I By Mn. Bessie |
Lesson Background
This lesson deals with God’s support for the new life.
Christians are “Godufactured” to love the way Jesus
loved. Last week we looked at the fact that Jesus
instructed His disciples to do that:(John 13:34). But how
could they be sure they would always love just the way
Jesus loved? One way would have been for Jesus to stick
around so they could keep observing how He loved and
then copy that. But fulfilling the command to love the way
He loved got complicated because He immediately talked
about leaving. So Jesus’ disciples were perplexed.
Jesus sensed that anxiety in His followers and so He
promised to send a Helper to be with them forever: “I will
pray to the Father, and He shall give you another
Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever”(John -
14:16).
The word another, in Greek, means “another of the
same kind: Jesus promised them another comforter of the
same kind that had been with them. The word Comforter
means someone who stands alongside for the purpose of
holding up or supporting the other person. A good
translation of Comforter is “Helper”.
Who was that person who had been standing alongside
those disciples? It was Jesus. Then who will be the Helper
of the same kind as Jesus? In verse 17 Jesus identified that
Helper as the Spirit of Truth — the Holy Spirit. But who is
the Holy Spirit. It is at this point in the discussion between
Jesus and His disciples that we begin today’s lesson.
“When I go, you will not be left all alone; I will comq
back to you. In a little while the world will see me no more,
but you will see me; and because I live, you also will live.
When the day comes, you will know that I am in my Father
and that you are in me, just as I am in you. Whoever
accepts my commandments and obeys them is the one who
loves me. My Father will love whoever loves me; I, too,
will love him and reveal myself to him.. Judas (not Judas
Iscariot), said, “Lord, how can it be that you will reveal
yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered him
“Whoever loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will
love him and my Father and I will come to him and live
with him. Whoever does not love me does not obey my,
teaching. And the teaching you have heard is not mine, but
comes from the Father who sent me. I have told you this
while I am still with you. The Helper, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you
everything and make you remember all that I have told
you. Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace
that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be
worried and upset; do not be afraid.” (John 14:1627)
The Lesson
There is a paradox. Jesus promised to leave, but not be
absent. He promised to go away to the Father, but also be
with His people on earth. How can that happen?
It can happen because Jesus abides on earth in His
people through His Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is present,
God himself is present. When the Holy Spirit is present,
Christ also is present. That’s because the Holy Spirit is the
extension of God and Christ. The good news to us today is
that God is both there-Mn Heaven—and here, on the earth.
He is just that great and powerful. Consequently, no
Christian faces life alone and helpless. A new power is
living inside.
In just a few hours the disciples might begin to think that
Jesus’ promise was very temporary because they would
watch Him die on the cross. Jesus was talking about the
crucifixion when He said, “Yet a little while and the world
will see me no more.’’ At His death the world would cease
to see the physical Jesus. But He was speaking about the
subsequent resurrection when He said, “but you will see
me.” The disciples would see Him after His resurrection;
but more than that they would perceive His presence in the
Holy Spirit who would come to be with them forever and to
be their helper day by day. He was talking about His
perpetuity and theirs when He said, “Because I live, you
shall live also.” Jesus was letting them know that His
resurrection would have a personal application to them. In
His resurrection they would have an assurance that (1) He
remained alive to be their helper as He promised—their
promised help would not stay in the tomb; (2) they would
share in His eternal life.
A young artist had became dissatisfied with his work and
was very discouraged. One day he borrowed the brush of
a teacher, a great artist. Still there was no improvement.
A fellow student observed, “It is not the master’s brush
you need, but the master’s spirit.” Isn’t it true in our
churches that we do not need some new technique or plan
or program half so much as we need the Master’s Spirit? 1
Isn’t it true in our individual lives that we do not need to
learn some secrets of happy living, but only to receive the
Spirit of Christ and let Him work through us.
What kind of peace does Jesus give that is different from
the peace the world gives? Jesus’ peace is different in at
least three areas: (1) The definition of peace. The world
defines peace as the absence of war. As long as we aren’t
in war, we are in peace. But Jesus’ idea of peace is much
longer. His peace also includes being in a right
relationship. It’s not enough not to be at each other’s
throats. The bigger and more important question is do we
love that person? Can we fellowship with that person? Too
often we have peace with someone simply because we
avoid them. (2) The dimensions of peace. The world thinks
of peace only in terms of people with people. But Jesus
gives peace not only with other people but also with Cod,
with self, and with the future. (3) The time grame of peace.
The peace of the world is only temporary. It lasts only until
the next war breaks out. Jesus' peace is to last forever.
As a fish needs to be in water to live, so a person needs to
be in Christ to survive eternally. Take a fish out of water it
will give in, give out, and eventually give up. The only
insurance that we have for not doing the same is to be in
Christ. But it’s a two-way fellowship. We are in Christ and
He is in us. Then we have the support we need to live out
the new life. C *' ‘T&ftW
Mount Carmel Church Members Planning
To Observe “Leon C. Riddick Day”
Special To The Charlotte Poet
Dr. Leon C. Riddick, pastor of
Mount Carmel Baptist Church, has
reached an important milestone in his
life.
Dr. Riddick is celebrating his fif
tieth year in the ministry, his twen
tieth year at Mount Carmel and the
fortieth anniversary of his marriage to
his wife, Micki.
Mount Carmel members are plann
ing to observe Leon C. Riddick Day
on April 21 and are inviting the total
community to join in the celebration
which has as its theme “A Century
and a Decade.’ The observance will
begin with Sunday School. Dr. John
White of Asheville will deliver the ser
mon at the 11 a.m. worship service. A
reception will follow in the fellowship
hall. -
The highlight of the day will be a
banquet and program at 7 p.m. at the
Charlotte Civic Center (Convention
Center). Persons wishing to make
reservations ($10.00 per person) may
do so by mailing a check to Mount
Carmel Baptist Church, 3201
Tuckaseegee Road, Charlotte, N.C.
28208. Checks should be made
payable to Mount Carmel Baptist
Church.
Since coming to Mount Carmel in
1965, Dr. Riddick has seen an in
crease in giving from $18,000 a year
to more than $360,000 per year. More
Dr. Leon C. Riddick
..Noted theologian
than $82,000 was contributed to mis
sions alone last year. The church co
sponsors a school and nutrition center
in Haiti and conducts many local
ministries.
A noted theologian and educator.
Dr. Riddick has served in pastorates
in Wallace, Rose Hill and Lake Lure.
North Carolina and in Summit, New
Jersey. He is a former director of the
Department of Christian Education
and Training for the General Baptist
60 Companies And Agencies
Attend S.C. State Job Fairs
Special To The Post
ORANGEBURG, SC--Job Fairs
or Career Days at high schools,
colleges and universities are not
new, but often a determining factor
in a student’s life.
South Carolina State College stu
dents, dressed as if going to an
interview, toured the aisles at
Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memo
rial Center stopping at first one
station and then another talking
about jobs in a specific area. They
listened attentively, picked up lit
erature and in some cases lined up
interviews for a future date.
ITiere were school districts from
across the state represented, and
state and federal agencies. AT&T,
Quaker Oats and other companies
represented other segments of ca
reer options.
“More than 60 companies and
agencies were represented,” said
Marie Bamberg,' director df' the
Career Development Center at the
college. Hamberg, an alumna of the
college, pointed out that many
alumni were present and that she
thought this helped students relate
to some options they previously
might have overlooked.
While the fair held a relaxed
atmosphere with balloons strung
overhead, there was a purposeful
ness in the faces of students. There
was an exchange of information
among the student body as they
High School
"Athlete
of the
Each Week In
The Post
T>r. A.E. Campbell '
Crwaade Leader
grouped to discuss where they had
been and what impressions were
made. There were some gleeful
moments when students discovered
that “people out there” were inte
rested in what they knew and where
they wanted to go. In some in
stances, students made decisions for
additional courses which had not
previously been considered to fulfill
career needs.
While Job Fairs may not be new,
students still find them informative,
helpful and just maybe a career for
the future.
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Temple Chapel Baptist
Church's
PRE-SPRING CRUSADE
March lOthThru 15th 7:30 Nightly
Ipccfcil Guests
Various Churches
From The Charlotte Area
IMghity Ptafpri
Temple Chapel's Mass Choir
. Temple Combined Hymn Choir
Conducted by Local Deacons
Rev. Geo* E. Gilmore
(Mr \ '/U' «» ;/ * . ' , . ; V,
900 September Lone Charlotte, N.C. Rev. Gene E. Gilmore, DD Minister
State Convention and a former direc
tor of development and Public Rela
tions at Shaw University. He current
ly serves as extension seminary in
structor for inservice ministries under
the auspices of Shaw Uiyversity and
the Baptist State Convention.
A past president of American Bap
tist Churches of the South and the
Hampton Interdenominational
Ministers Conference, Dr. Riddick is
also a dynamic civic leader. He is
chairman of the Charlotte
Mecklenburg Community Relations
Committee, president of the Bid
dlevitle Housing Corporation,
member of the Citizens Criminal
Justice Committee of Charlotte
Mecklenburg, the Mayor's Crime
Commission and numerous boards of
local, state and national
organizations. 1
For additional information about r
Leon C. Riddick Day, persons may
call the church office telephone
394-3525.
iVillie Mack has what it takes to be a
loted employee of Coca-Cola. He is
low Supervisor of the Warehouse
division and has been employed by
'oke for 22 years. (Mack's photo and
>osition was omitted from the Post's
February 21 special edition on
.oca-Cola.)
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