Exactly what the World needs
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Intro and Tension
Intro and Tension
VISION SUNDAY - What does it mean? Excited to speak to you today | overview of what God has for our Church this year.
Where we going? 2 parts - Exactly why you’re in this world | Theme for year.
2 Problems going to address;
Culture that is all about “Self”
Confused word “love” with “like”
Tackle both these
Launch with this verse;
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Title: Exactly what the world needs.
*prayer*
Passage in timothy - Makes me shiver.
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,
Describing culture of chaos | Enemy is Swirling - You’ve heard it..
“You get what you give” - Sorry?
$50 story - gave - asked back,
Live in world of me
[Our Good] > [reliance on Self] > [Selfish/our glory] > [Spiritual death]
Bleek picture - amongst this culture - given this instruction;
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
ALL of ourselves | might say - Don’t even have little bit to give. or Why? How is that fair?
What mean? to live as living sacrifice?
Sacrificed my way - want to do it another way.
Move from living for self > Living for Jesus
What happens?
Matthew 11:28–30 (ESV)
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Rest | Light |
We’ve all heard - can’t pour from empty cup - What if what you’re your filling cup with is wrong souce?
Filling cup
When pour out everything YOUR chasing in world | Chase all of what JESUS Desires - something happens.
Move from selfish to sefless > Start to realise how good God is > Heart starts to yearn to give God glory - because you start to feel His Love.
Something else happens;
Chase;
[God’s Glory} > [Reliance on God} > [Our Good} >[Spiritual Life]
Spiritual LIFE
Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
Disciples ask, what shall we do? Jesus says, just believe in Me.
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
As we listen, and obey, we move from death, to life.
Birngs us to first part of Vision: In a world that is about self - we’ll choose to be;
SELFLESS -
Part two.
Beautiful passage between | Abide in Jesus & World will hate you.
That’s the what | Jesus wants us to do (abide) | What will happen when you do (hate you) | This is the WHY YOU WANT TO.
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
Pretty storng language |
What is commandment?
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
We know we have to die to self - selfess - now have commandemnt to love.
First thing - What is love.
Thrown around | Confused with Like | Greek Word = Agape - Linked to decision | Biblical love - not start with emotion but decision
If emotion = Jesus can’t command it | “Love your enemies” - Can’t really feel good about someone that hates you.
i will kill you.
biblical love = The Decision to compassionately and Sacrificially meet the need of another.
Love is not what you say - Love is what you do.
Back Verse 10:
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
If keep my commandments (Do as I instruct here- bible) you will abide in my love.
Jesus uses relationship with Father as way to know what Love is.
Love of father flowed through to Jesus - onto Cross.
Jesus opening our eyes to deeper relationship than servant master.
Jesus had love relationship in most intimate way with Father.
Because Jesus loved Father - He was able to Obey - Knowing Fathers will, leads to LIFE.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
At the root of Obedience is Love.
Alexis = Bam Splat = Root of instruction = Lofe.
Then - See what Jesus is trying to communicate to me and you - leads to this;
You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
Not context that we are not servants of God = We are.
Context of Friend between Rabbi and Student.
“Friend” very different, then to now.
“Friend” - Existance of special, exclusive relatioionship | Not causal = Purposeful!
Shocking to disciples.
Disciples never DREAM of being FRIEND to RABBI. let alone Son of GOD.
Abraham only “Friend”
Moses - inferred.
If I am disciple, im a slave to master. Jesus is saying - I call you FRIEND.
This is between believer + Saviour | Shows relationship of us as friends = what do we do with that. jesus shows us
Jesus then gets to the pinnacle of what love DOES for HIS FRIENDS.
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Points to the CROSS - Greatest expression of Love - that’s it - It’s not what YOU DO - It’s what JESUS DID.
THis is love;
That one should lay down his LIFE for HIS FRIENDS.
and Jesus CHOSE THIS - CHOSE HIS FRIENDS.
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.
Not election - back in day, servant chose master- not other way around - Jesus CHOSE US.’
And who does society choose to be friends? People we like - have something in common - Who did Jesus choose?
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
While we enemies of GOD | Jesus CHOSE to BEFRIEND us and go to CROSS | Take all of God’s Wrath, so we MIGHT Choose Him and Reflect Him first in HERE then to WORLD.
Brings us to our THEME.
In a world that is all about “self” and a culture that has turned “love” into an emotion, we will make the “Decision” to show;
“SELFLESS LOVE”
Not out of desire - or trying harder - but abiding in Jesus - recieving love from FATHER and let it REFLECT to those around you.
Jesus finishes this with;
These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
Here’s the kicker:
You can not give what you have not recieved.
IF you have recieved his LOVE - want to follow HIM - If you follow HIM you will be SEFLESS.
But it takes one step - to deny yourself, and follow Him.
Item - you kmow the item by what it does
You where CREATED to show SEFLESS LOVE - not becaues you FEEL LIKE IT - but because you have RECIEVED IT.
When church body - Full of people that want to represent Jesus - Powerful thing - Hope of the world
Close
Might be strange - Not OF this world - WORLD operates very DIFF.
World Says: Trust in yourself - Follow your heart
Kingdom of God: Trust in God and do not lean on your own understanding.
Kingdom of this world: Advance identity, huge issues of ideologies
Kingdom of God: Unite ALL PEOPLE | Stand shoulder to shoulder with them | Bear their burden | Our goal is to advance Jesus’ identity by showing FRUIT.
Kingdom of this world:Unforgiving, Violent - Advance your cause by overpowering opponenet.
God: Never return evil for Evil, Pray for enemies, walk the extra mile.
World: Fixated on the Externals
God: Not concerned with things but HEART. Not getting but GIVING - Even the point of your life.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
What is God asking from us?
Can you show SELFLESS LOVE to ONE ANOTHER - can it start right HERE.
Can it start with ANYONE that walks throughdoor -
maybe…just maybe = glimpse of Heaven -
Maybe glimpse of JOY and MAYBE= glimpse of REVIVAL.
I am asking as a Church body, let’s go on this Journey together.
to pour out, what we have so freely recieved from our Lord and Saviour - Watch God get the Glory and your life change.
photo - write on the back
*prayer*