Keion Henderson - Thank You for Being Late - Part 1

I want to talk on this subject. Thank you for being late. The Gospel of John frequently uses contrast as a teaching mechanism. By contrast, I want you to know exactly what I mean. Denotatively, the definition of contrast is polar opposites of the same thing. Contrast would be if you and I were standing in the same room and one of us said, «I’m hot,» and the other one said, «At the same temperature, I’m cold.» It’s called contrast—it’s obvious differences. It’s black and white. It’s what we call contrast, and John implements it as a writing mechanism. It’s one of the tools that John uses to describe what the Holy Spirit has conveyed to him for the church. John, as a writer, employs contrast entirely as a writing style. It’s not hit and miss; it’s not subjugated to subject matter. It’s his style. He uses contrast, and I intend, Pastor Rhema, to prove it as we start with the scripture John chapter one: «In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.» Look at the contrast between flesh and divinity—polar opposites, obvious differences right in the first few verses of the chapter. Then, if you skip over from John chapter one to John chapter two, look at the contrast; look at the obvious differences. You have the tranquility, the mildness, and the beauty of a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. You’ve got Jesus there; the disciples are there. They are serving wine to the tune of 120 to 180 gallons. Everybody is jolly; everybody is ecstatic. The bride is beautiful, the groom is handsome, and the family is excited. Look at that beautiful scene that is depicted in John chapter two. But here is the contrast because John chapter two begins with Jesus at a wedding and ends with him flipping over a table. Look at John using contrast as a writing style. You’ve got the beauty of Jesus in John chapter two at the wedding, and by the time you get to the end of chapter two, he’s flipping over tables and having choice words for money changers because John uses obvious differences and contrast as a writing style. In chapters three and four, you also see contrast, which are the preceding chapters before our chapter of discussion today. There is a man named Nicodemus in John chapter three. This is actually where we get one of our most famous verses: John 3:16. «For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.» Although we use that as a salvific explanation, this is actually part of a conversation with a man named Nicodemus. Nicodemus had a question: «How can a man be born when he is old? Can he go back into his mother’s womb?» Jesus answered him, «No, if you just believe, you can be born again.» But Nicodemus shows us contrast because the Bible says through a study by different writers, as Josephus gives us different perspectives about the etymology and the humanity of a man named Nicodemus, we know, number one, that he was a prosperous man. We know that because of the amount of spices that he had, which would be equivalent to money. This man was prominent; he was, for all intents and purposes, famous. He was a respected and honored man. But look at John using contrast as a writing style because right after discussing Nicodemus, a rich man, we now talk about a poor woman sitting at Jesus’s feet— a Samaritan woman, a poor woman who doesn’t have notoriety, a poor woman who doesn’t have money, or any influence. Because John likes to use contrast to explain what God has given us, he uses juxtaposition intentionally. It is not accidental, and I want you to understand this because John is full of contrast. In your life, no matter where you are, if you’re in Ghana, isn’t your life full of contrast? Sometimes it’s up and sometimes it’s down. Isn’t your life full of contrast? Isn’t it the best of times and the worst of times? But John uses contrast, and I think that he does this because he has taken his cue from a God who uses contrast. He’s taking his hint from a God who employs juxtaposition as a writing style. God gives Abraham a son named Isaac—look at that contrast. He gives him a son named Isaac, and within a few moments, he asks him to turn that son into a sacrifice. Look at the contrast; look at the juxtaposition. Look at how God does it and then undoes it. Look at his yin and yang; look at his day and night. Look at how God confuses and then clarifies. Look at what he does: he gives Abraham a son and then asks him to make that same son a sacrifice. Learning to live—here it is—learning to live with inconsistencies is one of God’s probabilities. Getting you used to hot and cold, getting you used to up and down, getting you used to in and out, getting you used to abase and abound, getting you used to falling and rising. Notice I said seemingly because…