Abiding in Christ (John 15)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.679 --> 00:00:06.080 So John is the Fourth Gospel in the New Testament. Were a little more 2 00:00:06.120 --> 00:00:10.830 than halfway through this book now, as we continue to read and hear God's 3 00:00:10.830 --> 00:00:22.660 word, I'm preached. I'm John, Chapter Fifteen. Let's give our attention 4 00:00:22.699 --> 00:00:30.980 to God's word, is our life. I am the true vine and my 5 00:00:31.140 --> 00:00:35.770 father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he 6 00:00:35.969 --> 00:00:41.609 takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes that it may 7 00:00:41.649 --> 00:00:45.450 bear more fruit. Already, you are clean because of the word that I 8 00:00:45.530 --> 00:00:51.079 have spoken to you abide in me and I in you. As the branch 9 00:00:51.320 --> 00:00:56.759 cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you 10 00:00:56.840 --> 00:01:02.439 unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. 11 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:06.909 Whoever abides in me and I in Him, he it is that bears 12 00:01:06.950 --> 00:01:11.670 much fruit, for apart from me, you can do nothing. If anyone 13 00:01:11.750 --> 00:01:15.829 does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and Withers, 14 00:01:15.269 --> 00:01:19.500 and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If 15 00:01:19.540 --> 00:01:25.180 you abide in me and my words, abide in you, ask whatever you 16 00:01:25.260 --> 00:01:30.019 wish and it will be done for you. By this my father is glorified 17 00:01:30.700 --> 00:01:34.890 that you bear much fruit and so proved to be my disciples. As the 18 00:01:34.010 --> 00:01:38.250 father has loved me, so I have loved you. Abide in my love. 19 00:01:40.170 --> 00:01:42.969 If You keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just 20 00:01:44.209 --> 00:01:49.200 as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. These things 21 00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:53.040 I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your 22 00:01:53.159 --> 00:01:59.879 joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another 23 00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:04.510 as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that 24 00:02:04.670 --> 00:02:08.590 someone laid down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you 25 00:02:08.710 --> 00:02:13.430 do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for 26 00:02:13.509 --> 00:02:16.300 the servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called 27 00:02:16.340 --> 00:02:21.219 you friends, for all that I have heard from my father I have made 28 00:02:21.340 --> 00:02:25.139 known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and 29 00:02:25.300 --> 00:02:30.969 appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, 30 00:02:30.409 --> 00:02:34.849 so that whatever you ask and the father in my name, he may 31 00:02:34.930 --> 00:02:38.810 give it to you. These things I command you so that you will love 32 00:02:38.930 --> 00:02:43.689 one another. If the world hates you, know that it has hated me 33 00:02:44.169 --> 00:02:46.759 before. It hated you if you were of the world. The world would 34 00:02:46.759 --> 00:02:51.280 love you as its own, but because you are not of the world, 35 00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:54.639 but I chose you out of the world. Therefore the world hates you. 36 00:02:55.680 --> 00:03:00.189 Remember the word that I said to you. A servant is not greater than 37 00:03:00.270 --> 00:03:04.789 his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If 38 00:03:04.870 --> 00:03:07.990 they kept my word, they will keep all they will also keep yours. 39 00:03:07.629 --> 00:03:12.550 But all these things they do to you on account of my name, because 40 00:03:12.590 --> 00:03:15.340 they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and 41 00:03:15.500 --> 00:03:19.659 spoken to them, they would not have been guilty, but now they have 42 00:03:19.819 --> 00:03:24.300 no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my father also. If 43 00:03:24.379 --> 00:03:28.889 I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they 44 00:03:28.930 --> 00:03:31.810 would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both 45 00:03:31.930 --> 00:03:37.050 me and my father. But the word that is written in their law must 46 00:03:37.090 --> 00:03:43.319 be fulfilled. They hated me without a cause. But when the helper comes, 47 00:03:43.719 --> 00:03:46.000 whom I will send to you from the father, the spirit of truth, 48 00:03:46.520 --> 00:03:51.560 who proceeds from the father, he will bear witness about me, and 49 00:03:51.719 --> 00:03:54.830 you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. 50 00:03:54.870 --> 00:04:00.310 I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 51 00:04:00.949 --> 00:04:02.509 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is 52 00:04:02.590 --> 00:04:06.509 coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering a service to God, 53 00:04:08.310 --> 00:04:11.780 and they will do these things because they have not known the father nor me. 54 00:04:12.659 --> 00:04:15.699 But I have said these things to you that when they're our comes, 55 00:04:15.740 --> 00:04:20.259 you may remember that I told them to you. My God bless his word 56 00:04:20.339 --> 00:04:31.449 to us. Well, here in our passage we have so many rich and 57 00:04:31.689 --> 00:04:39.319 wonderful truths that all center around this one thing. It's one thing which is 58 00:04:39.480 --> 00:04:44.360 abiding in Christ. When we abide in something, we live in it, 59 00:04:44.439 --> 00:04:49.879 and he gives a very strong picture of that, of a vine and branches. 60 00:04:51.079 --> 00:04:56.149 Before we get to that, though, I want you to notice verse 61 00:04:56.230 --> 00:05:00.870 sixteen. This abiding and all of the commands that God calls us to do 62 00:05:00.949 --> 00:05:08.180 are grounded in this and other similar verses like this. Verse Sixteen. It 63 00:05:08.300 --> 00:05:12.420 tells us what Jesus is plan is, what his will is. He says, 64 00:05:12.620 --> 00:05:16.459 you did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that 65 00:05:16.579 --> 00:05:21.329 you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that 66 00:05:21.449 --> 00:05:25.769 whatever you ask the father in my name, he may give it to you. 67 00:05:27.089 --> 00:05:30.930 The the calls to prayer just keep coming. We've seen these in the 68 00:05:31.009 --> 00:05:35.360 previous chapters and they will continue to come. One of the things that we 69 00:05:35.480 --> 00:05:42.560 see throughout this this these teachings of Jesus here on the night in which he 70 00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:46.759 was betrayed, is that he continues to mind us over and over again in 71 00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:50.149 all kinds of ways, that we must depend on the Lord, and that 72 00:05:50.350 --> 00:05:55.389 is particularly through prayer. We must call on him, we must ask him, 73 00:05:55.389 --> 00:05:59.990 and he promises us that God will hear us when we ask for things 74 00:06:00.069 --> 00:06:02.790 in accordance with Christ, when we ask things in his name and according to 75 00:06:02.910 --> 00:06:12.139 his will, God answers them. Praise be to God. God desires us 76 00:06:12.180 --> 00:06:17.420 to pray, he desires us to sit a live in him and he desires 77 00:06:17.540 --> 00:06:23.569 us to bear fruit, lots of fruit, much fruit, fruit that abides. 78 00:06:23.730 --> 00:06:28.410 This is God's plan for us. He chose us out of the world 79 00:06:28.610 --> 00:06:32.199 so that this would happen, so that we would bear fruit in this comes 80 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:39.120 up in his picture of the fruit, the fruit and the branch and the 81 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:44.920 vine. What is that fruit? It is love. It is love for 82 00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:48.350 one another. It is love for Christ, love for his father, love 83 00:06:48.910 --> 00:06:54.910 for the spirit. Well, we think of all these things, we think 84 00:06:54.949 --> 00:06:58.389 of them in light of a week that is past, that has been very 85 00:06:58.470 --> 00:07:01.620 troubling in a lot of ways to us as a whole, maybe not to 86 00:07:01.740 --> 00:07:08.540 you individually. I haven't talked to all of you, but certainly it has 87 00:07:08.620 --> 00:07:15.220 been not without challenges. Let me remind you that this trouble that comes to 88 00:07:15.379 --> 00:07:21.209 us in the world, this this trouble that we have, is not a 89 00:07:21.329 --> 00:07:30.199 trouble that is from Christ. Remember, just last week we heard Jesus's words 90 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:33.399 about peace. Remember the beginning words in chapter fourteen. Let not your hearts 91 00:07:33.959 --> 00:07:41.959 be troubled. Believe in God, believes also in me. Notice also as 92 00:07:42.040 --> 00:07:45.269 he says in Verse Twenty Seven. He says, Jesus says peace. I 93 00:07:45.389 --> 00:07:48.870 leave with you my peace. I give to you, not as the world 94 00:07:49.029 --> 00:07:53.670 gives. Do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, 95 00:07:53.910 --> 00:08:00.579 neither let them be afraid. These are very poignant words when you're walking down 96 00:08:00.579 --> 00:08:05.579 the aisles at Walmart and can't buy toilet paper for yourself. I I met 97 00:08:05.740 --> 00:08:11.699 someone in Walmart and said hi, I was a friend. I said, 98 00:08:11.699 --> 00:08:15.649 how are you doing? It said, I'm feeling anxious, I'm feeling troubled 99 00:08:16.329 --> 00:08:20.209 seeing what I'm seeing. Of course I felt the same way, and I'm 100 00:08:20.290 --> 00:08:24.930 imagine that maybe some of you have to. I find my I have found 101 00:08:26.009 --> 00:08:31.240 myself having to frequently remind myself over and over and over again of what Jesus 102 00:08:31.319 --> 00:08:35.960 says here. Praise be to God. Opportunity is for application right peace. 103 00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:41.360 I give to you, peace I leave with you, not as the world 104 00:08:41.470 --> 00:08:46.269 gives. I give you something else, something different, and indeed I have 105 00:08:46.590 --> 00:08:50.309 found that piece and I hope that you have too. What does it mean 106 00:08:50.470 --> 00:08:54.669 to find that peace in Christ? Well, partly that's explain. Explain to 107 00:08:54.740 --> 00:09:03.860 us here in Chapter Fifteen. There are troubles in the world. The Bible 108 00:09:05.019 --> 00:09:09.289 doesn't pretend them away. Of the world that we live in is a hard 109 00:09:09.450 --> 00:09:16.929 one and even as one thing passes, another thing will come. It will 110 00:09:16.330 --> 00:09:20.850 never stop. The world will always be filled with trouble. Life under the 111 00:09:20.929 --> 00:09:24.039 Sun will always be a chasing after the win, a vanity of vanities. 112 00:09:24.919 --> 00:09:30.200 This is what the Bible teaches. The world we live is a hard one 113 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:37.480 and it's frequently very hard on Christians, not that Christians haven't them been themselves 114 00:09:37.629 --> 00:09:43.629 ones to make things difficult, but Jesus does say that the world will hate 115 00:09:43.629 --> 00:09:48.110 you. They hated me and they servant is not greater than the master. 116 00:09:48.269 --> 00:09:52.750 These are things that should not surprise us. Peter says, do not suprobably 117 00:09:52.940 --> 00:09:58.259 surprised when fiery trials come upon you. He's talking there about persecution in particular, 118 00:09:58.419 --> 00:10:05.019 but it applies in other ways as well. Chris, students should not 119 00:10:05.059 --> 00:10:09.769 be people that are caught off guard, and I'm shocked and amazed that there 120 00:10:09.809 --> 00:10:16.570 are difficulties in this world, that the world doesn't have a true peace to 121 00:10:16.809 --> 00:10:22.240 offer, because our hope is not in the world. Our hope is in 122 00:10:22.360 --> 00:10:31.960 Christ, because he gives to us a piece that's different. So if you 123 00:10:31.080 --> 00:10:35.269 think the world can give you peace, I hope that by now you have 124 00:10:35.429 --> 00:10:43.029 been disabused of that idea. We live in a world that is very fragile, 125 00:10:43.070 --> 00:10:48.269 very fragile. How you can go from one week to being able to 126 00:10:48.389 --> 00:10:52.179 get basically whatever you want to not being able to get essential items for your 127 00:10:52.179 --> 00:11:00.740 household tells you how fragile things are. We have fragile healthcare systems, fragiles 128 00:11:00.779 --> 00:11:07.529 supply chains, fragile communities, fragile leaders. This is human life. This 129 00:11:07.649 --> 00:11:11.250 is not something particular to our moment or our country. This is all over 130 00:11:11.370 --> 00:11:18.559 the world at all times. In every place. But as Christians, what 131 00:11:18.679 --> 00:11:24.240 Jesus is saying here in Chapter Fifteen is that we don't just live in the 132 00:11:24.360 --> 00:11:33.190 world. We have two homes and one is much more important than the other. 133 00:11:33.309 --> 00:11:37.190 One is more stable than the other, one is more peaceful than the 134 00:11:37.269 --> 00:11:43.429 other. The first home is, of course, this old world. It's 135 00:11:43.509 --> 00:11:48.139 the life under the Sun S U N, that Star, a big bright 136 00:11:48.220 --> 00:11:54.580 star in the sky. Life under the Sun as a we learn in scripture, 137 00:11:54.740 --> 00:11:58.620 is vanity of vanities. You work hard, you do everything you can 138 00:11:58.779 --> 00:12:03.370 and then it's all gone. But we have a second home, is Christians, 139 00:12:05.409 --> 00:12:09.809 and that home is in heaven. Remember what Jesus says. He says 140 00:12:09.889 --> 00:12:13.769 I leave, and it's a good thing I'm he says to his disciples. 141 00:12:13.809 --> 00:12:16.679 It's a good thing I'm leaving now because I go to prepare a place for 142 00:12:16.799 --> 00:12:24.159 you. In my father's house there are many rooms, but this place in 143 00:12:24.279 --> 00:12:28.639 heaven is not only future for us, because we live in heaven, because 144 00:12:28.679 --> 00:12:33.470 we live not under the Sun as U N, but in the Sun s 145 00:12:33.669 --> 00:12:39.870 o n. We live in Christ and so that's why Paul can say set 146 00:12:39.909 --> 00:12:46.139 your minds on things above where Christ is, for you are seated in the 147 00:12:46.419 --> 00:12:50.740 heavenly places with him. Of course we are here in our bodies, here 148 00:12:50.820 --> 00:12:54.539 and now, experiencing the troubles of this world, but in Christ we have 149 00:12:54.659 --> 00:13:01.370 a real commune union with him, real union with him, one that is 150 00:13:01.889 --> 00:13:09.250 primarily spiritual now, but well one day be complete and will be comprehensive and 151 00:13:09.289 --> 00:13:15.480 include all of this world, all that we see, an experience and in 152 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:20.440 our passage today, Jesus focus is down and explains that piece that we have. 153 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:28.669 It's because we abide in him, we live in him. Verse Five, 154 00:13:30.789 --> 00:13:35.269 for example, I am the vine. Jesus says, you are the 155 00:13:35.389 --> 00:13:39.950 branches. Whoever abides in me and I in Him, he it is that 156 00:13:39.110 --> 00:13:46.220 bears much fruit, for apart from me, you can do nothing right. 157 00:13:46.500 --> 00:13:50.379 If you are not familiar with a vine. It's you could think of a 158 00:13:50.539 --> 00:13:54.460 tree like. The vine is the trunk in a way, and the branches 159 00:13:54.539 --> 00:13:58.690 are these offshoots. If you cut a branch off of a tree or off 160 00:13:58.769 --> 00:14:03.169 of a vine, what happens to the branch? Dies, wheers, it 161 00:14:03.289 --> 00:14:09.730 dies, eventually you get rid of it, but in the tree, in 162 00:14:09.970 --> 00:14:13.240 the vine, it would it's connected. What happens? It bears fruit. 163 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:20.960 It bears fruit, and this is the the metaphor that Jesus uses to help 164 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:26.750 us understand this kind of picture, and I will confess that in my life 165 00:14:26.750 --> 00:14:33.190 I have found this picture abundantly helpful in so many ways. Consider, for 166 00:14:33.429 --> 00:14:39.580 example, the intimacy between the branch and the vine. They are separate enough 167 00:14:39.740 --> 00:14:45.179 that one is called one thing and one is called another. They are distinguishable, 168 00:14:46.019 --> 00:14:54.289 and yet they are so united that that branch will die. It's life, 169 00:14:54.649 --> 00:15:01.409 it's it's everything comes from pulling the life, you might say, out 170 00:15:01.450 --> 00:15:05.610 of that vine or receiving it. We can put it that way too. 171 00:15:05.690 --> 00:15:15.039 To be in Christ is to be so united to him that we live literally 172 00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:22.429 in him. Our life is in him. And when branches live in a 173 00:15:22.509 --> 00:15:26.509 vine may produce fruit. We actually happen to have some of you seen, 174 00:15:26.629 --> 00:15:30.909 but our home we have a grape vine, weirdly in the middle of our 175 00:15:30.950 --> 00:15:33.710 house. Sorry for those who haven't seen it, but there you have this 176 00:15:33.830 --> 00:15:39.620 grape vine and it it comes up and it covers this area and then when 177 00:15:39.620 --> 00:15:46.220 the fruit comes, it comes and it hangs down and it's heavy and it's 178 00:15:46.379 --> 00:15:50.330 beautiful and we we go out and we clip these grapes and we enjoy them 179 00:15:50.409 --> 00:15:56.649 and we're so thankful for the shade and the fruit. It's so alive when 180 00:15:56.730 --> 00:16:02.210 that happens, when you see the fruit is sort of weighing it down you, 181 00:16:02.570 --> 00:16:04.679 you feel the life, you taste the life, you smell it. 182 00:16:04.799 --> 00:16:11.320 It's a blessing to the birds and animals and to us in our home. 183 00:16:15.639 --> 00:16:19.870 But the only way that that fruit comes, Jesus says, is by living 184 00:16:19.950 --> 00:16:27.830 in him. We all love love. We all love experiencing being loved. 185 00:16:27.950 --> 00:16:33.740 We love it when people sacrifice themselves for us, when we join together. 186 00:16:33.860 --> 00:16:37.019 But how does that happen in any kind of lasting way, any kind of 187 00:16:37.220 --> 00:16:41.899 true way and any kind of way that ultimately pleases God? Only through our 188 00:16:42.059 --> 00:16:47.450 union with God. There's no other way. Jesus is really explicit. He 189 00:16:47.490 --> 00:16:56.649 says you can do nothing without me. When we live in Christ, he 190 00:16:56.809 --> 00:17:03.799 says, our life is fruitful. It's full of love and peace, gentleness, 191 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:11.079 kindness, self control, all kinds of wonderful fruits, but it's a 192 00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:18.509 life that is always dependent. The branch on a grape vine never sort of 193 00:17:18.789 --> 00:17:22.710 walks off and says all right, I've borne my fruit and now I'm good 194 00:17:22.750 --> 00:17:30.660 to go. What would happen? It would die for the branch to live 195 00:17:30.859 --> 00:17:38.819 in the vine, it is always completely, entirely, one hundred percent dependent. 196 00:17:42.180 --> 00:17:48.130 Those who want to produce their own fruit in this world, their own 197 00:17:48.250 --> 00:17:52.289 love, their own righteousness, live their own ways, are ones that will 198 00:17:52.410 --> 00:17:59.160 be cut off. Jesus says this. They will be thrown into the fire. 199 00:18:00.519 --> 00:18:03.000 Well, how do you know which one you are? Because sometimes winter 200 00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:07.599 happens and they all kind of look the same. How do you know? 201 00:18:08.759 --> 00:18:17.069 Well, sometimes it takes time and discernment, but you can ask yourself some 202 00:18:17.230 --> 00:18:22.950 simple questions. Do you depend on God? Do you depend on the sacrifice 203 00:18:23.069 --> 00:18:30.859 of Christ, this master, this Lord, this God who gave his life 204 00:18:30.940 --> 00:18:36.740 for us? Do you depend on him, or do you live in your 205 00:18:36.740 --> 00:18:41.059 own strength? Do you lack dependence? Do you lack love? Do you 206 00:18:41.180 --> 00:18:45.769 not produce fruit? Do you care about your own things instead of the things 207 00:18:45.809 --> 00:18:48.970 of God? These are the signs of a vine that is not connected with 208 00:18:51.329 --> 00:18:56.880 of a branch that's not connected with the vine. Right, what of the 209 00:18:57.000 --> 00:19:03.640 true branch? True branch produces fruit, a true branch gains its life through 210 00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:10.630 dependence. A true branch lives because of its union with others. Those that 211 00:19:10.750 --> 00:19:17.990 do not live in Christ do not live and produce a life of love that 212 00:19:18.109 --> 00:19:22.190 is ultimately glorifying God. They they do their own thing, and that's the 213 00:19:22.269 --> 00:19:30.180 basic work of the world. By God's grace, sometimes he holds back these 214 00:19:30.259 --> 00:19:36.380 things, he keeps things in check and doesn't allow our sin to come to 215 00:19:36.579 --> 00:19:42.809 its full fruitfulness, if I could put it that way. But let me 216 00:19:44.009 --> 00:19:48.329 ask you and observe in your life what happens when the checks that are usually 217 00:19:48.410 --> 00:19:52.319 in place and the things that are there are lifted just a little bit? 218 00:19:57.519 --> 00:20:10.190 People start hoarding things, price gouging, people seek to preserve their own lives 219 00:20:10.269 --> 00:20:15.589 above everything else, to make themselves wealthy above everything else. It becomes all 220 00:20:15.710 --> 00:20:23.500 about them. And and are these people comfortable and it peace and safe? 221 00:20:25.940 --> 00:20:30.180 No, they, and everyone else who follows in these ways are filled with 222 00:20:30.220 --> 00:20:36.650 anxiety and worry and fear. But not those who abide in Christ. Those 223 00:20:36.690 --> 00:20:45.130 who abide in Christ aren't anxious about anything. We are commanded but pray with 224 00:20:45.250 --> 00:20:49.359 supplication and Thanksgiving, making our requests made known to God. That's what it 225 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:53.480 means to abide in Christ. It means to depend on him, to gain 226 00:20:53.559 --> 00:20:56.720 our life from him, to lean on him, not only for the things 227 00:20:56.759 --> 00:21:03.599 of this world but the things to come. And if you have any doubt 228 00:21:03.599 --> 00:21:06.670 about this, go back to the word, because, remember, Jesus says 229 00:21:06.710 --> 00:21:11.950 we abide by these words. Listen to verse eleven. What does Jesus desire 230 00:21:11.069 --> 00:21:15.230 and his will for us? He says these things. I have spoken to 231 00:21:15.309 --> 00:21:18.339 you that your joy may be that my joy may be in you, and 232 00:21:18.460 --> 00:21:29.779 that your joy may be full. Consider that the joy of God in you. 233 00:21:32.259 --> 00:21:36.769 No wonder it's going to be full, no wonder it's going to be 234 00:21:37.250 --> 00:21:42.009 overflowing, or the peace of God or the hope of God or the love 235 00:21:42.049 --> 00:21:48.440 of God. And what is this joy in peace and hope? How do 236 00:21:48.519 --> 00:21:52.400 we know that it is love that he gives us, that it is love 237 00:21:52.680 --> 00:21:56.799 that we are drawing out from the vine? What's because of what he says 238 00:21:56.839 --> 00:22:03.470 in verse thirteen. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay 239 00:22:03.670 --> 00:22:11.910 down his life for his friends. How do we know that God loved us, 240 00:22:14.789 --> 00:22:18.019 the God is working in us, that God is protecting us, keeping 241 00:22:18.140 --> 00:22:22.900 us, causing us to be at peace, helping us when we're not forgiving 242 00:22:22.940 --> 00:22:29.900 US when we fall? Because greater love has no one than this, that 243 00:22:30.009 --> 00:22:33.890 someone laid down his life for his friends. And of course, I have 244 00:22:33.970 --> 00:22:38.730 in mind Jesus, who speaks these words and who, very soon, at 245 00:22:38.809 --> 00:22:44.089 this moment in history, when we were reading, will lay down his life 246 00:22:44.089 --> 00:22:48.920 for his friends. Less than twenty four hours after he said these words, 247 00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:56.039 Jesus was dead. He's telling them, I love you and I will take 248 00:22:56.119 --> 00:23:00.349 care of you and I am sending you my spirit, and everything that I've 249 00:23:00.390 --> 00:23:03.990 said is true. And I come from the father, and the father is 250 00:23:03.150 --> 00:23:07.630 glorifying himself and me, and I and you, and you and me, 251 00:23:10.789 --> 00:23:18.059 because in a little while he will die and everyone will wonder is what he 252 00:23:18.259 --> 00:23:26.980 said true? Well, beloved, it is true, because not only did 253 00:23:26.019 --> 00:23:29.210 he do all the things that he said he do, you would do, 254 00:23:30.410 --> 00:23:34.490 including his own death, but he rose again from the dead, he ascended 255 00:23:34.569 --> 00:23:40.930 into the heavenly places, purposefully left us here, sent us the spirit and 256 00:23:41.210 --> 00:23:45.920 is taken care of us, day by day by day, so that we 257 00:23:45.559 --> 00:23:49.279 so that his people would be brought in, so that his kingdom would be 258 00:23:49.359 --> 00:23:55.079 established, so that God would be glorified. This is the work of a 259 00:23:55.240 --> 00:23:59.789 friend, this is the work of one who is at our side, who 260 00:23:59.869 --> 00:24:07.109 is working for a striving for us, living for us, and so let 261 00:24:07.150 --> 00:24:17.660 us live in him. It's hard to be a good friend, especially when 262 00:24:17.940 --> 00:24:22.220 the people you are trying to be friends with aren't very friendly, and let 263 00:24:22.220 --> 00:24:27.250 us remember that. Then, when Jesus says I chose you, he wasn't 264 00:24:27.329 --> 00:24:33.890 looking at me or you going wow, he'd make a great friend, that 265 00:24:34.009 --> 00:24:38.680 Christopher. He's so dependable and I could just count on him for everything and 266 00:24:40.359 --> 00:24:44.440 he'll make me look so good. You so much to offer me. I 267 00:24:44.559 --> 00:24:52.549 don't have anything to offer Jesus. You don't either. You know what it's 268 00:24:52.589 --> 00:24:56.109 like to have to try to be someone's friend right who's not a very good 269 00:24:56.230 --> 00:25:03.190 friend. They stand you up there, don't return your calls. You're trying 270 00:25:03.269 --> 00:25:08.819 to help them. They're kind of ungrateful. It's difficult work. We complain 271 00:25:08.940 --> 00:25:15.180 about it. We usually don't even try. What did Jesus do for you? 272 00:25:17.779 --> 00:25:25.250 gave his life for you, and that is why we can depend on 273 00:25:25.410 --> 00:25:30.009 him, and it's so important to love it, because the going is not 274 00:25:30.170 --> 00:25:36.000 always easy. The world is full of troubles and they always will be. 275 00:25:37.880 --> 00:25:42.480 The reason the world cannot give the kind of peace that we want is because 276 00:25:42.480 --> 00:25:48.519 it doesn't have the kind of life that we need. The reason we have 277 00:25:48.759 --> 00:25:55.509 peace in Christ is because we have life in Christ. We have his love, 278 00:25:56.710 --> 00:26:02.829 and so as you recognize around you and continue to recognize the fragility of 279 00:26:02.910 --> 00:26:08.380 our world, the fragility of our lives, as you come to realize this 280 00:26:08.579 --> 00:26:14.660 fact that everyone should know at every time, in good seasons and in bad, 281 00:26:15.660 --> 00:26:18.769 that our days are numbered. As you recognize these things, as they 282 00:26:18.809 --> 00:26:25.410 are impressed upon you, you will be tempted to cling to this world, 283 00:26:26.609 --> 00:26:33.279 to cling to your life and your ways. Don't give into that temptation. 284 00:26:33.960 --> 00:26:38.799 Live in Christ and he will give you everything he needs. And perhaps from 285 00:26:38.839 --> 00:26:44.400 time to time the father will come and Prune you a little bit and it 286 00:26:44.440 --> 00:26:49.269 will be hard and uncomfortable and scary. You'll wonder what's going on. But 287 00:26:49.470 --> 00:26:55.349 remember why. He does it to help you to be more fruitful, to 288 00:26:55.549 --> 00:27:00.349 bring his own glory to bear in the world and to give us his joy 289 00:27:02.140 --> 00:27:07.180 that our joy may be full. So let's turn to the Lord now in 290 00:27:07.339 --> 00:27:11.180 prayer and asked that he would bless these things to us, settle them in 291 00:27:11.299 --> 00:27:18.369 our hearts, that we might live in him and for him. Let's pray