Sent to Dwell Purposely

Introduction

It’s Thursday at 7:13, 2015. Over 50 college students are crowded outside waiting for the doors to open. Once the doors open, music is pumping, and another 10 students make a high five welcome tunnel. Once everyone crams in, 60 college students sing the lyrics of a Taylor Swift’s - Shake it off or Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey. And within 5 minutes they are singing a Christian worship song, albeit with much less gusto, but with a depth that would make you wonder - what’s this song about?

Then some student leader explains the rules of a game where people have to work as a team to pop a series of balloons. This forces everyone to work together, and typically some unexpected quiet student becomes the hero.

Speaker comes up and shares a story about life, connecting it all back to this person named Jesus. Then the professional loitering begins, and then groups of friends plan to get Whataburger - and inevitably a few newcomers get roped in. They spend the rest of the night procrastinating from homework but getting ahead of the game to taste what a new welcoming community feels like.

This was YoungLife’s College ministry at the University of Houston.

And just like that, a ministry that started as 3 students have c

Over the next year, the college students who stick would eventually be trained and mobilized into teams that would pull off an equally fun experience at a dozen local high school or middle school for students they’ve never met before.

How does YoungLife mobilize dozens of College and Young Adult Leaders to commit over 2 nights a week to love and serve students they’ve never met?

They help them realize that they were made for this: They were told, over and over,

[slide YL Website] YOU WERE MADE FOR THIS.

YOU WERE MADE TO LEAD, LOVE, CELEBRATE, EXCITE, and CARE for people who feel the crowded loneliness of our human life.

YoungLife understands that we were not just made to consume, but we were made to contribute and to create the same experience for others they don’t yet know, regardless of their response.

YoungLife understands that people were made to invite other

The world and the church is filled critics and consumers, but like YoungLife, we need to understand that we need more disciples who are willing to be doers.

The world is filled critics and consumers, but we need more doers and disciples.

And one of the biggest barriers to DOING is feeling discouraged - And one way to understand discouragement is that distance between what you’re doing now, and the deep longing of your heart’s desire.

Discouragement is not a gap in desire - but a gap in what you’re doing.

and i understand discouragement to be the distance between doing what you were made for, and feeling forced to do something else.

[Transition] Sometimes, in the quiet moments of my life, I am filled with self-critical thoughts, or I get defensive because I hear the words - “You’re not good enough,” when in reality God is trying to tell me something - You weren’t made for that but you were made for this...

But what is “this”?!

I think by returning to - we’ll make sense of what “this” might be for all of us.

Basketball Game - DISTRACTIONS - to make someone fail at the free throw.

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

DISTRACTIONS

Basketball Game - DISTRACTIONS - to make someone fail at the free throw.

The basketball player has one mission - one goal - he SENT to the free throw line to get a chance to make a point.

One of the beauties of attending the game life is that you have an opportunity to distract. You can affect the game by your presence.

And we all face various distractions that try to thwart what we have been sent to the line to do.

Distractions

We are bombarded by distractions.

We are bombarded by distractions.

Perhaps the greatest distraction people carry around is the belief that more stuff and more money will make them happy. This belief motivates and animates a large segment of the population. These people live by the “doctrine of abundance” (p. 54). Simply put, many people are driven by the desire to have more.

In one sense, carrying within us, as humans, the very image of God.

In in another very real sense - the presence of God dwelling within us.

When Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us - it wasn’t just that he became a human to accomplish a mission - it was also that he became a human so as to reside within humans in a new way.

John 20:21 ESV

21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

John 16 ESV

1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 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. 16 “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” 17 So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? 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. 23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. 25 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” 29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30 Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 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.”

John 14 ESV

1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. 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. 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.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. 25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

I just want to acknowledge

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Although those realities might be in the room, I believe some of you are here today because showing up for a church service for an hour is a small cost to pay to keep the peace with your spouse, parent, or friend who wanted you to come.

But the rest of you might be here today because there is something within you that believes that we could all use a little more help in life. That there could be more to life than the good news of capitalism, wealth creation, or product accumulation.

Maybe you realize that having that $6,000 or $50,000 Mac Pro will only bring you so much happiness.

Have any of you ever had someone come up to you and say, “Hey, you look like someone I know.”

Ever since 1871, America has had the world’s largest economy, growing to $20.41 trillion in 2018 - and every penny of that $20 trillion was spent to keep people alive, safe, or entertained.

But many of you realize, that getting a fraction of that wealth will only get you so far, so you’re here, believing that maybe church, maybe spirituality has some answers to make sense of who we are and why any of it matters.

And you’re here believing that maybe spirituality has a piece of the answer of making sense of our lives.

In the false gospel, getting more will always be better than getting less:

But while we are still poor, be it in confidence or cash, while we are still poor, piling up more will feel better and more enticing than getting less. Giving will always be weighed against how much I can get.

But we are still number

Giving will always be weighed against how much I am getting.

Now, money and mac pros are not the problem -

Have any of you ever had someone come up to you and say, “Hey, you look like someone I know.”

Who here uses GMAIL? I appreciate my gmail account. I have used Gmail for over 12 years, with over 54,000 emails stored, 30 Gigabytes of personal data.

Now over all these years, I have YET to pay a PENNY for my gmail account. So what’s in it for Google? Why do they provide me a continually updated email system for free?

They are doing it because they make money from me. That’s because they are taking all of my personal information and they are monetizing that information for advertisers to better target ads that are relevant to my life decisions or experiences.

Have any of you ever had someone come up to you and say, “Hey, you look like someone I know.”

By having access to 54,000 emails, they know me extremely well. They know my writing style, my video preferences, my taste in music, my travel plans, my hobbies. They probably know more data about me than all my closest friends.

They had to give me something free, which enabled them to “live with me” if you will through GMAIL, and YOUTUBE, and GOOGLE HOME, ALEXA, GOOGLE Searches, so that they can GUESS at selling me things. SO they can make money off of me.

It’s like they live with me, seeing every text message, every personal email, and ever web search that I do.

In a very real sense - it’s like this company lives with me, so that they can do a better job of advertising, and selling me what I might need before or when I need it.

Now when Jesus came to “dwell among us” and live among humanity, did He come to dwell among me, collecting information about humanity, so that he could use humanity in some certain way to further his pocket book?

And I’ve given them full access,

Have any of you ever had someone come up to you and say, “Hey, you look like someone I know.”

No - Jesus came to dwell among us, not to learn about us, not so that he could collect information and guess at what I might NEED or WANT to buy or sell.

Jesus came to dwell among us, to become human because He KNEW and KNOWS what humans need the most. And what we need the most is something that a $20 trillion dollar economy cannot provide - we need the REALITY OF SOMEONE WHO LOVES US.

far more powerful that humans could ever imagine.

Have any of you ever had someone come up to you and say, “Hey, you look like someone I know.”

It’s one thing to talk about the pains of poverty.

It’s another thing to actually move into the neighborhoods. To be close enough to invite them to dinner and share life with them. If you want to know what someone’s life is like, you have to live among them.

Hebrews 7 ESV

1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever. 4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 5 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. 6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 8 In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him. 11 Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? 12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. 13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” 18 For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. 20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.’ ” 22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. 23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

EXEGESIS OF 1:14

John 1:1–4 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 1:1-4

John 1:10 ESV

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The New American Commentary: John 1–11 1. The Magnificent Prologue (1:1–18)

This second verse in which the term Logos appears here in the Prologue signals another major comparison with v. 1. The eternal Logos was first introduced as coexistent with God (1:1); he was second identified with life and the source of light (1:8) in comparison to John, the witness (1:6–8); then third he was presented as being in the created world though he was unknown by his creatures (1:10). Now here as the Prologue reaches its climactic assertion the Logos is Announced as fully participating in the realm of creation. Contrary to docetic and Gnostic views that portrayed Christ as an alien messenger from without who appeared in fleshly form but was never affected by flesh, the Logos of the Prologue dramatically became (egeneto) flesh (sarx). The term “flesh” carries no necessary negative or evil attributes here. Instead the text means that the eternal Logos became human—truly human.

Progression from vs 1, 3-4, 10,

Context of progression of the Word’s action and movement from through

Summary of above quote:

The Word, Logos:

The Word, Logos:

The Word as co-existent eternal nature with God (1:1)

The Word as agent of creation and the source of life and light for humans (1:3-4)

The Word was in the created world though he was unknown by his creation (1:10)

So the Word is the Eternal, Creator, Source of Light and Life, and Overlooked.

Sometimes I live into this progression - I know Jesus is eternal, creator, source of my life and light, and yet I so easily overlook Him, and He is crowded out by my distractions.

But as we keep reading, we come to verse 14 and the Word does something new.

The Word as a full participant in the realm of creation.

The Word as a full participant in the realm of creation.

The Word would not remain overlooked, but the Word would become a full participant of creation.

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Word as a full participant in the realm of creation.

The Word would not remain overlooked, but the Word would become a full participant of creation.

The Word would not remain overlooked, but the Word would become a full participant of creation.

The eternal word, creator, source of life-light, overlooked, became flesh and dwelt among us.

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The eternal word, creator, source of life-light, overlooked, became flesh and dwelt among us.

God made his residence not just over us but with us, dwelling among us, knowing us personally.

The eternal word, creator, source of life-light, overlooked, moved into the neighorhood.

Jesus made his home among us.

He dwelt among us as the culmination of a plan that began before the creation of the earth.

So let’s remember YoungLife - “You were made for this.”

The message translation says - “The Word became flesh”

NERD OUT MOMENT:

The word for dwelt among us could be more literally translated as the Word pitched his tabernacle, or lived in his tent, among us.

The word for dwelt among us could be more literally translated as the Word pitched his tabernacle, or lived in his tent, among us.

Jesus made his home among us.

[transition] There is someone else who i feel like has made their home among me.

[slide of logo] GMAIL

I appreciate my gmail account. I have used Gmail for over 12 years, with over 54,000 emails stored, 30 Gigabytes of data.

And it’s free and well-supported - that’s why I use it. Google knows tons of data about me, from all my google searches, my phone data - and the farm all this because they see me as a CONSUMER.... In many respects, they sort of live with me, in a sense, but they don’t know me.

They are doing it because they make money from me. That’s because they are taking all of my personal information and they are monetizing that information for advertisers to better target ads that are relevant to my life decisions or experiences.

Google knows tons of data about me - but they don’t know me.

They had to give me something free, which enabled them to “live with me” if you will through GMAIL, and YOUTUBE, and GOOGLE HOME, ALEXA, GOOGLE Searches, so that they can GUESS at selling me things. SO they can make money off of me.

In many respects, they sort of live with me, in a sense, but the information is utterly impersonal - in that - it’s not a relational personal knowing.

[CONNECTION] Now when Jesus came to “dwell among us” and live among humanity, did He come to dwell among me, collecting information about humanity, so that he wouldn’t be overlooked any more and so He could profit off of humanity in some certain way?

Now when Jesus came to “dwell among us” and live among humanity, did He come to dwell among me, collecting information about humanity, so that he could use humanity in some certain way to further his pocket book?

I don’t think so, Jesus came to dwell among us, not to find out what we might need, but because He KNEW and KNOWS what humans need the most.

Jesus came to dwell among us, to become human because He KNEW and KNOWS what humans need the most. And what we need the most is something that a $20 trillion dollar economy cannot provide - we need the REALITY OF SOMEONE WHO LOVES US.

He KNOWS what we need the most. More and anything else - he knew we were made for this.

[slide] We were made to enjoy His presence and bring His presence to others.

Let me unpack this.

[Transition] Where do I get this idea of presence?

[Transition] Why is presence so important? How can we say we were made to experience God’s presence?

And what we need more than anything else is the very presence of God with us.

The presence of God

Google attempts to give me free things so that they can guess what I might need and profit from it.

Jesus gives me grace freely and abundantly, dwelling with me, living among us, because He knows what we need.

And what we need more than anything else is the very presence of God with us.

The presence of God

We must return back to

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Remember, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

This could be more literally translated as the Word pitched his tabernacle, or lived in his tent, among us.

Now for Catholics in the room, Tabernacle brings up this image. Every parish actually contains a mini-tabernacle that houses the bread, just the “Host” in this ornately decorated vessel.

[picture of catholic tabernacle] Catholic Tabernacle

Now for Catholics in the room, Tabernacle may bring up something like this image. Every parish actually contains a sort of tabernacle that houses the bread, the eucharistic “Host” in this ornately decorated vessel.

My friend Colin remembers being taught that when the candle next to the tabernacle is lit, God is present. And Colin, taking this as literally as he should, wondered, who lights the candle? Does God light it? And the wonder of a 7 year old, astonished that God would dwell so close, imagined how His presence might show up.

[connection] And this is the right direction of our wonder. How did and does God show up?

This is what we anticipate in our Christmas Service.

Longing for God’s presence is nothing new. Civilizations have always built their lives around worship.

NERD OUT MOMENT:

Historians sometimes use a rule of thumb to judge cultural values based on the sorts of buildings that were central or tallest within a village, town, or city.

The center of the city Jerusalem was the tabernacle.

I like to say it this way - you know the gods of a city based on which ones are tallest and most central.

[Pictures of buildings]

In Beowulf or Viking Eras - the tallest building may have been the Mead Hall - the Hall of Valor where war stories are told. The Heroes were warriors.

In historically religious towns - temples to gods or goddesses would tower over the city. The heroes were religious priests.

In Beowulf or Viking Eras - the tallest building may have been the Mead Hall - the Hall of Valor where war stories are told. The Heroes were warriors.

In particularly political towns - think Washington DC - there was a period of time when nothing could be taller than the Washington Monument. The Heroes were politicians/generals.

Today - our tallest buildings are business buildings The Jeddah tower at 3,281 ft in Saudi Arabia - our heroes and highest paid people are CEOs.

In historically religious towns - temples to gods or goddesses would tower over the city. The heroes were religious priests.

For the Jewish community - the center of the city and the largest building would have been the tabernacle - while they were wandering in the desert.

The center of the city Jerusalem was the tabernacle.

[picture of the tabernacle]

This tabernacle would be in the center of the town and all the tribes would surround it. This is where they would worship and break bread with one another.

It was mobile - and a really elaborate tent.

Now in - The Word is said to be tabernacling among us.

This could and should draw us into the reality that in a similar way that God’s presence was uniquely felt in the tabernacle that was at the heart of Jerusalem, that encompasses so many parts of the Old Testament instructions.

This could and should draw us into the reality that in a similar way that God’s presence was uniquely felt in the tabernacle that was at the heart of Jerusalem, that encompasses so many parts of the Old Testament instructions.

All of those words in the Old Testament, all of those instructions to build the place where God’s presence would dwell in a particular structure - all of those words-became-flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ.

God’s word was always relevant, important, vital for knowing the heart of God.

Jesus made his home among us.

but God’s word was not always a person, being fulfilled and carried out in a single person.

It’s kind of like school - the law is often described as a guardian - as an instructor.

So how does the Word becoming flesh relate to YoungLife’s motto - “You were made for this.”

Jesus came to be a living tabernacle - embodying the very presence of God.

Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: John, 1 John, 2 John, & 3 John The Incarnate Word (1:10–14)

Throughout the Gospel of John, we see Jesus bringing God’s presence to people, especially the believers who saw the glory of God in Jesus.

[slide] We were made to be living tabernacles.

It’s hard trying to be a god. People expect you to be perfect. In fact, I think most relationships breakdown because we begin to love someone so much, that we begin to slowly but surely expect them to be like God to us.

The Word became flesh

You were made to be to enjoy the presence of God and to bring the presence of God within you to the whole world.

God’s word has become flesh and dwelt among us.

He became a person so that he could be in intimate special relationship with us.

I believe we have been made for a very particular purpose. We were made to be tabernacles.

In one sense, carrying within us, as humans, the very image of God.

In in another very real sense - the presence of God dwelling within us.

Jesus was sent to dwell among people. So too you are sent dwell among people.

When Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us - it wasn’t just that he became a human to accomplish a mission - it was also that he became a human so as to reside within humans in a new way.

He shows up through people - person to person. He shows up through people going and making their dwelling among other people.

[connection] And this is the right direction of our wonder. How did and does God show up?

So too you are sent dwell among people.

He shows up through people - person to person. He shows up through people going and making their dwelling among other people.

All throughout our lives, we make our dwellings among people. We set up shop at our cubicle, a coffeee shop, or a gym. We take up our place in the neighborhood on a block. We take our place in the check-out line. We take up space in the restaurants.

Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: John, 1 John, 2 John, & 3 John The Incarnate Word (1:10–14)

Throughout the Gospel of John, we see Jesus bringing God’s presence to people, especially the believers who saw the glory of God in Jesus.

All throughout our lives, we make our dwellings among people. We set up shop at our cubicle. We take up our place in the neighborhood. We take our place in the check-out line. We take up space in the restaurants.

I WANT TO INVITE YOU TO IMAGINE SOMETHING INSANE -

EVERYONE OF US have the opportunity, the ability, and the capacity, to carry the very presence of God into every single one of those moments.

To live a full life is to realize the opportunity to live with awareness of the power and love of God living within us and flowing through us to others.

[slide] My wonder - do we take your life that serious?

[slide picture] Closing - Anthony Adamson

Anthony Adamson, leader of CollegeLife / Young Life at the University of Houston helped a band of 20 students become something more.

Start playing ON MUTE HOUSTON YOUNG LIFE College First Club 2019 video - you can stop playing 1:35.

https://vimeo.com/357570357?fbclid=IwAR0_uXFmxpC5_glMebwdH-Xut3s50dYfvPizgOTTGihrIE88ZWGaortICos

They prayed, and they tabernacled on their campus, and they invited their friends to come and see. THey grew - and after 3 years - a band of 20 became something more.

[slide of anthony again] Young Life key verse is The Message version of “The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood”, Anthony told me his favorite verse is - no greater love than this than for a man to lay down his life for his friends.” It’s the verse he uses to tell people about the good news of Jesus.

Anthony understands - You weren’t made to be a consumer or a critic -

YOU WERE MADE FOR THIS. To be someone who does - a disciple, who enjoys and brings the very presence of God every where you go and in everything you do.

https://vimeo.com/357570357?fbclid=IwAR0_uXFmxpC5_glMebwdH-Xut3s50dYfvPizgOTTGihrIE88ZWGaortICos

You weren’t made to be a consumer or a critic - you were made to be someone who enjoys and brings the very presence of God every where you go.

You were sent to dwell in the presence God and invite others to do the same.

And if you’ve heard this before and you feel discoraged, because you want to but you’ve failed to really live into what you were made for - Discouragement is often the gap between what you want to do and what you are doing.

I have found that practicing the presence of God both personally, and publicly, is never done alone. We’d love to walk with you.

and as you go for the next two days - consider where you’ve been tabernacling - and I encourage you, if you’ve been blessed in this service, and you feel that among these people God’s presence is particularly felt, invite someone to come to Christmas eve service.

I’ll be preaching with your friends in mind.

In a similar way - you all are sent - and if you follow Jesus - and what comes with your baptism is a seal of the Holy Spirit -

BENEDICTION -

IN the LOVE of Jesus, in the GLORY of the Father, in the Power of the Spirit - here these words -

BENEDICTION

John 20:21 ESV

21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

extra:

extra:

DISTRACTIONS

Basketball Game - DISTRACTIONS - to make someone fail at the free throw.

The basketball player has one mission - one goal - he SENT to the free throw line to get a chance to make a point.

One of the beauties of attending the game life is that you have an opportunity to distract. You can affect the game by your presence.

And we all face various distractions that try to thwart what we have been sent to the line to do.

We are bombarded by distractions.

Perhaps the greatest distraction people carry around is the belief that more stuff and more money will make them happy. This belief motivates and animates a large segment of the population. These people live by the “doctrine of abundance” (p. 54). Simply put, many people are driven by the desire to have more.