Brian Eshleman (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} brianesh73) wrote,@ 2009-07-10 05:03:00 |
|
John 14 and Proverbs 24
THEME: The common emphasis is this morning is the value of wisdom. Jesus said that one of the major roles of the Holy Spirit when He comes upon the disciples is going to be at their Teacher, and Proverbs says that wisdom gives us strength.
PRAISES: Thank You for the wisdom that Your entire Word contains. Thank You for the opportunity to hide it word for word in our hearts. Thank You even so that You bring it to our remembrance by Your Spirit.
APPLICATIONS: We can look to Christ's human example as a complete expression of the Father. (Verses 1-11) Christ says two different times in slightly different ways in the verses that those who have seen Him have seen the Father. At the end of His teaching with His disciples, He is pointing to the completeness on His work in reflecting Your nature. Everything He has done has not been a random reaction but a purposeful and deliberate manifestation of Your character among men.
We can draw much from this. We can find comfort in Your Nature, drawing near to You, Father, because we know that the tenderness and compassion that Christ's demonstrated is also present with You. Likewise, we can be like Christ in that the daily opportunities we get can demonstrate Your character to a world that deep down senses the alienation from You. Give us the same careful consideration of our words and actions that Christ's demonstrated so that we can say with confidence that all we did and said came from You and not from us.
We can draw confidence from Christ's intercession and the Holy Spirit's indwelling. (Verses 12-24) In this intimate setting, Jesus is reassuring the disciples. He is explaining what they will lose and what they will gain by the fact that He will not be physically present with them. He is explaining that He will be advocating for them before You. He also says that because He goes that the Holy Spirit will be with them even more intimately.
How, then, can we envy those receiving any other dispensation than what we have? Only the high priest could enter Your presence, and then only once a year. But we can come boldly before Your throne of grace. We actually have the Holy Spirit INSIDE us, something that the greatest prophet on whom He rested for a specific purpose would have been amazed to experience. In terms of power, the Holy Spirit works in and through us, and Jesus says in this chapter that those who believe on His name will do greater works than He did. Stop us,Father, fom being immobilized by any longing for the good days of the Bible when Your power and the fulfillment of Your promises are so evident right now. Where our recall or our emotions don't line up with that, bring us back to Your Word.
In and through difficult times, Your glory is even more thoroughly revealed. (Verses 25-30) Jesus gave an advance preview. He showed that neither circumstances nor the enemy were in control by equipping His disciples with His Word ahead of time and by expaining how difficulties were going to unfold.
We have the same reassurance of Your sovereignty, and we see it most clearly in the most difficult times. As You tell us that we will have trouble and then see us through it, our reliance on You rather than on stability of circumstance grows. We look for what You will reveal of Yourself rather than what competent control we can show. Thy will be done, Father, in whatever circumstanes lay ahead for us.
THEME: The common emphasis is this morning is the value of wisdom. Jesus said that one of the major roles of the Holy Spirit when He comes upon the disciples is going to be at their Teacher, and Proverbs says that wisdom gives us strength.
PRAISES: Thank You for the wisdom that Your entire Word contains. Thank You for the opportunity to hide it word for word in our hearts. Thank You even so that You bring it to our remembrance by Your Spirit.
APPLICATIONS: We can look to Christ's human example as a complete expression of the Father. (Verses 1-11) Christ says two different times in slightly different ways in the verses that those who have seen Him have seen the Father. At the end of His teaching with His disciples, He is pointing to the completeness on His work in reflecting Your nature. Everything He has done has not been a random reaction but a purposeful and deliberate manifestation of Your character among men.
We can draw much from this. We can find comfort in Your Nature, drawing near to You, Father, because we know that the tenderness and compassion that Christ's demonstrated is also present with You. Likewise, we can be like Christ in that the daily opportunities we get can demonstrate Your character to a world that deep down senses the alienation from You. Give us the same careful consideration of our words and actions that Christ's demonstrated so that we can say with confidence that all we did and said came from You and not from us.
We can draw confidence from Christ's intercession and the Holy Spirit's indwelling. (Verses 12-24) In this intimate setting, Jesus is reassuring the disciples. He is explaining what they will lose and what they will gain by the fact that He will not be physically present with them. He is explaining that He will be advocating for them before You. He also says that because He goes that the Holy Spirit will be with them even more intimately.
How, then, can we envy those receiving any other dispensation than what we have? Only the high priest could enter Your presence, and then only once a year. But we can come boldly before Your throne of grace. We actually have the Holy Spirit INSIDE us, something that the greatest prophet on whom He rested for a specific purpose would have been amazed to experience. In terms of power, the Holy Spirit works in and through us, and Jesus says in this chapter that those who believe on His name will do greater works than He did. Stop us,Father, fom being immobilized by any longing for the good days of the Bible when Your power and the fulfillment of Your promises are so evident right now. Where our recall or our emotions don't line up with that, bring us back to Your Word.
In and through difficult times, Your glory is even more thoroughly revealed. (Verses 25-30) Jesus gave an advance preview. He showed that neither circumstances nor the enemy were in control by equipping His disciples with His Word ahead of time and by expaining how difficulties were going to unfold.
We have the same reassurance of Your sovereignty, and we see it most clearly in the most difficult times. As You tell us that we will have trouble and then see us through it, our reliance on You rather than on stability of circumstance grows. We look for what You will reveal of Yourself rather than what competent control we can show. Thy will be done, Father, in whatever circumstanes lay ahead for us.
