Love: Laying Down Our Life for Our Friend

John 15:7-17

15:7-8

“If you remain in me and my words remain you, ask whatever you want, and it will be for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you bear, or produce, much fruit, proving yourself to be my disciples.”

15:9-10

“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you, now remain in my love. If you obey my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love.

15:11-17

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14you are my friend if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17This is my command: Love each other.

2X Love:
Taken pleasure in; love of reason, to esteem - a preferential love, a discriminating affection which involves choice and selection

Remain in:

● To tarry or sojourn in; not to depart, not to leave, to continue to be present;

● To dwell as it were within him, to be continually operative in him by his divine influence and energy.

● To be rooted as it were in Hi, knit to Him by Spirit they have received from Him

Obey, observe

3X Love: goodwill, esteem, benevolence.

What is love?

● How do we define love?

● How do we theorize love?

● How do we talk about love?

● How do I love?

● Again, what is love?

● What does love do? Can love be love if it doesn’t really, love?

1John 3:16-18; 4:7-21

What is it to be loved?

What does love have to look like for you to be able to be truly loved?

To believe that you’re loved?

What does love have to be for you to be able to feel loved, for it to be effective as love, for you to be able to honestly, genuinely, deeply receive being loved?

We are going to keep it really fundamental today. A kind of nuts and bolts kinda day.

John 15 “Jesus said “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”

How does this look in the context of the “one another”, the body, the place these truths are intended, instructed, corrected, and practiced in the heat of being compressed in the intimacy and responsibility and accountability of the brotherhood of believers?

Phil 2:1-11

How does this type of love, lived out among the brotherhood, overflow into the outlying community? 

What does it look like in the life of the community?

Isaiah 58

“What about me?“ “What about me being loved?“ “What about my needs, wants, and desires?“

All of us, from time to time feel this way. And we do, we all need to be loved the way we need to be loved. But, the one who rests in the love of God in Christ and consistently abides there (with Him), has this need satiated to a large degree in and by that abiding, their being consistently and persistently present with Jesus, by His Spirit, in His word. So, though they may occasionally call out in such a way as to express their need to be loved, they will not remain in this mode long or return there too often… hence the phrase “fewer and further between” becomes the mark of their journey of love, loving and being loved.

There is no doubt that God very often uses human vessels to express His love. So it is important that we maintain good and healthy fellowship with Him and others for that love to be properly expressed to one another. This is a matter of being “created in Jesus to do good works”, “cleansing ourselves of selfishness and sin so that we can be vessels used for special or noble purposes”, and that we would regularly inventory our lives in Christ, with Christ by His Spirit, Word, and aid of trusted and godly friends that we are being reminded again and again of who we are in Christ, being in view of His mercy, following His lead, and joining Him in His work.

“What about me?“ “What about me being loved?“ “What about my needs, wants, and desires?“

One who chronically views love, loving and being loved this way is being childish or acting like an adolescent who has yet to develop into spiritual adulthood (maturity) or whose development has been stunted or retarded. This life is marked by one’s difficulty seeing beyond one’s own desires and feelings and wishes - unable to see rightly the needs of others and their own potential or ability to live and love.

Know, Believe, Trust and Entrust Yourself to God: John 14:1-3; 1Peter 2

Troubled hearts.

We have all experienced what it is to have a troubled heart - a heart struggling to grasp understanding, to find peace in a storm, to see a light at the end of the tunnel… we have each and all suffered from pain of heart, loss, disappointment and grief. We have all been agitated by what we see and hear. We have all been frustrated getting someone to understand or agree or at least be willing to agree to disagree and respect and dignify who we are, where we are, what it is that is troubling us. There isn’t one of us who hasn’t wished for someone to enter in and sooth or troubled, agitated, unrelenting heart…

Oh, to have our hearts at peace. And oh, the joy of that sweet release. And oh, the double joy of being one through whom comes the healing salve of comfort, peace, good news to the soul of another - as if God is making His loving, merciful, gracious and healing appeal, through me… will I be comforted? Will I bring comfort? Will we comfort one another…? Will we receive the comfort our Father offers? Will we…?

John 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled …”

● Trouble - to stir up, to trouble, disturb, agitate

● Put in motion, agitate back and forth what needs to remain still (at ease)

● To trouble, to agitate, causing in perplexity, emotional agitation - from getting stirred up inside

● To cause one inward commotion, take away his calmness of mind, disturb his equanimity, to disquiet, make restless

● To strike one’s spirit with fear or dread

● To affect great pain or suffering

● Render anxious or distressed, perplexed

What emotions did the disciples show and how did they respond? Reacting to the moment, forgetting who it is they had known

● Confusion that would lead to resignation - Thomas

● Indignation that would lead to opposition and denial - Peter

● Sadness - Fear - Dread - Grief - all of the disciples

● Disappointment and Anger expressed in utter disgust and contempt - that would lead to devaluing life - Judas

There is a question to be asked: Is having your heart troubled inherently a lack of faith or sin? Some might say, yes, Jesus might say otherwise...

● John 12:27 “My soul is troubled. What should I say - Father save Me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”

● John 13:21 “when Jesus had said this, He was troubled in His spirit”

When you have a friend, a partner, a spouse or child who is distressed - whether in a way that you might consider legitimate or not, what is it that you would want for them? What would like to provide for them? What do you want to bring them?

When you have two friends who each have what can be perceived as good or right positions on a subject, but neither refuse to budge, to the point where it is beginning to tear at the fabric of their relationship, what are going to try to do?

When your heart is distressed - whether angry, confused, trouble, anxious, fearful, grieving, what is it you want most?

Sandwiched between these troubling moments…

What emotions did Jesus show? And how did He respond - entrusted Himself to the Father

● John 13:1-3; 31-35 after having experiencing His own troubled heart…

○ “It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God…”

○ “When Judas was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in Himself and will glorify Him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: where I am going, you cannot come. (So) a new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Even though Jesus knew all of this, he was still troubled in heart… He also had to respond to His heart’s being troubled - he would remind Himself and minister to His disciples

● Knew the Father and what He was doing

● Entrusted Himself to Him

● Loved the disciples - despite their various emotional troubles and feelings

● Served them, yes, but also attempted to console them

How then might we respond when our hearts are troubled - in the many ways our hearts are and can be troubled? Remember, it might not be fear and dread. It might be…

● Confusion

● Perplexity

● Missing and longing - wishing you could have what you had before

● Grief and loss

● Anger or disgust

● Disgust or apathy

This is not a matter of sin, but a matter of growing in belief and trust - being persuaded more and more of the truth of Jesus’ and the Father’s love for us and learning in turn to entrust ourselves more and more in Him and His good and perfect plan.

Now, sin may come in how we react to trouble and (with our) troubled heart or toward the troubled heart of another (in our trouble… )

So, what was Jesus’ remedy for a troubled heart and all the emotions and consternation that comes with a troubled heart? (As we saw in John 13:1-3, 31-35) Jesus believed in His Father, and in Who it was He Himself was - God’s child, His beloved, and entrusted Himself to the Father and the Father’s will - not just the end result, but also the means by which the end, the result, would come.

And we can do the same for the very same reasons!

1John 3:1-2 “1See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Dear friends, now we are children of God”

John 14:1b “You believe in God” “...believe…” or “you believe in God”

It is not that the disciples did not believe and Jesus is telling them that they need to believe, no, every Jew “believed in God”, but what Jesus was trying to get them to do what to believe in the Father, the power of the Father on their behalf, the presence of the Father, the affection of Father, the very real and personal trust they could put in the Father, that they might realize the pleasure of the Father, the will of the Father, to experience being a child of the Father

Believe - have faith, tust in, entrust myself - in, to, with - being confident in the

● One I have trusted

○ Person

○ Workings

○ Will and purposes

○ Outcome

○ The means to the outcome - not just trusting for the final destination, but each moment and circumstance leading to the end of the thing - it is all “good” (Rom 8; James 3)

● To have faith, as to be persuaded, and that by the Lord (by His truth - word and Spirit; experience (Phil 2))

● To believe and embrace what God has made known either through or concerning Christ

● To trust - and in essence - and then to entrust yourself to

Then in essence Jesus is saying, you can trust the Father, just as you have trusted me, as as you have seen me, you have seen the Father

Believe in God, the Father

● Know who He is

● Know what He is about

● Know what He is able to do

● Know what He is doing

● Trust

● Entrust

John 14:1 “...believe also in me.” Jesus, the Son…

● The Father and I are one

● You have seen me, you have seen the Father

● What you have seen and heard in me, you and seen and heart the Father

1Peter 2 - the entire chapter

● 1Peter 2:4-10 -Jesus remedy - remember whose you are, remember who you are - trust and entrust - the end and the means

● 1Peter 2:11-20 - Know that God uses all things to accomplish his sovereign will

● 1Peter 2:21-25 - Remember again - whose you are and who you are and believe, trust and entrust yourself to Him - the Good Father in and for everything...

○ Yes, the end, the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

■ 1Peter 1:8-9“8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

○ But also for the means - even in suffering, confusion, out troubled heart

■ 1Peter 1:6-7“6In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith...may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

○ Trusting and entrusting ourselves to the “Shepherd and Overseer of our souls”

■ Psalm 23

■ John 10

Ending in “entrust” - the matter here is not to entrust ourselves to the government, but to entrust ourselves to our heavenly Father and His will - and not just trusting Him for the end goal, the end result of His intentions - salvation of our souls and eternal life with Him - but to trust God and entrust ourselves to Him even in the means of His accomplishing and who it is He chooses to establish and appoint to accomplish His will

I wonder if we have something confused….

Let us not misunderstand, when the ratings and scripture talk about “obey and honor the government authorities“ they are not asking us to trust ourselves to those authorities, but don’t trust ourselves to the guard who established those authorities. To trust not just the end of his well, but the means by which as well as accomplish.

Jesus’ declaration was in reference to what would be His Body. 

With the crucifixion, Jesus’ physical body would appear assailed and defeated - with Jesus’ life appearing to have been snuffed out, dead.

But, the resurrection and then the infusion of the His Spirit into His brothers and sisters would be proof of life and Life’s overcoming - that life, and especially Life, is not merely what we can see and touch, but that life is God’s to distribute and sustain at His will. And then there’s Life, Life in Christ, Life in the Spirit - Life in those born again into the Life of the Spirit, to the Father, in Christ (John 3)

Jesus was declaring that the “body prepared for Him” (Heb 10:5) had fulfilled its purpose, in and by which Jesus would accomplish His Father’s will. And that now there would be a “new Body” that Christ would indwell, a body, not destined for the cross, but destined to bring glory to the Father, to finish, with Jesus, His mission and demonstrate to all creation the riches of the glory of God’s grace showered on men and women

Ephesians 2:4-10

“...because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Jesus “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it”

Matthew 16:13-18

“13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

17Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

How will He build it?

Matthew 16:18 Jesus “...and on this Stone I will build it…”

● Jesus Himself the Rock - Petra

○ (Chief) Cornerstone - Petros

○ The Living Stone - lithos

● Testimony of the Gospel

● Peter as - stone - Petros

○ Foundational Apostle

○ One of the many living stones - lithos

1Peter 2:1-10

1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

4As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,

a chosen and precious cornerstone,

and the one who trusts in him

will never be put to shame.”

7Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone,”

8and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble

and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

● All believers - living stones

● On Jesus the Cornerstone

○ Anchor and support

○ Giving direction

○ Keeping in line

Built on the foundation of the apostles - Jesus has them given leadership

○ Equip the saints to do the work, while

○ Building up the body into the head

○ Until we all reach unity

Phil 2 “have then the same attitude as Jesus… humble… servant… gave himself up to death…

Eph 4:1-6, 12-16, 29-32

1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all… Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work…

29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

1Cor 12:7,11-26 The Body of Christ… that anchor and support, keeping in line and direction, to the holding together

7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good… 11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines...

● Knit together like a body -

○ Colossians 2:19 “connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.”

Romans 12:3, 9-10

3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you… 9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

● To care for one another - 1Cor 12:25-26

○ Serving

○ Caring

○ Protecting - and that, usually, from ourselves

12Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by c one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Our faith, our life: a different purpose - 1Peter 2:1-12

Peter is reminding us that despite what is whirling around us we are anchored to the Rock of our salvation. Each one of us in fact, a stone in and of ourselves, being assembled into a Temple which houses the very Spirit of God, with Jesus as the Cornerstone - giving us strength and direction.

1:1 Strangers, Scattered

To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout

1:3-5

Shielded, guarded - Safe and secure - our life is now hidden with Christ in God, our refuge and strength, our ever-present help in trouble, we are guarded - Col 3:1-4; Ps 46:1-4

1:6-7

Rejoicing in our suffering because of what it produces in us

1:7

Standard bearers as Jesus is revealed in us

1:13-21

In so, we are sanctified, set apart, foreigners - holy, perfectly made for the purpose for which we were (John 3; Eph 2; Hos 2; Rom 12; 1Cor 12; 1Pet 2)

1:22

Having been loved thoroughly, sincerely, we now, in obedience to Jesus and His love, love Him, self and others, deeply - from the heart

1Peter 2:1-12 special citizens of a heavenly kingdom, stones, chosen, pieces scooped up by God’s skillful hands - we are being assembled

Mosaic, yes, even more profoundly, into a temple

1Peter 2:1-10

Vss. 1-3

How we ought to be, how we ought to live - not like we used to, not as if we are of this world

○ Why? Love, honor, respect, consequence

○ Because we are together - it affects everyone, all the time

Vs. 1 Stripping off, like clothing - wickedness - those character traits that come between brothers - fight against brotherly love

Vs. 1 Deceitfulness - trickery in an attempt to gain own ends

● Always impure in motive

Vs. 1 Hypocrisy - acting a part, never revealing true motives

● Acts own behalf, for own profit and prestige

Vs. 1 Envy - displeasure at another’s good, pleasure in misfortune

● Not wanting to raise one’s self to the envied level, but

● Wanting to depress the envied to one’s own

Vs. 1 Slander - evil speaking, backbiting, detraction, defaming

Vs. 2 crave the word - belonging to the word, being nourished

● Desire - yearn or crave

● Delighted to have and be in the word

● Pure - unadulterated, not mingled with useless or harmful

Vs. 3 God’s grace once tasted ought to compel us to purity

Certainly, Peter, remembering how he got his name and commission - begins to exhort believers as he himself was by Jesus… that we have also been renamed, commissioned

● Vss. 4-10 Church will be built - believers, us, me and you

○ And like stones are being built into a spiritual

■ lithos - building stone - Peter begins the metaphor we are all, including Jesus, “living stones”

● 2:4 lithos -

○ Jesus as a building stone

○ Precious, honored

● 2:5 lithos - Peter begins to play out the metaphor with a series of word pictures and plays on words

○ We, ourselves as building stones

■ Living stones

■ Spiritual house/holy nation - containing God (1Cor 3:9 God’s bdg)

■ Holy priesthood

● Access

● Representing and bringing others

● Offerings (Rom 12:1; Heb 13:15)

Jesus is differentiatedas the metaphor continues as

● 2:6 – Jesus as building stone, but not just a building stone – but, anchoring… the Cornerstone -

○ Eph 2:20 (in the) corner of the building (is what this word means literally) - extreme corner

● 2:7 – the image of Jesus grows in magnitude, majesty, form and function – anchoring, giving direction, commanding

● 2:7-8 Cornerstone, building Stone - a cornerstone, uniting two walls; head, ruler, lord, commander. (is the word, lit and fig, or metaphorically)

● 2:8 Rock - Petra - the same word Jesus uses to describe that rock on which He would build His Church

Cornerstone - The commander gives, us too, our directions, the commission...

2:9-10 the Commission -

9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

We must see, we are not of this world and our purpose is different, our reasons are eternal

1Peter 2:11-25

Who is our model as to how we should act?

● The zealot - rebelling, fighting, slain, dying for their perceived cause, but never to be heard from again - Acts 5:33-39

● Peter drew the sword and was rebuked by Jesus and warned of his fate if he continued in such a way and then reminded Peter of the true nature and power of the kingdom of heaven - Matt 26-51-56

● Pharisees - wanted truth, jot and tittle, fought, argued, rebelled - refused to submit and cooperate, threw stones and dragged “infidels” to prison and death - Matt 12:14; Mark 3:6; Acts 7

● Simon the sorcerer wanted power - Acts 8:9

● Pagans rush to riot with greed and vitrial and violence - Luke 12:30; Acts 17; 19; 21

● Politicians strike backroom deals for their own good

● Who was it that stood in the midst of all of this and kept His composure, committed no sin - whether in word, tone, or action, maintained His own character and dignity and ultimately would win, have victory, defeat His foes…? Who was it who appeared to lose, but in the end, rose to victory? And that, not just for Himself, but for all… and, whose are we? And in Him, have we not already, won? Was it not, Jesus? - John 16:33; Rom 8:37; 2Cor 4:6-7; 1Jo 2:13; R

What will make us different? What will enable us to be “heard” above the din? What will cause us to stand out in the crowd to the one seeking - mercy, grace, peace - to be loved? Can the approach us? Will we be a safe place to seek…?

And, if we are seen as different, if our lives stand out from the crowd, if our manner and way, words and tone, acts of kindness and generosity, shine like stars in the dark - what will we say when we’re asked… why? What’s different? In what, in Who, do you hope?

Will our answer be as different from the crowds as our life and way and manner are different?

Romans 8:18-30

2Corinthians 4:5-18

Jeremiah 29

Strangers Here: Scattered Throughout the World

For God so loved the world, mankind, He sent His Son into the world...

John 1:1-5, 9-14

John 1:10 world 2889 Kosmos - the created order - the circle on which we dwell, the abode of mankind

● The inhabitants of the earth, men, the human race

● Specifically, to make an appearance or come into existence among men - spoken of the light Jesus shone upon men

● To dwell among men

John 1:14 Dwelled, or took up His residence with us - as in a tent - to pitch or live in a tent, among us

● For the Christian - dwelling is in intimate communion with the resurrected Christ - even as He who Himself lived in unbroken communion with the Father during the days of His flesh (Jn 1:14)

John 17:6-26

In the world, not of the world

John 15:19 “If you were of, or belonged to, the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you are not of, do belong to, the world (I have chosen you out of the world). That is why the world hates you”

John 17:15 “my prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”

1John 5:19 “we know that we are of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one.”

1Peter 1:1 “1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

“Simon Peter, a slave and an apostle of Jesus Christ”

● Peter, the reinstated shepherd commissioned to the work of shepherding the church (John 21; 1Peter 5)

● Clothed with humility

● Humble recognition of his position and posture before Jesus

○ A bond-slave - sees himself as one who

■ Belongs to another

■ Without any ownership rights of his own

■ This is a title used with the highest dignity - of believers who willingly live under Christ’s authority as His devoted followers

■ Seeing himself, first, as no different than any other believer - in value or stature

...and yet, sees his role and responsibility clearly

○ Apostle

“To God’s elect…” - 2Peter 1: “To those who have obtained a faith of equal privilege with, as precious as, ours…”

● Emphasizes equality among the saints

...exiles…”

● sojourning in a strange place; residing in a strange country; stranger; a foreigner, not attached to this place, but here for a time

○ As Jesus came and pitched a tent to dwell

○ So we now, pitch a tent

● Close beside the world

● An active relationship with those in and of the world

● Due to current circumstances as “earth bound”

● Left here on purpose - to minister - the gospel

scattered throughout…” - like seed by the sower

● Thoroughly scattered

● Distributed widely

1Peter 1:2 “...through sanctifying work of the Spirit…”

● Chosen from the world - a people of God’s own

● Set apart by the Spirit for the purpose - to love God and do what God does

● ...and that by Jesus - “Go!! Join Me, and go!”

1Peter 1:3-9 - Value: A faith as precious as ours

● Exuberance: The two sides of joy: Salvation and suffering

○ Joy of the Lord IS strength?

○ Why choose the word exuberance to describe what Peter is describing and exhorting?

● Jesus revealed: our testimony in trying times

○ Joy I’m suffering

○ Trusted outcome

○ Faithful Father

● The salvation of our souls: the hope that we have (later

1Peter 1:13 “...with minds that are alert and fully sober, set you hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus is revealed”

● Ready for action - girded - “tuck and run”

● Sober - not intoxicated - Eph 5:18

● Set your hope on Jesus’ grace - the expected outcome of your faith

● Set yourself apart as God has already set you apart!!

● Go, undeterred… shrewdly - wise as serpents, innocent as doves

1Peter 1:15-16 “15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.””

● different (unlike), other ("otherness"), holy; for the believer, 40 (hágios) means "likeness of nature with the Lord" because "different from the world."

1Peter 1:22 “22Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.”

● Purified yourself by loving God and obeying thus producing a sincere love

● Now love one another - deeply, from the heart

1Peter 1:23-25 this world will perish, and our bodies may perish, but God’s word endures forever - as will you - because it is God’s word planted in you that bears the fruit of righteousness…

● James 1:21 “...humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

● Ephesians 1:13 “And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth--the gospel of your salvation--you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit…”

Seed Scattered

Mark 4:1-20 - as the kingdom moves forward through us, by us

Acts 8:26-40 - as the kingdom moves forward through me

Peace: pursue peace

Harmony with self and God: 

• Be still and breathe, just breathe - Psalm 46:10

• Pray: exchange wishes with God and with and for others - Matt 6:9; Phil 4:4-8

• Reflect on what is good - Phil 4:8

• Rest in that goodness - Matt 11:29; Ps 116:7

• Go outside, move about, exercise your body, accomplish a task - find some satisfaction - Psalm 23; Rom 1:20; Ps 19:1

Harmony with Others: 

• Pray for them - James 5:16

• Write a note - 1Peter 5:12; 1Cor 16:21; Gal 6:11

• Contact them to say “hi”, encourage, laugh, and, if necessary, cry - Rom 12:15; Job 2:11; Ecc 3:4

• Bless them - true and sincere well wishing, happiness, and goodness - Rom 12:14; 1Pet 3:9

• Share with them - anything good - good news, good things, good stories, good jokes, good prayer requests, good answers to prayers… Romans 12:9-13

• Where necessary, forgive - forgive them… and allow yourself to be forgiven  - Matt 6:12

Seek peace and pursue, run after it, grab it, secure it and practice it - give yourself permission to realize and experience the peace of God, with God, that He has already made for with you, in you, for you - peace = friendship with God - John 15:15; Prov 22:11; 17:17 

Strangers Here: In the World, Not of the World

John 1:1-5, 9-14; 17:6-26; Hebrews 10:5-10; 1Peter 1

For God so loved the world, mankind, He sent His Son into the world...

John 1:1-5, 9-14

John 1:10 world 2889 Kosmos - the created order - the circle on which we dwell, the abode of mankind

● The inhabitants of the earth, men, the human race

● Specifically, to make an appearance or come into existence among men - spoken of the light Jesus shone upon men

● To dwell among men

John 1:14 Dwelled, or took up His residence with us - as in a tent - to pitch or live in a tent, among us

● For the Christian - dwelling is in intimate communion with the resurrected Christ - even as He who Himself lived in unbroken communion with the Father during the days of His flesh (Jn 1:14)

Jesus came by His own volition…

● Phil 2:5 “He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing…”

Hebrews 10:5-10

There was a conversation … and it sounded like this:

● Heb 10:5-7 “... ‘as He was coming into the world, Jesus said 'you did not want sacrifice and offering, but You prepared a body for Me. You did not delight in whole burnt offerings and sin offerings.’ Then I said, ‘See - it is written about Me in the volume of the scroll - I have come to do Your will, God!’”

● Heb 10:8-10“You did not delight in burnt offerings… I have come to do your will”

○ He was and we are in Him, sanctified through/by loving obedience: Jesus sets aside the Law to establish a new way - His way - to lovingly, with honor, accomplish the Father’s will - this is what sanctified Jesus and us in Him

■ Purified by atoning for, or making reparation - to repair - our relationship with the Creator

■ Jesus desired this so much He was willing to pay for the repairs of this broken relationship…

What the Father longed for, and Jesus offered, and now we can bring, was the love of a sincere heart...

● Heb 10:22 “...let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water…”

○ Sincere - real and true, veracious, genuine

● James 4:8 “Draw near to God, wand He will draw near to you”

We, once of this world, by faith no longer belong to this world, but we have been set apart… having been loved, turning to see and receive that love, our hearts now renewed, we draw near to God with sincere hearts, having once been an enemy, seeing God as one to be afraid of, God and His way now appeals to us, He and His way now sit well with our soul…

1John 2:15 “Do not love the world or anything of the world”

● Worldly affairs; the whole circle of earthly good, riches, advantages, pleasures - though they be hollow, frail, and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ

James 4:4 “...don’t you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?”

● Friendly with those ways that bring peril, suffering and loss

● ...with the things and ways that stand against or distract from God

John 1:10 “...and though the world was created through Him, the world did not recognize Him”

● Know, recognize or perceive

● Acknowledge as God, creator and make, lover of mankind, savior

● As such, did not respect or honor

John 17:6-26

In the world, not of the world

John 15:19 “If you were of, or belonged to, the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you are not of, do belong to, the world (I have chosen you out of the world). That is why the world hates you”

John 17:15 “my prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”

1John 5:19 “we know that we are of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one.”

1Peter 1:1 “1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout…”

● sojourning in a strange place; residing in a strange country; stranger; a foreigner - not attached to this place

○ As Jesus came and pitched a tent to dwell

○ So we now, pitch a tent

● Close beside the world

● An active relationship

● Due to current circumstances

● Left here on purpose - the minister

Scattered throughout - like seed by the sower

● Thoroughly scattered

● Distributed widely

1Peter 1:2 “...sanctifying work of the Spirit…”

● Chosen from the world - a people of God’s own

● Set apart by the Spirit for the purpose - to love God and do what God does

● ...and that by Jesus - “Go!! Join Me, and go!”

1Peter 1:13 “...with minds that are alert and fully sober, set you hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus is revealed”

● Ready for action - girded - “tuck and run”

● Sober - not intoxicated - Eph 5:18

● Set your hope on Jesus’ grace - the expected outcome of your faith

● Set yourself apart as God has already set you apart!!

● Go, undeterred… shrewdly - wise as serpents, innocent as doves

1Peter 1:22 “22Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.”

● Purified yourself by loving God and obeying thus producing a sincere love

● Now love one another - deeply, from the heart

1Peter 1:23-25 this world will perish, and our bodies may perish, but God’s word endures forever - as will you - because it is God’s word planted in you that bears the fruit of righteousness…

● James 1:21 “...humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

● Ephesians 1:13 “And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth--the gospel of your salvation--you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit…”

Easter Service Notes: HE IS RISEN!!!

Colossians 1:3-14 

3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you f to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Honoring and celebrating Jesus’ resurrection and life, His and ours in His…

John 1:1414

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Colossians 1:15-21 - The Supremacy of the Son of God

15The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of g your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation

Hebrews 1:3-4

3The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

And despite this radiant and divine glory, Jesus is… not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters

Heb 2:6-11

“What is mankind that you are mindful of them,a son of man that you care for him?7You made them a little lower than the angels;you crowned them with glory and honor8and put everything under their feet.”In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. 9But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.10In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.

The Resurrection

Matthew 28:1-11

16-20 1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.2There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.5The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

As His siblings, adopted into His family, we now - having been made by Him co-heirs with Him in the kingdom, as He came to seek and save the lost, we now - we, who have put our trust in Him, are the lost found, and now we have the privilege of turning and finding those who are lost; we, having been in darkness, now seeing the light we bring the light of God’s kingdom to bear in this broken world -

2Cor 3:18; John 17:22; Rom 8:29

Glory to glory

We will reflect Jesus. One kernel of wheat falling to the ground produces many. Jesus, the one kernel. We are the next, the life of Christ in us, by the Spirit of GodWe now go around reflecting Him

2Cor 4:6 for God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ

Eph 1 - 5 times referring to God’s glory in His work with humanity; Eph 3 God’s glory being explicitly magnified by His grace to mankind - Our lives in Christ are (to) the glory of His grace - we are His glory.

When we live in grace, by grace, God’s grace is put on display for all to see - all of the heavenly powers and authorities

God has chosen to have the light of His glory to be most manifest in His grace toward us - that as sin increased, His grace increased - this to the consternation of any holy being watching, this to any evil being trying to thwart God’s work in sinful humanity - this is God’s glorious grace overcoming evil with good, or better stated, by His inherent goodness (2Peter 1)

We are, who have been made in His image, and not created in Christ Jesus, by grace, through faith, the living expression of God’s glory in and by His grace extended to us by His loving mercy, in us by His faithfulness, and through us by His the Spirit of His eternal wisdom and good pleasure

Matthew 28:16-20

16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Closing prayer… from Eph 3:14-21; 4:1-6

Putting in the Effort: He has, now it's our turn. An introduction to every effort.

Last week we looked at the wisdom necessary to interpret and discern God’s intention within our happenings. This was for us to see that the reason we need to read the scriptures is to have the knowledge that God is working so that we can rejoice in Him and His work - even in the midst of the most difficult times - it is of the utmost importance for us to know this truth as it can change our perspective and perception of what’s going on around us. James 1:2-5 “but he must ask in faith”

But, the call to wisdom shows us that knowing the truth of His intentions, is not enough, it’s not. But, even more so, we need the wisdom to see God’s hand at work and then the faith and courage to join Him in the work He is (already) doing and what it all means.

Wisdom allows not just to know, but to know AND experience, close at hand, with Him, Him.

It is good to know that God is at work, but if we were to only “know” the truth of the fact that He is working, because we see in the word, that it says that that’s true... great…

We have to understand that to read the word is one thing, to engage with God through the word by His indwelling Spirit is another.

It is in this interaction of the “3 of us” that we actually meet and interact with Jesus allowing Him to impact our lives - mind, heart and spirit - in such a way as to experience Him, to hear His voice, to be affected by His grace, to grow in Him, wisdom, and experience His peace.

This does not just happen. It takes effort.

He’s put in the effort, the intentionality, time and persistence… consistency, the want and the willingness.

Now He asks us to do the same - to go from mere knowing about, to daily, getting to know, Him. “Yes, this takes faith… that of a mustard seed, Jesus said so”.

But, he also said two other things regarding that mustard seed:It was planted as part of a gardenIt would grow to be the largest of all garden plants Bonus info: He seemed to expect that seed to grow into what it was planted to be and do

Luke 17:1-6; Luke 13:18:21

What’s the point? The exhortation?

-Seeds in garden have everything in it to become what was intended by the Master gardener - so that work has been done by the Maker of the seed - trust that to be true

And that’s great, it really is, but...

-There’s work to be done - gardens don’t just happen - and we are the apprentice gardeners

God’s a gardener, He made us to be gardeners -

Genesis 1:29-31; 2:1-16

-Remember, the seed represents (my) the kingdom, my faith, God’s grace, not “me”

-God made and planted the seed, it is mine to join in the cultivating

And the truth of this seed, the kingdom, and its growing has to two truths in it:

-That It is so of the kingdom’s movement, that it began with one man, and then 12 and has now filled the world, and in the end, fill everything

-But, it is also so of us, in each one of us. That the kingdom in us grows, as our faith and grace in us grows and permeates us, we cannot contain it, it eventually leaks out of us, from our heart to the heart of another… and that is how the kingdom grows in us, through us

But again, this doesn’t just happen. The seed is planted by God, but there is work to be done - God’s work, with our hands - cultivating the garden, growing the kingdom.

So, as we make the effort to look for, listen to, seek out, and engage with God in word, prayer, service and fellowship, we begin to grow in wisdom, more able to see AND realize the meaning of the truth we read, we now begin to know.

Just as it is one thing to know something about someone, it is not until we have taken the time and made the effort to engage with them that we see the truth of the thing that we had heard and “knew” before, but now having seen it, having experienced it, we now know that what we knew about them, IS the truth, it was true of them.

Even if before we might believe what we had heard was true, it wasn’t really true until what? We saw it, experienced it, with them, for ourselves.

So it is with God, in Christ, by the Spirit, through the word. Don’t take my word for this! Come and see…

John 1:29; 41 “...where are you staying? Come and see, Jesus replied”

John 4:28-30; 39-42 the woman at the well knew about the messiah, the Christ, and knew to be looking, but, now that she had met Him…

-And the kingdom grew in her

-And into others…

James 1:5-6 5

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

What promotes the growth of our faith? What enables us to grow in confidence? What helps us grow in trust?

This is what Peter now is trying to express to us - he’s joining James in saying something “don’t just hear the word… make every effort to do it, experience it, experience Him - to cultivate with the Gardener, the garden of our relationship with the Gardener, Jesus… He did, He is, so can you!”

2Peter 1:1-14

If anyone lacks wisdom, they should ask… James 1:1-12; 1Kings 3:4; Eph 1:17; 1Cor 1:30; Proverbs 3

Luke 2:41, 52 “when Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee… and the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him…, ...Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.” (Eph 4:11-16; 20-32; Rom 12: Phil 2:1-18; Col 3)

If anyone lacks wisdom, they should ask… 

Interpreting these times, learning to live in a way that is fruitful and effective.  Being confident in God’s using our current circumstances to grow us into what He desires.  Knowing what to do and how to do it, when to do it, when not to do it, and why and why not.  This all takes wisdom. Why wisdom? It is life. It is Jesus (Gen 2:8-9; Ps 51:6; Prov 2:1-6; 8:17; 15:3-4: 12:18; 1Cor 1:30; Rev 2:7)

Wisdom, why? Why wisdom?  What is it about wisdom that we should desire it?  If obedience is God’s love language, then wisdom is His instructions as to how to obey, how to love, both Him and others.  (Job 28; Prov 1:1-19; 2; 4; 8)

Proverbs 3:1-26,35

Where does wisdom start?

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of… knowledge and wisdom, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Prov 1:7; 3:7; 9:10; 19:23; Ps 34; 111:10; Ecc 12:13; Isaiah 8:12-22; Micah 6:9)

Wisdom, first, that we would see God’s intentions in our lives, for our good and the good of those lives around us

That He, God, truly does “...in all things works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose…” that we would ”be conformed to the image of His Son… that He is for us…” and that in Jesus “...we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us…” and that nothing “...will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:28-39)

James 1:1-12; Romans 5:1-5

Hope...

We have a hope, not wishful thinking, but, a hope, and in fact, a living hope in Jesus....

So what then is hope? This hope has in it an air of certainty, an eager expectation and anticipation of what we are sure of, of what’s been promised, trusting the One who makes the promise. And living? That is the fervent life of God’s Spirit in us bubbling life. So this is a fervent life bubbling up in us by His Spirit, that awakens our soul’s spirit to an eager expectation of God’s working now and eternally in our lives bringing joy and confidence, or, hope.

So, have hope! Thankfully, not a hope we conjure up in our fragile and shaky hearts, but a true and living hope in God eternal, the One who loves us so, who is unchanging and sure - Our Father, through HIs Son, Jesus, by His life giving Spirit. Hope.

1Peter 1:3-9; Romans 5:1-5; Psalm 33:20-22; 102:25-28; Heb 1:12; James 1:17

Wisdom, second, that would act wisely

Trusting God’s truth: the Word and Spirit to guide and lead us.  To instruct and correct as we go. Not only for our sake, but for the sake of others. We must not underestimate the Holy Spirit's ability to make Himself known to us - He Who “...helps us in our weakness…” Who, when we no not what to pray  “...Himself intercedes for…” us. Rom 8:26-27

1Kings 3:5-15

Wisdom, third, that you would be held in high esteem by others 

For the purpose of pride?  No. But that others would see you, respect you, and honor you - and that, God in you as He has revealed Himself, Jesus, and come to you to seek your counsel, allowing you to share with them the reason for your wisdom and hope (1Sam 2:21,26; Prov 3:4; 8:35; 10:11, 21; 12:2; 13:15; 16:24; Luke 1:80; 2:41,52; James 3:17)

1Peter 1:1-7 (Rom 5:3-4) ; 1Peter 3:8-16