Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20060702.htm

JOHN: TRUSTING JESUS AS MESSIAH AND GOD
Part XXXIX: Enjoying God's Parenting In An Evil, Perilous World
G. Part VII - Relating Well To Those In The Darkness Of Error
(John 16:16-33)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

How can we effectively relate to those in spiritual darkness who could be helped by the truth we have, but who are not able to accept it?

Allow me to illustrate.

In last Monday's, June 26, 2006 issue of the USA TODAY, on page 15A, Terry Mattingly, director of the Washington Journalism Center wrote an article, "The media, God and gaffes". In the article he recalled the event where a rally by Pentecostal Christians had met at the U. S. Capitol for prayer, and that a reporter from The Washington Post was there to cover the story. The version that ended up in print portrayed this Pentecostal group as hateful of legislators, stating: "At times, the mood turned hostile toward the lawmakers in the stately white building" as one of the speakers said, "'Let's pray that God will slay everyone in the Capitol'"!

Now, neither the reporter nor his editors at The Washington Post knew that Pentecostal Christians do not mean the taking of human life by the "slay" term this context! Terry Mattingly mercifully noted these Pentecostals had prayed that the folk in the Capitol building might be "transformed by a surge of God's power". He took The Washington Post to task about their colossal misrepresentation of these Christians, asserting that "It's time journalists got religion"!

Yet, if we go a step further, we know that the Pentecostal belief on "being slain in the Holy Spirit" is ITSELF UNBIBLICAL! In no New Testament verse is such a practice seen in the context of ministry. True, the Apostle John fell down as a dead man at the feet of the vision of the glorified Christ in Revelation 1:17 as did the Old Testament prophet, Daniel before God's angel in Daniel 10:7-9, but those were experiences by godly writers of Scripture in the state of a prophetic trance, a function Scripture reveals no longer exists for the Church!

However, try to explain this to Pentecostal friends, and we would get nowhere; those of the Pentecostal persuasion I know do not want to hear this explanation, for they are sure we are wrong for NOT accepting their belief on "being slain in the Holy Spirit"!



So, HOW can we PRODUCTIVELY relate to those in spiritual darkness when they are not able to accept the truth?!

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "If a party I know could be helped if he would only HEED what Bible truth I have to tell him, but he is not ABLE to ACCEPT my words in the issue, how may I effectively RELATE to him?!"
  1. In His address before them in John 13:33-17:25, Jesus showed His disciples were functioning in a degree of spiritual darkness:
    1. Jesus noted in John 16:25 that He spoke figuratively to His disciples so that they did not understand His words, cf. T.D.N.T., v. V, p. 856.
    2. From Matthew 13:10-15, we know that such obscure speech was used by Jesus to hide the truth from those who were spiritually calloused!
  2. Evidence of this spiritual darkness in the disciples was illustrated in their MISUSE of a CLEAR truth that Jesus gave to them!
    1. When Jesus CLEARLY revealed He had come from heaven where the Father dwelt, and that He would then return to be with Him there, the disciples realized they understood His message, John 16:28-29.
    2. Yet, in their spiritually calloused condition, they errantly misused that truth: they declared they believed He had come forth from God as though they "had arrived" in Christian maturity when in a short while they were about to abandon Jesus when He was arrested, 16:30-32a!
  3. Thus, in God's Parental Oversight program, Jesus exampled how WE can relate WELL to others who are in such spiritual darkness:
    1. Christ revealed God's Parental Oversight program of His disciples:
      1. Jesus called His disciples "little children" in John 13:33, or teknia, "a diminutive expression [of] . . . affection . . . like a father to his little children." Strikingly, this term exists only here in all of the Gospels, cf. Leon Morris, John (NICNT), p. 632, ftn. 67.
      2. Later in that message, Jesus said He would not leave His disciples "as orphans," ['orphanous] (John 14:18; U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 388; Arndt & Ging., Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 586).
    2. Thus, in John 16:16-33, Jesus' actions with His disciples who were in a degree of darkness exemplify edifying ministry with darkened folk.
    3. That example as detailed from that passage is as follows:
      1. Jesus was kind to His men who were in some spiritual darkness.
        1. Not once in John 16:16-33 did Jesus scold His men for their spiritual callousness about His death and resurrection though He had often told them about these events, Mk. 9:30ff; Matt. 16:21.
        2. Rather, He relayed again in figurative form that He would die and rise again for their future edification, John 16:19-21.
        3. When He predicted they would faithlessly abandon Him, Jesus graciously encouraged His disciples to be joyful in Him, 16:32f!
      2. Jesus taught His men to pray in future trials due to their darkness:
        1. Spiritual darkness leads to humiliation and pain, Matt. 15:14.
        2. Aware of such troubles that coming trials due to their darkness would bring them, Jesus encouraged His disciples to pray to the Father in His name to have their needs met, John 16:22-24.
      3. Since giving them all the truth in clear terms was unproductive due to their darkness, Jesus was selective on what He told the disciples:
        1. As we have noted, when Jesus clearly revealed He would return to heaven, the spiritually calloused disciples misapplied it, errantly presuming they were mature, Jn. 16:28, 29-30, 31-32a.
        2. Thus, Jesus spoke figuratively, cloaking the truth so His men would not misuse it, John 16:19-21, 25. (Mtt. 7:6 in principle)
      4. Jesus kept His righteous stand though this meant doing so alone:
        1. It was impossible for Jesus to "overcome the world" in letting Himself be captured for crucifixion and also to enjoy fellowship with His men who would abandon Him because of that event.
        2. Thus, Jesus chose to keep on His righteous path and face His captors in God's power in victory over "the world" though His spiritually needy disciples would not join Him then, 16:32-33.
Application: If we realize we are not true Christians, (1) may we trust in Christ for salvation, John 3:16. (2) If we are saved, but notice that other godly believers are going in directions they can easily support with Scripture, but that we ourselves DARE NOT go, we are in need of spiritual help regarding darkness, and we must pray for God's help! (3) If we are saved and see others [the lost, immature or carnal] in darkness who are not able to handle certain CLEAR truths, may we (a) kindly (b) encourage them to pray for help that their darkness WILL bring; (c) may we limit how much truth we explain lest they harmfully misuse it and (d) may we stand against the world's pressure even if others can not join us, relying on God to do so!

Lesson: When His disciples were unable to handle clear truth, Jesus (1) kindly (2) urged them to pray for help when trials from their darkness came, (3) He limited the truth He explained to them as their darkness made it unproductive to do otherwise and (4) He relied on God to stand up to worldly pressure when His men were not willing to join Him in it.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

To apply this sermon's lesson, here is an illustrated workshop:

I have on file an ad run by the Knights of Columbus in an area newspaper years ago that tried to recruit people for the Catholic faith.

Now, suppose a Knights of Columbus member approached a believer to speak about his becoming a Catholic by pointing him to that ad's claims. If God so led, the believer might well respond as follows:

(1) "Sir, you show me that your ad reads that 'Catholics do not believe that Mary is equal to God,' but did you know the book, The Glories of Mary (1931) by the Catholic 'saint', Bishop Alphonse de Liguori, on page 180 claims: 'All power is given to thee in Heaven and on earth,' so that 'at the command of MARY all obey -- even God . . .' ? (cited in L. Boettner, Roman Catholicism , p. 139) This stance counters Matthew 28:18 where Jesus said all such power was given to Himself."

(2) "Sir, you show me your ad also reads that Catholics 'do not worship' Mary, but did you know that on page 130 of the Catholic 'saint' de Liguori's book, he wrote: 'The Holy Church commands a WORSHIP peculiar to MARY'? (Ibid., Boettner) This statement runs contrary to Jesus' word in Matthew 4:9-10 that we worship God alone."

(3) "Sir, you show me your ad also reads that Catholics 'do not consider her [Mary] in any way as the rival of Christ,' but did you know that on pages 254 and 257 of de Liguori's book, this Catholic 'saint' wrote: 'We often more quickly obtain what we ask by calling on the name of MARY, than by invoking that of Jesus.' 'She . . . is our Salvation, our Life, our Hope, our Counsel, our Refuge, our Help'? (Ibid., p. 139f) This word counters Jesus' exaltation in Philippians 2."

(4) "Sir, you show me your ad also reads Catholics hold to 'Christ, the one Mediator between God and men', but did you know that on pages 82 and 83 of Liguori's book, this Catholic 'saint' states of Mary: ' . . . she is truly a mediatress of peace between sinners and God. Sinners receive pardon by . . . Mary alone'? (Ibid., p. 138) This stance counters 1 Timothy 2:5 where Jesus is our sole Mediator with God."

Now, in keeping our sermon lesson, if the Knights of Columbus man wanted to end the conversation at any point, or if he started to misuse the believer's words, the believer would need to stop speaking. Yet, as long as he listened, the believer should gently give the facts and direct the needy party to the Bible's true Gospel of salvation by faith!

May we follow Jesus in relating well to those in darkness!