Chasing Life: Jesus = Life

We’ve talked about how exhausting it is to try and chase life down.

To try and discover it on our own.

To try and make our own lives happen…through our definitions and maybe our own strength.

But we know that we’ve all failed at those things.

We see other people fail at those things.

…but sometimes we still go back to those things because somehow…for some reason…we think we can do this thing called “life” on our own.

But in the end, we realize we were not made to do life on our own. We were made to be in the presence of God…living with Him, serving Him, being with Him, receiving everything we need from Him.

Satan has done a good job at turning our focus around hasn’t he?

But …with all that said…We have someone named Jesus. Don’t we?

So if we’re looking at this thing called Life…and how to best live…it’s probably good to look at what Jesus said about it...

…since He came to save us from something.

…since He came to bring new life…to us.

To give us grace…forgiveness…and remember when you think about grace or forgiveness…remember that from Jesus, it is undeserved mercy.

We’ve lived life wrong. We’ve done things we shouldn’t. Focused on things we shouldn’t. Looked for life in places that can’t give it…finding only that Jesus gives life…

no one else or nothing else can give life. Period.

So it all comes down to Jesus.

Last week we looked at how Jesus began to speak about this.

It was the sermon on the mount and Jesus is addressing some things. Our chase after life…and His Kingdom. And in the spot where we were reading (Matthew 6) we saw how Jesus…in a very compassionate way…reminds us that He is the one who gives us life…cares for us…provides all we need.

Don’t worry. Don’t store up for yourselves treasures of this earth. Don’t chase after the things of this world. He pointed to nature/creation, and said…see…life can be like this....but...

in the here and now, in this sin nature, in this broken world look to me…take one day at a time…and....

TRUST ME WITH YOUR LIFE...

I’m going to take all of us back a few years. In a second, on the screen you’ll see some memorable things…I hope. We’ll have some fun here....

PICTURES OF INFOMERCIALS....

You were not living…if you didn’t have one of these items.

Your life would continue to be a miserable mess unless you had a snuggie…then everything in life would fall in place.

I mean that’s how they made you feel right? I’m sure I’m not the only one who has gone on to order one of these items. We have a George Foreman grill at home. Do we use it much anymore? Every once in awhile....

You know…at 2AM in the morning when you can’t sleep or your not feeling well or you’re worried about the next day, these things really feel like they can fix the world!

I mean if I ordered that piece of exercise equipment…I too could be as cool and strong as chuck norris. or all our meals would be awesome if I ordered all of those kitchen gadgets.

Oh…and when you thought…well maybe that might be helpful…while watching one of those infomercials…you’re on the edge of calling or looking up the website....not completely sure its a good deal....

Then they say, “But wait there’s _________!”

Oh…that was the kicker…not one but two for the low low price of $19.95. Why was that the price for all of these things…Oxi Clean to Pillows that turned into stuffed animals…to gadgets to clean your siding…they were all 19.95.

Us…people…we humans are like this aren’t we? Infomercials had a pattern or a process they took you to.

Intrigue…Have you ever experienced this? Yes!

Isn’t it horrible when life is like this? Yes....life isn’t good.

....without this…you’re life will continue to be less than perfect....

shame...

They lead you into the thought that…not only could life be better with this item…you SHOULD get this item....even saying if you don’t…well…that’s on you.

Only $19.95....and life will be so much better.

Let’s look at a passage, again where Jesus is talking about life. About living as we were intended to live. And remember, our reference point is life before sin…and the effects of sin.

Page 1676 in the pew Bibles

This passage is during the time of the Passover meal…before His death on the cross. He’s moving from His talk of …somethings going to happen…to here it is…but remain in me. Stay in me.

Just before this in chapter 14, John records that Jesus has specifically, again, talked about the Holy Spirit that the Father is going to send.

John 15:1–11 NIV

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Here is yet another passage that gives us hints about life. This is where true life is found.

In The Vine. Jesus’ isn’t just requesting us…or asking us…He’s saying…please…stay with me. This is how life works.

John 10:10 NIV

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 14:6 NIV

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

I am the vine....you are the branches. The Father is the gardener. The way to the Father is only through me.

I am....

I am the one who gives life.

The branch…is utterly dependent on the vine. It is the realization that with Jesus I have everything. Without Him…nothing.

Wow this would make a great infomercial wouldn’t it?

Actually Jesus’ whole life was the infomercial. And guess what....your life can be that too.

How you live all of life…either attached to Christ or separated from Him speaks messages to others doesn’t it?

Attached to Jesus…you have life from the life giver.

Now…bearing fruit. Let’s look at what this is not saying.

Fruit-bearing is not a test; that is, a branch does not have to demonstrate a level of productivity to be safe from destruction…being cut off by the Gardener. Remember…life given. Not earned.

Rather, fruitbearing is a byproduct. “Apart from me you can do nothing” (15:5b). To be connected to the vine means that the life of Jesus is flowing through us, and this leads to fruitfulness. Fruitfulness will be the inevitable outcome of an interior spiritual life with Jesus (cf. Gal. 5:22– 23).

The branch produces what the life coursing through its limbs desires, that is, the “fruit of the vine.” But the outcome is not a mechanical productivity of fruit.

Jesus next talks about us (His disciples) showing love for him by how we obey and live by the Father’s commands.

Next week we’ll talk more about fruit.

But do you think there are other infomercials out there? Jesus says remain in me…this is the only way to real life.

Are there other messages that say…no…this is the real way to life? Let me show you what reality is…this is the next best way to live…to find life...

If you look at all of history at the 40,000 foot height....like from an airplane view…you’ll see all through history movements and cultural changes…all focused on one thing…a better way to live.

I’ll just mention some things that will get you thinking.

All through history you have movements of people and cultures. Thoughts about how to live better. Improvements in how to do things…(think infomercials and kitchen gadgets).

From Adam and Eve …Cain and Able…and on and on…through generation to generation…when you read through the Bible you’ll see civilization striving to get better, live better...

You see nations and empires form…find a certain way of governing…a way of living…a way of life. And sometimes things look pretty cool and good things happen…and sometimes they try to expand their interests and grow, taking over other nations.

You see this happening through what we call advancements in knowledge...

We have ages such as the bronze age, iron age, middle history, renassiance, the enlightenment…and on and on. Industrial age, machine age, nuclear age, space age, information age...

All through those times, we’ve seen people develop both ways of thinking and things as well…invention/technology…all for the purpose of what...

…living better lives.

Let’s focus in just a bit more and within 100 plus or minus we’ve seen movements in history…farming, industry, the stock market, capitalism, war technology.

All through this we have movements of different ways of thinking…philosophy. Just in some of our lifetimes we’ve seen the sexual revolution of the 60’s. right before that....marxism and communism. the battle for power between nations. in our history as a nation we’ve seen racial battles/ racism.

We’ve seen terms come about such as conservative, liberal…both not originally tied to government but just in ways of thought…but now for sure tied to politics.

Conservative liberal fundamental ....you had the PC (politically correct movent)…progressivism, You’ve had recently another sexual revolution in terms of identity and ideology. We’ve had recent …and by recent I mean like the last 20 years where the term woke has come up the surface....side note...

Wow I’ve just covered a lot in just a few minutes.

The world. The world will throw terms at us and say things like…remember our infomercial formula…

you need to believe in these things

this is what’s wrong with the world....and this is the true answer

if you don’t believe in these things then you’re … thoughtless, unsympathetic, heartless, even immoral, or just a horrible person.

this is the only idea…or way of life…that there is.

But here’s where I want to get to with all of this...

Remember, Jesus said I am the way, the truth, the life. Remain in me…I am the vine, you’re the branch. The only way to a truly full life is to love and follow Jesus and allow Him to provide this full life for you. His way.

Fully dependent on Him.

a branch ....is fully dependent on the vine.

All through the ages people have been trying to get better, do better…live better. Through philosophy, invention, thought, …all from the individual to ways of governing we’ve seen people chase after life.

Satan has lots of infomercials for us to chase after doesn’t he? Little twists of truth…big twists of truth....and just outright lies…lies that are hidden in the idea that…these ways of life are the best…and if you don’t follow....then well, you’re just going to live a less-than life.

Jesus said…I have it all…for you. The thief comes to steal life. I came to give it.

John 15:4 (NIV)

4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you...

Next week....the fruits of the spirit. Paul got this. He understood what it meant to stay on the vine…and what kind of things will happen when you stay in the vine…connected to it.

My hope is this…that this week, when you watch the news or have conversations about life with other people, or scroll through your social media (which I will say…is a playground for Satan)…that you’ll again begin to see the world through the eyes of the Spirit. That you’ll see, instead of things to argue or get angry about, that you’ll see people…people Jesus died for…chasing life.

Who knows, one kind, corrective word....or maybe the perfect question…like…so how did you come to that conclusion?....might put you on the path of having a conversation with someone in a different way…all towards…who know…maybe someone beginning to think about Jesus…the giver of life…in a completely different way.

The Kingdom is here…Jesus brought it. And there’s more to come.