Through the Gospel of John, the fourth Gospel.
So please turn to John chapter 16 today.
John chapter 16, our sermon text is verses 1 through 15.
As I read John 16, 1 through 15 today, remember this is God's inspired, inerrant, infallible, clear and sufficient word.
This is God's very own word for you, His people.
If you believe that, if you receive God's word that way, when I'm done reading it, I'll say, this is the word of the Lord, and we'll respond, thanks be to God.
John 16, beginning at verse 1.
Jesus, in the last moments with His disciples, He's already left the upper room, either walking toward the Garden of Gethsemane or already there teaching them.
And He listened to what He says.
He says,
concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me.
Concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see Me no longer.
Concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth.
For He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak.
And He will declare to you the things that are to come.
He will glorify Me, and He will take away what is Mine and declare it to you.
All that the Father has is Mine.
Therefore, I said that He will take what is Mine and declare it to you.
And this is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Indeed, you may be seated.
The Bible says that the grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of the Lord endures forever.
Let's pray.
Lord, we thank you that you are not silent, that your word comes to your people again and again and again.
We thank you, Lord, for what you said to your disciples,
and what your Holy Spirit caused the disciples and the apostles to remember and write down.
And we pray, Lord, that today your Holy Spirit will apply your word to our lives.
Lord, we pray that as we hear your word, we will obey you immediately.
That we will receive your word as the food that we need to eat today, Lord.
You know all that we come needing, Father.
We need more faith.
We need more hope.
We need more comfort.
We turn to nothing besides you.
So please feed us today, Lord.
We are your children.
May your word feed your children, Father.
Grow our hope.
Establish us in the faith.
And equip us for your mission, we pray.
Amen.
Well, beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
I want to try to show you today what I believe Jesus wants you to know about this hour.
It's what disciples must know about this hour.
Our faith, we believe it and we receive it.
But isn't it true that most of the time it's below the surface?
We know there's a glorious gospel, like a great treasure.
We know it and we hold to it.
But it often doesn't glimmer in all of its glory until we're pressed and until we're in a moment of crisis.
Isn't that true?
We're in this hour in which God is ministering to us by the power of his spirit.
And in moments of crisis, we see the glory of Christ, that only he could have done that in a person's life.
And it brings him all the glory.
There's one such moment I heard about from a brother who lived in South Africa.
And he's still a living man.
He's still alive.
This is our generation.
He's a man of dark skin in South Africa, which is a divided country with a long history of racism.
His name was Moses.
He was introduced to us as Brother Moses.
He worked as a school administrator in South Africa.
And he shared this terrible story of how these white racist men ran over his own son on purpose with a pickup truck.
His son went to the hospital and died.
That's the first part of this moment of crisis.
I'm going to tell you more about him later.
What came out of his lips next could only be explained as a man who has the glory of the gospel like a hidden treasure in his life.
He's a man living in this final hour where all of these promises that Jesus gives to his disciples are put on display.
It's still happening.
God still does this in your life and in mine.
So that's what you need to understand.
What is true about this hour that we live in?
The hour that was inaugurated by the disciples.
And that is the hour until Christ returns.
See, the shepherd had called these sheep.
They heard his voice.
They followed him.
Jesus has told them, apart from me, you can do nothing.
You can just picture the disciples walking with them with sorrowful hearts.
And they say, yes, we believe that.
And then in the next breath, Jesus says, I'm going away.
Well, Lord, you're going away.
And apart from you, we can do nothing.
Where does that leave us?
They're gripped by fear and sorrow.
But Jesus tells them, this is to your advantage.
How can that be?
And that's what he answers in these verses.
Look at verse 2.
Jesus says, indeed, the hour is coming.
It's not going to last forever.
It'll go fast.
But it's coming.
He says, I'm going to send you out as sheep among the wolves.
I wash your wool, and it's white because I washed you.
Those woes are going to sink their fangs into you.
You're going to bleed.
You're going to give up your lives for my sake.
But this hour is to your advantage.
Look at verse 4.
Jesus said, I've said these things to you that when the hour comes,
you may remember all I told you.
So three headings of what you need to know if you're a disciple of Christ about this hour.
Number one, if you are a disciple of Christ, expect persecution from unexpected people.
If you are a disciple of Christ, expect persecution from unexpected people.
In the old covenant, being born an Israelite, it meant that your parents are what make you part of the covenant community.
Well, the Apostle Paul in Romans 9-6 reveals by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
that not all who are descended of Israel belong to Israel.
Jesus said, I am the true vine.
Only those grafted into me bear fruit, Jesus said.
If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, expect surprising persecution.
I see three things Jesus said.
He gives them two warnings and one encouragement.
Warning number one, Christ warns his disciples, his true church,
he says, you will be hated by the religious elite when you follow me.
Look at verse one again.
He said, I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.
The Greek word is, it's a rude word of scandalous.
I say these words to keep you from being scandalized.
In the King James, it's to keep you from being offended.
Do you get the picture?
You're going to be persecuted.
Verse two, they will put you out of the synagogues.
They will hate you.
So the question is, who is they?
Well, in John 15, 18, he says, when the world hates you,
know that it hated me before it hated you.
So it's going to be the world that hates you.
But this, he said, of the rulers of the synagogue,
they are the worldly ones.
And in John chapter nine, verse 22, we saw this months ago.
There was the man born blind from birth.
And the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus
to be the anointed one, the Messiah, the Christ,
that he would be put out of the synagogue.
So these rulers of the synagogue were the religious elite.
And Jesus is saying those are the men who are worldly.
They are of the world.
John Gill commented on the language used here,
not put out in the lesser sense,
like here's one local synagogue, but there's many others.
This being put out of the synagogue,
it was the greatest form of discipline
that they had authority to carry out.
All of their hatred and all of the spite they had toward Jesus Christ,
they were going to carry out on his disciples,
on those who followed him.
Gill pointed out that it's the greatest excommunication.
A person was cut out from the whole body of the Jewish community,
which is often referred to as the synagogue
or the congregation of the people.
It was to be given over to utter destruction.
Jesus is saying, disciples, my true disciples,
brace yourself for the rage of the religious elite.
They will hate Christ,
and they will hate you who belong to Christ.
There's one way to get out of that,
because that sounds awful.
I love how Vodibachum put it.
He said, persecution can be avoided.
All you have to do is compromise.
Jesus said very clearly in Luke 9, 23,
if anyone would come after me,
let him deny himself
and take up his cross daily
and follow me.
And in Luke 14, 28,
Jesus warns all of his true disciples
to count the cost.
This is one of the costs
disciples must count.
The second warning Jesus gives is this.
Christ warns you, disciple,
many who think they serve God
are enemies of Christ's true church.
Many who think they serve God
are enemies of Christ's true church.
That's what he warns them
in verses 2 and 3.
Look in your Bible.
He says,
Indeed, the hour is coming
when whoever kills you
will think he is offering
a service to God.
Do you get the picture?
Here's a lamb that followed
the good shepherd
and heard his voice.
And they're going to take that lamb
and they're going to slaughter it.
And they think they're offering
that as a sacrifice to God.
Verse 3 says,
They will do these things
because they have not known
the Father nor me.
The disciples were following Christ,
going into it,
expecting that they would have
to have their lives taken
by the men of the world.
What makes it even harder to bear
is that when their lives get taken,
those who did that
think they're doing it
out of zeal and love for God.
John Gill said,
Those men believe that
whoever sheds the blood
of a wicked man
is one who is then
offering a sacrifice.
This is a gift to God.
They thought that sacrifice
would have been acceptable
and well-pleasing to God.
Well, who immediately comes to mind
as one who did exactly that?
It was Saul, wasn't it?
Saul of Tarsus.
He thought he was doing this
as a service unto the Lord,
going out of his way
and persecuting the Christians,
taking their lives,
thinking it was to please God.
Well, Sinclair Ferguson pointed out,
Real loyalty to Christ,
it does create friction
in the hearts of those
who pay Christ only lip service.
Loyalty arouses the conscience
and it leaves people
with only two alternatives.
Follow Christ or silence him.
Often, their only way
of silencing Christ
is by silencing his servants.
So count the cost, disciple.
We're told by Paul,
your life will be either
a stench leading some to death
as you follow Christ,
or it'll be an aroma
leading others to life.
And it's nothing that you do.
It's simply abiding in Christ.
That's the effect it will have.
So be warned.
Many who think they serve God
are enemies of Christ's true church.
After those two warnings,
I see an encouragement.
Jesus Christ encourages his disciples.
When your hour comes,
remember my word.
Christ encourages you
who are his disciple.
When your hour comes,
remember his word.
In verse 4, he says,
I've said these things to you
that when their hour comes,
you may remember
I told them to you.
When that hour comes,
these apostles would preach
this glorious gospel
after the Holy Spirit filled them.
There's that man,
a descendant of a Greek.
The Spirit regenerated him
and filled him.
And he helps with serving the tables.
He gets appointed as a proto-deacon.
And he remembers these words
that were written down
by the apostles.
And it's with joy
that Stephen takes the stones
on his head.
And the Lord opens up
the heavens to him
like he had done to Ezekiel
and the prophets.
And he dies the martyr,
the blood of Stephen.
Remembering the word of God
and declaring it
with the last breath.
And those who hear
that gospel preached,
God regenerates.
And there's Saul,
the criminal in this story,
who God saves,
God regenerates,
reveals himself to Saul.
Gives him a new name,
you belong to me now.
So when that hour comes
for Paul now,
Paul remembers the words
of the Lord.
And he says,
I'm on that side
with Stephen now.
To die would be gain.
It would be to my advantage
to be with my Lord,
but to live as Christ.
And I lay my life down for him
and I lay my life down
for his people.
Because he first laid down
his life for me.
God can save even Saul.
And God can save you
and God can save your enemy.
God can save those
who right now
may be like Saul.
They may be persecuting those
who they should be loving.
Saul later reflected on this
when his name was Paul
and he said,
what I did as Saul,
now I see as Paul,
I did it ignorantly
in unbelief.
I did not know the Father.
Although I knew all the Hebrew
and I knew it all,
I did not know Jesus Christ.
So disciples,
we can bear persecution
with patience.
As someone put it,
we can pity our persecutors
and we can pray for them.
We can bear our sufferings
with greater patience
because we know that
whatever we are going through
was appointed by Christ
for your life.
And he said,
this is what you should expect.
That gives us comfort.
A true disciple learns to trust
the Word of God.
That's what Jesus trusted.
According to his human nature,
Jesus trusted the Word of God
for his life.
Thomas Brooks, a Puritan, wrote
that death shall be the funeral
of all his sins,
his sorrows,
his afflictions,
his temptations,
his vexations,
his oppressions,
and his persecutions.
This is what God promises.
Do you receive and trust
that promise?
When you die in this life,
it'll be the end of all of that.
God's Word also promises
that your death
will be the resurrection
of all your hopes,
all your joys,
all your delights,
all your comforts,
and all your contentments.
This is what the Word of God promises.
So, to die is gain, truly.
And to live is Christ.
So if you are a disciple of Christ,
expect that type of persecution.
We have been warned
by Christ himself as his disciples.
And we've been encouraged
to hold on,
remember his Word.
The second heading is that
if you are Christ's disciple,
Christ promises help
in your confusion and sorrow.
If you are Christ's disciple,
he promises help,
with a capital H,
in your confusion
and in your sorrow.
He promises this in verse 4.
He understands his disciples
will be confused.
In verse 4 he says,
I did not say these things
to you from the beginning
because I was with you.
See, the very presence of Christ
with his disciples
made him the true object
of the malice
and the rage
and the hatred against God.
When he sent them out
two by two to preach,
he knew they were going
to be persecuted
at some level there,
but it was not even directed
at them.
It was directed at the message
and at Christ himself.
He was with them
and he gathered them back
and he himself comforted them.
He says,
this is going to be different.
It's not a quick mission
and you come back
and my presence comforts you.
This is going to be different.
In Matthew 10, 17,
he said,
you will be hated by all men,
persecuted from city to city,
beat in the synagogues,
delivered up to councils
and brought before kings
and governors.
But now this is why he says,
you get a greater help.
He says,
it's to your advantage.
You get the help,
the comforter,
the advocate.
Look at verse 5.
Now I am going to him
who sent me
and none of you asks me,
where are you going?
And then,
Jesus is telling the disciples,
there is a reality
you don't even see.
There is a realm
you don't even access
or can even dream of.
And that's the glory
set before him.
And the thought of them,
his disciples,
being united to him
was the joy
with which he marched
to the cross
to pay for their sin.
Christ had his future glory
in mind
because he knew
from that place,
that future glory,
he would pour out
his Holy Spirit
on his disciples.
He would be preparing
mansions for them
while his Holy Spirit
would be carrying out
his mission on earth
of bringing the true heaven
down to earth
in a spiritual sense
through the preached word
gathered up
into the church.
So he looks at the disciples
and he sees the sadness
on their face.
But in his heart,
he knows the glory.
He's comforting them
with a promise
that only he can imagine.
So Christ understands
that his disciples
feel confused.
But Christ also cares
for his disciples
in their deep sorrow.
Look at verse 6.
He says,
because I have said
these things to you,
sorrow has filled your heart.
He recognizes it
and he tells them,
I see you.
I see what you're feeling.
The reasons for their sorrow,
he says,
are these things.
He says these things
six times in this chapter.
It's like a climax
of what he's been preaching
all along.
Now he's just referring
to it as a lump sum.
These things,
these things,
these things.
It's persecution.
It's being put out
of the synagogue
by the elite.
It's losing their lives.
And the deepest point
of their grief,
it's that Christ himself
would no longer be with them
on this earth.
So sorrow
had filled the minds
of the disciples.
One commentator put,
it had seized
on all the powers
and faculties
of their souls
that Christ recognizes that
and calls it
in this moment.
He pauses his teaching
and he identifies
what it is
on their faces.
Not only does Christ
comfort them
and recognize that
in their sorrow.
Number three,
Christ only does
for his disciples
what is best for them.
In their confusion,
in their sorrow,
he says,
what I am doing
is to your advantage.
This is for your good.
Look at verse seven.
I tell you the truth,
it is to your advantage
that I go away
for if I do not go away,
then the helper
will not come to you.
But if I go,
then I will send him
to you.
He uses the phrase,
I'm going away.
He's using earthly language
to tell them
of the most glorious thing
that has ever happened
in human history.
That God,
who took on flesh,
will march
a journey to the cross
and to the grave
and he will be ascended
at the right hand
of the Father.
That's the journey.
That's the going away,
this trip
that he's telling them about.
And he will come back.
He says,
it's to your advantage.
Why is that?
Theologically,
what is happening
in this going away,
this full work of Christ?
John Gill put it this way,
I must go,
in the words of Christ,
to open the way for you
into the Holy of Holies
by my blood.
I must go to remove
all charges
and accusations against you.
I must go to take possession
of heaven for you.
I must go to prepare
mansions for you
to dwell with me
in my Father's house.
I must go to appear
in the presence of God
on your behalf.
I must go to be your advocate.
I must go to make intercession
for all good things for you.
I must go to mediate
between you and God.
I must go to present
your petitions
to the Father.
I must go to see
that every blessing of grace
is applied to you,
my people.
That's why it's to
the advantage of his disciples
that Jesus go away.
The last John Gill quote
says,
If Christ had not gone away
to die and rise again,
there would have been nothing
for the Spirit to do.
no blood to sprinkle,
no righteousness to reveal,
no fruit to bear,
and no salvation to apply.
In that moment of deep sorrow,
of deep confusion,
Jesus promises them,
what I am doing
is best for you.
This is for your good.
Do you trust me?
And getting to know
each one of you
and different ones
in our congregation,
it's humbling.
I'm humbled
because I've not had to endure
some of the most painful things
imaginable
that you've shared,
that you had to endure.
And so I feel like
I'm not even the one
who can comfort you
because I have not identified
with you in the suffering
in that way.
What I can do
is give you the word
of Jesus Christ.
He identifies
with those hardest things
you went through.
And in reasons
we can't understand now,
the confusion
and the deep sorrow
that we still feel,
Jesus Christ says,
whatever I do
in your life,
it is for your good.
Do you trust my word?
Do you trust the word
of Jesus Christ,
your Lord?
If you are Christ's disciple,
God promises help
in your confusion
and sorrow.
Praise God for the Spirit
who is our help.
And that's our third
and final heading for today.
If you are Christ's disciple,
His Spirit will
guide you
into all truth.
If you are Christ's disciple,
it's okay that you don't
have it all figured out now,
that you have big questions.
His Spirit will guide you
into all truth.
What a glorious promise.
The Holy Spirit,
I'll show you four things here.
number one,
graciously convicts you.
The Holy Spirit
graciously convicts you.
Look at verse 8.
When He comes,
the helper,
the comforter,
the advocate,
the Spirit of truth,
when He comes,
He will convict
the world
concerning sin
and righteousness
and judgment.
That's what He'll do.
And then He opens it up,
He unpacks it.
And notice how each thing
that the Spirit does
points you where?
It points you to Jesus Christ.
So,
we saw previously
how the Holy Spirit
is the second advocate.
Jesus Christ is the advocate
of His disciples.
Jesus Christ is the advocate
in heaven
pleading your case,
defending you
in the legal court.
Here,
the Holy Spirit
is advocating
for Jesus Christ.
It's the Spirit of truth
pointing to Christ.
So,
the Holy Spirit
in a legal court setting,
the Holy Spirit
is the defending attorney.
And Jesus Christ
is the one
in heaven
the Spirit defends.
Well,
what does that make us
as disciples?
We don't have to defend Christ.
That makes us witnesses.
I would like to call
my first witness
to the stand.
Is what the Spirit
is saying about Jesus Christ
true in your life?
Do you testify
that this is true?
If you take
the Lord's Supper,
you are proclaiming
that gospel of Jesus Christ
until the day
that He returns.
What is it
that the Spirit
testifies to
and defends?
Look at verse 9.
Concerning sin
because they do not
believe in me,
Jesus Christ.
So the Spirit
comes and convicts
of sin
so they will believe
in Christ.
It's a gracious conviction.
That's the first use
of the moral law
in evangelism.
We go to a community college
we bring up
any topic
under the sun
and we can use
the moral law of God
and the Spirit
by the power of Christ
will convict of sin.
And that conviction
of sin
it makes you need
I need a Savior.
It makes you know that.
And He humbles us.
It's a gracious conviction
that drives us
to the cross
of Jesus Christ.
Acts 2.23
this was inaugurated.
The Spirit
convicted the world
not just these disciples
not just the 3,000
that would believe
but He convicted
all nations represented.
Acts 2.23 says
this Jesus
Peter's preaching
He was delivered up
according to the
definite plan
and foreknowledge
of God
because you
crucified
and killed Him.
You lawless men
put the Son of God
on the cross.
And that's a gracious
conviction
to see your sin
that put Him there.
Jerry Bridges said
conviction
should actually grow
throughout
our Christian lives.
In fact
one sign
of spiritual growth
is an increasing
awareness
of our sinfulness.
Jerry Bridges
is saying
you want to see
a mature Christian
there's a Christian
who is so aware
of his own sinfulness.
So the Spirit
graciously convicts you.
Number two
the Spirit
shows you
Christ's
righteousness.
It builds
one builds on the other.
Look at verse 10
the Spirit
ministers
concerning righteousness
Jesus says
because I go to the Father
and you will see me
no longer.
Now think about that
what does going to the Father
have to do with
the righteousness of Christ?
Well Jesus died
for sin
but He was only
raised from the dead
because
the Father
saw the obedience
of the suffering servant
His entire life
His righteousness
His active obedience
His fulfillment
of the moral law
and because He was sinless
and He died in our place
now the Father
raises Him
from the dead.
He says
this is a life
that merited
eternal life
not because He lacked anything
but He merited it
on behalf
of His people
of those He came to save.
1 Peter 1.8 says
though you have not seen Him
you love Him
though you do not
now see Him
you believe in Him
and rejoice
with joy inexpressible
filled with glory.
That's the ministry
of the Holy Spirit
pointing to you
yes
you're a sinner
you need to be forgiven
and washed clean
by His blood
but it's His righteousness
that covers you.
It's the Spirit
who gives you
a joy inexpressible
and filled with the glory
of the Son
His righteousness
put unto you.
Number three
the Spirit shows you
that Satan
was crushed.
The moment when
when Christ
suffered the wound
on the heel
the serpent's head
was crushed.
That same moment
on the cross
it was the death
of death itself
and the death
of Jesus Christ.
Look at verse 11
the Spirit reveals to you
concerning judgment
because the ruler
of this world
is judged.
What did Jesus
accomplish on the cross
according to
Colossians 2
15 and 16
on the cross
Jesus Christ
disarmed
the rulers
and authorities
of the spiritual realm
and put them
to shame
by triumphing
over them
in Christ.
Number four
the Spirit
illuminates
God's Word
to you.
The Spirit
illuminates
God's Word
to you.
Look at verse 12
Jesus said
I still have
many things
to say to you
but you cannot
bear them now.
When the Spirit
of truth comes
He will guide you
into all the truth
and He will not
speak on His own
authority
but whatever He
hears He will speak
and He will declare
to you
the things that
are to come.
He will glorify
me
for He will take
what is mine
and declare it
to you
and all that the
Father has
is mine
therefore I said
that He will take
what is mine
and declare it
to you.
the Holy Spirit
according to
verse 13
will guide
these apostles
into all
truth.
Yes there's
more revelation
the whole New Testament
still needs to be
written
and they will
take what is
Christ's
the full work
of Christ
and the Spirit
will open it up
for the church.
The Spirit
will help
these apostles
to declare it
and the New Testament
will be breathed
out by the Holy Spirit
and now that
same Holy Spirit
who regenerates
and who calls you
to believe in Christ
that same Holy Spirit
ministers His own
word that He breathed
out to you
and He guides you
too through His word
into all truth.
That's why we believe
what Colossians 3.16
we believe it as witnesses
we can testify
not only is this
what it says
this has been true
that as we let
the word of Christ
dwell in you richly
He establishes us
in our faith
we teach one another
into all wisdom
and we do this
with thankfulness
in our hearts
to God
it's the ministry
of the Holy Spirit
in us
if you are
Christ's disciple
His Spirit
will guide you
into all truth
so the focus today
is this hour
what we
as followers of Christ
need to know
about this hour
Jesus said
in verse 2
indeed
the hour
has come
in verse 4
He said these things
to disciples
that when the hour
has come
you'll remember
what He had told you
Jesus said
of this hour
it is good
it is to your advantage
this hour
is even better
we wish we could be there
in the first century
and see
God
in the flesh
Jesus
we don't understand it
He says
what we have now
with the Holy Spirit
is better
this is
the glorious
hour
of the Holy Spirit
in the church
beloved brothers
and sisters
believe this today
this is the hour
according to
John 12
23
yes
the hour
has come
for the Son of Man
our Lord Jesus Christ
to be glorified
this is the hour
according to
John 16
in which
the Holy Spirit
applies the redemption
that Christ
accomplished
this is the hour
according to
John 4
23
in which
the true
worshipers
will worship
the Father
in spirit
and in truth
this is the hour
according to
Matthew 10
19
in which
when you get
delivered over
to those who
hate Jesus Christ
the Holy Spirit
will give you
what to say
this is the hour
in John
1st John 2
18
in which
many
will abandon
the faith
making it
plain
that they
were never
of the true
vine
this is the
hour in which
you who are not
of the world
will walk
with your shepherd
in this world
as sheep
among wolves
this is the hour
according to
1st Corinthians
4
11
through 13
that
when you are
reviled
you will bless
when persecuted
you will endure
when slandered
you will pray
how glorious
God's power is
is often hidden
until we're in a
moment of crisis
brother Moses
of South Africa
grieved
he had anger
he wanted to
carry out
vengeance
on those
who killed
his son
brother Moses
stood and
shared with us
over a long
process
the Holy Spirit
taught him
to forgive
those
who killed
his own son
because God
forgave
Moses
who killed
the son of
God
with his
sin
that's the
power
of the
Holy Spirit
there is no
other explanation
for it
brother Moses
bears witness
everything the
spirit reveals
about Christ
is true
the spirit
advocates for
Christ
and we join
in bearing
witness
yes because
it's been
true in my
life also
this is the
hour according
to Revelation
310 in which
our Lord Jesus
Christ calls his
church to keep
his word with
patient endurance
until he returns
this is the hour
according to John
525 in which the
dead will hear the
voice of the son of
God and those who
hear will live
this is the hour
according to Luke
1240 in which you
must be ready for
the bridegroom
shall return
for you
in glory
oh disciple
of Jesus
Christ
you must know
according to
Romans 13 11
that the night
is far gone
and the day
is already
at hand
salvation
is nearer
to us now
than when we
first believed
the hour
has come
for you
to wake
from your
sleep
amen
let's pray
verse 12
of Romans
13
oh Lord
may your Holy
Spirit cause
your true
disciples to
cast off
the works
of darkness
and put on
the armor
of light
and follow
you
King Jesus
for your glory
may your kingdom
come
and your will
be done
on earth
as it is
in heaven
amen
you
IS