Series: Conversations with Jesus
John 15:1-8
September 16-17, 2006
“Living a Life that Counts”
INTRO
PLUM TREE! Ruff
-taping, bonding, sealing—for some it worked—a fusion of sorts took place
-and they went on to bear fruit and become useful
-but for other branches—the sealing did not take—leaving no other course but the burn pile
In John 15-Jesus borrowed from similar imagery to make a point with His disciples
-it was here Jesus gave His final briefing
-a setting where He was calling His disciples to be missional, incarnational
-Go out as world changers—impacting lives—advancing the kingdom
But for this to happen—
1. You will need to IMITATE ME (chapter 13)
-serve as I have served you (John 13:1ff)
-loving one another as I have loved you (John 13:34-35)
-such that people know you are Mine
2. You will need to TRUST ME (chapter 14)
-that My present ministry of ruling and interceding will more than make up My absence
-that the Spirit’s indwelling presence will give you all the power you need
3. You will need to GO DEEP WITH ME (chapter 15)
-if you’re going to abound in this world—you’re going to have to abide in Me
-go beyond viewing me as merely a cause or a religion
-but as a relationship of intimate connection, total incorporation (read 15:1-8)
What is He saying?
1. YOU MUST SEE JESUS AS THE LIFE GIVING VINE (verse 1a)
-Jesus moves from the abstract language of union with Him (chap 14) to the concrete image of vine and branches
-I am the “true Vine”
-not the imitation vines out there—that promise life—and give nothing
-I am the One who gives life
-who permeates and meets the emptiest recesses in your souls
Change of Perception—Jesus is not just our help in time of need
-the reality-we cannot exist for a nanosecond without Him
2. YOU MUST SEE THE FATHER AS THE ALL CARING GARDENER (verse 1b)
-as Owner
-it’s His vineyard—His to plant, protect, care for
-and His aim is to maximize production by tending, pruning (read verse 2)
A Redneck buys a ticket and wins the lottery. He goes to Austin to claim it where the man verifies his ticket number.
The Redneck says, "I want my $20 million."
To which the man replied, "No sir. It doesn't work that way. We give you a million today, and then you'll get the rest spread out for the next 19 years.
The Redneck said, "I want all my money RIGHT now! I won it, and I want it."
Again the man patiently explains that he would only get a million that day and the rest during the next 19 years.
The Redneck, furious with the man, screams out, "Look, I WANT MY MONEY!! If you're not going to give me my $20 million right now, THEN I WANT MY DOLLAR BACK!''
A. THOSE NOT PRODUCING—those diseased, dead, or barren
-He lit “lifts up”, a word that can also mean to “take out”
-in order to give room for the branches that do produce
-as well as keep them from getting diseased
B.THOSE PRODUCING—those branches that are bearing fruit—are also under the knife
-these He prunes—the word means to also cleanse, purge, purify
-for left to themselves—growth can become straggly and tangled
-can become superfluous—growing in all the wrong directions
-sucking strength from where it is best deployed
-blocking light and air that could go to better places
-all leading to fruit that is less than what it could be
-in the context of the garden—there are several kinds of cuts—each increasing in severity—but all aimed to maximize growth
1. pinching-nipping off the tip of new growth-aimed to make a plant thicker,
encourage more flowering
2. heading-removes part of the shoot-stimulates lateral buds, increases bloom
production
3. thinning-most severe—cutting back to the trunk-designed to redirect growth
This is the work of the gardener
-his chief interest is in the fruit—so he cuts—and it is generally severe
-for unless it is severe cut back—fruit will be sparse, poor
App-this is the work of God in our lives
-sometimes God REMOVES shoots of the self life
-when they fail to serve the purpose they were designed for
-when they become decayed or dying—and possibly infect others
-or when they interfere with other branches that are producing
-sometimes God’s pruning comes in different forms as well-each painful—some more severe than others
-it might involve the occasional loss of a material possession—a job—one’s
health--even a relationship- that has too great a hold on us
-occasional setbacks, disappointments—that bring us back to reality—that we
need God
-a demotion—that God uses to prune back our pride—and create the fruit of humility
-a break in a marriage—that God may sometimes use to prune back our self centeredness— and create the fruit of other-centeredness
Not always—but many of our losses in life are nothing less than the divine pruner at work
-using His pruning shears—which often begins with the Word of God—an instrument sharper than a two edged sword-Jesus makes mention of this in verse
-Jesus points to them and says—you’re the evidence of My work
Calvin Miller-studying those saints of old who bore great fruit, St Augustine, Brother
Lawrence, Thomas a Kempis, concluded--“All real saints are fashioned in the crucible of God. To be all they became, they were broken, crushed between mortar and pestle.
Gradually, their soft nothingness was changed to that granite from which God fashions monuments to His own glory”
Here’s what Jesus is showing us of the Father
-He is most interested in our success
Here’s what he is teaching us about loss, in most cases they are about future opportunities.
3. YOU MUST SEE YOURSELVES AS THE EVER CONNECTED BRANCHES (verses 4-8)
-verse 4 clarifies who we are in the metaphor
-we are the branches
-and branches do one of two things—
A. Live Unattached, DISCONNECTED—independent of God—contingent upon yourselves--and here’s what happens—
life will have a BARREN QUALITY to it (verse 4)
No Place for That Sort of Thing
Real life is unpredictable and full of interruptions. The church is not immune to real life. We organize our worship, print an "Order of Worship," and hope that everything goes as planned. But real life doesn't follow a bulletin. In a large and very formal church a particular woman visited one Sunday who just wasn't with the program. She kept shouting out "Amen," during the sermon. One of the ushers hushed her, but she kept shouting "Amen" until finally the usher approached her and, in a loud whisper asked, "Madam, what are you doing?" "I'm praising the Lord," she said. To which he responded, "Well, church is no place for that sort of thing."
-there is an absoluteness in the language
-Jesus does not say “very little”
-rather—disconnected branches are unable to bear any fruit “out of themselves”- (verse 4)
-fruit is impossible when contact is broken—for there is no life in and of ourselves
2. worse--life will have a certain FUTILITY (verse 5)
-Jesus moves to stronger language
-when God is not our chief pursuit, the relationship we want to connect with more than anything else
-not only is there any fruit—
-WE ARE NOT ABLE TO DO A THING
- the utter futility of the attempt of going it alone
App-we know this for—
-most likely—even this past week—we consciously or unconsciously lived life apart from abiding
-at times--we jumped into our day—work and all—without stopping to connect
-we made a purchase, entered into a deal—without praying
-began a task, entered into a relationship, forged ahead—without stopping to talk to our Creator, our Redeemer, our Master
-and found that living self sufficiently is to live dysfunctionally
App-if there is a phrase to memorize in Scripture, it’s this one (If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.)
-if there’s a statement that should be on our desk, the mirror, wrapped around our wrist, in our office, on the fridge door, over the doorpost of our hearts—it’s this, “apart from me, you can do nothing”.
3. Worst of all—life will be so much NOTHING
-Jesus’ warning—though seemingly redundant—is moving each time in a more severe direction (verse 6)
-branches that decide to go it alone—become self contained units— eventually discover that they are on a course destined to wither and die
-for there’s nothing of value to redeem-the wood is not like pine or oak
-cuttings from a vineyard are good for nothing but burning
-so are works apart from Christ
-on the other hand—here’s the other choice—the better choice—
B. Abide, stay connected, ATTACHED—
Loneliness
In his autobiography, Robert Brooke told of a trip he made from England to the United States, aboard the ship C. C. Cedric. When he arrived at the dock, he noticed that everyone had relatives standing there to send them off. In the midst of the embraces he felt terribly lonely. He thus called a young boy over and paid him a schilling to wave at him as the boat pulled out of the dock. And sure enough, the young boy stood there waving with all his might, and Brooke waved back. Everyone needs a community to love them and recognize them.
-the overarching imperative of the passage
-which can take a variety of forms--enter into the solitude, the silence, the deep
-live each day in an intimate relationship with Jesus
-absorb His Word, His power, His energy, His love
-and here’s what happens—
1. life will be FRUITFUL (verse 5)
-for when we’re connected—Christ can pour Himself into us
-the vine bursting forth through the branch—grace busting out as Jesus pours Himself out through us
-the fruit of the Spirit coming to the surface-the aroma of Christ through the fragrance of the fruit
2. praying will be POWERFUL (verse 7)
-for in the absorption of Word—and the conforming to godliness
-prayer will be effective—for it will tend to lay hold of God’s will
-and hence God’s willingness and ability to act
3. God will be GLORIFIED (verse 8)
CONCLUSION
SO ABIDE-that’s the daring challenge—and bear fruit
AVOID THE CONSEQUENCES OF LIVING INDEPENDENT OF GOD-that’s the scary warning because experience futility, imitate, trust, abide in him, go deep with him, study, pray, get in a hous group, get to the prayer meetings, take a risk, for goodness sake, if you don’t step out more, more and more you know what happens, you simply exist, you get by you do your thing and nothing happens, what a waste. God calls us to do more amazing things that Jesus, will we let him do it?
Repentance is a daily task………………
the challenge of Jesus to his disciples in the beginning of this
fifteenth chapter to go deep with him. In John 13, Jesus challenged them to imitate him.
In John 14, he challenged them to trust him. Now, in order to abound these men would have to abide in Christ.
Three ideas are evident in the first eight verses:
1. We must see Jesus as the life giving vine, the one and only true vine.
2. We must see the Father as the all caring gardener.
3. We must see our selves as the ever connected branches contingent upon him.
The vine, the gardener and the branches all connected together in the ongoing task of producing as much fruit as is possible.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Working For All It’s Worth”
Series: Marks of an Alternative Community
Colossians 3:22-4:1
“New year, new start – it seems appropriate to talk about one of our favorite subjects… work
- It’s also where we are in the text
Most all of us work
- Here at St Johns , we are a combination of engineers, therapists, doctors, teachers, joiners, nurses, accountants, lawyers, contractors
- Up till recently,
- Some of us are raising houses, others are raising kids
- Some of us are in between one work and another
- Some of us are in the thick of it and love it, finding that it completes something within
- While others are enduring work and living for the weekend
- Nonetheless, work is part of the design
- God is introduced as One at work (Gen 1-2)
- And John 5:17 tells us He is still at work
- Working within us
- Giving work its dignity
Unfortunately, sin has messed up a lot of things, including work
- Genesis 3 tells us sin has brought a jagged edge, a certain curse to our work
Illustration - ………………………. Mr Mann
- Every field has its weeds; every work has a certain downside Becoming a follower of Christ does not change this, the weeds still grow
- But something changes, radically changes
- Paul lays this out in Colossians 3:22-4:1 (read)
Here, Paul speaks to masters and slaves
- And while we cannot, should not, make parallels
- Where slaves equal employees and masters equal employers
- There are certain principles that can be applied
- Two things a follower of Christ must see about his/her work
1) SEE YOUR WORK AS PART OF SOMETHING LARGER
- There are two major temptations in our work
A) TO SEE OUR WORK AS PRIMARY
- Sometimes it is hard to see anything beyond our work
- We can become consumed by our career, obsessed with our work
- I watch some of you as you seek to survive in a workplace that demands more and more of your energy, your life
- That challenges you with performance goals, and threatens you if you fall short
- It’s easy to begin to see everything else as secondary, spiritual life, family life, even personal life
B) TO COMPARTMENTALIZE - to separate our work from our faith
- Sacred, secular
- Our spiritual life is over here, our work is over there
- Paul dismisses these two assumptions here in Colossians 3
1) By underscoring that following Jesus is our primary calling, our main vocation
- We are called by Him, to Him, and for Him
- Jesus is center stage, everything is to be done in His name (3:17)
- Everything else is background
- Whatever our earthly vocation may be, be it a common laborer, a salesman, a professional athlete, a corporate chairman, a pastor, it is to be done in light of our calling to God
2) In declaring that everything, including our work, is within the sphere of His Lordship
- Paul is declaring that work is not over there, our spiritual lives are over here
- They are all OVER HERE
- And when work is connected with Spirit, work will never be wasted effort
- Done as an act of service to God, it is elevated to something larger than “work”
- To something graced with meaning and purpose, dignity and spiritual significance
2) LIVE LARGE ON THE STAGE WE FIND OURSELVES
- And living large means living Christ where we are, where we find ourselves
- Paul did not urge slaves to leave their work
- He could have challenged those believers who were slaves to unite, assert their rights, leave their situation, find a different work
- Instructed their masters to release them, reminding them of verse 11
- Amazingly, he did just the opposite
- Paul called them to live out Christ where they were, and by implication, he calls us to do the same
- Be it driving a concrete truck, be it designing software
- It’s not to say we should not seek for change, find new challenge, pursue new passions, find our purpose
- Solzhenitsyn, a man who spent years in a Gulag, became a one man resistance movement to totalitarianism
- He refused to be confined by his circumstances, and in his later years, he refused to waste his life in his latter years
- For he had this conviction that his life was like molten substance, impatient to pour into his mold, to fill it full, without bubbles or cracks, before he cooled and stiffened
- But we must also realize we can spend our lives trying to find our place, only to one day realize our lives have been used up entirely in the search (White)
Point - God calls us to live large on the stage we find ourselves in the present
- Paul tells us what that looks like in this passage
A) LIVE A POSTURE OF SERVICE (Colossians 3:22a)
- Verse 22 is directed to slaves of a Roman Empire
- But we are slaves as well
- We are God’s servants, called to serve Him, if we are not his slaves, we are slaves of the world
- And as a part of this service, serve one another
- Regardless of prevalent attitudes in the workplace, that devalues, demean a spirit of submission
- Where there is the tendency to seek for control, authority, and position
- To either lord it over others, or challenge those in authority over us
- A defining mark of a Christ follower is SERVANT
B) LIVE A CERTAIN INDIFFERENCE TO THE APPROVAL OF OTHERS
(Colossians 3:22b)
- Having died to this life, having risen to new life
- A certain unconcern for flash, appearance should characterize us
- While much of work can be about performance, aiming for approval, attracting attention, building a name
- Eye service, men pleasing, doing it for men, currying their favor, often with the temptation to forfeit integrity
- Running over others, taking credit for something someone else accomplished, gaining personal notoriety
- This is all stuff we have been saved from
- We have died to, BEEN LIBERATED FROM!
Illustration - The Office
- It’s a parody of life in the world of 9-5
- In this case, Paper Supply
- Where David Brent self proclaimed “world’s greatest boss” (he bought the mug himself) is constantly out to impress others, only it never works (video)
- A follower of Jesus does not sacrifice principle to gain another’s attention, win someone else’s approval
- Living large means being who you are, with a sincerity of heart, a singleness of purpose
C) LIVE OUT A HEART THAT FEARS GOD RATHER THAN MEN
(Colossians 3:22c)
- Part of living large is living free of intimidation
- There is an approach to work, honed over time by spiritual disciplines, to do it out of reverence for God
- That at the end of the day is not that concerned with what men think, but what God thinks
- Is not fearful of men, no longer in bondage to human intimidation
- Our work is rendered in awe of God
- Our performance is related to His rule
D) LIVE OUT A WHOLE HEARTEDNESS RATHER THAN A
HALF-HEARTEDNESS (Colossians 3:23)
- Here Paul speaks to the heart behind the work
- A Christ follower does not go through the motions, without any personal commitment to his/her work
- Vegetating, and getting paid for it
- But doing whatever we have been called to do “out of the soul,” done from the interior
- Work done with a whole heartedness, with all the life force behind it
- That hopefully translates into work done well
- Reflecting excellence, diligence
- For God hates work that is hinged to predictability, aimlessness
- (Colossians 26:14)
- Work without pursuit, monotonous listlessness
- Work void of aspiration, defined by indifference, procrastination
- You might say, “work with all your soul,” in my job
- You don’t know my job
- Paul says, it doesn’t matter what your job is
- Your work may be about cleaning floors, changing nappies, clearing drains, collecting rubbish, a monotonous existence on an assembly line
- And yet, probably nothing compared to those Paul was writing to
- Who were owned, subjugated to others, called to do the most tedious of tasks
- You might say, “But you don’t know my boss”
- Paul says, “Yes I do”
- His name is Jesus
- Is there any greater motivation?
Illustration - My boss is a Jewish Carpenter, that’s all I need to know
E) LIVE WITH AN ETERNAL, RATHER THAN A TEMPORAL,
PERSPECTIVE-3:24
1) That sees beyond the temporal to the eternal
2) That sees to a God to whom nothing escapes His gaze
- Verse 25: what you sow, you reap
- Social status is immaterial, no special treatment
3) That understands that God pays really well
- Great health benefits, a body like new
- Awesome retirement plan
- Room for promotion
That’s what living large on the stage God has placed us means
- That sees that work is hence a sacred calling
- That it is all about His glory, not ours
- That is all about seeing Him as our audience
Os Guinness tells the story of screen goddess Marlene Dietrich
- Who issued recordings of her cabaret ovations
- Two sides of nothing but applause
- And would often invite friends to listen
- “Oh that’s Rio, that’s when I was in Cologne.”
The only bottom line any us need to concern ourselves with is the applause of
God
- The only reward that matters is His reward
WHO ARE YOU WORKING FOR?
Colossians 3:22-4:1
“New year, new start – it seems appropriate to talk about one of our favorite subjects… work
- It’s also where we are in the text
Most all of us work
- Here at St Johns , we are a combination of engineers, therapists, doctors, teachers, joiners, nurses, accountants, lawyers, contractors
- Up till recently,
- Some of us are raising houses, others are raising kids
- Some of us are in between one work and another
- Some of us are in the thick of it and love it, finding that it completes something within
- While others are enduring work and living for the weekend
- Nonetheless, work is part of the design
- God is introduced as One at work (Gen 1-2)
- And John 5:17 tells us He is still at work
- Working within us
- Giving work its dignity
Unfortunately, sin has messed up a lot of things, including work
- Genesis 3 tells us sin has brought a jagged edge, a certain curse to our work
Illustration - ………………………. Mr Mann
- Every field has its weeds; every work has a certain downside Becoming a follower of Christ does not change this, the weeds still grow
- But something changes, radically changes
- Paul lays this out in Colossians 3:22-4:1 (read)
Here, Paul speaks to masters and slaves
- And while we cannot, should not, make parallels
- Where slaves equal employees and masters equal employers
- There are certain principles that can be applied
- Two things a follower of Christ must see about his/her work
1) SEE YOUR WORK AS PART OF SOMETHING LARGER
- There are two major temptations in our work
A) TO SEE OUR WORK AS PRIMARY
- Sometimes it is hard to see anything beyond our work
- We can become consumed by our career, obsessed with our work
- I watch some of you as you seek to survive in a workplace that demands more and more of your energy, your life
- That challenges you with performance goals, and threatens you if you fall short
- It’s easy to begin to see everything else as secondary, spiritual life, family life, even personal life
B) TO COMPARTMENTALIZE - to separate our work from our faith
- Sacred, secular
- Our spiritual life is over here, our work is over there
- Paul dismisses these two assumptions here in Colossians 3
1) By underscoring that following Jesus is our primary calling, our main vocation
- We are called by Him, to Him, and for Him
- Jesus is center stage, everything is to be done in His name (3:17)
- Everything else is background
- Whatever our earthly vocation may be, be it a common laborer, a salesman, a professional athlete, a corporate chairman, a pastor, it is to be done in light of our calling to God
2) In declaring that everything, including our work, is within the sphere of His Lordship
- Paul is declaring that work is not over there, our spiritual lives are over here
- They are all OVER HERE
- And when work is connected with Spirit, work will never be wasted effort
- Done as an act of service to God, it is elevated to something larger than “work”
- To something graced with meaning and purpose, dignity and spiritual significance
2) LIVE LARGE ON THE STAGE WE FIND OURSELVES
- And living large means living Christ where we are, where we find ourselves
- Paul did not urge slaves to leave their work
- He could have challenged those believers who were slaves to unite, assert their rights, leave their situation, find a different work
- Instructed their masters to release them, reminding them of verse 11
- Amazingly, he did just the opposite
- Paul called them to live out Christ where they were, and by implication, he calls us to do the same
- Be it driving a concrete truck, be it designing software
- It’s not to say we should not seek for change, find new challenge, pursue new passions, find our purpose
- Solzhenitsyn, a man who spent years in a Gulag, became a one man resistance movement to totalitarianism
- He refused to be confined by his circumstances, and in his later years, he refused to waste his life in his latter years
- For he had this conviction that his life was like molten substance, impatient to pour into his mold, to fill it full, without bubbles or cracks, before he cooled and stiffened
- But we must also realize we can spend our lives trying to find our place, only to one day realize our lives have been used up entirely in the search (White)
Point - God calls us to live large on the stage we find ourselves in the present
- Paul tells us what that looks like in this passage
A) LIVE A POSTURE OF SERVICE (Colossians 3:22a)
- Verse 22 is directed to slaves of a Roman Empire
- But we are slaves as well
- We are God’s servants, called to serve Him, if we are not his slaves, we are slaves of the world
- And as a part of this service, serve one another
- Regardless of prevalent attitudes in the workplace, that devalues, demean a spirit of submission
- Where there is the tendency to seek for control, authority, and position
- To either lord it over others, or challenge those in authority over us
- A defining mark of a Christ follower is SERVANT
B) LIVE A CERTAIN INDIFFERENCE TO THE APPROVAL OF OTHERS
(Colossians 3:22b)
- Having died to this life, having risen to new life
- A certain unconcern for flash, appearance should characterize us
- While much of work can be about performance, aiming for approval, attracting attention, building a name
- Eye service, men pleasing, doing it for men, currying their favor, often with the temptation to forfeit integrity
- Running over others, taking credit for something someone else accomplished, gaining personal notoriety
- This is all stuff we have been saved from
- We have died to, BEEN LIBERATED FROM!
Illustration - The Office
- It’s a parody of life in the world of 9-5
- In this case, Paper Supply
- Where David Brent self proclaimed “world’s greatest boss” (he bought the mug himself) is constantly out to impress others, only it never works (video)
- A follower of Jesus does not sacrifice principle to gain another’s attention, win someone else’s approval
- Living large means being who you are, with a sincerity of heart, a singleness of purpose
C) LIVE OUT A HEART THAT FEARS GOD RATHER THAN MEN
(Colossians 3:22c)
- Part of living large is living free of intimidation
- There is an approach to work, honed over time by spiritual disciplines, to do it out of reverence for God
- That at the end of the day is not that concerned with what men think, but what God thinks
- Is not fearful of men, no longer in bondage to human intimidation
- Our work is rendered in awe of God
- Our performance is related to His rule
D) LIVE OUT A WHOLE HEARTEDNESS RATHER THAN A
HALF-HEARTEDNESS (Colossians 3:23)
- Here Paul speaks to the heart behind the work
- A Christ follower does not go through the motions, without any personal commitment to his/her work
- Vegetating, and getting paid for it
- But doing whatever we have been called to do “out of the soul,” done from the interior
- Work done with a whole heartedness, with all the life force behind it
- That hopefully translates into work done well
- Reflecting excellence, diligence
- For God hates work that is hinged to predictability, aimlessness
- (Colossians 26:14)
- Work without pursuit, monotonous listlessness
- Work void of aspiration, defined by indifference, procrastination
- You might say, “work with all your soul,” in my job
- You don’t know my job
- Paul says, it doesn’t matter what your job is
- Your work may be about cleaning floors, changing nappies, clearing drains, collecting rubbish, a monotonous existence on an assembly line
- And yet, probably nothing compared to those Paul was writing to
- Who were owned, subjugated to others, called to do the most tedious of tasks
- You might say, “But you don’t know my boss”
- Paul says, “Yes I do”
- His name is Jesus
- Is there any greater motivation?
Illustration - My boss is a Jewish Carpenter, that’s all I need to know
E) LIVE WITH AN ETERNAL, RATHER THAN A TEMPORAL,
PERSPECTIVE-3:24
1) That sees beyond the temporal to the eternal
2) That sees to a God to whom nothing escapes His gaze
- Verse 25: what you sow, you reap
- Social status is immaterial, no special treatment
3) That understands that God pays really well
- Great health benefits, a body like new
- Awesome retirement plan
- Room for promotion
That’s what living large on the stage God has placed us means
- That sees that work is hence a sacred calling
- That it is all about His glory, not ours
- That is all about seeing Him as our audience
Os Guinness tells the story of screen goddess Marlene Dietrich
- Who issued recordings of her cabaret ovations
- Two sides of nothing but applause
- And would often invite friends to listen
- “Oh that’s Rio, that’s when I was in Cologne.”
The only bottom line any us need to concern ourselves with is the applause of
God
- The only reward that matters is His reward
WHO ARE YOU WORKING FOR?
“The Essence of the Spirit’s Work in our Lives”
Series: Conversations with Jesus
John 14:15-31
SPIRIT STUFF!
INTRO
I review for us the other two previous emphases of Jesus in this passage to his disciples as he prepares to leave the earth. They tie to today’s lesson:
• Jesus is leaving to secure our future, we now live “in the in between”
• Jesus is leaving to secure for us our calling as God calls us and then give us gifts by His Spirit for service.
Now, today’s emphasis is that Jesus is leaving to secure our power. He tells them what exactly happens when the Spirit of God comes to them, John 14:16-26:
• He will indwell us, vs. 16-17, to begin to restore the image of God in us.
• He will teach us, vs. 26, illumining the Word of God so that we can learn and grow
• He will use us, vs. 26, to woo others and testify of Jesus
Bargain?
A guy was driving around Aberdeen when he saw a sign in front of a house, ‘Talking Dog for Sale.’
He rang the bell and the owner told him the dog was in the backyard. The guy went into the backyard and saw a Labrador sitting there.
‘You talk?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ the Lab replied.
‘So, what’s the story?’
The Lab looked up and said, ‘Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the Garda about my gift, and in no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running.’
‘But the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn’t getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals. I got married, had a load of puppies, and now I’m just retired.’
The guy was amazed. He goes back in and asked the owner what he wanted for the dog.
‘Ten quid.’ the man said.
‘Ten quid? This dog is amazing. Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?’
‘Because he’s a liar. He never did any of those things.’
The architect Frank Lloyd Wright was fond of an incident that may have seemed insignificant at the time, but had a profound influence on the rest of his life. The winter he was 9, he went walking across a snow-covered field with his reserved, no- nonsense uncle. As the two of them reached the far end of the field, his uncle stopped him. He pointed out his own tracks in the snow, straight and true as an arrow's flight, and then young Frank's tracks meandering all over the field. "Notice how your tracks wander aimlessly from the fence to the cattle to the woods and back again," his uncle said. "And see how my tracks aim directly to my goal. There is an important lesson in that."Years later the world-famous architect liked to tell how the experience had contributed to his philosophy in life. "I determined right then," he'd say with a twinkle in his eye, "not to miss the things in life, that my uncle had missed." The objective in life is not the goal but the journey on the way to the goal
Orville and Wilbur Wright secured their place in history by executing the first powered flight
-but it all began years earlier, when their dad came home one day with a small toy made
of cork and bamboo
-that flew for a few moments in the living room
-and it ignited a vision in these two brothers
-set them on a trajectory to eventually build and fly the first plane
The Upper Room seems to be largely about Jesus igniting a vision as well
-only a much greater vision—TO TRANSFORM THE WORLD
-but in order for it to get off the ground
-He would have to leave
1. HE IS LEAVING TO SECURE OUR FUTURE 1st reason! COURAGE
-so He told them—I am going to prepare a home and an inheritance-14:2
-a hope they would need—we will need—in order to live courageously in this world
-where we live as citizens of two kingdoms
-we live between the times--in this already and not yet tension
-no longer bound to this earth
-no longer defined and dominated by the seen—but the unseen
-but planted here to bring something of God’s future into the present
-so that people will have a taste of God’s kingdom
2. HE IS LEAVING TO SECURE OUR CALLING 2nd reason, COMMUNITY
-our calling—to personally and corporately transform this world and live for Him
-to live missionally, take Jesus to all we meet, because we have a longing, an aching for him and it shows in all we do and say.
-everything in this upper room declares that God wants a community that, like Jesus, gets caught up in the transformation of the world, Band of Brothers
-so Jesus left so that it could happen
-left so that His work in heaven would enable us to live large on the stage we find ourselves on
-to live radical, supernatural lives of power and purpose
-serving a cause greater than ourselves
Coping with Pressure
Countless icebergs float in the frigid waters around Greenland. Some are tiny; others tower skyward. At times the small ones move in one direction while their gigantic counterparts go in another. Why is this? The small ones are pushed around by the winds blowing on the surface of the water, but the huge ice masses are carried along by deep ocean currents.
What does this mean?
-it means something absolutely staggering—
A. Doing the same works He did (14:12)
-entering into the world outside of our own world and loving lost people
-going where Christ did—to the poor, the marginalized
-and following Jesus’ radical lifestyle of self-giving and sacrifice
-confronting the darkness, embodying godliness
B. It means something even more astounding-performing even greater things
-that can only occur because of the Cross and the resurrection, and Jesus’
present work in heaven
-of ruling and reigning
-which all leads third reason He is leaving--
3. HE IS LEAVING TO SECURE OUR POWER 3rd Reason, COMFORTER
One day the translators came across a group of porters going off into the bush carrying bundles on their heads. They noticed that in the line of porters there was always one who didn't carry anything, and they assumed he was the boss, there to make sure that the others did their work. However, they discovered he wasn't the boss; he had a special job. He was there should anyone fall over with exhaustion; he would come and pick up the man's load and carry it for him. This porter was known in the Karre language as "the one who falls down beside us."
The translators had their word for paraclete.
-we have power, we need not be chickens, or care what people may think of us, we work in this for world for an audience of one,, we are to live in the power he has given us.
-for supernatural lives—as well as a supernatural mission--require supernatural power—it cannot be secured out of our own resources
-and so Jesus gave this third reason for his departure to his disciples—
-that He might send the Spirit (read 14:16-18)
-in fact—His departure was the condition-16:7-“unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you”
-this was not some secondary substitute—but the third member of the Godhead
-the coming of the Spirit is the coming of God
-and so--when the Spirit came—at Pentecost
-it signaled that this small band of believers—as well as you and me—are now equipped to do the even greater things
-and they did!—this is the story of Acts
-and it should be our story
-the power of God’s kingdom has not gone into recession (though sometimes it appears
that way)
-we’re just not taking advantage of the Spirit’s work—what is that?
A. HE WILL INDWELL US
-take up residence within (17b)
-a “transient visitor” who sporadically came upon the likes of Samson, Gideon,
Saul, David, etc to empower
-is now coming to dwell within
-with Jesus’ departure—the Spirit came to live “within”
-His work shifted from the occasional drive by to the permanent indweller, the eternal inhabitant
-and through Him, the Father and Son come to live within us
-which is both assuring and scary
1. Assuring—because He comes to REASSURE
2. Scary-because he comes to RENOVATE
-we suddenly realize the Spirit does not enter the outer perimeters—but into the most inward of our interior
-coming alongside other things that live within our hearts
-striving with them—our springs of thought, our will, our motives and self deceptions—
working until we are finally conformed to His will
Illustration – sophie food, so stubborn, we can be the same
Orthodox Church officials in Russia discovered in 2008 that one of their church buildings had disappeared. Poof—gone! The 200-year-old building northeast of Moscow had gone unused for a decade, but the Orthodox Church, which was experiencing growth, was considering reopening the church building, and that's when they discovered their building wasn't there.
They had to get to the bottom of this. After investigating the matter, the church officials did not blame aliens from outer space for the missing structure. Rather, they said the perpetrators were villagers from a nearby town, whom they said had taken and sold bricks from the building to a businessman. For each brick, the thieves received one ruble (about 4 cents).
This two-story church facility did not go from being a building to not being a building in one bulldozing stroke. Rather, the bricks were apparently chiseled out one by one by lots of people. In the same way, some churches—built not of bricks but of "living stones," that is of Christians—are not reduced in one fatal stroke but rather by Christians one by one choosing not to be involved. Stay home and watch a TV preacher. Read the Bible and pray, but don't mess with the organized church. Do your own spiritual thing. Each decision means one less living stone. In the end, the church, intended by God to be the display of Christ's glory, is chiseled away. Conversely, each person who gets involved helps to build a holy temple in the Lord made up of living bricks, where Christ is glorified.
Crabb--the reality is—His power is released most fully when we most completely come to an end of ourselves
-and nothing matters more than releasing Christ’s energy when we act or speak with people we love, to have a longing, an aching, to seek God, and his kingdom
While visiting Grand Coulee Dam, my family and I were surprised to see that the visitors' center was dark. It was a sunny day, so we thought the center might have tinted windows, but as we got closer we realized there were no lights on. We went in and saw that none of the displays were working. Suddenly it became clear: there was no power to the center. Due to a technical difficulty of some kind, the visitors' center that sat only hundreds of feet from a hydroelectric dam had no power.
How could something be so close to the power source, yet not be "plugged in"?
- you see we have got it too easy, we have everything we need, we think everyone else does too, so we don’t bother, we need to fight against this and through this!
CONCLUSION
Corrie ten Boom and her family secretly housed Jews in their home during WWII. Their "illegal" activity was discovered, and Corrie and her sister Betsie were sent to the German death camp Ravensbruck. There Corrie would watch many, including her sister, die.
After the war she returned to Germany to declare the grace of Christ:
It was 1947, and I'd come from Holland to defeated Germany with the message that God forgives. It was the truth that they needed most to hear in that bitter, bombed-out land, and I gave them my favorite mental picture. Maybe because the sea is never far from a Hollander's mind, I liked to think that that's where forgiven sins were thrown.
"When we confess our sins," I said, "God casts them into the deepest ocean, gone forever. And even though I cannot find a Scripture for it, I believe God then places a sign out there that says, 'NO FISHING ALLOWED.' "
The solemn faces stared back at me, not quite daring to believe. And that's when I saw him, working his way forward against the others. One moment I saw the overcoat and the brown hat; the next, a blue uniform and a cap with skull and crossbones. It came back with a rush--the huge room with its harsh overhead lights, the pathetic pile of dresses and shoes in the center of the floor, the shame of walking naked past this man. I could see my sister's frail form ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment skin. Betsie, how thin you were! That place was Ravensbruck, and the man who was making his way forward had been a guard--one of the most cruel guards.
Now he was in front of me, hand thrust out: "A fine message, Fräulein! How good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea!" And I, who had spoken so glibly of forgiveness, fumbled in my pocketbook rather than take that hand. He would not remember me, of course--how could he remember one prisoner among those thousands of women? But I remembered him. I was face-to-face with one of my captors and my blood seemed to freeze.
"You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk," he was saying. "I was a guard there." No, he did not remember me. "But since that time," he went on, "I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fräulein,"--again the hand came out--"will you forgive me?"
And I stood there--I whose sins had again and again to be forgiven--and could not forgive. Betsie had died in that place. Could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking? It could have been many seconds that he stood there--hand held out--but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do.
For I had to do it--I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. "If you do not forgive men their trespasses," Jesus says, "neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart.
But forgiveness is not an emotion--I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. "Jesus, help me!" I prayed silently. "I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling." And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust out my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.
"I forgive you, brother!" I cried. "With all my heart!" For a long moment we grasped each other's hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God's love so intensely, as I did then. But even then, I realized it was not my love. I had tried, and did not have the power. It was the power of the Holy Spirit.
All of this demands—
-we get in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5)
-we be filled—controlled by the Spirit
So let me ask three questions—
1. Does the Spirit have possession of you—all of you?
2. Are you allowing Him to teach you?
3. Are you seeing Him use you
Offering
The priest said to the poor farmer, "If you had a horse, would you give it to the Lord?" "Yes." "And if you had a cow?" "Absolutely." "And a goat?" "Sure." "A pig?" "Now, that's not fair!" protested the farmer. "You know I have a pig!"
Corrie ten Boom and her family secretly housed Jews in their home during WWII. Their "illegal" activity was discovered, and Corrie and her sister Betsie were sent to the German death camp Ravensbruck. There Corrie would watch many, including her sister, die.
After the war she returned to Germany to declare the grace of Christ:
It was 1947, and I'd come from Holland to defeated Germany with the message that God forgives. It was the truth that they needed most to hear in that bitter, bombed-out land, and I gave them my favorite mental picture. Maybe because the sea is never far from a Hollander's mind, I liked to think that that's where forgiven sins were thrown.
"When we confess our sins," I said, "God casts them into the deepest ocean, gone forever. And even though I cannot find a Scripture for it, I believe God then places a sign out there that says, 'NO FISHING ALLOWED.' "
The solemn faces stared back at me, not quite daring to believe. And that's when I saw him, working his way forward against the others. One moment I saw the overcoat and the brown hat; the next, a blue uniform and a cap with skull and crossbones. It came back with a rush--the huge room with its harsh overhead lights, the pathetic pile of dresses and shoes in the center of the floor, the shame of walking naked past this man. I could see my sister's frail form ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment skin. Betsie, how thin you were! That place was Ravensbruck, and the man who was making his way forward had been a guard--one of the most cruel guards.
Now he was in front of me, hand thrust out: "A fine message, Fräulein! How good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea!" And I, who had spoken so glibly of forgiveness, fumbled in my pocketbook rather than take that hand. He would not remember me, of course--how could he remember one prisoner among those thousands of women? But I remembered him. I was face-to-face with one of my captors and my blood seemed to freeze.
"You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk," he was saying. "I was a guard there." No, he did not remember me. "But since that time," he went on, "I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fräulein,"--again the hand came out--"will you forgive me?"
And I stood there--I whose sins had again and again to be forgiven--and could not forgive. Betsie had died in that place. Could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking? It could have been many seconds that he stood there--hand held out--but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do.
For I had to do it--I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. "If you do not forgive men their trespasses," Jesus says, "neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart.
But forgiveness is not an emotion--I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. "Jesus, help me!" I prayed silently. "I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling." And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust out my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.
"I forgive you, brother!" I cried. "With all my heart!" For a long moment we grasped each other's hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God's love so intensely, as I did then. But even then, I realized it was not my love. I had tried, and did not have the power. It was the power of the Holy Spirit.
• He will indwell us, vs. 16-17, to begin to restore the image of God in us.
• He will teach us, vs. 26, illumining the Word of God so that we can learn and grow
• He will use us, vs. 26, to woo others and testify of Jesus
John 14:15-31
SPIRIT STUFF!
INTRO
I review for us the other two previous emphases of Jesus in this passage to his disciples as he prepares to leave the earth. They tie to today’s lesson:
• Jesus is leaving to secure our future, we now live “in the in between”
• Jesus is leaving to secure for us our calling as God calls us and then give us gifts by His Spirit for service.
Now, today’s emphasis is that Jesus is leaving to secure our power. He tells them what exactly happens when the Spirit of God comes to them, John 14:16-26:
• He will indwell us, vs. 16-17, to begin to restore the image of God in us.
• He will teach us, vs. 26, illumining the Word of God so that we can learn and grow
• He will use us, vs. 26, to woo others and testify of Jesus
Bargain?
A guy was driving around Aberdeen when he saw a sign in front of a house, ‘Talking Dog for Sale.’
He rang the bell and the owner told him the dog was in the backyard. The guy went into the backyard and saw a Labrador sitting there.
‘You talk?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ the Lab replied.
‘So, what’s the story?’
The Lab looked up and said, ‘Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the Garda about my gift, and in no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running.’
‘But the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn’t getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals. I got married, had a load of puppies, and now I’m just retired.’
The guy was amazed. He goes back in and asked the owner what he wanted for the dog.
‘Ten quid.’ the man said.
‘Ten quid? This dog is amazing. Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?’
‘Because he’s a liar. He never did any of those things.’
The architect Frank Lloyd Wright was fond of an incident that may have seemed insignificant at the time, but had a profound influence on the rest of his life. The winter he was 9, he went walking across a snow-covered field with his reserved, no- nonsense uncle. As the two of them reached the far end of the field, his uncle stopped him. He pointed out his own tracks in the snow, straight and true as an arrow's flight, and then young Frank's tracks meandering all over the field. "Notice how your tracks wander aimlessly from the fence to the cattle to the woods and back again," his uncle said. "And see how my tracks aim directly to my goal. There is an important lesson in that."Years later the world-famous architect liked to tell how the experience had contributed to his philosophy in life. "I determined right then," he'd say with a twinkle in his eye, "not to miss the things in life, that my uncle had missed." The objective in life is not the goal but the journey on the way to the goal
Orville and Wilbur Wright secured their place in history by executing the first powered flight
-but it all began years earlier, when their dad came home one day with a small toy made
of cork and bamboo
-that flew for a few moments in the living room
-and it ignited a vision in these two brothers
-set them on a trajectory to eventually build and fly the first plane
The Upper Room seems to be largely about Jesus igniting a vision as well
-only a much greater vision—TO TRANSFORM THE WORLD
-but in order for it to get off the ground
-He would have to leave
1. HE IS LEAVING TO SECURE OUR FUTURE 1st reason! COURAGE
-so He told them—I am going to prepare a home and an inheritance-14:2
-a hope they would need—we will need—in order to live courageously in this world
-where we live as citizens of two kingdoms
-we live between the times--in this already and not yet tension
-no longer bound to this earth
-no longer defined and dominated by the seen—but the unseen
-but planted here to bring something of God’s future into the present
-so that people will have a taste of God’s kingdom
2. HE IS LEAVING TO SECURE OUR CALLING 2nd reason, COMMUNITY
-our calling—to personally and corporately transform this world and live for Him
-to live missionally, take Jesus to all we meet, because we have a longing, an aching for him and it shows in all we do and say.
-everything in this upper room declares that God wants a community that, like Jesus, gets caught up in the transformation of the world, Band of Brothers
-so Jesus left so that it could happen
-left so that His work in heaven would enable us to live large on the stage we find ourselves on
-to live radical, supernatural lives of power and purpose
-serving a cause greater than ourselves
Coping with Pressure
Countless icebergs float in the frigid waters around Greenland. Some are tiny; others tower skyward. At times the small ones move in one direction while their gigantic counterparts go in another. Why is this? The small ones are pushed around by the winds blowing on the surface of the water, but the huge ice masses are carried along by deep ocean currents.
What does this mean?
-it means something absolutely staggering—
A. Doing the same works He did (14:12)
-entering into the world outside of our own world and loving lost people
-going where Christ did—to the poor, the marginalized
-and following Jesus’ radical lifestyle of self-giving and sacrifice
-confronting the darkness, embodying godliness
B. It means something even more astounding-performing even greater things
-that can only occur because of the Cross and the resurrection, and Jesus’
present work in heaven
-of ruling and reigning
-which all leads third reason He is leaving--
3. HE IS LEAVING TO SECURE OUR POWER 3rd Reason, COMFORTER
One day the translators came across a group of porters going off into the bush carrying bundles on their heads. They noticed that in the line of porters there was always one who didn't carry anything, and they assumed he was the boss, there to make sure that the others did their work. However, they discovered he wasn't the boss; he had a special job. He was there should anyone fall over with exhaustion; he would come and pick up the man's load and carry it for him. This porter was known in the Karre language as "the one who falls down beside us."
The translators had their word for paraclete.
-we have power, we need not be chickens, or care what people may think of us, we work in this for world for an audience of one,, we are to live in the power he has given us.
-for supernatural lives—as well as a supernatural mission--require supernatural power—it cannot be secured out of our own resources
-and so Jesus gave this third reason for his departure to his disciples—
-that He might send the Spirit (read 14:16-18)
-in fact—His departure was the condition-16:7-“unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you”
-this was not some secondary substitute—but the third member of the Godhead
-the coming of the Spirit is the coming of God
-and so--when the Spirit came—at Pentecost
-it signaled that this small band of believers—as well as you and me—are now equipped to do the even greater things
-and they did!—this is the story of Acts
-and it should be our story
-the power of God’s kingdom has not gone into recession (though sometimes it appears
that way)
-we’re just not taking advantage of the Spirit’s work—what is that?
A. HE WILL INDWELL US
-take up residence within (17b)
-a “transient visitor” who sporadically came upon the likes of Samson, Gideon,
Saul, David, etc to empower
-is now coming to dwell within
-with Jesus’ departure—the Spirit came to live “within”
-His work shifted from the occasional drive by to the permanent indweller, the eternal inhabitant
-and through Him, the Father and Son come to live within us
-which is both assuring and scary
1. Assuring—because He comes to REASSURE
2. Scary-because he comes to RENOVATE
-we suddenly realize the Spirit does not enter the outer perimeters—but into the most inward of our interior
-coming alongside other things that live within our hearts
-striving with them—our springs of thought, our will, our motives and self deceptions—
working until we are finally conformed to His will
Illustration – sophie food, so stubborn, we can be the same
Orthodox Church officials in Russia discovered in 2008 that one of their church buildings had disappeared. Poof—gone! The 200-year-old building northeast of Moscow had gone unused for a decade, but the Orthodox Church, which was experiencing growth, was considering reopening the church building, and that's when they discovered their building wasn't there.
They had to get to the bottom of this. After investigating the matter, the church officials did not blame aliens from outer space for the missing structure. Rather, they said the perpetrators were villagers from a nearby town, whom they said had taken and sold bricks from the building to a businessman. For each brick, the thieves received one ruble (about 4 cents).
This two-story church facility did not go from being a building to not being a building in one bulldozing stroke. Rather, the bricks were apparently chiseled out one by one by lots of people. In the same way, some churches—built not of bricks but of "living stones," that is of Christians—are not reduced in one fatal stroke but rather by Christians one by one choosing not to be involved. Stay home and watch a TV preacher. Read the Bible and pray, but don't mess with the organized church. Do your own spiritual thing. Each decision means one less living stone. In the end, the church, intended by God to be the display of Christ's glory, is chiseled away. Conversely, each person who gets involved helps to build a holy temple in the Lord made up of living bricks, where Christ is glorified.
Crabb--the reality is—His power is released most fully when we most completely come to an end of ourselves
-and nothing matters more than releasing Christ’s energy when we act or speak with people we love, to have a longing, an aching, to seek God, and his kingdom
While visiting Grand Coulee Dam, my family and I were surprised to see that the visitors' center was dark. It was a sunny day, so we thought the center might have tinted windows, but as we got closer we realized there were no lights on. We went in and saw that none of the displays were working. Suddenly it became clear: there was no power to the center. Due to a technical difficulty of some kind, the visitors' center that sat only hundreds of feet from a hydroelectric dam had no power.
How could something be so close to the power source, yet not be "plugged in"?
- you see we have got it too easy, we have everything we need, we think everyone else does too, so we don’t bother, we need to fight against this and through this!
CONCLUSION
Corrie ten Boom and her family secretly housed Jews in their home during WWII. Their "illegal" activity was discovered, and Corrie and her sister Betsie were sent to the German death camp Ravensbruck. There Corrie would watch many, including her sister, die.
After the war she returned to Germany to declare the grace of Christ:
It was 1947, and I'd come from Holland to defeated Germany with the message that God forgives. It was the truth that they needed most to hear in that bitter, bombed-out land, and I gave them my favorite mental picture. Maybe because the sea is never far from a Hollander's mind, I liked to think that that's where forgiven sins were thrown.
"When we confess our sins," I said, "God casts them into the deepest ocean, gone forever. And even though I cannot find a Scripture for it, I believe God then places a sign out there that says, 'NO FISHING ALLOWED.' "
The solemn faces stared back at me, not quite daring to believe. And that's when I saw him, working his way forward against the others. One moment I saw the overcoat and the brown hat; the next, a blue uniform and a cap with skull and crossbones. It came back with a rush--the huge room with its harsh overhead lights, the pathetic pile of dresses and shoes in the center of the floor, the shame of walking naked past this man. I could see my sister's frail form ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment skin. Betsie, how thin you were! That place was Ravensbruck, and the man who was making his way forward had been a guard--one of the most cruel guards.
Now he was in front of me, hand thrust out: "A fine message, Fräulein! How good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea!" And I, who had spoken so glibly of forgiveness, fumbled in my pocketbook rather than take that hand. He would not remember me, of course--how could he remember one prisoner among those thousands of women? But I remembered him. I was face-to-face with one of my captors and my blood seemed to freeze.
"You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk," he was saying. "I was a guard there." No, he did not remember me. "But since that time," he went on, "I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fräulein,"--again the hand came out--"will you forgive me?"
And I stood there--I whose sins had again and again to be forgiven--and could not forgive. Betsie had died in that place. Could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking? It could have been many seconds that he stood there--hand held out--but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do.
For I had to do it--I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. "If you do not forgive men their trespasses," Jesus says, "neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart.
But forgiveness is not an emotion--I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. "Jesus, help me!" I prayed silently. "I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling." And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust out my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.
"I forgive you, brother!" I cried. "With all my heart!" For a long moment we grasped each other's hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God's love so intensely, as I did then. But even then, I realized it was not my love. I had tried, and did not have the power. It was the power of the Holy Spirit.
All of this demands—
-we get in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5)
-we be filled—controlled by the Spirit
So let me ask three questions—
1. Does the Spirit have possession of you—all of you?
2. Are you allowing Him to teach you?
3. Are you seeing Him use you
Offering
The priest said to the poor farmer, "If you had a horse, would you give it to the Lord?" "Yes." "And if you had a cow?" "Absolutely." "And a goat?" "Sure." "A pig?" "Now, that's not fair!" protested the farmer. "You know I have a pig!"
Corrie ten Boom and her family secretly housed Jews in their home during WWII. Their "illegal" activity was discovered, and Corrie and her sister Betsie were sent to the German death camp Ravensbruck. There Corrie would watch many, including her sister, die.
After the war she returned to Germany to declare the grace of Christ:
It was 1947, and I'd come from Holland to defeated Germany with the message that God forgives. It was the truth that they needed most to hear in that bitter, bombed-out land, and I gave them my favorite mental picture. Maybe because the sea is never far from a Hollander's mind, I liked to think that that's where forgiven sins were thrown.
"When we confess our sins," I said, "God casts them into the deepest ocean, gone forever. And even though I cannot find a Scripture for it, I believe God then places a sign out there that says, 'NO FISHING ALLOWED.' "
The solemn faces stared back at me, not quite daring to believe. And that's when I saw him, working his way forward against the others. One moment I saw the overcoat and the brown hat; the next, a blue uniform and a cap with skull and crossbones. It came back with a rush--the huge room with its harsh overhead lights, the pathetic pile of dresses and shoes in the center of the floor, the shame of walking naked past this man. I could see my sister's frail form ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment skin. Betsie, how thin you were! That place was Ravensbruck, and the man who was making his way forward had been a guard--one of the most cruel guards.
Now he was in front of me, hand thrust out: "A fine message, Fräulein! How good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea!" And I, who had spoken so glibly of forgiveness, fumbled in my pocketbook rather than take that hand. He would not remember me, of course--how could he remember one prisoner among those thousands of women? But I remembered him. I was face-to-face with one of my captors and my blood seemed to freeze.
"You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk," he was saying. "I was a guard there." No, he did not remember me. "But since that time," he went on, "I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fräulein,"--again the hand came out--"will you forgive me?"
And I stood there--I whose sins had again and again to be forgiven--and could not forgive. Betsie had died in that place. Could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking? It could have been many seconds that he stood there--hand held out--but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do.
For I had to do it--I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. "If you do not forgive men their trespasses," Jesus says, "neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart.
But forgiveness is not an emotion--I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. "Jesus, help me!" I prayed silently. "I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling." And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust out my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.
"I forgive you, brother!" I cried. "With all my heart!" For a long moment we grasped each other's hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God's love so intensely, as I did then. But even then, I realized it was not my love. I had tried, and did not have the power. It was the power of the Holy Spirit.
• He will indwell us, vs. 16-17, to begin to restore the image of God in us.
• He will teach us, vs. 26, illumining the Word of God so that we can learn and grow
• He will use us, vs. 26, to woo others and testify of Jesus
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
“How Can We Do Greater Things Than Jesus?”
Series: Conversations with Jesus
John 14:12-14
INTRO
- the family who have been visiting have to go, and there is sadness, at the departure,
-you experience a brief wave of sadness—how quickly the time goes!
-but it is soon replaced with what can best be described as a state of euphoria
Departures—always create a strange mix of emotions
-but there was no mix of feelings in John 13-17
-Jesus was leaving—and for the disciples—this was no occasion for joy
-there was only sadness and despair
But in His “Upper Room Discourse”
-Jesus made it clear He was not walking off—walking out on them
-He was not slipping away to some eternal rest, slumbering at the right hand of God, occasionally awakened by the dramas going on in our lives
It was just the opposite—
-He was leaving so that His eternal presence and power would be even more real
-He was departing so that kingdom of God could more effective advance
So He gave this command—14:1—Take courage! Don’t be stressed out!
-it is to your advantage I go
In this chapter—He will gives us a few reasons why it is good for us!
Beautiful woman, you caught my eye!
1. TAKE COURAGE
-after all--He is leaving—in order to PREPARE A HOME FOR US (read vs 2)
-which puts things suddenly in perspective
-don’t be overwhelmed by the challenges of living in this world
-there is a hope that goes beyond this earth
-there is a future for your lives
-your hopes are not bound to the present
-and take courage—in coming to Christ—we have already made the transition
-for in our union with Christ—we are already home-for where Christ is— we are
-Col 3:1-you have died and your life is hidden with Christ
-we have not fully moved in—but we are there
-the challenge is to learn how to live in the already and not yet
-like amphibious creatures—we must learn to live in two places at once—
-the world and the church
-heaven and earth
-present conflict and future shalom
-present citizenship and future citizenship
But it is not easy-NT Wright describes it this way—
“We’re caught on a small island near the point where these tectonic plates— heaven and earth, future and present, are scrunching themselves together—so be ready for earthquakes”
-we’re living in a tension
-as Paul put it—to live is Christ—to die is gain
-I’m hard pressed from both directions
-and in all of this we take courage
-we can live in the present in light of the future
But there is another reason to take courage—read vs 12
2. TAKE COURAGE because
-He is leaving—in order that WE MIGHT DO AMAZING THINGS
-I’m not leaving so you can sit around and share memories of My works
-I’m not leaving in order that you might merely await My return
I am leaving so that you might do—
A. Firstly Things He has done
-Jesus put it differently in John 20:21—“As the Father has sent Me—so I
am sending you”
-I’m leaving you in a world out of step with My intentions
1.To engage in the work of restoring JUSTICE, bringing RESTORATION
-for this was the work of Jesus-putting the world to right—but not by the world’s methods-smashing windows, taking hostages, dropping bombs
-His was a quiet, prayerful revolution—that confronted oppression, spoke up for the lame, the blind, the poor
-and such we are called to do
- to stand with the poor, we are to help where only we can!, to visit the sick, tend the prisoner, love the unloved, care for the dying. Bring justice to Dalkeith, to love, to confront, to challenge, to love with action, not words alone
2. we are to engage in the work of SPIRITUAL RENEWAL, REVIVAL
-for this was the work Jesus was doing—
-awakening people to true spirituality—authentic faith
-moving people from hand religion to heart religion, FROM DOING TO BEING
-showing people what it means to have a heart for God—what it means to live by true righteousness
-people had been starved of spiritual water for so long they would drink of anything—even if it is polluted
-and so we who believe are called to do the same work of Jesus— offering people what they long for—life in the Spirit, the abundant life, faith that is authentic, that meets the deepest needs of the soul—that points them to Jesus
3. To engage in the work of COMMUNITY
-building community—removing alienation—extending grace— ministering forgiveness
Authority without Relationship
A young second lieutenant at Fort Bragg discovered that he had no change when he was about to buy a soft drink from a vending machine. He flagged down a passing private and asked him, "Do you have change for a dollar?" The private said cheerfully, "I think so, let me take a look." The lieutenant drew himself up stiffly and said, "Soldier, that is no way to address an officer. We'll start all over again. Do you have change for a dollar?" The private came to attention, saluted smartly, and said, "No, sir!"
-this was the work of Jesus—this is our mission as well
I’m leaving you to continue My work of remaking this world—and to do that effectively—I must leave
-and then Jesus made a most amazing statement
-one that must have shaken them (shakes us) to the core—
B. Things greater than He has done—we will do
-but what does this mean?
1. things more spectacular?
-greater signs and wonders than Jesus?
-more impressive acts than raising Lazarus, walking on water, feeding the 5000?
2. something more grand?
-bigger things than Jesus did?
Jesus didn’t specify—He simply tells us why this is possible (14:12b)
Here’s why you will do greater things—
A. HE ENTERED AS OUR KING
-entered and sat at the right hand
-where He now has all rule, authority, power and dominion, and every title
that can be given
-where God has placed all things under His feet (Eph 1:20ff)
-so that even amidst the distortions and abuses and terrors of this world-
His kingdom is growing—quietly, underground, like seed
-but there’s more to Jesus’ statement
B. HE HAS ENTERED AS OUR HIGH PRIEST
-where He lives to make intercession
-that is—throughout this current age—Jesus spends His time pleading our
cause, securing for us the benefits of His death-Heb 7:25
-the language tells us He is our permanent intercessor—our ongoing
Advocate
-securing our salvation past, present, future
And because of these truths—here are the greater things we can do—
A. The greater work of BRINGING ABOUT RECONCILIATION
-a more perfect reconciliation—a completed gospel
-knowing that sin has been paid for—once and for all
-and salvation is now possible
-and there is now no condemnation for those who are in Jesus
B. The greater work of FACING THE DARKNESS
Leslie Weatherhead once told a parable of a little boy who fled from a witch who had turned herself into a cat. As the boy ran, he kept glancing fearfully over his shoulder. The first time he looked back, the cat was the size of a calf. The next time he looked, it had grown to the dimensions of an elephant. Then the boy fell, and was unable to go farther. Resolutely he got up and faced the pursuing horror. It stopped. So he took a step toward it. It backed away. As he continued to advance toward it, it began to shrink in size as it retreated from him. Finally it changed into a mouse and ran under the door of the witch's cottage to be seen no more.
The moral is clear: it pays to face up to your fears. But sometimes that is hard to do. That is when we need to turn to Christ. He can help us stand up to our fears and conquer them. He can cast out demons.
-knowing that the powers of darkness have now been disarmed
-and though there is still power of sort—there is no authority
-so that when we are confronted by the prince of this world system—we
can do the greater work of resisting
-for Jesus has transfused us His power and given us authority over the
powers of darkness
-and armed us with sufficient strength to overcome the perpetual enemies
of the soul
C. The greater work of INVITING SPIRITUAL RENEWAL, REVIVAL
-knowing that His going to the Father provided access we never had
-unleashed spiritual gifts we’ve never received
-enabled us to pray within the context of a partnership we never had
-who will take our prayers and ask the Father to answer them-vss 13-14
What kind of prayers are these?
-prayers that align themselves with God’s desires and purposes
-prayers “in His name”
-prayers that “bring glory to the Father”
-prayers that ask God to do what only He can do in order that He might
receive the glory
PRAYER THAT IS GOD CENTERED
We in the world are a lot like the story of the missionary in the jungle. He got lost with nothing around him but bush and a few cleared places. He finally found a small village and asked one of the natives if he could lead him out of the jungle. The native said he could. "All right," the missionary said, "Show me the way." They walked for hours through dense brush hacking their way through unmarked jungle. The missionary began to worry and said, "Are you quite sure this is the way? Where is the path?" The native said. “in this place there is no path. I am the path."
Let us rely on the path that is Jesus, he is our way out of this jungle! how do we do that? We Pray!
Prayer that joins with the will of heaven, the will of the Father,
-prayer that is asking for the same things Jesus is asking for- the Lord’s prayer
- it begins with worship-Hallowed be Your Name
-it moves to intercession-Advance Your kingdom/Accomplish Your will
-it moves to personal petition-provide my core needs/forgive my failures/enable me to forgive others/keep me from spiritual failure
- it ends on thanksgiving-in everything-no matter what—I give thanks
-this is the prayer that lays hold of and the releases God’s willingness and
ability to act in accordance with God’s will
-prayer that is asking for something of God’s kingdom, rule in the future to enter into our present
-prayer that leads to greater works—prayer that is always answered versus—
PRAYER THAT IS SELF CENTERED
Prayer that does not join something in motion
-prayer that is not necessarily asking for the same things Jesus is asking for
-which begins with petition-Bless my life/meet my needs
-then moves to intercession-change my circumstances/work in others for my sake
-then moves to worship-here’s my tip-a little praise for meeting my needs
-and ends in thanksgiving-you’re useful—keep up the work!
-this is prayer that lays hold and releases nothing
-that does not lead to the greater works
-that is generally unanswered
One day a woman decided to go shopping. She went into a shopping centre and picked a store at random. She walked in and was surprised to see Jesus behind the counter. She knew it was Jesus because he looked just like the pictures she'd seen on holy cards and devotional pictures. She finally got up her nerve and asked, "Excuse me, are you Jesus?""I am.""Do you work here?""No, I own the store."
"Oh, what do you sell here?""Just about everything," Jesus said. "Feel free to walk up and down the aisles, make a list, see what it is you want and then come back and we'll see what we can do for you."She did just that, walked up and down the aisles. There was peace on earth, no more war, no hunger or poverty, peace in families, no more drugs, harmony, clean air, careful use of resources. She wrote furiously. By the time she got back to the counter, she had a long list. Jesus took the list, skimmed through it, looked up at her and smiled. "No problem." And then he bent down behind the counter and picked out all sorts of things, stood up and laid out the packets.She asked, "What are these?""Seed packets," Jesus said. She said, "You mean I don't get the finished product?""No, this is a place of dreams. You come and see what it looks like, and I give you the seeds. You plant the seeds. You go home and nurture them and help them to grow and someone else reaps the benefits.""Oh," she said. And she left the store without buying anything.
CONCLUSION
So here’s our challenge, we reap what we sow, what are we sowing?
Do we sow with the will of God, or with our own choices?
Do we seek the things of God, to build the kingdom of God or would we prefer o build the kingdom of keith, Jean, David whoever.
-pray—that we might do the works Jesus did
-the things greater than Jesus did
there’s a book written for us list lovers called “The Incredible Book of Wacky Lists” by Patrick M. Reynolds (2001), where he has lists of “Plants That Eat Animals” (there are 4 of them: Venus’s flytrap, Butterwort, Sundew, Pitcher plant), “Seas Named After a Color” (Black, Red, White, Yellow Seas), 3 Tallest US Presidents (Abe Lincoln, 6'4", LBJ, 6'3", Thomas Jefferson, 6'2½”, now 4, with Barack Obama, 6'2"), “7 Birds That Can’t Fly” (emu, kiwi, penguin, ostrich, cassowary, rhea, Galapagos cormorant), “10 Animals with Pockets” (kangaroo, koala, opossum, sea horse, Tasmanian devil, wombat, wallaroo, bandicoot, cuscus, echidna), and “10 Knock-Knock Jokes” (enough is enough—I’ll spare you.)
My new favorite list is at first flush an alarming one. It is called “24 Things About To Become Extinct In the uk.” Among the 24 predicted extinctions are the imminent demise of the Yellow Pages, movie rental stores, phone landlines, VCRs, incandescent light bulbs, cameras that use film, and the milkman. In fact, some extinctions are good. When things are no longer useful, when things do not function in a helpful way, or just aren’t sensible anymore, they should become extinct. As the church of God let is not lose our function, let us rely upon him and let him do greater things through us, let us see the glory of God descend as we continue to build his kingdom, amen.
John 14:12-14
INTRO
- the family who have been visiting have to go, and there is sadness, at the departure,
-you experience a brief wave of sadness—how quickly the time goes!
-but it is soon replaced with what can best be described as a state of euphoria
Departures—always create a strange mix of emotions
-but there was no mix of feelings in John 13-17
-Jesus was leaving—and for the disciples—this was no occasion for joy
-there was only sadness and despair
But in His “Upper Room Discourse”
-Jesus made it clear He was not walking off—walking out on them
-He was not slipping away to some eternal rest, slumbering at the right hand of God, occasionally awakened by the dramas going on in our lives
It was just the opposite—
-He was leaving so that His eternal presence and power would be even more real
-He was departing so that kingdom of God could more effective advance
So He gave this command—14:1—Take courage! Don’t be stressed out!
-it is to your advantage I go
In this chapter—He will gives us a few reasons why it is good for us!
Beautiful woman, you caught my eye!
1. TAKE COURAGE
-after all--He is leaving—in order to PREPARE A HOME FOR US (read vs 2)
-which puts things suddenly in perspective
-don’t be overwhelmed by the challenges of living in this world
-there is a hope that goes beyond this earth
-there is a future for your lives
-your hopes are not bound to the present
-and take courage—in coming to Christ—we have already made the transition
-for in our union with Christ—we are already home-for where Christ is— we are
-Col 3:1-you have died and your life is hidden with Christ
-we have not fully moved in—but we are there
-the challenge is to learn how to live in the already and not yet
-like amphibious creatures—we must learn to live in two places at once—
-the world and the church
-heaven and earth
-present conflict and future shalom
-present citizenship and future citizenship
But it is not easy-NT Wright describes it this way—
“We’re caught on a small island near the point where these tectonic plates— heaven and earth, future and present, are scrunching themselves together—so be ready for earthquakes”
-we’re living in a tension
-as Paul put it—to live is Christ—to die is gain
-I’m hard pressed from both directions
-and in all of this we take courage
-we can live in the present in light of the future
But there is another reason to take courage—read vs 12
2. TAKE COURAGE because
-He is leaving—in order that WE MIGHT DO AMAZING THINGS
-I’m not leaving so you can sit around and share memories of My works
-I’m not leaving in order that you might merely await My return
I am leaving so that you might do—
A. Firstly Things He has done
-Jesus put it differently in John 20:21—“As the Father has sent Me—so I
am sending you”
-I’m leaving you in a world out of step with My intentions
1.To engage in the work of restoring JUSTICE, bringing RESTORATION
-for this was the work of Jesus-putting the world to right—but not by the world’s methods-smashing windows, taking hostages, dropping bombs
-His was a quiet, prayerful revolution—that confronted oppression, spoke up for the lame, the blind, the poor
-and such we are called to do
- to stand with the poor, we are to help where only we can!, to visit the sick, tend the prisoner, love the unloved, care for the dying. Bring justice to Dalkeith, to love, to confront, to challenge, to love with action, not words alone
2. we are to engage in the work of SPIRITUAL RENEWAL, REVIVAL
-for this was the work Jesus was doing—
-awakening people to true spirituality—authentic faith
-moving people from hand religion to heart religion, FROM DOING TO BEING
-showing people what it means to have a heart for God—what it means to live by true righteousness
-people had been starved of spiritual water for so long they would drink of anything—even if it is polluted
-and so we who believe are called to do the same work of Jesus— offering people what they long for—life in the Spirit, the abundant life, faith that is authentic, that meets the deepest needs of the soul—that points them to Jesus
3. To engage in the work of COMMUNITY
-building community—removing alienation—extending grace— ministering forgiveness
Authority without Relationship
A young second lieutenant at Fort Bragg discovered that he had no change when he was about to buy a soft drink from a vending machine. He flagged down a passing private and asked him, "Do you have change for a dollar?" The private said cheerfully, "I think so, let me take a look." The lieutenant drew himself up stiffly and said, "Soldier, that is no way to address an officer. We'll start all over again. Do you have change for a dollar?" The private came to attention, saluted smartly, and said, "No, sir!"
-this was the work of Jesus—this is our mission as well
I’m leaving you to continue My work of remaking this world—and to do that effectively—I must leave
-and then Jesus made a most amazing statement
-one that must have shaken them (shakes us) to the core—
B. Things greater than He has done—we will do
-but what does this mean?
1. things more spectacular?
-greater signs and wonders than Jesus?
-more impressive acts than raising Lazarus, walking on water, feeding the 5000?
2. something more grand?
-bigger things than Jesus did?
Jesus didn’t specify—He simply tells us why this is possible (14:12b)
Here’s why you will do greater things—
A. HE ENTERED AS OUR KING
-entered and sat at the right hand
-where He now has all rule, authority, power and dominion, and every title
that can be given
-where God has placed all things under His feet (Eph 1:20ff)
-so that even amidst the distortions and abuses and terrors of this world-
His kingdom is growing—quietly, underground, like seed
-but there’s more to Jesus’ statement
B. HE HAS ENTERED AS OUR HIGH PRIEST
-where He lives to make intercession
-that is—throughout this current age—Jesus spends His time pleading our
cause, securing for us the benefits of His death-Heb 7:25
-the language tells us He is our permanent intercessor—our ongoing
Advocate
-securing our salvation past, present, future
And because of these truths—here are the greater things we can do—
A. The greater work of BRINGING ABOUT RECONCILIATION
-a more perfect reconciliation—a completed gospel
-knowing that sin has been paid for—once and for all
-and salvation is now possible
-and there is now no condemnation for those who are in Jesus
B. The greater work of FACING THE DARKNESS
Leslie Weatherhead once told a parable of a little boy who fled from a witch who had turned herself into a cat. As the boy ran, he kept glancing fearfully over his shoulder. The first time he looked back, the cat was the size of a calf. The next time he looked, it had grown to the dimensions of an elephant. Then the boy fell, and was unable to go farther. Resolutely he got up and faced the pursuing horror. It stopped. So he took a step toward it. It backed away. As he continued to advance toward it, it began to shrink in size as it retreated from him. Finally it changed into a mouse and ran under the door of the witch's cottage to be seen no more.
The moral is clear: it pays to face up to your fears. But sometimes that is hard to do. That is when we need to turn to Christ. He can help us stand up to our fears and conquer them. He can cast out demons.
-knowing that the powers of darkness have now been disarmed
-and though there is still power of sort—there is no authority
-so that when we are confronted by the prince of this world system—we
can do the greater work of resisting
-for Jesus has transfused us His power and given us authority over the
powers of darkness
-and armed us with sufficient strength to overcome the perpetual enemies
of the soul
C. The greater work of INVITING SPIRITUAL RENEWAL, REVIVAL
-knowing that His going to the Father provided access we never had
-unleashed spiritual gifts we’ve never received
-enabled us to pray within the context of a partnership we never had
-who will take our prayers and ask the Father to answer them-vss 13-14
What kind of prayers are these?
-prayers that align themselves with God’s desires and purposes
-prayers “in His name”
-prayers that “bring glory to the Father”
-prayers that ask God to do what only He can do in order that He might
receive the glory
PRAYER THAT IS GOD CENTERED
We in the world are a lot like the story of the missionary in the jungle. He got lost with nothing around him but bush and a few cleared places. He finally found a small village and asked one of the natives if he could lead him out of the jungle. The native said he could. "All right," the missionary said, "Show me the way." They walked for hours through dense brush hacking their way through unmarked jungle. The missionary began to worry and said, "Are you quite sure this is the way? Where is the path?" The native said. “in this place there is no path. I am the path."
Let us rely on the path that is Jesus, he is our way out of this jungle! how do we do that? We Pray!
Prayer that joins with the will of heaven, the will of the Father,
-prayer that is asking for the same things Jesus is asking for- the Lord’s prayer
- it begins with worship-Hallowed be Your Name
-it moves to intercession-Advance Your kingdom/Accomplish Your will
-it moves to personal petition-provide my core needs/forgive my failures/enable me to forgive others/keep me from spiritual failure
- it ends on thanksgiving-in everything-no matter what—I give thanks
-this is the prayer that lays hold of and the releases God’s willingness and
ability to act in accordance with God’s will
-prayer that is asking for something of God’s kingdom, rule in the future to enter into our present
-prayer that leads to greater works—prayer that is always answered versus—
PRAYER THAT IS SELF CENTERED
Prayer that does not join something in motion
-prayer that is not necessarily asking for the same things Jesus is asking for
-which begins with petition-Bless my life/meet my needs
-then moves to intercession-change my circumstances/work in others for my sake
-then moves to worship-here’s my tip-a little praise for meeting my needs
-and ends in thanksgiving-you’re useful—keep up the work!
-this is prayer that lays hold and releases nothing
-that does not lead to the greater works
-that is generally unanswered
One day a woman decided to go shopping. She went into a shopping centre and picked a store at random. She walked in and was surprised to see Jesus behind the counter. She knew it was Jesus because he looked just like the pictures she'd seen on holy cards and devotional pictures. She finally got up her nerve and asked, "Excuse me, are you Jesus?""I am.""Do you work here?""No, I own the store."
"Oh, what do you sell here?""Just about everything," Jesus said. "Feel free to walk up and down the aisles, make a list, see what it is you want and then come back and we'll see what we can do for you."She did just that, walked up and down the aisles. There was peace on earth, no more war, no hunger or poverty, peace in families, no more drugs, harmony, clean air, careful use of resources. She wrote furiously. By the time she got back to the counter, she had a long list. Jesus took the list, skimmed through it, looked up at her and smiled. "No problem." And then he bent down behind the counter and picked out all sorts of things, stood up and laid out the packets.She asked, "What are these?""Seed packets," Jesus said. She said, "You mean I don't get the finished product?""No, this is a place of dreams. You come and see what it looks like, and I give you the seeds. You plant the seeds. You go home and nurture them and help them to grow and someone else reaps the benefits.""Oh," she said. And she left the store without buying anything.
CONCLUSION
So here’s our challenge, we reap what we sow, what are we sowing?
Do we sow with the will of God, or with our own choices?
Do we seek the things of God, to build the kingdom of God or would we prefer o build the kingdom of keith, Jean, David whoever.
-pray—that we might do the works Jesus did
-the things greater than Jesus did
there’s a book written for us list lovers called “The Incredible Book of Wacky Lists” by Patrick M. Reynolds (2001), where he has lists of “Plants That Eat Animals” (there are 4 of them: Venus’s flytrap, Butterwort, Sundew, Pitcher plant), “Seas Named After a Color” (Black, Red, White, Yellow Seas), 3 Tallest US Presidents (Abe Lincoln, 6'4", LBJ, 6'3", Thomas Jefferson, 6'2½”, now 4, with Barack Obama, 6'2"), “7 Birds That Can’t Fly” (emu, kiwi, penguin, ostrich, cassowary, rhea, Galapagos cormorant), “10 Animals with Pockets” (kangaroo, koala, opossum, sea horse, Tasmanian devil, wombat, wallaroo, bandicoot, cuscus, echidna), and “10 Knock-Knock Jokes” (enough is enough—I’ll spare you.)
My new favorite list is at first flush an alarming one. It is called “24 Things About To Become Extinct In the uk.” Among the 24 predicted extinctions are the imminent demise of the Yellow Pages, movie rental stores, phone landlines, VCRs, incandescent light bulbs, cameras that use film, and the milkman. In fact, some extinctions are good. When things are no longer useful, when things do not function in a helpful way, or just aren’t sensible anymore, they should become extinct. As the church of God let is not lose our function, let us rely upon him and let him do greater things through us, let us see the glory of God descend as we continue to build his kingdom, amen.
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