Believe and abide

Our theme for 2022 is “Begin Again”

This series is called, “Believe Again”

You may have already believed the gospel, but it is time to believe again.

We began with “Believe in Jesus”

Then we talked about believing in spiritual reality.

We talked about how an encounter with Jesus leads to transformation, living in both realities.

We talked about life - remember the great circle of life - God’s life in us and flowing through us?

We talked about light and how light displaces darkness and exposes what is hidden.

We talked about truth and freedom. - that knowing the truth about God and about yourself sets you free from guilt and condemnation.

We talked about how Jesus shows us the Father as a Good Shepherd who loves us and who has a plan to redeem us.

Last week we talked about God’s power and how true power is the opposite of what most people think it is.

God’s power is available to us if we believe and obey.

That’s right, the key to operating in God’s power is obedience.

You probably wanted something quick and easy, but obedience takes time.

This week is about believing and abiding.

Abiding is not something that you do quickly - abiding takes time.

We are going to be covering four chapters today - it’s going to take some time.

The Eagles kickoff at 1 pm today. I will try to have you out by then.

All four of these chapters are part of the “upper room discourse.”

These are the things that Jesus said to his disciples in the upper room at the last supper.

In a sense, they are the most important instructions of Jesus,

because he knew he was going to the cross.

and he wanted to prepare his disciples for what was about to happen.

Believing is not just a “one and done” thing.

So you prayed a prayer once - that’s great! But what have you done since?

Maybe you were baptized or dedicated as a baby? Wonderful! But didn’t they also promise to raise you as a follower of Christ?

Maybe there was a time in your life where you were really on fire for God?

But then life happened, maybe there was hardship and disappointment.

You feel like God abandoned you.

But God is still there, just waiting for you to return to Him.

Believing and abiding is living with and living in the reality of believing.

It is bringing God’s reality into your reality.

Making believing in Jesus part of your everyday life.

What does it mean to abide?

To abide is to do something consistently - like to abide by a decision.

It is to be patient and tolerant. -like to abide a person or situation.

It is related to the word “abode” which means to live consistently in a place.

Each year I take a personal retreat where I reflect on the past year and set goals for the coming year. I use a format for reflection that comes from Keith Yoder’s book on “Planning your Sabbatical.” It began with my sabbatical in 2015 and I have kept a journal ever since.

One of the questions is: “In what characteristics of God shall I abide?” It helps me to think deeply and clearly about what God saying and how I am being conformed to His image.

What aspects of God’s character am I consistently reading in scripture? How is the Spirit consistently reminding me? What am I meditating on so that it works into my character?

I think that it helps to think of abiding as “settling down” like when you know you are going to be living somewhere for a while, so you make it your home.

The first thing you do is make yourself comfortable.

Whether you live in a mansion or a cardboard box, the first thing you are going to do is try to make the place warm and cozy.

The next thing is to find food. What are you going to eat?

Karie is always thinking about the next meal - or the next week of meals.

I guess because she is usually thinking about this, I usually don’t. Food just magically appears!

The other thing that you would think about is how to pass your time.

I usually take a book if I know I am going to have time to pass.

Some people entertain themselves with music or movies.

If you are going to believe and abide, you will need to answer these questions:‌

What gives you comfort? - Abide in love.‌

What do you feed on? - Abide in hope.‌

How should you spend your time? - Abide in joy.‌

These are the characteristics of God in which you should abide.

Abide in Love.

John 13:34–35 ESV

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

When it comes down to comfort and human thriving, love is the most important ingredient.

I know that when we think about comfort, we usually think of warmth and shelter from the elements, but isn’t love all of that and more?

Can you imagine living without love?

Proverbs 25:24 NLT

24 It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.

Maybe you have tried it?

You can have every human comfort, but if there is no love, it’s uncomfortable!

So what is love?

John 13:1 TPT

1 Jesus knew that the night before Passover would be his last night on earth before leaving this world to return to the Father’s side. All throughout his time with his disciples, Jesus had demonstrated a deep and tender love for them. And now he longed to show them the full measure of his love.

What did Jesus do that was such an important demonstration of love?

Love is serving.

John 13:12–17 ESV

12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Jesus washed His disciples feet.

He took the role of a servant even though he deserved their honor, he honored them.

And then he says that a serving does not make you greater than the one you are serving.

Why did he do it then, if he is not establishing a “pecking order.”

Christian’s, nowadays, sometimes use their humility to “shame” other Christians.

Jesus is truly loving His disciples.

By washing their feet, He is genuinely honoring each of them.

“I see God in you,” that is why I serve you.

Love recognizes and calls people to their identity as sons and daughters of God.

Love is releasing.

John 13:21–27 ESV

21 After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, 24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”

OK. So not everyone there was a godly character.

When Jesus chose Judas, he was no better or worse than the rest of them.

We read about Judas knowing how it ended with him, but the disciples didn’t know - he was just like the rest of them.

I’m sure Jesus would have liked to change the outcome for Judas - Jesus loved him too!

When you love someone, you have to let them go.

Controlling a person, no matter how good your intentions, is not loving them.

It’s not letting them be who they are - even if who they are is not what you want them to be.

Holding people to our vision of what we want them to be is usually, only driving them away.

Releasing them means that there is a chance that they come back - willingly.

Jesus made a gesture to let Peter ( and Judas) know that he knew exactly what was about to go down.

But he let it happen, because he knew that Judas had chosen the path of trying to control the outcome and he wasn’t going to try to control Judas.

It would lead to his tragic death on the cross, but that was also the plan all along.

Love is bigger than betrayal, because betrayal is based on limited knowledge and expectations.

Love grants freedom to choose.

Because only by choosing love can it be truly meaningful.

And genuine love overcomes in the end.

Love is laying your life down.

John 13:36–38 ESV

36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.

Here’s the irony of Peter’s statement.

Peter said that he would lay down his life for Jesus, but did he?

No, he had three opportunities and he denied every one of them.

Who laid his life down for whom?

You are never going to out-love Jesus!

You can’t love Him more than He loves you.

No amount of sacrifice will outweigh his sacrifice for you.

Just try to keep up.

John 15:12–14 ESV

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.

Abiding in love means living your life in response to God’s love.

We love because he first loved us.

Know that you are loved!

Then begin treating others the way God treats you.

Abide in Hope.

John 14:1–3 NLT

1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

What are you feeding on?

What thoughts consistently go through your mind?

Are they generally positive or negative?

Just as “you are what you eat” you will become what you think.

You have to have hope!

As a counselor, the first thing we try to do when people come to us is give them hope, because without hope, they won’t even try.

This scripture has given so many people hope as they are facing the end of life, that Jesus has assured them that there is something next.

We hope in God, but what is it about God that gives us hope?

Hope in God’s ability.

John 14:12–14 ESV

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

God does miracles! - Nothing is impossible for God.

Jesus proved it by healing, delivering and even raising people from the dead.

Oh, but that’s not all! He said we would do greater works!

My friend, Pastor Mark says, “if God did anything for anyone in the Bible, He can do it for you!”

If this scripture says what I think it says, then not only is that true, but God is not limited only to what He has done for people in the Bible - there are greater works!

Some people say that greater only means more, because Jesus’ works are multiplied by the number of followers.

In the Greek, the word “greater” is megas.

We are going to do mega-miracles!

It basically saying, “you ain’t seen nothing yet!”

There is not limit to what God can or will do.

Most people would like to see just one miracle.

They wish that, just once, God would heal, or show a sign or something.

God, has done that millions of times over - every day.

The point is that God is not limited to what He has done in the past.

The only limit I have know God to have is that he seems to respect our limits as to what we will believe or allow.

Hope in God’s presence.

John 14:15–21 ESV

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

It is one thing to hope in God’s ability, it is another thing to hope in his ability to work through you.

That is why God gives us a helper.

“another” helper - means “another of the same kind.

The Holy Spirit is just like Jesus, except He is in us.

IF the Holy Spirit seems scary to you, just remember that He is like Jesus.

The disciples had jesus with them in the flesh.

They did everything together and they had Him to rely on.

But now He is going away and sending another helper.

Except this helper will always be with you, in fact, He will be in you!

Does that give you hope, knowing that the presence of God is in you?

You are not an orphan!

You are not alone… ever!

He is always right there with you.

Hope in God’s outcome.

John 15:1–5 ESV

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

The result of abiding is bearing fruit.

Just as the natural result of being a branch on a tree is to produce fruit -

The natural result of a life abiding in Christ is to glorify God.

Fruit speaks of positive character traits - like the fruit of the spirit.

Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Fruit also speaks of a life that is nourishing, nurturing and life-giving to others.

Also contained in the fruit is a seed to reproduce more fruit.

When you are abiding in Christ, there is a natural outcome of your life which gives life to others and multiplies God’s goodness.

You don’t have to work at it - just abide.

Just be who you are - in Christ.

John 15:16 ESV

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

If you abide, your fruit will abide.

You reproduce exactly what you have become.

Abide in Joy.

John 15:11 ESV

11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

How are you going to do all of this?

Are you going to work really hard at loving and trying to have hope?

Is there anything about abiding which conveys the idea of striving?

Just the opposite, abiding is not striving - its only natural.

Have you ever sat in an orchard and listened to trees grunting out fruit?

Jesus is not making a list of demands, he is describing a way of living that leads to joy!

It may not always feel like joy, but joy transcends our circumstances.

And to some degree it even transcends our feelings.

Joy in the midst of hate.

John 15:18–21 ESV

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

Jesus warned us that the world would hate us.

The world ( and the whole spiritual realm) are in rebellion against God.

They are mixed up as to what is good and evil.

If you challenge their definition of good, they will call you evil.

They don’t have a problem with you doing what you think is right for you.

They don’t mind you being self-serving and self-seeking.

They don’t care if you do what feels good to you as long as you let them do what feels good to them.

If you like church- that’s great - just don’t talk to me about God.

You can be a naughty as you want, lie if you want or be as deranged as you want as long as you keep it to yourself.

They might indulge right along with you as long as they think they are not as bad as so and so.

But just once, try and tell then that Jesus is the only way, the only truth and the only life and they will call you a hater.

Try declaring that God has a plan and a design for humanity and they will call you narrow minded.

If you say that God has called us to live holy lives, you are intolerant.

If you insist that the Bible sets a standard for living godly lives then you are a bigot.

Don’t sweat it! Jesus said it would be so.

Just know that if you are misunderstood, it not that you are doing something wrong.

You may just be doing something right!

Joy in the Holy Spirit.

John 16:12–15 ESV

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Joy is not going to come from other people or from your circumstances - not lasting joy.

Lasting joy comes from the inside.

John 15:11 (AMP)

11 I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.

The Holy Spirit in you is your source of joy.

When everything is messed up around you, the Holy Spirit is your compass.

When you don’t know what to do, the Holy Spirit is there to guide you.

When there are so many voices claiming to be God, the Holy Spirit will help you tune in to the real one.

The Holy Spirit not only knows the future, He knows how to get you there.

You don’t need to spend your time being anxious, lonely or afraid; you can spend your time with joy in the Holy Spirit!

Your sorrow will be turned to joy.

John 16:20–22 ESV

20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

Having joy doesn’t mean you won’t ever be sad.

Jesus is about to go to the cross - it’s going to get ugly.

But sorrow does not last.

We don’t abide in sorrow; we move through it.

Sorrow lasts until it is replaced by joy.

Grief is real; we don’t discount our grief, but we don’t dwell in it either.

Some people say that grief never goes away; on one hand it is true in that it never goes away completely - moments of grief can pop up unexpectedly, even after a long time.

But grief is only overwhelming for a limited period of time, eventually it becomes part of our new normal.

And you can have joy, even while experiencing grief.

John 16:33 ESV

33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

God is good and abiding in God means that God’s goodness and joy is our normal.

Yes there are moments that eclipse our joy, but those are temporary.

Even death, for those in Christ, is temporary.

The chaos in this world is temporary, even if it lasts beyond our lifetime.

Believing and abiding is living consistently in the knowledge of God.

Is is being comforted and secure in His love.

It is sustained by hope because of our trust in God.

We may pass trough times of trouble, but will always return to joy.

Questions for reflection:

What gives you comfort? Are you able to love others by serving them, releasing them, and by laying your life down? Are you secure enough in God’s love to do that?

What do you feed on? Do you remind yourself that God is with you, that He is able; and are you able to trust Him with the outcome? There is always hope.

How do you pass your time? Does your joy depend on what other people say or do? Or does your joy come from the Holy Spirit in you? In moments of sorrow, can you return to joy?