THREE LORDLY TRUTHS
#755 THREE LORDLY TRUTHS
Scripture John 14:1-20, NIV Orig. 9/7/1979
Rewr. 2/3/1989
Passage: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Jesus the Way to the Father
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
Purpose: To encourage my people with the three supreme truths that Jesus has come, He has emptied His Holy Spirit, and He is coming again.
Keywords: Christ the Lord Holy Spirit Revival Christ the Messiah
Incarnation Second Coming Faith in Christ Faith in Heaven
Faith in Christ’s Return
Timeline/Series: none
Introduction
The body was picked up off of the side of the road, cold and stiff. Apparently, the man, somewhat older, was hit by a car or truck as he walked the dimly lit road. Whether the driver stopped, nobody knows. Cursory examinations were made. No sign of heartbeat, obviously dead. So, the supposed corpse wound up in the morgue.
All the proper formalities were followed. The death notice was signed, next of kin notified. He would shortly be released to the undertakers for burial.
It was presumed to be a simple case of hit and run. Simple that is to everyone but the victim. Tire marks, and location of the body told investigators how far the body had been thrown, and therefore, some idea of the speed of the vehicle. The chances were good that damage to the car/truck, with a little public awareness help, might locate the driver.
But a strange thing happened in the morgue. Although the body had been checked as closely as circumstances would seem to dictate, a morgue attendant noticed what appeared to be a tear, and then another.
In the report I read (B92p9), the oversight was caused by “a strange, Hitchcock-style affliction triggered by the impact” masking a faint, and almost undiscovered heartbeat.
There are morgue attendants out there who are ready to bury the church. Some are nominal Christians, or worse, nominal church members. They are thinking in terms of burial, and “The sooner, the better.” I want to tell you this morning, brethren, that the church isn’t dead. In fact, there are 3 lordly truths that manifest that the church can’t die.
I. Jesus, the Son of God, Has Come As Messiah and Lord. V1, “Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me.” V9 “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me?”
Jesus had, at this time, invaded the Hebrew world as Messiah. They were debating who He was, but His presence was undeniable. In Genesis 12-17, Abraham is repeatedly promised that Messiah will come through him. A millennium later David was assured that his “throne” would be established. II Samuel 7:16 “And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne will be established forever.”
Believers today have no difficulty whatever relating Jesus to all predictions. Matthew 1 contains 17 verses of the genealogy of Jesus as David’s son. Scripture and early church affirm the virgin birth prophesied. Luke 3 even contains Jesus’ kingly genealogy through His mother, that He is descendant of Abraham and David. Isaiah 7:13f “And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
It is not through the traditions of our faith, but the trustworthiness of scripture that proclaims Jesus, Lord. New Testament writings make much of the term “Lord.” A term denoting deity. Paul, legally and religiously trained, would not have used “Lord” had he any doubt about Jesus.
Revelation background helps us to understand the change of Rome to Christianity. Yearly, citizens “burned pinch of incense and say ‘Caesar is Lord.’” J4p419. Believers refused. “Jesus is Lord!”
II. The Second Truth Is of His Sustained Spiritual Presence with the Believing Fellowship. V15f “If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever.” Jesus knew that at times in history faith would dim. He knows the limitations of our humanity. Exodus 29:46, “And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them.”
Heartbeat almost undetected. Perhaps, only our tears, would give us away. At least 9 Old Testament books mention such. In the New Testament, they are tears of affirmation. II Timothy 1:4 “Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I might be filled with joy.” Revelation 7:17, 21:4 “wipe away every tear.”
It is through this sustained Spirit that Christ’s presence is marked today. Hebrews 7:25 “Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession from them.”
Thus Jesus promised and the Holy Spirit has come to manifest that promise. Being a church member is not what distinguishes believers. It’s easier to join than the country club. Less demand upon the average church member than on non-resident Rotarian. Percentage support is minimal. 40-50% attend one or both Sunday school and worship. 20-25% attend church training or prayer meeting. 10-20% pay 70-80% of the bills.
But a believer showing evidence of protracted Spirit presence, all rejoice to call friend. Every believer was baptized into the body of Christ at Pentecost. It is pointless to beg for what was provided by prior arrangement.
Seek instead a deeper application of the Spirit’s presence in your life. Discover your spiritual gifts. Find opportunities to share your faith with others. Study to show yourself approved. Find ways to improve prayer time. Seek Spirit’s help to forgive.
III. The Final Truth Is That Jesus is Coming Again as King and Righteous Judge. V20 “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” John 16:16, “Jesus went on to say, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.’” John 16:22, “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” John 16:28, “I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
John 14:6, Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Do not be confused about the return of Jesus. Remember that the most honest person who ever lived forecast this. Christians throughout history have not only believed it, they have expected it. John 14:3, “I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am ye may be also.”
His coming will address the inequities that continue in this world. Abused children will be no more for the abusers will be gone. AIDS will disappear because sexual promiscuity will be removed. Racial strife will cease because hate cannot exist where Christ is. War will become a non-entity because the Prince of Peace reigns. Every imaginable inequity and horror shall have ceased to be.
One final word is that we must remember that He comes as righteous judge. Jeremiah 23:5 “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I shall raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the earth.”
Conclusion
Dwight L. Moody tells of a young woman in one of his crusades. She was near the front, listening with great interest to everything that was said. He commented, “It is precious to preach to people like that. They generally get good even if the sermon is poor.”
After the service he spoke to her. She was not a Christian, but wanted to be. Dr. Moody asked her of belief. She responded, “I have been trying to believe for three years. I am sick of the word.” Moody pointed out that something was wrong. It doesn’t take an anxious sinner three years to find an anxious Saviour.” He changed belief to trust. “I do trust, but I still don’t feel any better.” “You’ve been looking for feelings instead of for Jesus.”