2019-03-03-CCCC - Abididng - Part 5

I just as a person, just just be your pastor. I found a lot of joy in praying with you meeting with you and even you know, putting paint on your walls. It's just been an absolute Joy. So thank you. We are in the middle of focusing on. Real discipleship not as of a program or anything, but just what does it mean to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Is there a difference between believer and disciple know we are going to be we are pursuing real discipleship with Christ, which means we follow him and we fulfill that Great Commission that's been handed to us to to make disciples of other people. So that's our foundation from Matthew 18 is go therefore and Make Disciples of all Nations. That's our marching orders. It doesn't change and then the heart of what we do as disciples making disciples is John 10:4 in the Sheep follow him for they know his voice. Look. There's only one Shepherd only one voice that were following you not following the voice of popular culture not pulling the voice of our own heart not following the voice of like, you know, Tivity strategies, you know there there's probably more than seven habits of highly effective people. I don't know they might be good in might not be but are they the words of the shepherd? We follow his voice and do what he says and then the warning like the silver warning that comes for us is total bracing and that is from from John 15:18 to a servant is not greater than his master if they persecuted me they will also persecute you Jesus is saying look, No one is going to love and respect you more than 11 respect me. Jesus says this knowing full well, what's about to come for him? Write an illegal arrest and a murder, right? They're going to kill him and he sang to his disciples. He sang to us. Look, they're not going to give you any more respect than they give me they're not going to love you and adore you anymore than they love and adore me. So what are we pursuing like as disciples as a church? What are we are? We pursuing the love and Adoration of the world. If so. We know how much we're going to get by looking at the life of Jesus or if we find that we are getting more love and respect and adoration than Jesus. We're doing something wrong. And I think what we're doing is not actually following him. We're just following, you know, our own desires and this has been a fun morning of them technical challenges doesn't matter doesn't matter. So here's our are getting our outline. And and yes, I know I do this every week but I just don't want us to forget here's our outline of our series which are also the marks of a true disciple of Jesus. First of the denial of Self in and abiding in Christ and we do that in love and prayer last week. We talked about disciples having a thirst a knowledge and a dependence on the scriptures. Then we'll talk about finding purpose in joy and pleasing the father that's this week and then we'll talk about how disciples making disciples the true final Mark of a mature disciple of Jesus is someone who makes Disciples of Jesus and we do that by knowing our calling knowing our gifts and we use our gift to Faithfully fulfill our calling which inevitably results in bearing the marks of a disciple.

What is the abiding life look like it looks like love and it smells like prayer. So that's you know Klingon close to Jesus and we do that through prayer and we do that through loving him and loving all that. He has gathered together. It looks like love and it smells like prayer the key scriptures we get for that John 13 34 to 35 by this all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another are the main testimony of the church. To The World Is How We disciples love one another looks like loving it smells like prayer from Revelation 8 3 through 4 and the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the Saints Rows before God our prayers to God our sweet to God and they are kept as we talked about their poured out at the returning of Jesus whenever it is that he comes our prayers will be poured out and and they will be answered by God. So we abide in love and prayer then last week. We have a thirst and a knowledge and a dependence on the scriptures. Why would we have or need to have a thirst and knowledge in Independence on the scriptures? Well, it's simple to follow Christ. You must know him and to know Christ. You need to know the scriptures. You can't abide in him. You can't love him. We can't love one another outside of the truth of the scriptures. The main point of the scriptures is to reveal Christ is to reveal with the heart and character nature of God. If the Bible did not reveal who God was it would really be eternally pointless. It would be some good, you know tips and in and life hacks for while we're here for 87 years. Nice some years. But then they would all fade away in the light of Eternity. The Bible is valuable because Christ is in the Bible tells us who he who he is. We are really excited about things like obedience. Right, I mean brother Jim Goodman when I go and visit him and we talked about the scriptures. He would tell me that this thing for the first time many times and he would say you say look Pastor. I'm a Bible guy and specific example changed a lot of times if the Bible tells me that I have to paint myself green and cluck like a chicken with Jim Goodman is going to paint himself green and cluck like a chicken to the Bible said so And that's that's the heart that symbolize that that's the heart that I have. Okay, just if the Bible says it that, you know, then that I'm good, but the problem is the Senate fall into is that a pride because it just becomes about obedience is better than anybody in the Bible says to be humble and no one's more humble than me. Right like we get really excited about pursuing rightness. Right where you talk about righteousness in a moment, but I'm talk about writing. It's we'd love to be right. We love to live right and we love to be right. We missed the point. Jesus wasn't pursuing rightness. Joy Jesus found purpose enjoy pleasing the father No, we're going to spend a little bit of time in Hebrews. Now, you're very familiar probably with with Hebrews 12. It starts with therefore since you're surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses love that passage. The problem with Hebrews 12 is that it needs Hebrews 11:4 to make sense. If you just parachute in on Hebrews 12, you can preach a lot of different sermons that might be great and rousing but they might not be true Hebrews 12 needs Hebrews 11 on Hebrews 11 is really really long and as much as it pains me, I did a little bit of condensing so you can follow along in your scripture if you like. I'm going to jump a little bit. I'm going to skip some portions but I mean, this is still like long. I'm I'm breaking all kinds of like public speaking Rules by reading so much but I have the microphone and you're going to listen so Hebrews 11 Okay, this is of this passage. This chapter has been nicknamed. Okay, I think it's been nicknamed. I call it it it's it's like it's like the Hall of Fame of Faith. It's a hall of Faith. Okay, it's amazing like Litany of how all of the heroes of our faith the Patriarchs they live by face. So so listen up here we go from Hebrews 11. The faith is the Assurance of things hoped for the convictions of Things Not Seen for buy it. The people of old received their combination by faith. We understand that the Universe was created by the word of God. So that what is seen was not made out of the things that are visible by faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice, then came through which he was commended as righteous God commending him by accepting his gifts and through his faith though. He died. He still speaks. By faith Enoch was taking up so that he should not see death and he was not found because God had taken him now before he was taken. He was commended as having pleased God and without faith. It is impossible to please him to were talking about pleasing the father without faith. It is impossible to please him. So faith is pleasing to God for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek Him by faith Noah being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen in reverent fear constructed in Ark for the saving of his household by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance by faith. He went to live in the land of promised as in a foreign land living in tents with Isaac and Jacob Ayers with him of the same Promise by faith Sarah herself. Power to conceive even when she was past the age since she considered him faithful who had promised by faith Abraham when he was tested offered up Isaac and he who I received the promises was in the act of operant offering up his only son by faith Isaac in Polk future blessings on Jacob and Esau by faith Jacob when dying blessed each of the sons of Joseph by faith Moses when he when he was grown up refuse to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt for he was looking to the reward by faith. He kept the Passover the sprinkling of the blood so that the destroyer of the first born might not touch them by faith the people cross the Red Sea as on dry land by faith the wall. Jericho fell down by faith Rahab The Prostitute did not perish with those who are disobedient and what more shall I say 4 time would fail me to tell if Gideon Brock Samson Jeff of Daniel of David and Samuel in the prophets who through faith conquered kingdoms and forced to Justice obtained promises stop the mouths of lions quench the power of fire escape to the edge of the sword were made strong out of weakness became Mighty and War put foreign armies to flight women receive back after dead by Resurrection somewhere tortured refusing to accept for lease so that they might rise again to a better life others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned they were sewn into they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats destitute Afflicted mistreated. I did all of these though commended through their face did not receive what was promised since God had provided something better for us. and then Hebrews 12 starts there for so what was there for like Hebrews 11 by Faith by Faith by Faith by Faith by Faith by Faith by faith all of these people lived and guess what? It didn't always go well for them. Always a great reminder. Write a life of faith in Jesus Christ is not a promise of health and wealth and prosperity. Matter fact, it's more a promise of hatred and destitution.

If we believe the scriptures by Faith by Faith by Faith by faith Hebrews 12 starting the first one there for since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. Let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us looking to Jesus. Here we go the founder and Perfecter of our faith. Who for the joy? That was set before him endured the cross.

So we look to Christ the founder and Perfecter of our faith. We're Disciples of Jesus. With a sheep of the Good Shepherd, we follow him and what did he do? What did he do? He pursued Joy. For the joy set before him endured the cross not for the rightness set before him. Did he enjoy the cross not even for the love of us?

Did he walk to the Cross but for the joy set before him Jesus was pursuing Joy. Jesus is motivation. with joy

that joyful Pursuit right that Pursuit Of Joy was to please his father. That's where the joy that that's from where the joy came he found joy pleasing the father. That was his source of joy is pleasing him. Any please them through also from Hebrews through loving righteousness in hating wickedness. In Hebrews chapter 1 so go back to the first chapter of Hebrews and and I'm going to read every verse of Hebrews 1 1 through 4 and 8 through 9 peso Hebrews 1 1 through 4 8 through 9. long ago add many times and in many ways God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son whom he appointed the heir of all things through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God in the exact imprint of his nature and he upholds the universe by the word of his power after making purification for send. He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High having become as much Superior to angels as the name. He has inherited is more excellent than theirs, but I'm the son he says, This is the father of the son. The father says your throne o God is forever and ever the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore again an awesome very important there for you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God. Your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness.

beyond your companions sew in rubbing righteousness and hating with wickedness and pursuing

pleasing the Father the father anointed Christ with the oil of gladness his Joy came from pleasing his father. And Jesus knew the only source of that Joy was pleasing his father. It wasn't like some magical calculus that because Jesus was God. He was a Sunday kind of knew the secret sister, right? He knew like that, you know, the golden ticket to get to the like it's not like he just followed the magic path or like figured out the magic formula. It's just he just knows that that's where it comes from. It's like not complicated or hidden or secret Jesus just knows that real Joy is found in pleasing God. Real Joy is found in pleasing his father anointing with the oil of gladness to please his father loving righteousness and hating wickedness. So we should look to Christ for our example. We should pursue joy and pleasing the father by also hating wickedness in and loving righteous.

It might seem odd to say in such emphatic terms that Jesus is motivation was Joy. More than his love for us more than being right more than being awesome more than gaining the glory that would be due him for for living righteously and and and dying sacrificially in and resurrecting triumphantly. Like how was joy that might sound selfish. right like me to buy a someone like hey what you like? What's the purpose of your life in and they like Joy? Seeking Joy at first that would sound rather selfish and self-seeking would it not so? How is it not selfishness cuz you know that Jesus is not selfish. We just know that so we have to have a misunderstanding that's sounding selfish that it can't because Jesus is not selfish. So, how is Jesus's Pursuit Of Joy not selfish and self-serving.

in a statement to enjoy

is to honor To enjoy is to honor. So Jesus finding Joy Jesus enjoying the father is honoring him. It's a difference between it's my job and it's my joy. Is there two different answers to the question. Hey why you do this to my job? Hey why you do this? It's my joy kind of like why Chick-fil-A is awesome. They always my pleasure. I'm starting to be convinced. It actually is where you find these people my pleasure. Thank you. Let me make it very real and I apologize for for me being in this scenario, but I said it at the beginning it it's been a joy to be your pastor. It's been a joy to to be your pastor was a joy to be Jim's Pastor. It was a genuine Joy.

There's this moment in my life a few weeks ago where I was almost caught off guard by this. Sense of joy and it caught me off guard because it was so refreshing and so surprising and in and I realized in this moment, it has been a long time since I felt this joy in and I tell you I walked in the door of my house. One evening, and I I I listen to up my Thai and I ended the knot and I I split my tie out of my shirt and I was holding it and in this moment, I felt like this joy in this deep contentment. It was it was the first day. Where I spent my entire day. the pastor of this church There's a couple hospital visits. I spend some time preparing my sermon and I walk through the door at the end of the day. I slipped off my tie as my father would do and and I just felt like the sense of joy. It like it was a hard day. It was a hard day. But there is this joy that I felt.

Because I pleased the father my heavenly father but being obedient to his calling.

I enjoyed being a pastor that day. Is that the wrong now? change that scenario to like Forgive me Gail, you know. Thank you Pastor for coming and visiting what if my response was my job. It's what I have to do. If I don't I guess I'm a bad pastor. So. I'm here.

name of the day

But I used to bills.

Maybe

connect

it's my job versus it's my joy. My job versus it's my joy. It is not wrong to pursue Joy. You know, why because real Joy is only found in pleasing our heavenly father. And I'm pleasing him. We honor him.

The people that you love being around that you love hanging out with you guys are really you really enjoy you love it when they're around like loving being with someone. It's not them. Don't you want to be a person that people love to be around like you honor someone when you enjoy them? So Jesus enjoyed his heavenly father. He enjoyed pursuing the will of his Heavenly Father enjoyed hating wickedness and loving righteousness. He found joy in that. So Jesus pursued joy, and so should we

So should we eat? Here's some more scripture 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verses 6 through 9 Paul says, so we are always of good courage. We know that while we were at home in the body. We are away from the Lord. So for we walk by faith not by sight. Yes. We are a good courage and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. Our aim is to please God.

1st Thessalonians 4 1 through 8 finally Than Brothers. We asked and urge you in the Lord Jesus that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God just as you were doing that you do so more and more for you know, what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus for this is the will of God your sanctification that you abstain from sexual immorality that each of you know, how to control his own body and Holiness and honor not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God but no one transgressing wrong his brother in this matter because the Lord is an Avenger in all these things as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you forgot has not called us for impurity, but in Holiness therefore whoever disregards this disregards not man, but God Who gives his holy spirit to you? Now that's a lot of talk about sexual immorality and avoiding wickedness and I talked about how Jesus is joyful pursued wasn't hating wickedness and loving righteousness. And in that he found joy and we'll hear something. I couldn't come up with a topic more relevant for us in our day as the Church of Jesus Christ in the culture in which we live. Why does wickedness displease God? Like it weird. I hate wickedness like if we're supposed to avoid it to the point of hatred. I hate wickedness avoid which is why does wickedness displease God? Is it because God before the foundations of the Earth? How little you know little confab with the Sun Spirit was there, you know just in courage in the both of them and they just said, you know, hey Dad, what do you think? The rules should be Father's like I don't know some what do you think? I don't know. There's so many and they're just like threw some darts against the wall of Commandments and

Like they can't desire another man's wife. That's a pretty good. I kept throwing darts and then came up with this list of random stuff. Well, those are going to be the Commandments follow those that's going to be called righteousness if you indulge in those and that's going to be called wickedness, like know why is it that God hates wickedness asked us to hate Wicked missed avoid it and pursue righteousness. Why does wickedness? displeased got there's an answer. Cuz it isn't fruitful.

Ephesians 5 verses 8 through 11 at one time you were Darkness, but now you are light in the Lord walk as children of light for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. Why I'm on a lot of reasons does God hate Wicked this because it's not fruitful. It's the rules of your household with your children. Why are they there?

to safeguard your children

to make sure that their life is full of more life. not that like we know as you know, as more grown-up folks more mature folks. We have learned usually by her own mistakes. What brings more life and what brings More Death, please children do what brings more life do not do what brings death? It's not arbitrary. It's not a random. We don't we don't proclaim the righteousness of God. Do a random list of do's and don'ts. We asked the people of God to pursue righteousness and hated wickedness because wickedness brings More Death like unfruitful. That's like that's like the tame as way we can describe it. It's not helpful to you to be Wicked.

You're not going to enjoy what comes from wickedness.

I want you to enjoy your life. Stop sound in wickedness. It's not found there just this morning working through this I get a random text from a friend. I haven't talked to in years and she was just asking for prayer and advice because she has close friends around her that have chosen to live in alternative Lifestyles and she's struggling because she loves them and they claim to be followers of Jesus and they are proclaiming that their lifestyle choice is not wickedness.

And she's asking me what do I do? And I said I'd love to talk to you about this more later. But here's the bottom line.

We asked followers of Jesus to pursue righteousness because that's what brings life. So we say to people I want life for you. And what do you believe me or not? This will not bring you more life.

I wouldn't wouldn't be loving to say follow your heart. Because I know that this leads to death.

This leads to paint this leads to anguish. This leads to separation. Please pursue righteousness. I can't make you believe me, but that is what is true. I want more joy for you.

The only reason I care about the rules. It's because it's pleasing to God and it's pleasing to God because he loves his children and he wants them to have life and not death. The thief comes to steal kill and destroy Jesus came for us to have life and have it abundantly. I want you to have Abundant Life. Joy comes from pleasing the father.

from John 12:49 through 50 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the father who sent me as himself given me a commandment. what to say and when to speak and I know that his commandment is eternal life would I say therefore I say as the father has told me Jesus preached life because his father gave him the words of life to preach so he did. And Jesus found joy in pleasing the father by saying what the father gave him to say. John 5:30 I can do nothing on my own as I hear I judge in my judgment is just because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

We think that that real happiness enjoy is being free to do whatever we want. Jesus says joy is found in doing only what the father has said for him to say and only to do what the father has given him to do. In other words not his will but the fathers Because like from Luke 42 at the time when Jesus knew his arrest and torture and crucifixion was coming you cry. Father. If you're willing remove this cup from me nevertheless not my will but yours be done. Now Hebrews tells us that underneath. This cry is a cry of pursuing Joy.

Jesus is saying

is there another way for me to find joy? If there's not I'm doing your will. That's where my joy is going to be found in doing your will.

I'm John for 31 through 34 mean while the disciples were urging him saying Rabbi eat, but he said to them I have food to eat that you do not know about for the disciple said to one another. Has anyone brought him something to eat? What is he talking about? Jesus said to them my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

Doing the father's will pleasing the father was Jesus's very food. That's what filled him. That's what satisfied him was pleasing his father. And to accomplish the father's work to accomplish his work. What was that work that Christ found joy in accomplishing from fusions 1526 in love. He predestined us for adoption to himself as Sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will to the praise of his glorious Grace with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. It was the father's will to make much of the sun. It was a father's will to make much of the grace of the Sun. Jesus being obedient to the father. Did what would bring Jesus Glory but in doing that? Jesus found joy

Do we have that same heartbeat? What will please the father? He said father what will please you?

Father says make much of my son. Make much of him make much of his blood. Make much of his body make much of his life. It was a life of pursuing Joy.

and me If we are his disciples, we must follow his example.

How much of what motivates us is a as a church is displeasing to the father. How much of your day is motivated by that question will displease the father? not for fear I'm doing something wrong, but for the pursuit of joy.

Father I want my life to be full of joy. I want my day to be full of joy.

What will freeze you today?

And that won't be selfish of us at the church fathers. Show me. What would bring me the most Joy? Is the answer is going to be pleasing me and what God wants more than anything is for us to make much of his son. And so that's what our communion meal is. It's making much of the Sun.

We have a few moments now to find joy in making much of Jesus. His broken body and his shed blood in remembrance of the life and the death and the resurrection of Christ. We have a word of Prayer.

I'm going to read from Paul. And dumb as we are prepared and as we're ready we can come forward down the center to receive the elements and then return to your seats and and we'll all take together, but let's pray.

God our heavenly father We're praying in your precious son Jesus's name that we would follow his example. And they were we would we find our joy in pleasing you.

William we find happiness and a lot of places.

But that happiness a lot of circumstances have to be just right and it's fleeting and then it's gone.

You've called us to pursue something so much deeper than happiness. You've called us to pursue Joy that's found in you as found in pleasing you. Hope that to brrrr heartbeat on our Battle Cry or motivation or passion or purpose.

I want your people to be filled with joy.

Just wrote obedience.

God you know what I really want, but I'll say no to that because I hate to be wrong.

Thank you Father that your command is for us.

Not pursuing righteousness him. The joy in loving righteousness what a beautiful way that you have worked things.

to prepare our hearts right now for Paris in our spirit to receive these communion elements the body in the blood of your son Jesus help us to make much of him. We do know that will please you. Jesus thank you for your sacrifice. Holy spirit. Thank you for your presence. In your name we pray amen.

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