WEBVTT 00:00:00.430 --> 00:00:08.009 Interested in every detail of our lives. He knows 00:00:08.009 --> 00:00:15.630 us better than we know ourselves. Touched with 00:00:15.630 --> 00:00:23.589 the feeling of our infirmities. Just now, wonderful 00:00:23.589 --> 00:00:32.100 Jesus. Make your person real to that discouraged 00:00:32.100 --> 00:00:39.460 one. Give complete confidence to that one. Give 00:00:39.460 --> 00:00:47.640 faith. Give peace of mind and peace of soul. 00:00:49.780 --> 00:00:59.799 Hear this simple prayer. Amen. As you well know, 00:00:59.920 --> 00:01:03.560 I do not even write out my sermons. Many ask 00:01:03.560 --> 00:01:06.700 me whether we have our sermons in print. I have 00:01:06.700 --> 00:01:10.260 never written out a sermon. When we have our 00:01:10.260 --> 00:01:13.719 little heart -to -heart talks, I just sit here 00:01:13.719 --> 00:01:17.780 before the microphone and I talk just as though 00:01:17.780 --> 00:01:20.719 I was sitting right there in your own home and 00:01:20.719 --> 00:01:25.799 you and I were literally having a little heart 00:01:25.799 --> 00:01:29.709 -to -heart talk. And it's just like that. Well, 00:01:29.709 --> 00:01:38.109 sir, a man asked this question. He had written 00:01:38.109 --> 00:01:41.469 the question on a slip of paper. He had signed 00:01:41.469 --> 00:01:46.510 his name to it. And this was the question. Dear 00:01:46.510 --> 00:01:51.049 Miss Guman, would you please explain John 20, 00:01:51.269 --> 00:01:56.219 23? Now, before I go on with our little heart 00:01:56.219 --> 00:01:58.299 -to -heart talk today, I want you to get out 00:01:58.299 --> 00:02:02.299 your Bible. You'll need it today. I want you 00:02:02.299 --> 00:02:07.280 to turn to John in the New Testament, the 20th 00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:14.159 chapter, the 23rd verse. And while you're finding 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:18.229 it, let me remind you something. Something that 00:02:18.229 --> 00:02:21.949 I have said over and over and over again, you 00:02:21.949 --> 00:02:27.689 cannot just take one verse of Scripture and have 00:02:27.689 --> 00:02:34.229 a complete understanding of that one verse unless 00:02:34.229 --> 00:02:38.930 you understand what precedes it and what follows. 00:02:39.210 --> 00:02:43.270 In other words, you cannot take a portion of 00:02:43.270 --> 00:02:47.849 the Word of God out of its continuity. out of 00:02:47.849 --> 00:02:53.949 its context. You must accept it as a whole. Therefore, 00:02:54.110 --> 00:02:59.090 I would not think of answering this man's question. 00:02:59.250 --> 00:03:03.370 I would not think of giving an explanation of 00:03:03.370 --> 00:03:07.949 just this one verse of Scripture without studying 00:03:07.949 --> 00:03:12.449 the entire chapter. And you'll see that at the 00:03:12.449 --> 00:03:16.889 beginning of this chapter, we have the description 00:03:16.889 --> 00:03:21.689 of the wonderful resurrection of Jesus. And it 00:03:21.689 --> 00:03:25.710 begins with the first day of the week, cometh 00:03:25.710 --> 00:03:30.969 Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto 00:03:30.969 --> 00:03:35.430 the sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away 00:03:35.430 --> 00:03:40.169 from the sepulcher. You know the story well. 00:03:41.800 --> 00:03:46.159 You know of the weeping Mary as she stood without 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:53.060 at the sepulcher, weeping. And as she wept, she 00:03:53.060 --> 00:03:57.259 stooped down. The entire account is given in 00:03:57.259 --> 00:04:03.039 this chapter. Now then, the 19th verse. Go a 00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:07.159 little deeper into the happenings after the incident 00:04:07.159 --> 00:04:14.710 at the tomb. Then the same day at evening, being 00:04:14.710 --> 00:04:17.670 the first day of the week, when the doors were 00:04:17.670 --> 00:04:20.810 shut where the disciples were assembled for fear 00:04:20.810 --> 00:04:26.910 of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst 00:04:26.910 --> 00:04:34.970 and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when 00:04:34.970 --> 00:04:39.480 he had so said, he showed unto them to them his 00:04:39.480 --> 00:04:47.139 hands and his side. Oh, to me this is most significant. 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:55.319 I think this is thrilling. What did he do? Well, 00:04:55.319 --> 00:05:01.939 beloved, so that there might not be any doubt 00:05:01.939 --> 00:05:07.279 in any other minds, he brought forth his credentials. 00:05:10.500 --> 00:05:14.579 Oh, don't just read this very quickly and pass 00:05:14.579 --> 00:05:18.879 it by. Pause a minute and let's feast at the 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:26.139 glory of this incident. Jesus, who had died on 00:05:26.139 --> 00:05:29.740 the cross, they had been there. They had witnessed 00:05:29.740 --> 00:05:34.660 his death. They had heard him. They had seen 00:05:34.660 --> 00:05:39.300 him. When he had dismissed his... own spirit. 00:05:41.160 --> 00:05:48.420 But prior to that moment, they stood and beheld 00:05:48.420 --> 00:05:52.740 the soldiers as they had driven the nails in 00:05:52.740 --> 00:05:57.759 his hand. They knew exactly where the nails had 00:05:57.759 --> 00:06:01.879 been driven into the hand of their master. They 00:06:01.879 --> 00:06:10.470 had stood aghast and saw the soldier as brazenly, 00:06:10.529 --> 00:06:19.209 cruelly, he had pierced that sword into the side, 00:06:19.490 --> 00:06:26.850 into the flesh of their master. They knew exactly 00:06:26.850 --> 00:06:34.089 where the sword had pierced his body. They knew 00:06:34.089 --> 00:06:36.930 exactly the place where the nails had been driven 00:06:36.930 --> 00:06:39.579 into his hands. They were witnesses to this. 00:06:41.480 --> 00:06:46.259 That is exactly why when after the crucifixion, 00:06:46.259 --> 00:06:50.779 after the resurrection, when Jesus again appeared 00:06:50.779 --> 00:06:53.980 unto his disciples, the very first thing that 00:06:53.980 --> 00:06:59.860 he did was to show them his credentials. Otherwise, 00:07:00.279 --> 00:07:05.899 nine times out of ten, after it was all over, 00:07:06.580 --> 00:07:09.600 Knowing human nature as I do, I am dead sure 00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:13.920 that some of them would have said, well, maybe 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:18.060 it wasn't the master. Some would have doubted. 00:07:19.620 --> 00:07:26.399 Maybe it was an imposter. Maybe it wasn't Jesus 00:07:26.399 --> 00:07:31.740 at all. How do we know? After having left the 00:07:31.740 --> 00:07:37.100 room, having... told the neighbors or their friends 00:07:37.100 --> 00:07:43.240 regarding that which they had seen, some neighbor 00:07:43.240 --> 00:07:45.620 would have been sure to have argued them out 00:07:45.620 --> 00:07:50.000 of it and would have said it could not have been. 00:07:50.060 --> 00:07:54.459 It was impossible. It was someone else that you 00:07:54.459 --> 00:08:02.649 saw. Jesus, knowing human nature as he did, left 00:08:02.649 --> 00:08:07.149 no room for doubt in their minds. The very first 00:08:07.149 --> 00:08:12.990 thing that he did was to bring forth his credentials 00:08:12.990 --> 00:08:19.769 and said, Look, these are my hands. These are 00:08:19.769 --> 00:08:23.730 the hands that you saw the nails driven into. 00:08:24.449 --> 00:08:29.470 Here they are. There's no cause for doubt whatsoever. 00:08:32.350 --> 00:08:39.149 Behold my side. This is where the spear was thrust 00:08:39.149 --> 00:08:44.990 into my side. And they knew immediately it was 00:08:44.990 --> 00:08:50.990 their master. It was Jesus. Then were the disciples 00:08:50.990 --> 00:08:55.769 glad when they saw the Lord. They knew. Continue 00:08:55.769 --> 00:09:00.149 reading now. Then said Jesus unto them again, 00:09:01.280 --> 00:09:10.080 Peace be unto you. Follow very closely. As my 00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:19.799 father hath sent me, even so send I you. In other 00:09:19.799 --> 00:09:23.419 words, he's saying to them now, I'll be with 00:09:23.419 --> 00:09:27.759 you a very short time. My work has been accomplished. 00:09:29.320 --> 00:09:32.480 From here on out, the responsibility is yours. 00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:40.620 A great responsibility. And you talk about faith. 00:09:40.860 --> 00:09:45.139 You talk about the father having faith in his 00:09:45.139 --> 00:09:51.840 son when he sent him. Beloved, have you ever 00:09:51.840 --> 00:09:59.500 seen a greater faith exercised than Jesus? placed 00:09:59.500 --> 00:10:10.620 in those disciples. He knew the limit of the 00:10:10.620 --> 00:10:16.360 light that they had received. He knew they were 00:10:16.360 --> 00:10:23.179 flesh. He knew they were ordinary men. He knew 00:10:23.179 --> 00:10:27.860 their limitations. And yet the greatest responsibility 00:10:27.860 --> 00:10:34.659 has ever been placed in men. Jesus himself placed 00:10:34.659 --> 00:10:45.179 in those precious men. Many times unstable in 00:10:45.179 --> 00:10:48.940 their thinking, in their actions, even in their 00:10:48.940 --> 00:11:00.240 faith. As my... Father hath sent me. Even so 00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:11.379 send I you. He knew he would be gone. The world 00:11:11.379 --> 00:11:17.580 would see him no more. They would be left to 00:11:17.580 --> 00:11:21.519 carry on his work. They would represent him. 00:11:22.830 --> 00:11:30.070 As Paul said, for me to live is Christ. They 00:11:30.070 --> 00:11:34.509 could no longer look upon his face. They could 00:11:34.509 --> 00:11:41.750 no longer follow him in bodily form. They would 00:11:41.750 --> 00:11:47.450 see his disciples. They would see those who were 00:11:47.450 --> 00:11:52.250 called Christians, and they would represent him. 00:11:52.320 --> 00:12:01.399 him so send i you great is your responsibility 00:12:01.399 --> 00:12:09.460 is that all watch what follows and when he had 00:12:09.460 --> 00:12:15.580 said this he breathed on them and saith unto 00:12:15.580 --> 00:12:21.809 them receive ye the holy ghost Let me read it 00:12:21.809 --> 00:12:28.769 again. He breathed on them and saith unto them, 00:12:28.929 --> 00:12:35.190 Receive ye the Holy Ghost. That, of course, was 00:12:35.190 --> 00:12:41.549 a prophetic breathing, symbolic, suggestive. 00:12:42.289 --> 00:12:46.909 Remember something. They were not filled with 00:12:46.909 --> 00:12:50.919 the Holy Ghost at that time. Don't you ever let 00:12:50.919 --> 00:12:55.200 anyone deceive you and tell you that at that 00:12:55.200 --> 00:13:00.659 time they were filled with the Holy Spirit. That 00:13:00.659 --> 00:13:06.200 they had received the Holy Ghost at that time. 00:13:06.259 --> 00:13:10.639 It was impossible. They could not have received 00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:15.000 the Holy Spirit at the time. The scripture does 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:17.539 not say that they were filled with the Holy Spirit 00:13:17.539 --> 00:13:21.070 at that time. because the Holy Spirit had not 00:13:21.070 --> 00:13:28.769 yet come. Prior to this, Jesus had told them 00:13:28.769 --> 00:13:34.590 that after he was gone, the Holy Spirit would 00:13:34.590 --> 00:13:38.730 come, but the Holy Spirit could not, would not 00:13:38.730 --> 00:13:44.049 come until after he had gone away and had taken 00:13:44.049 --> 00:13:48.379 the position of great high priest. the great 00:13:48.379 --> 00:13:52.820 intercessor at the right hand of god the father 00:13:52.820 --> 00:13:59.700 he was only reminding them of that which he had 00:13:59.700 --> 00:14:03.940 already taught them that the third person would 00:14:03.940 --> 00:14:08.740 come the mighty comforter would come unto them 00:14:08.740 --> 00:14:15.879 and that they were to wait They were to receive 00:14:15.879 --> 00:14:25.120 the Holy Spirit at that time. Let me read it 00:14:25.120 --> 00:14:31.399 again. He breathed on them and saith unto them, 00:14:31.580 --> 00:14:39.080 Receive ye the Holy Spirit. It was a prophetic 00:14:39.080 --> 00:14:45.409 breathing. It was symbolic. It was suggestive. 00:14:46.809 --> 00:14:51.470 They did not receive the Holy Spirit then. Did 00:14:51.470 --> 00:14:53.990 he not tell them in the course of these days 00:14:53.990 --> 00:14:57.190 that they were to wait until they received the 00:14:57.190 --> 00:15:00.529 Spirit? But while their mission was indicated 00:15:00.529 --> 00:15:04.629 by the outstretched hands with the wound prints 00:15:04.629 --> 00:15:08.649 in them and his declaration that he had authority 00:15:08.649 --> 00:15:13.860 and that they were to be his messengers, He symbolically 00:15:13.860 --> 00:15:21.399 revealed to them the secret of power. The word 00:15:21.399 --> 00:15:27.700 receive, I think, is better rendered by the simpler 00:15:27.700 --> 00:15:38.740 form of take ye. My father has sent me. I am 00:15:38.740 --> 00:15:46.460 authority. under which you will go. But you cannot 00:15:46.460 --> 00:15:53.279 go except in one power, that of the Holy Spirit. 00:15:54.620 --> 00:16:00.679 Oh, that's thrilling. Watch it step by step. 00:16:00.759 --> 00:16:03.960 That's the reason when the gentleman asked me 00:16:03.960 --> 00:16:11.399 to please explain John 20. And... the 23rd verse 00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:16.580 of this chapter. I cannot just take it out of 00:16:16.580 --> 00:16:21.659 its setting and give an explanation. You must 00:16:21.659 --> 00:16:28.039 see what precedes it. He knows his time is limited. 00:16:28.980 --> 00:16:35.960 He is giving them their lost instruction. He 00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:42.680 is reminding them of that which he has already 00:16:42.680 --> 00:16:49.659 told them. That's right. His work was done. He 00:16:49.659 --> 00:16:55.600 was leaving. They were to take his place. They 00:16:55.600 --> 00:17:00.399 were to represent him. Even as you and I as Christians 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:05.839 represent him in this world of darkness. He reminds 00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:12.180 them that the... Power in their life would be 00:17:12.180 --> 00:17:20.680 the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost. All fruitfulness, 00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:28.759 all power would stem from this mighty third person, 00:17:28.839 --> 00:17:36.200 the Trinity. Ye shall receive power after... 00:17:36.269 --> 00:17:41.069 that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. The authority 00:17:41.069 --> 00:17:48.890 that he delegated to them is the same authority 00:17:48.890 --> 00:17:58.710 that he has delegated to you and to me. We are 00:17:58.710 --> 00:18:07.400 to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We are to 00:18:07.400 --> 00:18:12.700 become channels through which the Holy Spirit 00:18:12.700 --> 00:18:21.799 can move, can work, can speak. Then he continues 00:18:21.799 --> 00:18:26.640 after saying, Receive ye the Holy Spirit, by 00:18:26.640 --> 00:18:33.980 saying, Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted 00:18:33.980 --> 00:18:40.480 unto them. And whosoever sins ye retain, they 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:48.740 are retained. The groundwork has been laid. In 00:18:48.740 --> 00:18:53.680 our next heart -to -heart talk, I will give you 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:59.559 the full interpretation of the 23rd verse.