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Sermon
of 10-20-01
Spirit and Truth
by Dr. David Farmer, pastor
Scripture - John 4:24;
"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth."
Back in the earlier 80's I was a Literature Evangelist in Tyler, TX.
I'll never forget my first day out on my own. I had this hand full of cards that people had sent in interested in our reading material. I had been trained that each card represented a soul saved in heaven. That I held their Salvation in my hands. Those cards were to be considered sacred. I had been called by God to bring Salvation to their home.
Well, if you have ever been a Literature Evangelist or Colporteur - you may have experienced what I did that day.
I was told and reassured I was ready. I had planned my morning. I had marked my map with each home address. I drove to my first home, slowed down to stopped, but I couldn't. No I drove away. I was as scared as anyone could be. I drove around the neighborhood talking to God asking Him if He was sure He had called the right man.
Well, I finally worked up the courage to canvass each card and home. But inside me - I had this deep feeling of fear.
Has that ever happened to you? Maybe not as a Literature Evangelist, but maybe it was your first time to give a Bible Study. Or maybe you first time to preach. Or your first time to give the Mission Story or teach a Sabbath School class. Or what about the first time God had placed you in a position to witness for Him? Any fear, uneasiness, or worry? Any hard swallowing of the throat? Wondering what have you have gotten yourself into?
Am I the only one that has had any of these feelings? Probably not from the looks on your faces.
Turn with me to John 20:19; I want to show you something this morning that absolutely shocked and amazed me when I discovered this.
"Then the same day at evening, being the first [day] of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you."
Why were the disciples in the upper room? Who were they fearful of? The Jews. But why were they afraid of the Jews? Could it be they were afraid of that the Jews might crucify them just like they had Jesus?
Now we find them in the same room that just a few days before they had celebrated Passover with their Lord and Saviour. Now they are scared and frightened.
Keep your finger in John 20 and turn with me to Luke 24:36, 37. In the verses right above 36, we find that Jesus had just had supper with two people on the road to Emmaus. Verse 33 says that the two returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven disciples.
Then in verses 36 and 37 - as they were talking about seeing Jesus alive something happens, listen;
"And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you.
V:37
But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit."
Yea, they were afraid and scared the Bible says.
Ok, return to John 20.
In verse 26 we find it is Eight days later, which was the next Sunday after the Resurrection, yet the disciples are still in the same room with the doors shut - possibly still barred. When you read and study the verses above verse 26, you see that by now all but Thomas has seen and talked to Christ. They know He is alive and has resurrected, yet they still are hiding. Do you suppose they were still fearful and scared?
We know that Jesus had many times tried to explain the future to His disciples. But they didn't want to hear about His death. And because they would not listen to Him, His death came as a complete surprise to them. In fact after Christ had been crucified, they had absolutely no understanding that He would rise up on the third day. Because they did not listen to Jesus and take heed of His counsel on His death, burial and resurrection His death left them in total hopelessness. They were bitterly disappointed and their faith was very weak.
Just think friends, if they had believed the Saviour's words, how much sorrow they might have been spared! Could there be a lesson here for us some 2000 years later? I think so.
Look at verse 19 again.
"Then the same day at evening, being the first [day] of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you."
By now the disciples had walked with Jesus some 3 and 1/2 years. Jesus had been training His disciples to take over for Him after He ascends into Heaven. Do you think that by the time we get to John 20:19, the disciples have the truth of Jesus and His Gospel? I think so. Let me show you why I think that.
Turn to John 17:6;
"I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word."
Chapter 17 is where we find the Lord Praying for Himself, verses 1-5; His disciples, verses 6-19; and for you and me, verses 20-26. But I see verse 6 as a two-fold fulfillment.
First - I believe the disciples "kept the Commandments of God." But I also see this verse as a fulfillment that they "kept the truth of God's Word in their mind." So they knew "the truth" of what God wanted them to know while in the upper room. But they were afraid to share that truth with anyone.
Keeping your finger in John 20, return with me to our scripture in John 4:24; "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth."
What I see back in our story is that the disciples had "the truth" but they didn't have the Holy Spirit power - yet. Notice back in John 20:22 the first thing Jesus does? He breathed on them the Holy Spirit. But yet we know in verse 26 they are still afraid. Why? Could it be they had the Holy Spirit but were not filled with the Holy Spirit? Let see.
In John 21 we find the disciples had left the upper room. But they didn't go out preaching or teaching that the Messiah had come. No they went fishing. I guess they got hungry. We also find Jesus telling Peter to "feed His sheep."
Then when you get to Acts chapter one we find Jesus ascending into Heaven in verses 9-11. But before He does, verses 4 and 5 say;
"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."
Then in verse 8 we find Jesus saying to His disciples;
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
Verses 12 and 13 say they then returned to Jerusalem and went back to the upper room. The same upper room where they had been hiding in. Verse 14 says they started praying and became of "one accord." In other words, with one mind.
Wow! What a contrast to the competitive spirit they had at the Last Supper only a few weeks before. Then when we get to chapter 2 we find the Day of Pentecost takes place. Here they are "filled with the Holy Spirit and power."
Now remember, Jesus had already breathed on them the Holy Spirit in the upper room. So they had "the truth and the Spirit" by this time. The way I read this is that must have not been "filled with the Spirit" and had not received the power Jesus spoke about in Acts 1:8.
Remember also, the disciples had been hiding from the Jews because they were afraid of them, right? But we find in verse 5 of Acts 2 that some Jews showed up and the disciples let them in. They were no longer afraid! They had, how does the phrase go the teenager use today? "No Fear!" In fact look at what Peter says in verse 36;
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ."
Talking about being bold! This is the same Peter that denied knowing Christ
three times only a few weeks before. Now look at him stand up - fearless. What made the difference? He was now "filled with the Holy Ghost" and had His power.
Ok your thinking what's the point preacher? Lets come down to our day. The year 2001.
In Matthew 28: 19-20 we find what is known as the Great Commission.
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end."
All of Christ disciples throughout this world's history are to teach, baptize and make disciples out of others. That is what the Great Commission is all about. Am I right? Yes and we all know that. Yet, are we doing that?
Now is where I stop preaching and start meddling.
We are also to be witnesses unto the whole world for Jesus. Did you know that was what the Jews in the Old Testament were to do? It was. God told them they were to prepare the world for Jesus' First Coming. Yet they failed Him miserably. That is why Jesus took the Gospel away from them and gave it to the Gentiles in 34 AD. The stoning of Steven brought to an end of the 70 week prophecy of Daniel 9:24 through 27. Now the Gospel was to be preached to the whole world by the Gentiles.
Friends, today the Great Commission is to be preached and taught through you and me. But are we doing it? Yes - maybe. Lets see.
Now I don't want to hurt, embarrass, or make anyone feel uncomfortable, but I have some very important questions to ask right now. Please take out your bulletin insert.
You will notice it looks a little different than usual. I have a reason for that. (You will find it at the end of this sermon)
Please write down the answer to these questions.
1) How many Bible Studies have you given this year?
2) How many people have you invited to church this year?
3) And how many souls have you helped win for Christ this year?
I see many of you look a little uneasy.
Friends there is nothing to feel hurt, embarrass, or uncomfortable about. Why? I'm glad you asked. Let me try drawing something. (See drawing at the end of this sermon)
This scale says shows that the disciples had the "truth" in the upper room. But from what we have seen so far in our study together - they must had not been filled with the Holy Ghost and received His power yet.
Now lets pretend that this Sanctuary this morning is our upper room. You and I have been preaching we have "the truth", but for some reason we have been afraid to share it with others. Why? Don't we all have the Holy Spirit? Yes, we received Him at our baptism. Christ has breathed on us His Holy Spirit But could it be that we have not been "filled with the Holy Spirit" and received His power? Could it be that we are not balanced with "truth and Spirit?"
Friends, I feel as never before that Christ is about to come. More today than I did yesterday. I feel it's time we get ready ourselves! And it's time we get out of our Laodicean sleep.
I feel as you pastor there is one very important area I feel I have failed you in. I haven't taught one of you to visit or how to give a Bible Study or visit others. That is why I'm about to start a Bible Marking Class. This class will be designed to answer not
only your own questions - but also teach you to give Bible Studies and how to visit others.
Now don't getting uneasy on me again.
Friends, just this year I have had received over 15 or 20 cards from Amazing Facts, It Is Written, and Voice of Prophecy of people that have finished Bible Studies and need a visit. Yet I have not been able to make a one. This has bothered me more than any of you will know.
I've also had several people requesting Bible Studies in preparation for Baptism. But I've only been able to do a few of these. I wish I could say I have done them all but I haven't.
This doesn't even count the 150 or so Rapture Magazine people that bought books from the Literature Evangelist.
Friends, the Lord has impressed me that they're some here this morning that want to learn to give Bible Studies. But I also know that many of you have never been trained. That is why come Thursday, November 15th - I will start teaching anybody that would to learn to give Bible Studies. We will continue every Thursday. I know the holidays are coming so we will work around them.
Now this study will also be for those that just want to study the Bible too. To learn themselves what God's Word says. It is a completely new Bible Marking Plan and I hope you will plan to come.
This plan is so easy, that I promise you, anyone can share the truths of God's Word with others. Also, not only that, you yourself will we be learning God's Word. We also will be praying for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. For the Latter Rain. For His power so we can shed this fear inside and start sharing His Gospel.
As I come to a close - listen to this quote from Acts of the Apostles page 28; "They (the disciples) were not to wait for the people to come to them; they were to go to the people with their message."
For additional reading see Acts of the Apostles chapter 3.
Bulletin Insert
Spirit and Truth
by Dr. David Farmer, pastor
Scripture used today John 4:24; Luke 24:36, 37, John 17:6; John 20:22; Acts 1 & 2.
John 20:19 shows something that absolutely shocked and amazed me. "Then the same day at evening, being the first [day] of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you." Why were the disciples in the upper room? Who were they fearful of? The Jews. But why were they afraid of the Jews? Could it be they were afraid of that the Jews might crucify them just like they had Jesus?
I believe the disciples "kept the Commandments of God." I also believe they "kept the truth of God's Word in their mind." So they knew "the truth" of what God wanted them to know while in the upper room. But they were afraid to share that truth with anyone. But what a contrast of spirit later in Acts 2, the Day of Pentecost. Here they are "filled with the Holy Spirit."
Lets bring it to our day, the year 2001. In Matthew 28: 19-20 we find what is known as the Great Commission. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end." All of Christ disciples throughout this world's history are to teach, baptize and make disciples out of others. That is what the Great Commission is all about. Yet, are we doing that?
How many Bible Studies have you given this year? ____________
How many people have you invited to church this year? ______________
How many souls have you helped win for Christ this year? _______________
There is nothing to feel hurt, embarrass, or uncomfortable about. Could it be that we have not been "filled with the Holy Spirit?" Could it be that we are not balanced with "truth and Spirit?"
Come Thursday, November 15th we will start new Bible Marking Plan.
Acts of the Apostles page 28; "They (the disciples) were not to wait for the people to come to them; they were to go to the people with their message."
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