Walk This Way: Why Spend Time with Jesus?
Notes
Transcript
Announcements:
We will be having our Hang With Us after service this morning for those who have recently filled out a connect card.
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Worship:
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Introduction:
Scripture verse review of Matthew 4:19
19 “Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fish for people.”
Last week we talked about how we are not called to be Christians but disciples of Jesus Christ. We are called to learn how to be more like Jesus Christ.
We also talked about the importance of having a true point of reference which for a disciple of Jesus Christ is the Bible, God’s Word from Genesis to Revelation.
If you missed us laying the foundation for this series, I would encourage you to go online and listen or watch it as it gets us ready to start diving deeper into discipleship.
This week we are talking about the importance of spending time with Jesus. Yes, I know. Sounds basic, right. But how many of us know why we need to spend time with Jesus? How many of us know what that looks like? What the affect it has on us and others?
Transition: We will be in John 15:1-12 this morning and we are going to work through this passage and some others to see why it is important to spend time with Jesus and what it looks like. The first thing we need to learn as a disciple of Jesus Christ is to:
Body:
I. Remain in Him
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
2 Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.
3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
4 Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.
6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.
8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. 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.
Remain appears 10 times and is in reference to staying close to and connected to Jesus.
Who is the vine? Jesus
What is the role of the Father? The Gardener
What is the role of the follower/disciple of Christ? to produce fruit
God has a purpose for each one of our lives. His purpose is that we would fulfill His purpose (bear fruit) in His world. We are not on this planet for ourselves or to find our purpose. We are here for Him and to fulfill His purpose.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
When you reach out to God, He will reach out to you!
How do you reach out to Him?
-Worship: choosing to put your life in service for Him. God is your final authority and you want to honor Him with your life.
Singing is a great way!
Transition: Making sure we remain in Jesus is so crucial because we cannot do this on our own! As we remain in Jesus, then we will be able to:
II. Learn to recognize fruit
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.
6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
The fruit of the flesh is
19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions,
21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
compared to the fruit of the Spirit
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.
When we stay connected to Jesus, we bear fruit that looks like God. When we aren’t connected to Jesus, we bear the fruit of the flesh.
What does the fruit of God look like in our life?
Love—loving people without expecting anything back, no strings attached
Joy—delight, being in a good mood because God is exceptionally good or satisfying no matter what circumstance/situation we are in
Peace—health and wholeness in relationships and personal well being
Patience—prolonged restraint of anger and agitation
Kindness—friendly, regardless of how people treat you
Goodness—being generous and kind to people
Faithfulness—confident trust in God that results in consistent actions
Gentleness—humility, considerateness, meekness, preferring others
Self-control—disciplined, control over actions and appetites
This doesn’t happen overnight but as we consistently remain with Jesus (prayer, worship and His Word), you will notice more of this fruit in your life.
Transition: Remaining in Jesus helps us to produce the fruit of the Spirit we are supposed to produce. Not only do we want to produce godly fruit, but we also need to:
III. Learn to be with Him as you read Scripture
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.
Part of remaining in Jesus is having His words remain in us as well!
1 How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers!
2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Be purposeful about spending time in God’s Word. If you don’t plan your schedule, your schedule will plan itself! We make time for what is important to us!
1. Set a regular time and place (morning/evening; alone in a room/in a certain chair)
2. Decide on a Bible reading plan
-don’t read so much that you cannot remember what you read let alone reflect on what it meant and how to apply it to your life (quality over quantity)
-start with a book of the Bible (preferably one of the Gospels even though John is the most popular to start with)
3. Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you understand what you about to read
4. Make notes about what you have read
5. Write down what it means and how you can apply it to your life throughout the day
Note: we also have a Bible ready plan that is available to everyone so we can do it together! (online and on table and QR code goes to our resources page on website)
Transition: If we remain in Jesus and His Word remains in us, then we can:
IV. Learn how to be with Jesus in prayer
Remaining in Christ and His words remaining in us affects our prayer life.
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.
The point is not to pray and get everything you pray for. He is not a spiritual Santa Clause or genie. The point of this means that our desires and requests line up more with Him as we remain in Him. His desires become our desires.
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him.
12 Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Why are some of our prayer not answered?
2 You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask.
3 You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
If you didn’t see our post from earlier this week on prayer, check this out (show pics)
Praying is so important and can be done on purpose
-How to pray for an hour (weekly prayer pic)
-Weekly prayer schedule (pray specifically each day of the week) Go over Monday and Tuesday (we believe in praying for those in authority over us consistently)
Transition: As we consistently remain in Jesus, bear the fruit of the Spirit, stay in His Word and keep His Word in us, we will not only be able to pray according to God’s will but:
V. Remaining in Christ affects others
9 “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. 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 these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
12 “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you.
There are some people who claim to be followers of Christ who are simply awful to be around. They are flat-out negative. They seem to have the attitude that serving the Lord is a burden they have to bear. They have made a decision to get through it, kind of like you get through a root canal. I don’t know what Bible they are reading, but that’s not what Jesus had in mind for his followers. Most likely they may not be spending enough personal time with Jesus.
If we keep His commands, we remain in His love. That love will enable us to love others.
Loving others as He has loved us will give us joy!
Conclusion:
During this next week, I want to challenge of all us to meditate on this Scripture:
New Scripture verse for the week:
28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Pray and ask the Lord what it means.
What does it look like for you personally?
How can you be more intentional this year to be a disciple of Jesus?
