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Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/283775
moment in my life. After serving one church for many years and literally pouring our hearts and souls into that congregation, Denise and I sensed that it was time for us to follow God's call elsewhere. The days passed and the time drew nearer to our last church service w it h ou r con g reg at ion . More and more I became aware that when I stood before the people as senior pastor for the last time, I'd be preaching the most important message I'd ever preached to that church. I n t he y e a r s w e h a d served in this church, the cong reg at ion had hea rd many of my sermons. But in that last service, I'd be speaking my last words to them as their senior pastor. erefore, I knew my words had to be carefully chosen and sensitively spoken. It was essential that I leave them with the message that was most impor ta nt for them to hear from me as I stood before them for the last time in the role of their senior pastor. A f t e r J e s u s w a s h e d H i s d i s c iple s ' fe e t a nd s er ved t hem t hei r f i r st Commun ion, He stayed with them and taught them for a lengthy period of time. We don't know exactly how long Jesus' teaching lasted that night, but three entire chapters (John 14, 15 and 16) are devoted to His last words to H is d isc iples. T hese chapters contain the Spirit- inspired record of what Jesus said to His disciples just hours before He went to the Cross and the grave. This would be the last time He'd ever speak to them as the Leader they had known in human form. J e s u s w a s a b o u t t o physically depart from this world. He k ne w it was absolutely essential that the disciples learn how to rely entirely on the Spirit of God for guidance and direction after He left. Therefore, Jesus used His last moments to teach the disciples how to follow the Holy Spirit's leadership in the same way they had followed Him. It mu s t h av e s e eme d strange to the disciples as they listened to Jesus speak about the Holy Spirit. ey had been accustomed to Jesus physically and visibly leading them, but now they were learning that the Spirit of God would become their Leader. This would be a Leader they couldn't see, couldn't touch, and couldn't audibly hear; yet they were supposed to fol low Him just as they had followed Jesus. They were probably thinking, What is the Holy Spirit's leadership going to be like in our lives? Does He act and think differently than Jesus? What is it going to be like to follow the Spirit of God? K n o w i n g t h a t t h e s e were normal questions to ask, Jesus used His f inal moments with the disciples t o d i s p e l a l l f e a r a n d insecurity they might have felt about fol low ing the Holy Spirit's leadership. is is why Jesus was so careful to use key words when He spoke to them about the coming of the Holy Spirit. In John 14:16, for example, Jesus said, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter...." I w a nt to d r aw you r