August 18, 2024

Understanding Capacity

Preacher:
Passage: John 16:12-24
Service Type:

Introduction

Considering one verse – v12 "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now"
There are things we do not have capacity for, cannot understand, cannot bear

Examples

Spiritually – we are on a learning curve, a gradual procession,

Jesus had been with His disciples 3 years

He had spoken plain sermons
His parables were full of stories
His preaching was very illustrative

Yet His disciples had many more things to learn (v12)
They had learnt precious lessons – example

They had to understand that doubt was their greatest enemy
That suffering was part of discipleship
That He would keep them to the end

In His final discourse – Jesus is teaching them more truths

Examples

Yet there are many other things He must teach them – but they are not able to bear them

Overview:

Being a Disciple
Discipling Others

Being a Disciple

These disciples lived at an intermediate time

The old covenant was gradually ending
The new covenant was to be:

With all nations (no longer just the Israelites)
With no further temple (as with Israel)
With no further sacrifices (as with Israel)
With no further priests (as with Israel)

This system was about to pass and a new covenant was to be sealed in Jesus’ blood

Jesus would be our true High Priest
Jesus is the Temple of God

The temple was wiped out in AD70

Many things in the Old Testament were fulfilled in Jesus and no longer required (e.g. feasts)

The many things the disciples could not bear

His death and resurrection

They could not understand this

They would later understand – Acts, Romans 5-8

The Holy Spirit had not yet come

That the Gospel was for the whole world

It took a vision and persecution for the Gospel to spread to the Gentiles

Jesus knew their capacities

Jesus knew they needed to learn little by little

Biblical revelation is progressive
Example

The New Testament is the fullness of the revelation

Example of John

Jesus knew they were immature

Immaturity often means we cannot understand the deep things of God

Examples
Example of James and John, Peter, the disciples

1 Cor 3:1-3 "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?"

An infant church, carnal and full of division
Paul had to return to elementary truths

Heb 5:11-14 "…of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

Those long in the faith – ought to be able to teach others

Jesus was being kind to them

Not to disclose further hard things – examples (16:1-2)

He knows what they can cope witih
Example
Preachers need to understand the capacity of those they are teaching

Discipling Others

We have different temperaments, personalities, characters, backgrounds, experiences in Church

We can learn a lot from each other

But we must understand each other – examples

God does not change our personality – examples
God does sanctify us and moulds us to the image of Jesus Christ – examples

We need to help one another

1 Thess 5:14 – "warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all"
Three categories of people:

Warn the unruly person

2 Thess 3:6-11 – examples
Jude 22-23 – "And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh."

Comfort the fainthearted – examples

If Jesus understands our capacity – we should understand the capacity of others

Examples

Encourage and do not scold them
Be gentle with them
Prov 25:20 – "Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather, And like vinegar on soda, Is one who sings songs to a heavy heart."

Uphold the weak

1 Cor 8,10, Rom 14/15
Be tender and understanding
Quote from John McArthur
Bear one another’s burdens – examples
1 Pet 3, Col

Understand the capacities of others

Be patient with all
It is the Spirit of God who is our teacher