Today is a very wonderful day. I would say it is the first day of spring. Spring has begun, but there is war in the world, conflicts, anxieties. People are confused and troubled, but the church is at peace, the church is comforted, because the One who comforts the church is the Holy Spirit. May the name of the Lord be glorified.
Brothers and sisters, I would like us to speak a little about the church and the role of the church in this world. Look, I want to read one verse from Psalm 87. This is what the Holy Scripture says:
“His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon among those who know me. Behold Philistia and Tyre, with Cush: this one was born there. And of Zion it will be said, ‘This man and that man were born in her,’ and the Most High Himself shall establish her. The Lord will count, when He registers the peoples: ‘This one was born there.’ And the singers, as well as those who dance, shall say, ‘All my springs are in you.’”
Blessed be our Lord, brothers and sisters. It is interesting how it says, “The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.” In other words, there is something that God loves more, and that is the gates of Zion, which in meaning is the church, the church of Christ, whose foundation was laid by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
“In My Father’s House Are Many Dwelling Places”
Let me simply read some verses from the Holy Scripture. The Gospel of John, chapter 14, beginning from the first verse, the Lord says this:
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
The Lord says very interesting words. I would like to ask a question, brothers and sisters, and this is something we can think about. Look, the Lord Jesus says, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places.” If it were not so, He says, I would have told you: I go to prepare a place for you. And then He says, if I go and prepare a place.
The question is this: if there is already a place, why does the Lord need to go and prepare a place? Is it not said that there already is a place: “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places”? Then what need is there for the Lord to go and prepare a place? And in His own words He says, “If it were not so, I would have told you: I go to prepare a place.” In other words, the place exists, and He says: let not your heart be troubled, believe in God, because that place is prepared.
I would not like to speak about this question today, brothers and sisters. You can simply think about it. I would like us to reflect today on another matter.
Look: dwelling place, the house of God. It speaks about the house of God and about a dwelling place. It is as though there is a house, and within that house a home or a place. And in all of this, God wants to see the mystery of unity, like the church and the people within the church, in whom the Holy Spirit is — dwelling places for the Holy Spirit.
Look, we are in the house of the Lord, and the Holy Spirit of the Lord is in us. This is, as it were, unity, brothers and sisters.
The Coming and Guidance of the Holy Spirit
This is already spoken about in John chapter 16, where the words of the Lord are presented. From the seventh verse He says:
“But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, because if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment.”
It is interesting that the Holy Scripture says, “It is to your advantage that I go away.” In other words, if the Lord goes, He will send the Holy Spirit. He will prepare that place for us, within us, for the Holy Spirit, so that the Holy Spirit may dwell in us and the Holy Spirit may lead us.
Look, there are many opinions that this verse in chapter 14 is about the second coming of Christ. But in my Bible there is a heading written that this is about the coming of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Lord promised and would send. And this is something to think about, brothers and sisters.
I want to ask one more question. Look, when the Holy Spirit comes, He convicts concerning sin, He convicts concerning righteousness, and He convicts concerning judgment. And the word continues:
“Concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; concerning righteousness, because I go to My Father and you will see Me no more; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”
If we read this in this way but do not think about it, we could say that we do not understand this word. Look, concerning sin, we can say it is understandable, because they do not believe in the Lord, therefore they are in their sin. But why does He say concerning righteousness, because I go away and you will see Me no more? What righteousness is here, brothers and sisters?
A question arises. He says, concerning righteousness, because I go away and you will not see Me. What righteousness do we see here? If we do not see our Savior, and the Holy Spirit convicts the world, and He says that the Holy Spirit convicts concerning this righteousness, and also convicts concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
In reality, these three points that are mentioned — sin, righteousness, and judgment — are connected to one another. Look, here the Holy Spirit convicts because the world did not believe, but we believed.
Someone asked me a question, and maybe you have also been asked: “But there are so many people in the world — China and so on — no one believes. Would it be just if they are condemned?”
Yes, brothers and sisters, if they see our righteous faith and do not repent, that is just, because they themselves see their judgment by not believing in Christ. And this is where the righteousness is. The Holy Spirit does not convict only because of their destruction, but He convicts by saying: look, these people accepted. These people accepted, so at least come to repentance.
And look, in the continuation He says that He must convict concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. How was he judged? By the faithfulness of One — by the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ, the ruler of this world was judged. In the same way, by our faithfulness, brothers and sisters, many can repent.
This is the role of the church. This is how God has established it. And if someone does not repent, if someone sees our good work and does not repent, believe me, this righteousness is from God. The Holy Spirit convicts.
But why is it that people are not convicted, brothers and sisters? Look, this word has a continuation:
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth, because He will not speak from Himself, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”
In other words, when the Holy Spirit comes, when we receive the Holy Spirit, we will be led by the Holy Spirit. When we are led by the Holy Spirit, it is impossible for someone not to be convicted. It is simply impossible.
If the life we live does not trouble the person next to us, that should trouble us first. Why does it not trouble them? Perhaps I am not being led by the Holy Spirit. It is written that we should examine ourselves. Let us examine ourselves, because it is very important, very important, brothers and sisters, to be led by the Holy Spirit.
Understanding the Value of the Church
Let me tell an incident. A few years ago we went somewhere in Armenia. It was very far away, like a church near the border, an Apostolic church, and there was a servant there. We had gone as tourists. I do not know, maybe I have told this before.
Among us there were some who were simply wearing short shorts. And there were people who had come from Yerevan like that — in our words, half-naked. The deacon there, brothers and sisters, did not even allow them to enter. He did not even allow them to go inside. He gave those girls robes and head coverings, so they would wear those and enter that way. But my brother was there, and he did not allow my brother to enter at all with shorts.
We may think, “Come on, he could have let them in.” But in reality, brothers and sisters, we must value the role of the church. We have come to church, and we must understand the value of the church.
Look, why did I read chapter 14? Because it says, “In My Father’s house are dwelling places.” The Father’s house, brothers and sisters, is the church. We must value the church in all of our conduct.
There are people who, one could say, look at the church carelessly. Well yes, it is church; I came for two hours, sat down, went in, went out. Look, let me remind you of the pool, the pool of Siloam, when from time to time the angel would stir the water. Now if you go out and come in, what do you think — will you take part in that stirring, or will you remain outside?
If we have come to church, our eyes, our mind, our heart, and our soul must be focused on the word, so that when the Spirit works, you may be healed. If we do not do this, brothers and sisters, believe me, it is in vain. If we are not zealous in this way in all of our conduct, these things should trouble us.
If we live by the Holy Spirit, if we move by the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit does not lead into sin. The Holy Spirit leads into truth — into righteousness, holiness.
Let Us Examine Ourselves
Deuteronomy chapter 22, verse 5: A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for whoever does this is an abomination before the Lord your God.
There are places in the Holy Scripture where it is written that this thing is an abomination before God. Brothers and sisters, there are very few places like this. And we must understand this: how do we come, or how do we relate to the faith?
We must look, brothers and sisters. The world is in turmoil, but the church must be at peace, because He says, do not be troubled. The Holy Spirit says it; I am not saying it. The Holy Spirit says: if you are being led in truth, be at peace, do not be troubled. If you are led by the Holy Spirit, you should not be troubled.
A time will come when they will rejoice, they will laugh, but they will put us into distress. Now they are in anxiety and distress, and we are at peace. But the continuation says that when they laugh and rejoice, then they will bring anxiety upon us, and we will be put into distress. But again the Holy Spirit says: do not be afraid, because I have overcome the world.
Has the Lord overcome, or not? The Lord has overcome, and He has also given us the victory. Blessed be the name of our Lord God forever and ever.
I would not like to make the word very long, brothers and sisters. I simply want us to think about these things. Let us think about these things: why have we accepted our faith, and why is it that my faith does not trouble my relative, my friend?
Or there are many things that we simply hear from the side. For example, if they say, “This person is a believer? I am more of a believer than he is,” it means that the person sees himself as more believing or more spiritual than that believer. We must be led by the Holy Spirit, brothers and sisters. This is all I know, and this is what I wanted to exhort.
Blessed be the name of our Lord God. I will not prolong it. Let us pray.
Prayer
May Your name be glorified, Lord of lords, King of kings. We are sincerely thankful, Lord, for all Your mercies, for Your graces, Lord, for which You suffered, endured hardship, and were troubled, so that today we may be here, Lord, that we may be in Your house, Lord, and that Your Spirit may dwell in us.
For this You suffered, Lord. You overcame the world so that today we may have victory. Lord, bless us, strengthen us. Lord, bring each one of us into that victory, into this grace. Lord, bless us, have mercy. Lord, we surrender ourselves into Your holy hand. Lord, also bless our worship, bless the course of this day, Lord, and may You be glorified in everything — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Hallelujah. Amen.
