have courage

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Series: Conversations with Jesus
John 14:1-6
“Why We Have Been Left Behind”
INTRO
Dying wish, scrooge, cheque.
Any time one goes overseas—even to the Maldives
-one is reminded of the immense needs
-and how critical it is that the church be radical followers of Christ
-followers who in the first sense are missional
-serving a cause far greater than themselves
-determined to be incarnational, transformational, relational
But for this to happen—several things must take place—which is what the Upper Room
Discourse is all about
1. Those who follow Jesus must be marked by SERVANTHOOD
-whatever we do in Jesus’ name we first begin on our knees before one another— washing dirty feet, praying for one another, listening to one another
-which will hopefully attract people to Jesus
2. Those who follow Jesus must be marked by LOVE AS Jesus LOVED
-loving each other unconditionally, passionately, straight on
-loving as the world does not know or have the power to love
-all of which will tell the world we are His disciples
-and given the context of Peter’s foretold capitulation to fear (13:38)
3. Those who follow Jesus must be must be marked by COURAGE
-confidence, nerve,
illustration- Khrushchev- know you know why
-they will be called upon to make courageous decisions
-be strong of heart—take risks
You cannot walk by faith and live in fear! And so He gives this admonition—14:1 (read)
-don’t be troubled, distressed, agitated—intimidated—
-don’t be paralyzed by fear!
-an admonition which we have seen is given more than any other in Scripture
-for we are—by nature—fearful creatures
-and this includes God’s servants
-Adam hid, Moses ran, Elijah gave up, Esther hesitated, Jonah headed for a travel
agency, Peter caved in
illus-Muslims who become Christians, ex jehovah’s witnesses, Chinese Christians, North Korean Christians if there is one thing they have to overcome it is their fears
-and I suspect that is true of us
-I always come back to this comment
“All of us are born with a set of instinctive fears; of falling, of the dark, of lobsters, of falling on lobsters in the dark, of speaking before a group, of the words: ‘requires self assembly”
-of being left alone, left behind
-and the disciples were about to be seemingly abandoned
-which left them feeling rootless, vulnerable, orphaned…FULL OF FEAR!
But Jesus was doing just the opposite
-He was entering into a work—providing a way—that would enable them—us—to live with great courage
1. HE IS PREPARING A PLACE
2. HE IS ESTABLISHING HIS KINGDOM
-Eph 4:10-He who descended is He who ascended far above all the heavens—that He might fill all things
-take charge of all things
-place all things under His feet
-ruling with a transforming power—setting us apart, adorning us with grace, restraining
evil—transfusing us with power
-giving us all authority to carry out His mission
3. HE IS INTERCEDING FOR US
-Christ entered into heaven to appear before the Father for us-Heb 9:24
-living to make intercession-Heb 7:25
-so that our prayers will be made more acceptable-more effectual-John 14:13
4. HE IS SENDING HIS SPIRIT
-for the sending of the Spirit could not be fully manifested until the Son ascended-Jn
7:39
-and with His work in our lives-we can do even greater works-14:12
So—don’t be troubled! Trust Me!
-My departure is not about the end of My work—but the continuation of it
-in fact—the best part of it
Jesus’ leaving wasn’t about the withdrawal of His presence—but the more powerful manifestation of His presence
-the creating of a UNION that will leave them inseparable-vs 20
-with a power to be missional
Hence-His leaving is actually to our advantage (16:7)
-so let’s go back to the first—
1. HE IS PREPARING A PLACE FOR US (read vs 2)
-but what does this mean?
...first—
A. THERE IS COURAGE TO BE HAD IN KNOWING WE HAVE THE HOPE OF A PLACE
-Jesus told them—I go to prepare a place—for ALL OF US NEED A SENSE OF
PLACE
-few things are more unnerving than to be placeless, homeless
Illus- Washington DC, in our minds this week with Obama, but there in the ghetto no home
-Jesus is saying—don’t be unnerved
-you may be scattered for My name’s sake—but I am going to secure your permanence
-where the terms exile, illegal aliens, undesirable refugees, migrant workers,
drifters, vagabonds, nomads, expats, displaced people groups, —
and homeless people will be the language of another world
-one that is passing away
But what is this place?
-is this Jesus—like some master developer, building us a mansion in the sky?
-this is what popular Christian culture assumes anyway
-I’m leaving—and when I get to heaven, I’m headed to Home Depot build you a street of dreams
Problem-despite the songs, the comforting sermons at funerals
-the word here is not descriptive of some palatial residence
-in fact—“home” is hardly descriptive of anything—it is a common term to describe
simply a dwelling, an abode, a place of residence
Jesus uses an intentionally vague term
-after all-the domain of God is too vast for our finite thinking
-where measured time will shift to fullness of time
-measured space—to fullness of space—no constraints, no confinement
-where corruption and infirmities will be foreign language
What we need to know is that there is something of permanence that this world does not offer—
and He has gone to prepare it—so take heart!
-Jesus’ departure isn’t about our loss-but our gain
…but there is another reason to find courage in the fact He is preparing a place
B. THERE IS COURAGE TO BE HAD IN KNOWING WE ARE ALREADY IN THAT PLACE
-when Jesus said I go to prepare
-He was describing a work that happened the moment He went to the Cross
-and when He announced a place—He was describing a place we take up
residence the moment we take Jesus to be our Saviour
-entering into union with Him-we transition from this earth to heaven
Which is probably clear as mud
-but one of the great mysteries of Scripture is that those in Christ have already “moved in”
-that the “removal company” doesn’t come the moment we leave this earth
-it comes the moment we die
-and when He died—we died
-when He was buried—we were buried
-when He rose—we rose—when He ascended—we ascended
Paul elaborates on John 14:2 this way—
-even when we were dead in our sinful failure, He made us alive together with
Christ and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places
in Christ Jesus-Eph 2:5-6
-to the Colossians—for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God-
3:3
-which can only mean this—we are here—yet already home
Let me see if I can picture this—
Present___________I________________Eternity
-we have/had a home -we will have/have a home
-we live/did live -will live/live
-earth dwellers/aliens -heavenly citizens
-believer/priests -royal priesthood
-passing away -forever
-outpost of kingdom -kingdom
-taste of kingdom -full taste of kingdom-shalom
Perhaps this illustration will help—
-when I was at CLAN conference 2 years ago
-I was also here—in light of my union with Donna
-for where she is—I am—and vice versa
-and while I created a necessary home of sorts there
-it was temporal—for my true home is here
-in part—while engaged in my mission—this union—as well as my home—is what I live for
And so I lived in a tension of sort
-which is the tension we live in here
-Jesus is saying—I am leaving to prepare a place for you
-and you must learn to live between both realms
-live in the tension of the already and not yet
-meaning—
1. Don’t give yourselves too fully to this world—for it is not your future—it is passing away
-enter fully into it—without giving yourselves completely to it
2. Don’t give yourselves over to behaviors that argue against who you really are--where you really live
-this world has nothing over you
3. Don’t give yourselves to fear
-step out in faith
-given where we live and the union we enjoy
-we have all the authority and power we need
-to carry out our mission
have courage!
1. Courage in knowing we have a place in heaven
2. Courage in knowing we are already in that place because of our union with Christ
So, Christ exhorts us to not be overwhelmed by the world, it is not the future. Don’t fear stepping out in faith, we have the power and authority to do so. Don’t feel the pressure to gain worldly possessions, they will all pass. We are encouraged to live with the tension of the “already” and the “not yet.”
Pastor Neimoller, prov 18:10, the name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and are safe.
The Need for Courage
A few years ago Richard Cardinal Cushing wrote about the church’s need for courage. He said: If all the sleeping folks will wake up, and all the lukewarm folks will fire up, and all the disgruntled folks will sweeten up, and all the discouraged folks will cheer up, and all the depressed folks will look up, and all the estranged folks will make up, and all the gossiping folks will shut up, and all the dry bones will shake up, and all the true soldiers will stand up, and all the church members will pray up, and if the Saviour of all will be lifted up . . . then we can have the greatest renewal this world has ever known.
Lets go for it!

the mark of a christian

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Series: Conversations with Jesus
John 13:31-35
“The Mark of a Christian”
Symbols - we see them and we immediately think of what is behind the brand
- Let’s see how well we do…
While the cross is perhaps the most prominent symbol of the church
- Jesus used a different symbol to distinguish His disciples
- John 13:34-35 (read)
- Jesus shared these words, part of a larger talk, in an upper room
- Final words, as He was transitioning, preparing to leave
- Words to His disciples, words to us, the church, which in effect said:
- “If you’re going to be My community…”
- “If there is to be an uprising, a revolution…”
- “If you are going to be My blessing, receive My blessing…”
- “If you are going to effectively engage culture and change this world…”
- “Then several things must happen.”
- We’ve looked at the first
1) YOU MUST CREATE A CULTURE OF SERVANTHOOD
- Jesus got up from the table, took off His outer garment, took up a towel and basin and said:
- “The way of God is the path of servant hood, that’s the first lesson in the upper room”
- “If you’re going to represent Me, be Jesus wherever you go”
- Then “Be a servant because I am a servant”
- “I came not to be served, but to serve. It must be the same with you.”
- “If you are intent on pushing yourself to the top, then realize this - you are pushing yourself from Me.”
- And here’s the second
2) YOU MUST BE A COMMUNITY DEFINED BY ITS LOVE
- “My people will not be known by their nationality, ethnicity, language, locality”
- Jesus said, “My disciples, My church, will be distinguished by its love for one another”
- But love can mean a lot of things
Illustration – some magazine recently did a whole cover story on the new science of love
- Which turned out to be a lengthy article on how people in increasing numbers are using the internet to find lasting love
- Be it eHarmony or Chemistry.com
- Or a number of other more niche websites, including:
- Rider2love.com, that brings bikers together for a ride or for a lifetime
- Singlefirefighters.com, where you can meet a firefighter without calling 999
- But Jesus was talking about something else, a different sort of love
- Commanding a behavior that, in fact, was new; never before witnessed
- But what is so new about loving one another?
- Wasn’t Jesus aware that the command to love one another had been around since Moses (Leviticus 19:18)?
- It’s when we read on we begin to discover that Jesus was speaking of something that both fulfills and exceeds the law
- More than love one another; Jesus called them to something far more profound
- Something that would brand them, mark them as His
- Be the foundational ethic for the new messianic community
- Love one another as I have loved you
- So what does this look like?
- How did, how does, Jesus love?
- What kind of love sets His people apart, defines them as different?
A) IT IS A LOVE WITHOUT CONDITIONS
- A love deep and constant and penetrating
- Transcending race, economics, status, and every other divide established by man
- This is how Jesus loved, He started with the least
- He went out of His way to love those lives that were a wreck (John 4)
- Crossed lakes to reach the utterly worst of society (Mark 5)
- Went out of His way to love even the unresponsive (John 5)
- Went out of His way to love scandalously
- Bring dignity to the marginalized
- Remove shame from the shamed (John 8)
- Declare that while behavior matters, it’s just not how you get LOVED in
God’s kingdom
- How do I know this is true?
- His love goes out of its way, setting no conditions to love me, everyday, no matter how much I mess up
Application - This is what sets the church apart
- People who love without conditions
- Who love people out of failure
- Who love, even in the midst of disagreement
- Who love inclusively, loving even the unlovely
B) IT IS A LOVE THAT IS STRAIGHTFORWARD
- A love does not dance around
- Not a wimp-like love afraid to say what must be said
- Jesus never flinched from declaring truth, knowing the truth is what sets us free
- A love that did not aspire to be nice
- In fact, most of the time Jesus was not so nice
- Kind, but not nice
- He loved people too much to be politically correct, to say what people wanted to hear
- Rather, because He loved this world, and because He saw the severity of the human condition, Jesus was severe
- Warning those who rejected Him, “If you do not believe in Me, you will die in your sins” (John 24)
- Because He loves this lost world
Application to His disciples
- This is not a license to be mean
- Love straight on
- Love such that truth is spoken, but speak it in love
C) IT IS A LOVE THAT IS GENEROUS
- That expends itself out
- Jesus loved, and loves, with a love that pours out
- Hence, He likened Himself to bread to be eaten, water to be drunk, a vine to receive life (verses 6, 7,15)
- He loved His disciples to the uttermost (John 13:1)
- As much as they could possibly be loved
- This was not a love that trickled out
Illustration - …………
Application - Jesus is saying, “My kind of love does not turn on, turn off, trickle out”
- So let it flow, lavish one another with your love
D) IT IS A LONG RANGE LOVE
- That looks beyond the immediate, to what is best from an eternal perspective
- More interested in expanding faith than accommodating your desire for today
- “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there SO THAT YOU MIGHT BELIEVE” (John 11:14)
- Jesus often seemed to be insensitive to the immediate need
- Not because He did not care, but because He cares too much
- Sometimes we miss God’s love in the moment because we are not seeing something bigger that He is doing, which is an even greater demonstration of His love
Application - love this way, that always asks “what is the highest love I can show?”
E) IT IS A HOLY AND PURE LOVE
- In every relationship, the love of Jesus never lowered itself to something impure, to tangled affections, to the disordered desires of the flesh
- He loved too much to allow this to happen
Application to His disciples - let your affections, your embrace, even your kiss be holy
- Free of something self-centered, something disloyal
F) IT IS A SACRIFICIAL LOVE
- Willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice
- Dying to self, even all the way to physical death
- Which is the essence of love
- This is how we know what love is Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters (I John 3:16)
Application - love so profoundly you’re willing to die for one another
- Sounds pretty impossible; AND IT IS!!!
- It is not found within us
- Its sheer demand and depth cannot be summoned on our own
THIS IS A LOVE THAT CAN ONLY BE LIVED OUT WHEN PEOPLE EXPERIENCE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST
- It can only be shown from a saved heart, from one who has been divinely transformed in the depths of one’s being
IT IS A LOVE THAT CAN ONLY BE EXPRESSED WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS COMPLETE CONTROL OF OUR LIVES
- And when we do love with the power of the Spirit
- It will become the visible authentication of the gospel
- The defining mark of a Christian (Schaeffer)
- The church’s apologetic, it’s rallying cry, it’s amazing outreach, people will be drawn in, everyday.
- At points, such communities have existed, and have impacted the world
- Tertullian, an early church father, reported that the pagans in his day did take notice
- “Behold, how these Christians love each other! How ready they are to die for each other”
- Various orders have existed, still exist, that take these words with utmost seriousness
- Believers who have banded together to support and encourage one another
- Communities bound by a set of commitments
- Infused with a grand sense of mutual covenant
- To bless one another
- Listen to one another
- Learn from one another
- Give to one another’s needs
- And forgive one another’s failures
- But in all too many places, the church is not known by its love, but by the opposite
- Its bigotry, its divisiveness, its criticalness, its judgmentalism, and yes - its hate
- Is this st johns and King’s park “brand”? Do we hate or do we love?
- I hope we love, I know we love, will we love more?
- I know this, that just even this year, I have been amazed at all this church as done, largely in the name of love
- What we intend to do in our own neighborhood: clean up, pray, care, share
- But it has to be the same love within
- Where we bear up with one another, forgive one another, persevere with one another
- Affectionately embrace one another
- For unless we do, the world cannot see the character of Jesus
- And given the world as it is today, is there anything the world needs more than this?
“You can make a difference in your world…if you are different from your world.”

post christmas sermon

Genesis 4:1-8
“Fight or Flight?”
Objective: Everyone can fight and flee temptation by mastering four
principles…
Opener: “Claude” and the Snake…
* Power trip for me…I was his Master…
* Ever felt like something has "Mastered" you? Areas of struggle/"one step
forward/two back"
* If you could change that one area of your life…what would it be? What would
it take?
* Answer to the question, we must go back to the beginning…
Read Genesis 4:1-6
* Offering…was a "gift" and act of worship by the brothers…
* Why was Abel's better…Hebrews 11:4…by faith and with right motivation
* Cain got angry…word means "to glow or blaze up"…like glowing coals in a
woodstove…
God confronts Cain and we get some key insights on how to deal with temptation
in our life…
Read Genesis 4:6-8
The description of Cain's sin (anger) key to this passage…
- Personification is powerful here…Sin is described as a ferocious beast…
- Key Hebrew words:
Crouch ("Rawbats") means to "prowl/lurk"
Desire-- "Violent craving"…
Master--"Rule over" (put a leash on you and drag you around)
Illustration: Zoo…little kid, leopard pacing, watching with deep intensity,
craving to pounce…
Do you see the sin in your life that way? Do you take it that seriously? We need
to because…
2
Principle 1# - Acknowledge…we're powerless to master temptation on our
own…
Don't handle temptation effectively because we don't give it is proper due…
- All too often we think we can ignore it, minimize it, tolerate it and get away with
it…
- Like Cain…Pride…"I can handle this"…shrugs off God's intervention…
Sin is dangerous…it never stays the same…it always grows and becomes
powerful… it can destroy us…
See all the time…marriages destroyed by selfishness, internet pornography
leads to addiction, critical nature that destroys friendships, a career that
consumes someone's entire life…
Stop pretending we have our acts together…and realize we're in over our heads
Quote: Ron Mehl
“I’ve concluded that the people who move in real strength and power in this world,
the people who God loves to exalt, are those people who understand they are
overmatched in this life and know it. It is those who don’t know it or refuse to
acknowledge it who will eventually find themselves in deep trouble.”
- “God Works the Night Shift” – p.198
Principle #2 - Act…on God's warnings…
Gen 4:7…Cain ignored God's warning…
Illustration: Driving Budget Truck Under Children's Village Skybridge
* I ignored the warnings and it got me in big trouble…
- Do you do that? Do you listen to or ignore the warnings signs God gives you?
- At key times, God will intervene in our lives to warn us/protect us from making a
bad choice…
* Something a spouse says…a comment a friend makes…something we read
in Scripture…something the Spirit brings to mind in a quite moment…
Key to handling temptation is to flee it…by heeding and acting on the warnings
God gives us…
Principle #3 - Access…God's Alternatives…
Gen 4:7…God gives Cain an alternative…a way out…a second chance…to offer
the sacrifice with the right attitude…the right heart…and he does it in the heat of
the moment…
- God gives us alternatives too…He promises in advance to give us a "way out"
of our temptation…
3
Read 1 Corinthians 10:13…
When we face temptation, God always provides an exit…
Quote: Max Lucado….
“Watch. Stay alert. Keep your eyes open. When you see sin coming, duck.
When you anticipate an awkward encounter, turn around. When you sense
temptation, go the other way…”
- “No Wonder They Call Him Savior” – p.152
Part of Christian maturity is training ourselves to recognize and respond to the
alternatives, "the ways out" that God gives us when we are tempted to sin…
Principle #4 - Attack…with Prayer and the Word of God…
We know we're going to be tempted…we often know in advance when those
times are going to be…
- Do you pray about those situations? Do you attack them with prayer?
We have an additional advantage Cain didn't…we have the Word of God…
- More then a set of instructions, proper values, good perspective…it is alive and
powerful in and of itself…
Hebrews 4:12…
Illustration: Mom/Dad's Open Heart Surgery
Something mystical happens when we absorb and internalize Word of God…
- Speaks to our deepest hurts, deepest struggles, deepest fears, "violent
cravings"…and it changes us…
Do you believe that?
- Seen people walk away from addictions, abusive pasts, bitterness, family
dysfunctions… deepest hurts of the soul…
Something incredibly powerful happens we combine prayer, the Word of God
and deliberate choices on our part…we being to change in the most core part of
our being…not a formula…it's a lifestyle…
- It's not easy, it's not quick, it usually takes a lot of time and it's usually
incremental…but God can make it happen…
-- Like Cain, we're in over heads…powerless to handle temptation on our own…
-- Like Cain, God will warn us when we're getting into a bad situation…
-- Like Cain, God will provide a way out for us when we do get tempted…
-- But that's where the similarities need to end…
-- We don't have to end up like Cain did…
-- We don't have to be mastered by sin…