Dwelling Place

Al Pittman: Today on the Dwelling Place. They were hardened because they were listening, looking, and focused rather on fleshly things, listening according to human reasoning and not to the spirit. And the Lord rebukes them and says, "How can you be worrying about that? I'm worried about the fact that you didn't go grocery shopping when I'm the grocery. Amen! When I'm the food, the bread of life!"

How can you be worried about things that are natural to you that I can naturally provide for you? I'm the one who fed the 5,000 and you're worried about bread. Man, if I want you to have 5,000 loaves of bread, you can have all the bread you want. Why are you worried about natural things and not concerned with the spiritual things in your life?

Guest (Male): Thank you for listening to the Dwelling Place, a radio ministry from Pastor Al Pittman of Al Pittman Ministries. The purpose of this radio program is to encourage you, strengthen your walk with the Lord, and grow. To support this program financially or learn more about the ministry, visit us online at alpittmanministries.com. That's alpittmanministries.com. Thank you for partnering with us. Now here is Pastor Al.

Al Pittman: And this is a continuation of a series of messages I've entitled "A Message for the Night Season". Words of Jesus that he spoke to his disciples on the night that he was betrayed by Judas and before going to the cross. So they are very important messages, Amen. I've entitled this message for today "Our Divine Advantage". In light of the persecution that Jesus said they would be facing in John chapter 15 verses 8 to the end of the chapter.

He said that the world hated me, they're going to hate you. You're going to face persecution. But in light of that, simultaneously, the Lord says, "You also have a divine advantage in me." And we're going to talk a little bit about that today. The scripture tells us that really as believers, and get this, we are never at a disadvantage. Never. Some people don't believe that, and the devil wants you to think that Jesus Christ is a disadvantage to you.

How much more popular and beautiful you'd be without Jesus. Amen? That's a lie from the enemy. We're never at a disadvantage in Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us in the same John who wrote the Gospel of John, said in 1 John chapter 4 verse 4 that you are of God, little children, and have overcome them because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. The old King James version: Greater is he that is in me than he that is in this world. Amen! You are never at a disadvantage as a believer. Amen. Thank God.

Well, we begin here in verses 1 to 6. We're going to go to verse 15, but let's read verses 1 to 6 first, as Jesus kind of explains to them, reveals to them, though they're going to face impending persecution, that he's sharing this information with them so that they will not stumble. We begin here at verse 1 of John chapter 16. The Lord says, "These things I have spoken to you that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues."

In other words, you're going to be excommunicated from the synagogues, he's telling his apostles, his disciples. "And yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think he offers service to God." We live in such a time, Amen. The words of Jesus are very true. ISIS believes that if they kill a believer they are actually doing the will of God, to take the life of a believer, that they're doing God's will.

And Jesus said it would happen, and we see it happening even today. "And these things," he said, "they will do to you. Excommunicate you, they will kill you. They will do these things to you because they have not known the Father nor me." That phrase "not known" means they never knew. Emphatically, they never knew God. So those who kill in the name of God do not even know God.

Verse 4 he says, "But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning when we first got together because I was with you. But now I go away to him who sent me, and none of you ask me: Where are you going?" Interesting. We'll come back to that. "But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart."

Jesus does not want them to stumble. So what he basically does is saying to his disciples, "I'm going to tell you that trouble's coming before it gets here, so you know that I told you it was going to come. Amen. So that when it comes, you will not stumble, that you'll go, 'Oh, the Lord knew this was coming, and God told us beforehand that it would come.'" Did he not say to us that in this world you will have tribulation?

But behold, I have overcome the world. And yet sometimes when we go through tribulation as Christians, our faith gets rocked and we stumble and all of that. But he's telling them here your persecution's going to come. There's going to be times when you're going to stumble. Now when he talks about stumbling here, a lot of Christians stumble. Many Christians stumble due to offense. Offense is a big reason why a lot of Christians stumble.

People who aren't in church today because somebody offended them, and there's an offense and they're not willing to forgive. So they're mad and they're pouting and they won't come, or they've gone to another church. There's a whole lot of transfer growth in this city and in the church in general. People moving from one place to another. I understand it if the word's not being taught where you were at or whatever, or if some false doctrine's seeped into the church.

I can understand someone leaving for that reason. But a lot of people just get mad and leave because they got offended. "Somebody offended me. You're sitting in my favorite seat this morning. That's my seat. Did you know that was my seat? You parked in my favorite parking spot. They didn't sing my song this morning. I'm offended. Amen." And we go some place where we can find someone who will tickle our ears.

Reality check: It's not about you, and it's not about me. It's about Jesus. Amen. That word "stumble" is from the Greek word *skandalizo*, and it's where we get the word "scandalize". It means to entrap, to trip, to get tripped up, to be enticed to sin. It speaks of apostasy, which is what usually happens with offended people. They grow apostate in their faith, or to offend. "I've been offended."

Life can trip us up in many ways if we fail to remember that regardless of the offenses we may receive from others, God is still in control. Regardless of the persecution that may come from the world, God is still in control. If you don't believe that, you'll trip up. You'll become an apostate. You'll be offended, live a life of offense. In Luke chapter 17 verses 1 to 5, Jesus basically instructs his disciples on how to deal with offense.

And what he basically says there is that it is impossible for offense to not come. Now offense in Luke chapter 17 verses 1 to 5, when Jesus uses the word "offense", he's talking about sin. He's not talking about somebody having your favorite seat or your favorite parking space. He's talking about sin. He said, "Woe to the person through whom offense may come. Woe to that individual."

He says, however, if that person comes to you, if that person offends you, for one thing, first as a believer, you go and you confront that individual. You deal with it. You don't report it to Pastor Al, you don't report it to the church. You don't get a gang of seven or something and go over and confront them. You go yourself. "Hey brother, this was an offense to you," then you go to the person individually.

And Jesus said if he asks for forgiveness, the Lord said, "Then submit it to a committee and then they'll pray over it and then they'll render a verdict." No, it doesn't say that, does it? It says that if he comes to you and asks for forgiveness, forgive him. And then he says he comes to you seven times in one day, he's offended you seven times in one day and comes to you seven times and says, "Hey man, I'm sorry. I blew it. Forgive me."

He said, "Forgive him." And the disciples' response is probably much like our response this morning: "Lord, increase our faith because I don't have enough for that one." But we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. And so he basically is telling us in Luke chapter 17 verses 1 to 5 how to deal with offense within the church: To forgive it, to forgive others.

I often wonder, why did the Lord talk about that? Why did he say it's impossible that offense won't come? He says it's impossible that sin will not come into the church because it's a perfect institution God ordained full of imperfect people. So it's impossible. Just like when you got married, you thought you had the perfect marriage, Amen? And then the day after the honeymoon, reality sets in. Amen.

Some of us were fortunate enough before the honeymoon reality set in. Amen. It's impossible that offense will not come into your marriage. Get over it. It's going to come. How do you deal with it is the question. Jesus said "forgive". Amen. So important for us to remember that, because the main reason that believers do stumble is not so much because of the persecution without; it's the offense they face within the church.

And so the Lord, as he warned the church back in John chapter 16 that trouble's going to come and I'm telling you so that when it does come you won't freak out, he's saying it to us in Luke 17 really in regards to the same thing. Offense's going to come, so when it comes, don't freak out. This is how you deal with it. And how many times do Christians rather freak out than walk by faith. Amen. Amen.

Back here in John chapter 16 verse 4, the latter part, Jesus said that he didn't tell them in the beginning that he's going to be leaving, or tell them these things about the persecution and all in the beginning, because he was with them. But now he says, "I'm telling you guys this is going to happen." And why? Because of the reality that Jesus was the object of offense. He was the one that they scrutinized and all.

But now once he leaves, the church, which is the body of Christ on Earth, will face the same scrutiny that Jesus faced. And they will come against you and they will persecute you. Remember, he said in chapter 15, "If they hate you, remember they hated me first." And so he saved it to the very end there, saying, "I didn't tell you this in the beginning because I was with you. But now I'm getting ready to depart and you need to know these things."

Now in verse 5, the Bible says Jesus said rather to them, "But now I go away to him who sent me, and none of you ask, 'Where are you going?'" I wonder why they didn't ask. Why did Jesus say this and why did they not ask, "Lord, where are you going?" All throughout his ministry, Jesus was telling them back in John chapter 7 verses 33 and 34, he even told them that I'm leaving. I'm going to be leaving.

I'm going back to the Father. And now that it's come, now they're dumbfounded. I believe it's because the disciples, and the scripture backs me up on this, that they really did not comprehend his mission. They were looking forward to him coming and defeating the Romans and establishing Israel back to its former glory and the kingdom of God on Earth. And that's what they were looking for, but they really didn't comprehend the fact that he came to be our sacrificial lamb, to die for our sins.

And so they didn't really comprehend, that's why they didn't ask, "Lord, where are you going?" The Bible tells us that spiritual things are spiritually discerned. And that we cannot discern spiritual things unless we have the mind of Christ. That's what Paul writes about in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verses 14 to 16. The hardness of our hearts can blind us to spiritual things.

When our focus is primarily on material things or natural things, it can blind you to what God is really saying. Some of you are hearing me this morning, but you're not hearing. Some of you are seeing and you're not seeing because you're trying to understand and comprehend things in the natural when you can only comprehend those things in the spirit. And so these disciples, they couldn't comprehend what Jesus was saying because they were thinking in the natural.

There's an example of that in Mark chapter 8 if you'll turn over there real quick. We'll read it. It's kind of funny because I find humor in a lot of things. But Mark chapter 8 verse 13, Jesus is with the disciples, they're crossing over the Sea of Galilee. And in verse 13 we read that Jesus left them and getting to the boat again, departed to the other side, the other side of Galilee.

And now the disciples had forgotten to take bread and they did not have more than one loaf with them. And then Jesus charged them and he said, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." Now the Lord was speaking about spiritual things. They got in the boat and they only had one loaf of bread. They forgot to go grocery shopping, I guess. So they didn't have the groceries.

And so Jesus just says, "Hey, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, beware of the leaven of Herod." The leaven of the Pharisees was hypocrisy. Leaven in scripture is related to sin. Beware of the leaven, the yeast that can affect your whole personality, your whole person, of the Pharisees: Their hypocrisy, their legalism. At the other extreme, beware of the leaven, the sin of Herod: His carnality, his wickedness.

And so he's speaking about spiritual things, but look at their reaction. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "Is it because we have no bread?" Are you getting the picture here? He's talking about spiritual things and they're thinking only about their bellies. That's where we miss it many times with the Lord. And then, I think the Lord got a little frustrated with the disciples every now and then.

And it says the Lord became aware of it and he said, "Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?" And some of us, our hearts are still hardened because we're trying to perceive and understand the things of God through our flesh rather than the spirit. "Having eyes, you do not see? Having ears, you do not hear? And you don't even remember stuff? In other words, you don't remember my faithfulness."

And then he gives them an example. He says here, "When I broke the five loaves for the 5,000, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?" I can see them looking down at their shoes going, "Uh, twelve." "Twelve." Then he said, "Now when I fed the 4,000," verse 20, "and how many large baskets full of fragments were left over then when I fed the 4,000 with a few loaves and fishes?"

And looking down at their shoes again, "Seven." And then the Lord says, "How is it you do not understand?" They were hardened because they were listening, looking, and focused rather on fleshly things, listening according to human reasoning and not to the spirit. And the Lord rebukes them and says, "How can you be worrying about that? I'm worried about the fact that you didn't go grocery shopping when I'm the grocery. Amen! When I'm the food, the bread of life!

How can you be worried about things that are natural to you that I can naturally provide for you? I'm the one who fed the 5,000 and you're worried about bread. Man, if I want you to have 5,000 loaves of bread, you can have all the bread you want." Why are we so concerned about the natural things rather than the spiritual things in our lives? We're focused on the things of the flesh when God is speaking to us in the spirit.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit is saying to the church. You cannot understand anything I'm saying today by the natural man. It's through the mind of Christ, by the spirit of God. I love that. He just rebukes them and says, "Don't you guys understand? I'm talking about spiritual things." And I wonder if he's saying that to us this morning: "Don't you understand what's going on, what I'm really saying to you? May God give us ears to hear what he is saying."

Many times, sorrow is often the result of an earthbound perspective on life. Many times our sorrow is the result of an earthbound perspective on life. Our hope goes no further than the grave, and anything in between here and the grave, that's what we hope in: The world. But the Bible gives us a perspective that goes beyond the grave because Jesus has conquered the grave. Now listen, Christians sorrow.

We sorrow. I've got days I cry. I've got days that are tough. But we sorrow but not as those who have no hope because we live by faith in the spirit. And so Paul tells the church in Thessalonica, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 he says, "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope." We mourn and we sorrow, but with hope.

Amen! That I will rise when he calls my name. That I will indeed be an overcomer through Jesus Christ who loves me. And no matter what is trying to hold me down now, I will rise. And because he lives, I will live also. Now Paul here, of course, is speaking about the resurrection in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. The hope that we have as believers in that when our loved ones in Christ, when they pass away, it's not goodbye; it's "I'll see you later".

Amen. Reserve me a seat. I'm coming right behind you. Amen. That's the hope that we have as believers, that death is defeated, the grave is defeated through faith in Christ. As a Christian, we must walk in the spirit or we will be like the disciples here. Jesus said, "But now you're full of sorrow because you don't get it." Back here in John chapter 16, there in verse 6 he says, "But because I said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart," because they didn't comprehend what he was saying.

I was someone actually sent me the link to a YouTube video of a Coptic priest in Egypt. The Christian population in Egypt is pretty much made up of Coptic Christians. And this priest was giving a message in the aftermath of the bombings on Palm Sunday of a couple of churches there in Egypt. He said a lot of things. I watched the whole sermon and it was subtitled and so he was speaking in Aramaic or Arabic language and I was just reading what he was preaching about.

And it was powerful, powerful. And here's one of the lines. I can't remember a lot of things he said, but here's one of the things he said, and I quote on this one. He said, "Thank you, ISIS, for filling our churches." He said this time of year nobody comes to church. But because of these bombings, our churches are overflowing. "Thank you, ISIS, for filling our churches. Thank you, ISIS, for promoting our fellow brothers and sisters.

They came to church that morning to worship the one that they love, not knowing that in an instant they would be in the presence of Jesus. They got promoted. Amen." I don't discount our need to eliminate ISIS from the face of the earth, to stand up against this great evil. But from a spiritual perspective, you've got to be walking in the spirit to say that. You've got to understand spiritual things.

Your hope cannot be limited by the grave. You have to have a victory in Jesus that is beyond this world, to say, "Thank you, ISIS, for filling our churches." Because whatever weapon is formed against us will not prosper. And what the devil means for evil, God will use for good. And the very gates of hell itself will not prevail against this church. It may look like you're losing, but you're winning in Jesus.