monastery, he was washing pots for God. (Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God, [Springdale, PA: Whitaker House, 1982])
1 Samuel 8: 1 – 22 and Colossians 3: 22 – 24.
I. Introduction.
Last Sunday, my brother and his family visited our church. After church, we drove to New Braunfels for a week of vacation. On Monday, we spent an entire day riding the water slides at Schlitterbahn with five children. At the end of the day, we were worn out! On Tuesday, we drove to San Antonio and spent the day at Sea World. By the end of the day, we were worn out. On Wednesday, we drove back to San Antonio to see everything we had missed the day before at Sea World. Then, we toured the Alamo, strolled along the River Walk and ate supper at the Rainforest Café. When we got home, we were worn out. On Thursday, we went back to Schlitterbahn to visit the two parks we had missed on Monday. Again, by the end of the day, we were worn out. On Friday, we could barely get out of bed. After a week of vacation, I am ready to get back to work!
No matter what you do for a living or what social circles you find yourself in, one thing we all have in common is the way we meet people for the first time. Typically, we ask someone, “What do you do?” We rarely ask other people who they are. We ask what they do.
There is a difference between what you do and who you are; just as there is a difference in your being and your doing. Yet, you can learn a lot about someone by asking what they do. Where a person spends their day to day working life often reveals something about that person’s experience, priorities and even their character.
The one side of being a minister that I haven’t gotten used to is the way some people respond when they first discover what I do for a living. When I meet someone for the first time, I often try to avoid talking about being a minister for as long as I can. But the inevitable question always comes up at some point in the conversation…What do you do?
It’s not that I am embarrassed to be a minister. But, I often find myself getting embarrassed for other people when they find out that I am a minister and then feel like they have to say something spiritual. Once I met a married couple at a football game. When the wife found out that I was a Baptist minister, she said, “We used to go to a Baptist church in Alabama, but we haven’t found a church in Texas.” I found out later that they had left Alabama seven years earlier.
Then there was the time that Shauna and I moved from an apartment in Waco to a duplex. She was seven months pregnant and couldn’t help move anything heavy. I asked some of the college students to help us move and had only a couple of guys respond. The night before, one of those guys called to ask if we needed any more help. He was in a fraternity and thought it would be a good idea to make the new pledges come and help his college minister move. The next morning I had 15 new pledges show up whom I had never seen before and never saw again. I was riding in the truck with one of those guys when he found out I was the college minister of First Baptist, Woodway. He said, “I go to Calvary Baptist.” I said, “I have not been here very long, but I recently had the opportunity to meet Ken Massey. He seems like a great guy.” He said, “Who is Ken Massey?” I said, “He is the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church.”
In January 2006, I spent a week in Nashville with 18,000 college students from all over the world. We were challenged by John Piper, Beth Moore and Louie Giglio to declare God’s renown to the nations. But Louie made a very important point in the final session. He said that many of the 18,000 students at Passion wanted to be ministers and missionaries, but there were some students who perhaps felt guilty that God had not called them to go to the nations.
Maybe that is your story. Maybe you have heard a lot about mission and ministry, and you have gotten excited about what God is doing, but that just hasn’t been what you felt God calling you to do. Does that make your calling and direction in life less important than what other people are called to do?
Work is an important part of our lives. On one hand, work can give us a sense of dignity and importance and purpose and even a sense of satisfaction. But this brings with it a great temptation. Our work can give us a false sense of security by tempting us to become less dependent on God and more dependent on ourselves.
The story of Israel and its first king illustrates this very danger. We can become so interested in work that we begin to think that we do not need God. Our work can replace our worship.
Read 1 Samuel 8: 1 – 22.
This story gives us an important insight into human nature—Or at least it gives us a key insight into the way God has chosen to deal with human beings. God gives us freedom to choose, and the freedom to suffer the consequences for the choices we make.
Samuel’s sons chose not to follow in their father’s footsteps and obey God’s commands…This is another sermon in this passage of Scripture that I preached on Fathers’ Day a couple of years ago…Notice that Samuel is always held up as a godly example in the Bible…Nothing is ever mentioned about Samuel, criticizing him for disobedience or failing in his spiritual life…Yet, Samuel’s sons did not grow up to serve and follow and obey God…His sons had the freedom to choose not to serve God and thus had the freedom to face the consequences…Samuel was never held responsible for the disobedience of his children…
The people of Israel chose to turn their backs on God’s leadership by asking for a human king…just like the nations around them…
In the book of Exodus, we read the story of how God used Moses to release God’s people from slavery in Egypt and to lead them into the Promised Land. During their forty years in the wilderness, God made his covenant with the Hebrews and established them as a nation. This is the only nation in world history that was set up as what we call a Theocracy—meaning, “Ruled by God.” (Our nation is set up as a Democracy—meaning, “Ruled by the People.”)
Theocracy was based on one very important element…Someone has to listen to God and speak God’s will to the nation. That person was Samuel. However, when Samuel’s sons stopped listening to God and began to rebel against God, the people of Israel got concerned. They could no longer trust their priests to lead them and to show them God’s will. So they made their own choice…They asked the aging Samuel for a King…They chose to abandon the Theocracy in favor of the human system that seemed to work for all the neighboring countries.
Israel faced two choices…To do things God’s way…OR…To do things like the world around them…Ultimately, every choice comes down to the same two categories…
We know how this story eventually played out…God told Samuel to give in to the people’s wishes and anoint Saul as the first King over Israel…
And Saul started out as a great king…He was tall, good-looking, he was a real charmer, and he was a military genius…But eventually Saul’s gifts and abilities began to work to his disadvantage…He began to depend less on God and more on himself…
The first time this happened was in 1 Samuel 13…Saul was at war with the Philistines at Micmash and were greatly outnumbered…Saul and Samuel had an arrangement that Samuel would lead the army in worship and burnt offerings before every battle…This was a way of searching for God’s will and assuring that Israel’s army was fighting God’s battles and not their own…On this particular occasion, Samuel had told Saul that he would join Saul and the troops on the battlefield after seven days…However, before Samuel arrived, Saul became anxious and decided to take matters into his own hands…Instead of waiting for the priest to come and offer sacrifices, Saul offered the sacrifices himself…Samuel arrived just as Saul had finished the ritual and pronounced God’s judgment on Saul and his kingdom…
The second time this happened was in 1 Samuel 15…God had spoken to Samuel about the Amalekites…These were the same people who had “waylaid” the Israelites as they moved into the Promised Land…God had a special plan for the Amalekites…He planned to use King Saul to utterly and completely wipe them off the face of the earth…However, Saul refused to listen to the Word of the Lord as spoken by Samuel…Instead of destroying these people, Saul spared the life of their King, Agag…Instead of killing all the flocks and herds of animals, Saul kept the best animals for his own coffers…The Word of the Lord came to Samuel again, informing him that Saul had disobeyed God’s commands…So, Samuel went to Saul the next morning…As Samuel approached, Saul greeted him by describing how he had done exactly as the Lord had commanded him to do…Samuel responded, “Then why do I hear the bleating of sheep?”…So, Saul told another lie—If you lie once, you have to keep telling lies to cover all that you’ve told before… “We kept the best sheep and goats in order to offer a big sacrifice to your God.”…Once again, Samuel pronounced the Lord’s judgment on Saul and his Kingdom…
Notice how both times Saul got in trouble it was about worship…Both times were at the height of Saul’s accomplishments as King…Defeat of the Philistines and Defeat of the Amalekites…In both cases, Saul had become so self-confident and self-reliant, that he refused to listen to God and follow God’s direction…He allowed his work to replace his worship…
In some ways, this reminds me of the Experiencing God materials written by Henry Blackaby…The greatest point of that Bible study is found in the two points…God is already at work in our world…We should join God in what he is already doing…
Saul worked contrary to God’s work in the world…And refused to listen to the Word of the Lord in worship…
My favorite Pastor-Theologian is a Presbyterian minister Eugene Peterson. Peterson helped me make this connection between work and worship in his book Leap Over a Wall. He points out that God is a worker…We first see God at work Creating everything in heaven and earth…Then we see God at work Redeeming his people through Moses, the Judges, the Prophets and ultimately in Jesus…This leads us to think of our own work as making us God-like…In other words, when we are creative and doing good work it is only a small step to jump from thinking of our selves as God-like to begin thinking that we are actually god…
This is a problem that the Apostle Paul addressed in the New Testament when he gave instructions to Christian slaves…
Read Colossians 3: 22 – 24
I like to say that when we work as if we are working for the Lord Christ, our work actually becomes an expression of our worship…And then we are less likely to allow our work to stand in the way of our relationship with God…
Not every kind of work is good work that can be offered up to Christ as an act of worship…Just because you have exerted energy and draw a nice paycheck and come home feeling tired at the end of the day does NOT mean that you have done good work in the name of Jesus Christ…
II. Good Work Brings Dignity.
To bring honor to self and to other people…
Just as God values all human life, so our work ought never to devalue or to shame or to bring dishonor to any other person…
III. Good Work Gives Life.
Compare our work to God’s work in creation…
Just as God gave life in creation, so our work ought never to kill or destroy or tear apart the life of another person…
This includes destroying the life of your own family…
IV. Good Work Glorifies God.
Can you do your job in the name of Jesus Christ?…
Name is a reference to character…Can your job be done according to the character of Jesus?…Would Jesus do your job?…Or are there some things about your job that Jesus could not be comfortable with?…
V. Good Work Joins God’s Work.
God’s work is ultimately about salvation of humanity and restoring creation to its original intent…Good human work participates in God’s plan of salvation for all of creation…If you have never made the free choice to accept God’s offer of salvation, then you cannot participate in what God is doing in the world…To bring salvation to humanity and to restore creation to its original intent…
VI. Conclusion.
In France in the 1600’s, a man named Lawrence entered into a Carmelite Monastery. He was a very spiritual man, but he was not very educated. Since he was not educated, he had no hope of ever becoming a priest. Yet, he wanted to enter into the Monastery to grow closer to God.
Since Lawrence was a layman, he didn’t get one of the “cool” jobs in the Monastery. He was assigned to kitchen duty. Every morning after breakfast was served, Lawrence would go into the kitchen to wash the pots. As soon as the pots were cleaned, it was time to reuse the pots to cook lunch. Then, after lunch, Lawrence would return to his work of washing the pots. Again, as soon as the pots were cleaned, it was time to use them again to cook supper. (Does this sound familiar to anyone?) And after supper, Lawrence would once again wash the pots.
Lawrence thought that he would have more time to spend with God in the Monastery, but all his time was spent washing pots. This led Lawrence to a great spiritual discovery. Washing the pots was a way for him to spend time with God. He was not washing pots for himself, he was washing pots for others. He was not only washing pots for the Monastery, he was washing pots for God. (Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God, [Springdale, PA: Whitaker House, 1982])
Sunday, May 31, 2009: Spirit Is Life
Spirit Is Life
John 14: 15 – 31.
I. Introduction.
It’s interesting how we use the phrase “to make a living.” “Making a living” is common way to describe our careers—the jobs we work in exchange for financial compensation. For some reason, we associate the word “living” with money…As if money is the most important thing in life. Yet, there is more to life than money. (At least I hope there is more to life than money.)
Ironically, it is possible for a person to become so consumed with “making a living” that there is no time left over for “life.” There simply has to be more to life than “making a living.”
Every day, husbands and wives drift farther apart, because work interferes with their relationship. Children and parents long for more time together. Friendships, church and spiritual lives get placed on the backburner. I once heard it said that no one says on their deathbed, “I wish I had spent more time at work.”
Yes. Making a living is not the most important thing in life. But, what is the meaning of life? Why are we here?
Since we are at church today, you should expect me to offer a spiritual answer to those questions. If we were at the lake, the baseball field, the soccer field, or still in the bed, perhaps we would hear a different answer.
As Christian men and women, we are supposed to be “Christ followers” before anything else…Christian first, American second…Christian first, husband or wife second…Christian first, student second. Our primary identity ought to be our relationship with Jesus. Therefore, we should describe life in terms of what Jesus has said to us. The meaning of life for Christian men and women is the meaning we find when we read the words and teachings of Jesus.
There is a unique passage of Scripture in the Gospel of John. It spans almost five chapters from John 13 – John 17. Some New Testament scholars refer to this as Jesus’ “Farewell Discourse,” since it was the final extended discourse Jesus gave to his disciples before his crucifixion and resurrection.
The Farewell Discourse began immediately following the Last Supper. Jesus and his disciples observed the Passover meal on Thursday evening before Jesus was crucified on Friday. They gathered in a borrowed, upper room to share this symbolic meal together.
The scene began when the disciples discovered that they needed to wash their feet before the Passover meal. However, there was no servant present to perform the washing. So, Jesus did the unthinkable. He picked up a towel and a bowl of water to wash the feet of all twelve disciples.
The evening began in confusion…the Master serving the most basic needs of his followers. Then, the confusion grew as Jesus talked to his disciples over supper.
First, Jesus told his disciples that they would all leave him. The twelve men who had followed Jesus most closely—listening to his teaching, witnessing his miracles and going out to do the work of ministry—would all run away from Jesus in his most agonizing moment. Peter objected to Jesus’ words by saying, “Though all go away, I will never leave you.”
This is when Jesus made his second confusing statement. Even Peter will turn his back on Jesus. Not once. Not twice. But, Peter would deny knowing Jesus three times in the next few hours.
Third, Jesus dropped a bombshell on his disciples. He told them that one of them would betray him by handing him over to the Roman and Jewish officials. The Romans and Jews would beat Jesus and crucify him, but the grave would not be able to hold him. Jesus would rise from the dead in just three days.
All of this was difficult for the disciples to accept. Yet the most difficult thing Jesus said was when he told them he was about to leave them. After three years of shared ministry and life together, Jesus was going to a place where the disciples could not accompany him. Yet, in the midst of all this “bad news,” Jesus had some “good news” for his disciples. Yes, he was going away. BUT, he would come back.
There are three important theological doctrines wrapped up in Jesus’ promise that he would come back.
First, it could be a reference to the resurrection. Jesus would die an agonizing death on a Roman cross. He would be physically absent from his disciples for three days before coming back to them.
Second, it could be a reference to the Second Coming. This is a very important part of our Christian faith. Jesus died and rose again. Then, he spent forty days with his disciples, reminding of all he had done and taught them during their three years of ministry together. But, as we witnessed last week, Jesus ascended into heaven to be glorified at the right hand of his Father in heaven. Yet, as Jesus left the disciples, the two angels promised that Jesus would “come again” in the same way he had ascended.
Third, it could be a reference to the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had to leave his disciples in order to send the Holy Spirit. If we read Jesus’ words about leaving and coming again in this context, we can find great hope and comfort. Jesus was offering his disciples a remedy for their confusion and stress. There is immediate help.
Read John 14: 15 – 31.
If we remember all Jesus has said about leaving and coming again, then we can find some great comfort in these words. For example, notice what Jesus said in verse 18, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
These words imply that Jesus and his disciples had a very special, intimate relationship. His absence from them would leave them feeling abandoned, like a child who has lost both parents. I think the King James Version translates this with the word “desolate.” That is certainly one word to describe loneliness and abandonment, but the Greek word is actually the word “orphanos.” It is the root word for our English word “orphan.” So, Jesus literally acknowledged that his disciples would feel like “orphans” without him. BUT, Jesus was not going to allow that to happen.
The disciples would not be like orphans, because Jesus was coming again. Yet, once again, we can learn a lot from the Greek text. The Greek verb here is a present, active verb. It does NOT say that Jesus “will come” to his disciples. It says that Jesus “is coming” to his disciples. We ought to read this as, “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.”
Jesus is not telling his disciples to wait and hope for the Second Coming! Jesus is offering present, immediate help for his disciples. They will NEVER be left alone as orphans. You and I will NEVER be left alone as orphans. We have a present, active, immediate help in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
II. Another Counselor (verse 16 and 17a).
While we may not immediately recognize that Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit in this passage, by the end of the passage it is clear. Jesus actually used the phrase “Holy Spirit” in verse 26. However, he begins by referring to “another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.”
The phrase “another Counselor” is a very difficult phrase to translate from Greek to English. We know it is difficult by comparing the various ways it is translated in different versions of the Bible. The King James Version says “another Comforter.” The New International Version says “another Counselor.” The New American Standard Bible says “another Helper.” The New Revised Standard Version says “another Advocate.” So, which is it? Comforter, Counselor, Helper or Advocate? Truthfully, all of these are correct. But none of these is perfect.
The Greek word here is “parakletos.” John is the only New Testament author who uses the word. Paul never uses it. It shows up in the Farewell Discourse and in 1 John 2: 1. In the Farewell Discourse, it refers to the Holy Spirit. In 1 John 2: 1, it refers to Jesus’ role in heaven. Jesus does for us in heaven what the Holy Spirit does for us on earth. The Holy Spirit does for us on earth what Jesus does for us in heaven.
We can derive meaning from the word “parakletos” by looking to the meanings of the two words that build it. “Para” is a preposition which means alongside. “Kaleo” is a verb which means to call. Therefore, “parakletos” literally means “one who is called to be alongside.”
We can also derive meaning from the ways “parakletos” is used in secular Greek. Outside the New Testament, “parakletos” usually refers to the defense attorney in a court of law. The defense attorney is the “one who is called to be alongside” the accused person. In this light, Jesus is the defense attorney who stands alongside us before the throne of God. The Holy Spirit is the defense attorney who stands alongside us before the world.
It is also worth noting here that Jesus said the Holy Spirit was “another.” In other words, the Holy Spirit is not the first one to stand alongside the disciples. Who was the first? This seems to be an obvious reference to Jesus himself. Even though Jesus is leaving his disciples, they will not be alone. A Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate just like Jesus will be with them forever.
III. You Know Him (verse 17).
In verse 17, Jesus describes a difference between his disciples and the rest of the world. This difference is evident in their relationship with the Holy Spirit. The world does not know the Holy Spirit. Followers of Jesus know the Holy Spirit.
You and I have a different understanding of knowledge than the ancient world. Our understanding of knowledge has more to do with intellect than anything else. The ancients thought of knowledge in terms of relationship. For example, think about how a person might “know God.” On one hand, you and I are tempted to think this has to do with accumulating facts and information about God. On the other hand, the ancients believed this had more to do with personal experience than intellectual data. Another example is the way we use the word “know” to describe other people. Like the question, “Do you know Andy Pittman?” If you have only heard my name or seen me shopping in Abelt’s, then you don’t know me. You have to sit down with me, experience part of my life, share time with me before you will ever know me.
By saying the Holy Spirit can be “known,” Jesus is telling us the Holy Spirit is a Person. The Holy Spirit is not an “it.” The Holy Spirit is a “He,” who can be known through experience and shared life.
IV. You Will Live (verse 19).
As Jesus describes the Holy Spirit to his disciples, I see a progression taking place. In verse 16, Jesus says the Holy Spirit will be “with you forever.” In verse 17, Jesus says the Holy Spirit “lives with you.” Then, again in verse 17, Jesus says the Holy Spirit “will be in you.”
The progression goes something like this…Among you…Alongside you…In you. There is a growing intimacy in the way Jesus describes the Holy Spirit…With you…Beside you…In you.
This reminds me of the story of creation in Genesis 2: 7, “(T)he LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the BREATH of life, and the man became a living being.”
Interestingly, in both Hebrew and Greek, the word for “breath” is the same as the word for “spirit.” The Hebrew word is “ruach.” The Greek word is “pneuma,” the root for English words like pneumonia and pneumatic.
In the beginning, when God created the first man, God reached down to earth and scooped up a handful of dirt. God molded that dirt into the shape of a man. But the man was not a living being until God breathed his breath into the man.
In the same way, you and I may think we are alive today, we might even “make a living” in some kind of employment…But we are not a living being until God breathes his Holy Spirit into our lives! This real living is the result of the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. If Jesus never left his disciples, he could not send the Holy Spirit. If Jesus never sent the Holy Spirit, we would be lonely, desolate, orphanos…We would have no life.
V. Conclusion: Jesus Gives Peace (verse 27).
I find another progression in Jesus’ words to his disciples. First, he described a growing intimacy with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is with us, beside us and in us.
Second, Jesus described the Holy Spirit in progressive terms. In verse 17, Jesus said he was giving us “the Spirit of truth.” In verse 26, Jesus said he was giving us “the Holy Spirit.” Then, in verse 27, Jesus said he was giving us “his peace,” which is not like the peace offered by the world.
The only kind of peace the world offers is a negative peace…Peace that is the absence of conflict…Peace that comes when one side surrenders or is defeated by a stronger adversary…Peace that is maintained by military presence and diplomatic threats.
Jesus offers us a peace that is positive. Jesus’ peace does not depend on the absence of conflict, but the presence of the Holy Spirit…Peace that is not dependent on any external circumstances.
John 14: 15 – 31.
I. Introduction.
It’s interesting how we use the phrase “to make a living.” “Making a living” is common way to describe our careers—the jobs we work in exchange for financial compensation. For some reason, we associate the word “living” with money…As if money is the most important thing in life. Yet, there is more to life than money. (At least I hope there is more to life than money.)
Ironically, it is possible for a person to become so consumed with “making a living” that there is no time left over for “life.” There simply has to be more to life than “making a living.”
Every day, husbands and wives drift farther apart, because work interferes with their relationship. Children and parents long for more time together. Friendships, church and spiritual lives get placed on the backburner. I once heard it said that no one says on their deathbed, “I wish I had spent more time at work.”
Yes. Making a living is not the most important thing in life. But, what is the meaning of life? Why are we here?
Since we are at church today, you should expect me to offer a spiritual answer to those questions. If we were at the lake, the baseball field, the soccer field, or still in the bed, perhaps we would hear a different answer.
As Christian men and women, we are supposed to be “Christ followers” before anything else…Christian first, American second…Christian first, husband or wife second…Christian first, student second. Our primary identity ought to be our relationship with Jesus. Therefore, we should describe life in terms of what Jesus has said to us. The meaning of life for Christian men and women is the meaning we find when we read the words and teachings of Jesus.
There is a unique passage of Scripture in the Gospel of John. It spans almost five chapters from John 13 – John 17. Some New Testament scholars refer to this as Jesus’ “Farewell Discourse,” since it was the final extended discourse Jesus gave to his disciples before his crucifixion and resurrection.
The Farewell Discourse began immediately following the Last Supper. Jesus and his disciples observed the Passover meal on Thursday evening before Jesus was crucified on Friday. They gathered in a borrowed, upper room to share this symbolic meal together.
The scene began when the disciples discovered that they needed to wash their feet before the Passover meal. However, there was no servant present to perform the washing. So, Jesus did the unthinkable. He picked up a towel and a bowl of water to wash the feet of all twelve disciples.
The evening began in confusion…the Master serving the most basic needs of his followers. Then, the confusion grew as Jesus talked to his disciples over supper.
First, Jesus told his disciples that they would all leave him. The twelve men who had followed Jesus most closely—listening to his teaching, witnessing his miracles and going out to do the work of ministry—would all run away from Jesus in his most agonizing moment. Peter objected to Jesus’ words by saying, “Though all go away, I will never leave you.”
This is when Jesus made his second confusing statement. Even Peter will turn his back on Jesus. Not once. Not twice. But, Peter would deny knowing Jesus three times in the next few hours.
Third, Jesus dropped a bombshell on his disciples. He told them that one of them would betray him by handing him over to the Roman and Jewish officials. The Romans and Jews would beat Jesus and crucify him, but the grave would not be able to hold him. Jesus would rise from the dead in just three days.
All of this was difficult for the disciples to accept. Yet the most difficult thing Jesus said was when he told them he was about to leave them. After three years of shared ministry and life together, Jesus was going to a place where the disciples could not accompany him. Yet, in the midst of all this “bad news,” Jesus had some “good news” for his disciples. Yes, he was going away. BUT, he would come back.
There are three important theological doctrines wrapped up in Jesus’ promise that he would come back.
First, it could be a reference to the resurrection. Jesus would die an agonizing death on a Roman cross. He would be physically absent from his disciples for three days before coming back to them.
Second, it could be a reference to the Second Coming. This is a very important part of our Christian faith. Jesus died and rose again. Then, he spent forty days with his disciples, reminding of all he had done and taught them during their three years of ministry together. But, as we witnessed last week, Jesus ascended into heaven to be glorified at the right hand of his Father in heaven. Yet, as Jesus left the disciples, the two angels promised that Jesus would “come again” in the same way he had ascended.
Third, it could be a reference to the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had to leave his disciples in order to send the Holy Spirit. If we read Jesus’ words about leaving and coming again in this context, we can find great hope and comfort. Jesus was offering his disciples a remedy for their confusion and stress. There is immediate help.
Read John 14: 15 – 31.
If we remember all Jesus has said about leaving and coming again, then we can find some great comfort in these words. For example, notice what Jesus said in verse 18, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
These words imply that Jesus and his disciples had a very special, intimate relationship. His absence from them would leave them feeling abandoned, like a child who has lost both parents. I think the King James Version translates this with the word “desolate.” That is certainly one word to describe loneliness and abandonment, but the Greek word is actually the word “orphanos.” It is the root word for our English word “orphan.” So, Jesus literally acknowledged that his disciples would feel like “orphans” without him. BUT, Jesus was not going to allow that to happen.
The disciples would not be like orphans, because Jesus was coming again. Yet, once again, we can learn a lot from the Greek text. The Greek verb here is a present, active verb. It does NOT say that Jesus “will come” to his disciples. It says that Jesus “is coming” to his disciples. We ought to read this as, “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.”
Jesus is not telling his disciples to wait and hope for the Second Coming! Jesus is offering present, immediate help for his disciples. They will NEVER be left alone as orphans. You and I will NEVER be left alone as orphans. We have a present, active, immediate help in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
II. Another Counselor (verse 16 and 17a).
While we may not immediately recognize that Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit in this passage, by the end of the passage it is clear. Jesus actually used the phrase “Holy Spirit” in verse 26. However, he begins by referring to “another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.”
The phrase “another Counselor” is a very difficult phrase to translate from Greek to English. We know it is difficult by comparing the various ways it is translated in different versions of the Bible. The King James Version says “another Comforter.” The New International Version says “another Counselor.” The New American Standard Bible says “another Helper.” The New Revised Standard Version says “another Advocate.” So, which is it? Comforter, Counselor, Helper or Advocate? Truthfully, all of these are correct. But none of these is perfect.
The Greek word here is “parakletos.” John is the only New Testament author who uses the word. Paul never uses it. It shows up in the Farewell Discourse and in 1 John 2: 1. In the Farewell Discourse, it refers to the Holy Spirit. In 1 John 2: 1, it refers to Jesus’ role in heaven. Jesus does for us in heaven what the Holy Spirit does for us on earth. The Holy Spirit does for us on earth what Jesus does for us in heaven.
We can derive meaning from the word “parakletos” by looking to the meanings of the two words that build it. “Para” is a preposition which means alongside. “Kaleo” is a verb which means to call. Therefore, “parakletos” literally means “one who is called to be alongside.”
We can also derive meaning from the ways “parakletos” is used in secular Greek. Outside the New Testament, “parakletos” usually refers to the defense attorney in a court of law. The defense attorney is the “one who is called to be alongside” the accused person. In this light, Jesus is the defense attorney who stands alongside us before the throne of God. The Holy Spirit is the defense attorney who stands alongside us before the world.
It is also worth noting here that Jesus said the Holy Spirit was “another.” In other words, the Holy Spirit is not the first one to stand alongside the disciples. Who was the first? This seems to be an obvious reference to Jesus himself. Even though Jesus is leaving his disciples, they will not be alone. A Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate just like Jesus will be with them forever.
III. You Know Him (verse 17).
In verse 17, Jesus describes a difference between his disciples and the rest of the world. This difference is evident in their relationship with the Holy Spirit. The world does not know the Holy Spirit. Followers of Jesus know the Holy Spirit.
You and I have a different understanding of knowledge than the ancient world. Our understanding of knowledge has more to do with intellect than anything else. The ancients thought of knowledge in terms of relationship. For example, think about how a person might “know God.” On one hand, you and I are tempted to think this has to do with accumulating facts and information about God. On the other hand, the ancients believed this had more to do with personal experience than intellectual data. Another example is the way we use the word “know” to describe other people. Like the question, “Do you know Andy Pittman?” If you have only heard my name or seen me shopping in Abelt’s, then you don’t know me. You have to sit down with me, experience part of my life, share time with me before you will ever know me.
By saying the Holy Spirit can be “known,” Jesus is telling us the Holy Spirit is a Person. The Holy Spirit is not an “it.” The Holy Spirit is a “He,” who can be known through experience and shared life.
IV. You Will Live (verse 19).
As Jesus describes the Holy Spirit to his disciples, I see a progression taking place. In verse 16, Jesus says the Holy Spirit will be “with you forever.” In verse 17, Jesus says the Holy Spirit “lives with you.” Then, again in verse 17, Jesus says the Holy Spirit “will be in you.”
The progression goes something like this…Among you…Alongside you…In you. There is a growing intimacy in the way Jesus describes the Holy Spirit…With you…Beside you…In you.
This reminds me of the story of creation in Genesis 2: 7, “(T)he LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the BREATH of life, and the man became a living being.”
Interestingly, in both Hebrew and Greek, the word for “breath” is the same as the word for “spirit.” The Hebrew word is “ruach.” The Greek word is “pneuma,” the root for English words like pneumonia and pneumatic.
In the beginning, when God created the first man, God reached down to earth and scooped up a handful of dirt. God molded that dirt into the shape of a man. But the man was not a living being until God breathed his breath into the man.
In the same way, you and I may think we are alive today, we might even “make a living” in some kind of employment…But we are not a living being until God breathes his Holy Spirit into our lives! This real living is the result of the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. If Jesus never left his disciples, he could not send the Holy Spirit. If Jesus never sent the Holy Spirit, we would be lonely, desolate, orphanos…We would have no life.
V. Conclusion: Jesus Gives Peace (verse 27).
I find another progression in Jesus’ words to his disciples. First, he described a growing intimacy with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is with us, beside us and in us.
Second, Jesus described the Holy Spirit in progressive terms. In verse 17, Jesus said he was giving us “the Spirit of truth.” In verse 26, Jesus said he was giving us “the Holy Spirit.” Then, in verse 27, Jesus said he was giving us “his peace,” which is not like the peace offered by the world.
The only kind of peace the world offers is a negative peace…Peace that is the absence of conflict…Peace that comes when one side surrenders or is defeated by a stronger adversary…Peace that is maintained by military presence and diplomatic threats.
Jesus offers us a peace that is positive. Jesus’ peace does not depend on the absence of conflict, but the presence of the Holy Spirit…Peace that is not dependent on any external circumstances.
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