2 Corinthians 5:7. (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
And then it was Pentecost Sunday! The day Christ’s Church was truly born some two thousand years ago, when the Holy Spirit descended form heaven upon the gathering in the upper room that fateful Pentecost Day. It was the day Jesus spoke of when He told the disciples to remain in Jerusalem until power came upon them. ‘But ye shall receive power, after that (when) the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’ (Acts 1:8) That’s because until they were filled with Holy Ghost, baptized with its power, they would not be able to do all that He expected of them.
And we all know what transpired on that day in Jerusalem. The Bible tells us: ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they (120 followers of Jesus) were all with one accord (purpose, mind) in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues likes as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues (languages), as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:1-4)
Oh friends, when our God so desires He can put on a real show! And we also know what transpired after that. The recently baptized followers went out into the streets of Jerusalem and proclaimed the good news gospel of Jesus to all and sundry who were there at the time celebrating the feast of Pentecost. Spoke to them in their own language. Which led some to think that they were drunk. But Peter got up and offered a disclaimer, then preached the best sermon of His life, and the witness was so great, that some three thousand people were saved that day. (Acts 2:14-41)
Ah mih people, how I wish that we followers of Christ today were as enthused as those on that Pentecost day so long ago. We have also been baptized with the Holy Ghost and many of us speak other languages, so why aren’t we making any real inroads into the enemy’s camp eh? Because it takes too much effort and sacrifice, and we like our comfort and the easy living and material things provided by the world more than the things of Jesus. But hopefully when the roll is called up yonder and we’re judged to have underachieved, and don’t get the rewards that were set aside for us, we won’t hold our heads and bawl.
Anyway, as they say, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. I guess it’s the same with us, we can become followers of Jesus in name, but not in nature. And on this Pentecost Sunday, of the Victoria Day long weekend, as we gather in the Lord’s sanctuary, let’s sing an old song, a traditional gospel tune, whose authorship and origins are disputed, but nonetheless, it’s become a favourite down through the years. It’s titled ‘Just a Closer Walk with Thee,’ And I believe it’s rather appropriate for this day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost baptized the followers in Jerusalem.
So without further ado, let’s offer it up with sweet sacrifices of praise in an up-tempo version, per Miss Anne Murray. Singing: ‘I am weak but Thou art strong; Jesus, keep me from all wrong; I’ll be satisfied as long As I walk, let me walk close to Thee. (Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.) Thro’ this world of toil and snares, If I falter, Lord, who cares? Who with me my burden shares? None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee. [Refrain]
Take my hand Lord Jesus, take my hand. Take my hand Lord Jesus, take my hand. There’s a race to be run, there’s a victory to be won, every hour, give me power to go through. And when my feeble life is o’er, Time for me will be no more; Guide me gently, safely o’er To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore. [Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.]’
Oh my fellow saints, there’s nothing better in this crazy and evil world that we can ask for than a close walk with Christ! No sir! For when we’re walking with Him, we are filled with His Holy Spirit and are obedient to His will and word, while wonderful things like peace, LOVE and joy circulate in our souls and emanate from our hearts for all to see, and that allows us to witness to others about our Lord and Saviour, which is our bounden duty.
However, let’s take a look at the song itself and see what scriptural gems we can garner from it. And this commentary from the Hymnary.org website offers some interesting insights. It says: ‘In this song, we acknowledge our human inability to live righteously, but we also express awareness of the grace and strength that God gives us in our daily walk. Even such an esteemed saint as the apostle Paul acknowledged his need for this grace, when asking thrice for relief from an unknown ‘thorn in his flesh’: “But he [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” … For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9a, 10b)
Then we have the title and lyrics of the song which allude to the Biblical passage from 2 Cor. 5:7. “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” And that’s the gospel truth! Followers of Christ are supposed to walk by faith and not by what they see, as do the denizens of this world. Another scripture that can feed our faith is this one from Romans. ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) (eagerly) wait for it.’ (Rom. 5:24-25)
That’s another way of saying that we have an awesome trust in our ever-faithful God, who has promised never to leave nor forsake us. (Heb. 13:5) And we’ll close with these most encouraging words of James. ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10)
Yes friends, that’s a wonderful way to end today’s sermon: Drawing close to God, so that He can draw close to us. Remember, it’s our duty to call on Him, to seek Him, not the other way around. And let’s not forget it’s all for our benefit, not God’s! Much LOVE!
…we can only walk the narrow road to heaven successfully…in the close company of Jesus and the Holy Spirit…
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