Everyone Needs a Good Guide

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.  He will bring glory to Me by taking what is Mine and making it known to you.”

John 16:13-14

Last Sunday we celebrated the one festival that is both an Old Testament and a New Testament Festival, both a Jewish and a Christian Festival  - Pentecost.  In the Old Testament this Festival, coming exactly fifty days after the Passover, was a time for celebrating the summer wheat harvest.  For us as Christians Pentecost is also a harvest festival – for on this day, fifty days after Easter, the great harvest of the Kingdom of God began. The church was born.  The mission to go into all the world  and make disciples began that day.    Connected with this harvest, indeed at the heart of this harvest is another connection between the Jewish and the Christian celebrations.  On Pentecost the Jews traditionally celebrate what the Rabbi’s called “the giving of the Guide.”  By that they meant the giving of the Ten Commandments.  On Pentecost we Christians also celebrate “the giving of the Guide” - the giving of the Holy Spirit, the one Jesus promised who “will guide you into all truth.”

Since living here in Frankfurt, I have experienced firsthand how important it is to have a guide.  I have gotten lost 3 or 4 times.  Two of those occurred on the same day trying to go to the same destination from the same starting point.  Both times I was trying to find my way to the major road that goes past Trinity.  The first time I got lost because I failed to understand how that road curves away towards the river.  The second time, I got lost because I didn’t understand that the road the church is on changes names 3 or 4 times.  Thank God I had a guide with me – actually an App I have on my phone. I use it to figure out what train or bus I need to take to get places.  It uses GPS.  Even though I couldn’t figure out where I was, it could.  It guided me home. 

That’s why we celebrated Pentecost last Sunday.  As we face choices between right and wrong… as we make decisions about which direction to take at moments when that direction is hard to discern… as we seek to follow Jesus through this life to our Father’s eternal home, how thankful we are that Jesus has not left us as orphans.  He has given us the Spirit as our guide.   However the Holy Spirit is not like an App on your phone where you bunch in a little information and then you get an automatic answer.  Oh sometimes He is very clear.  He uses the commandments to let us help us know right and wrong when faced with temptation.  The commandments make it clear when we have wandered away… when we are gossiping or coveting, lusting or hating.   When we wander the Holy Spirit draws us home through the Gospel of Jesus, makes it clear that our Father’s arms are open, that He wants us back, that our sins are forgiven.

But then there are times when we learn the truth of our Lord’s words - “The wind blows wherever it pleases.  You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.  So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”  (John 3)  Sometimes He guides you to places you never expected to go – Germany for instance.  At other times He puts multiple doors before you and all choices are good.  What He is guiding you to, is to live faithfully for Him in whatever choice you make.  Sometimes He points you in a direction by your interests, abilities and giftedness.  I remember one young lady who was afraid to switch her major to music because it seemed selfish to her to pursue a career in something she enjoyed.  I asked her, “Do you think that perhaps the fact that you enjoy music is how God is leading you in this direction?”  It is good to be careful of using feelings as the Spirit’s guideposts.  Our feelings are fickle. Sometimes we are “at peace” because we decided to do what we want to do, not because the Spirit is guiding us.   I know one man who knew he had made the right decision to ask a girl to marry him.  However his first reaction was not peace, but panic.  When she said yes, it sank in what a big decision he had made  He was terrified.  That’s why is it important to seek the counsel of Pastors and parents, and other believers who know you… and who will speak to you honestly.    Always test your decisions against the Word of God.  The Spirit will not contradict God’s Word.  Often He will use that word to urge you in a certain direction.  .  When considering the call to Texarkana, He used 1 Corinthians 3.  In this call to Germany the passage that kept coming up was the story of Peter walking on water.  To me the call to come here became a call to trust Jesus and “get out of the boat.”  It was a story one of my sons sent me in an email, that God used to help Linda and me take the step out of the boat. 

My point in all of this is Linda and I aren’t the only living in a different land far from home.  That’s true of all of us.  We are but strangers here in this world.  Heaven is our home.   As Linda and I can testify, the one thing you really need when living in a different land far from home is a good guide.  That’s what God has done for us.  That’s what we celebrate at Pentecost – the giving of the Guide -  The giving of the Holy Spirit