Friendship With God Week 1

Intro/Welcome

Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and asked “How am I going to do this?” or “How am I going to get through this?”

Maybe you are in a particularly difficult season?

Maybe you are under a lot of pressure with work or school?

Maybe you are feeling overwhelmed with life?

Just starting a new job, or UCF and wondering where am I going to build freindships

New Series

We are beginning a new series today and these are the exact questions that we will be engaging with.

We are going to be digging into John 13-17.

in what is known as the “upper room discourse”

This is the last teaching of Jesus

On the night of his arrest.

It begins at the last supper (John 13) and ends in the garden of Gethsemane (John 17).

Questions:

What does Jesus say to his disciples?

What is he going to leave them with?

How are they going to do this without Jesus?

their leader, lord and friend.

What Jesus reveals to them on his last night contains some of the most profound truths of our relationship to God

1. truths that have endured and empowered the church for 2000 years.

2. truths that would turn a band of men who would soon desert their master to a band who would indeed die for Him.

3. Truths that have the power to radically transform our life

Big Idea:

Jesus is equipping his disciples for a life of ministry.

Things Going Well?

Maybe things are going well for you, and you are not asking those questions...

but sooner or later, life in a broken world will manifest itself.

Jesus promises that in this world we will have tribulation

Culture

In fact, it is becoming less and less popular to be a follower of Jesus in our culture.

and therefore it is going to become more difficult

tribulation, persecution and affliction and perhaps a generations away

we are seeing the first fruits right now.

Game Plan

When those times come...

knowing how to persevere will serve you well

better to learn the gameplay. Before you are in the game

Today

Today what I want to do is provide an overview of Jesus’ message

Look at the overarching message in John 13-17

We’ll see:

There is one overarching purpose — Love

Five Points that merge from the text itself

Jesus explicitly tells us why he is saying the things he says:

by the phrase:

“I have said these things to you so that...”

Jesus ends with a Prayer

The High Priestly Prayer of John 17.

All this gives us Seven Reasons for John 13-17.

One Purpose

Five Points

One Prayer

We’ll see at the end that all of this defines a new kind of relationships we have with God.

This is how we will endure/persevere and even thrive in this life.

Bible

We will start in John 13:34-14:1.

We will hit various verses throughout the section

Go there in your Bibles

Welcome in room and online

Pray

Pray

Isaiah 61:1–3 (ESV)

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor;

he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives,

and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

Context

We are jumping into John 13.

We spent some time there last week as a little appetizer

To orient you a little bit to where we are at in the life of Jesus.

John 12 - Jesus in Jerusalem

In John 12:12-19 we have the Triumphal Entry and sets up Jesus’ last week

In the other gospels we have a series of teachings during that week including parables, woe’s and the great eschatological discourse of Matt 24-25.

In the gospel of John, Jesus gives his final public plea in John 12:44-50.

John 12:44–46 (ESV)

44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

John 13 - The Last Supper

Then we come to John 13 which is the last supper.

Jesus washes his disciples feet as an example and to teach them how they are to live.

We talked about that last week.

Right after the washing of the disciples feet. We have this interaction where Jesus announces that someone will betray Him.

There is this weird dialogue and then Jesus says this to Judas (or Satan)

John 13:27 (ESV)

27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”

John 13:28–30 (ESV)

28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.

30 So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

It is at this point that Jesus begins his Final Teaching to his disciples

The Table is set — the pieces are on the board — the plan has been set in motion

There is no going back now.

The Last Teaching

John 13:31–35 (ESV)

31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Observations

A. “Now”

John 13:31–32 (ESV)

31 When he had gone out, Jesus said,

“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.

The first thing he says in ‘now’

Now is the time…the hour has come

B. Glory

The Son of Man will be glorified

and in that God will be glorifiedThis is all about God/the Father’s GLORY

the Glory of Jesus and the Glory of the Father are intertwined

you cannot separate them

B. “Where I am going”

John 13:33(ESV)

33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you.

You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’

He’s talking about his crucifixion

He must bear it alone — they cannot come with Him

They still don’t fully understand what Jesus is saying and what is about to happen.

1. Love One Another

What is the first thing Jesus says?

What is the goal of it all?

What has been the whole goal of his life and ministry?

What is to be the goal of every disciples of Jesus?

LOVE

John 13:34–35 (ESV)

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:

just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

This is the goal of the entire discourse.

Love is the end goal.

love is the litmus test of the true disciple

it is the barometer of spiritual maturity

Reason #1: Love is the end goal.

Jesus is equipping his disciples for ministry.

ministry is the expression of love for others.

We are to love others, just as Jesus loved us.

That his fruit — fruit bearing (john 15)

Jesus is teaching them how to love

A. Paul on Love

This is exactly what Paul teaches.

1 Corinthians 13:1–9 (ESV)

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

B. Love is Costly

How did Jesus love us?

It cost Jesus everything

To lay down your lives for one another

He gave it all

He laid down his life.

In John 15, we are going really unpack what that love looks like, where he returns to this theme.

This is the greatest commandment

to love your neighbor as yourself — because you Love God

becuase he has loved you in Jesus.

But how? How are we going to love like Jesus?

this leads us to reason # 2 for John 13-17

2. The Holy Spirit

Reason# 2 - We need help.

if we are going to love like Jesus we will need help.

We cannot love like Jesus on our own power

A. The Helper Will Come

So we come to the first of our “I have said these things”

The Promised Power and Presence of Holy Spirit

John 14:25–26 (ESV)

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.

The helper = paraklete

He will dwell in you

John 14:17 (ESV)

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.

B. We can do nothing

Jesus will say in John 15:5 that we can do nothing apart from Him

John 15:5 (ESV)

5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

C. Five Roles of the Holy Spirit

There are 5 different roles for the Holy Spirit that Jesus will teach in this discourse.

John 14:26 ESV

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.

John 15:26 ESV

26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

John 16:8 ESV

8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:

John 16:13 ESV

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.

John 16:14 ESV

14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

D. I must Go to give the Helper

But notice what he says in John 16:7

John 16:7 (ESV)

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.

Jesus must go to the cross

He must be resurrected

He must go back to the father

in order to send the helper.

This is how Jesus is always with us

It is why he says in Matt 28:20 “I will never leave you or forsake you”

This is good news.

We have help becuase we have the helper

the advocate, the counselor, the comforter

E. Recap

Reason #1 - the Goal is Love

Reason #2 - We need the helper/To give the helper

3. Trust/Faith

John 14:29 (ESV)

29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.

A. Biblical Faith

To build your Trust/Faith=believe

Not I believe UCF is going to win

Not I believe I am a good person

Not I believe in this or that person likes me

Biblical faith= concrete / substance to it

because of the object of our faith

Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

B. Jesus

Jesus is telling them all of this:

his death, resurrection and ascension

the promise of the holy spirit

the afflictions and opposition that will come

etc.

So that, when it all comes to place, they will believe.

They will trust

they will have faith in Jesus not in their feelings, not in their circumstances

but in Christ alone.

John 14:1 (ESV)

1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

In order to love, we will need trust in Jesus.

in order to persevere and endure in affliction we will need trust in Jesus

In order to not lose heart we will need to trust in Jesus

it is not the strength of our faith, but the object of it.

The Risen Christ.

4. Joy

Reason #4 for John 13-17: That your joy may be full

John 15:11 (ESV)

11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

our joy!

Joy

2 Corinthians 6:10 (ESV)

10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

A. His Joy

Listen to that

Jesus teaches these thing so that

HIS JOY may be IN US

let that sink in.

So that OUR JOY may be FULL

The only way to have fullness of joy is to have the Joy of Jesus.

Jesus is saying all of these things so that we might have joy!

I love that.

B. We are all seeking Joy

in the movies we watch

the food we enjoy

the sporting events we cheer at

the relationships we long for

the addictions that ensnare us

There is only one source of Joy — Jesus.

C. Summary

So 4 reasons:

Love is the goal

To give the Helper/We need help

To build our Trust

To give us joy

5. To keep us from stumbling

John 16:1 (ESV)

1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.

Reason #5: To keep you from stumbling

Again all that Jesus am saying

You will have affliction

The world will hate you as it hated me

You will have help in times of need

to keep you from stumbling, from falling away.

1 Peter 4:12 (ESV)

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

James 1:2 (ESV)

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

A. The Helper

We cannot persevere on our own, not by our own strength

We will too quickly turn to sin to sooth our hurts and wounds

But Jesus teaches us and sends the helper to keep us from sin

to remind us, when we do sin, that Jesus has covered our sin.

to remind us of the gospel

John 15:26 (ESV)

26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

He will bear witness to the atoning work of Christ

He will bear witness to the forgiveness and cleansing by the blood of Christ

He will bear witness about the new creation we are in Christ.

6. Peace

Reason #6 - to give us Peace

John 16:33 (ESV)

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.”

Jesus came to give us peace

He promises we will have tribulation/affliction in this world

This is true because we live in a fallen and broken world

This is true becuase the Kingdom (which Jesus began) has not come into fullness yet

This is true becuase we have spiritual enemy to our souls and to this kind of life.

A. Jesus’ Peace

What’s amazing is that Jesus gives us his peace, just as he gives us his joy.

John 14:27 (ESV)

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.

Notice again, the peace Jesus gives as contrasted with the world.

“My peace” — Jesus gives us his peace.

Peace = shalom = wholeness = reconciliation with God

Yoga

There is no amount of transcendental meditation, yoga, marijuna, alcohol or anything else that will give us the peace of Christ

which is the peace of the Cross

This all lead to the concluding prayer in John 17 — Unity.

7. Unity

Reason #7: To make us one

So that we would be ONE — Unity in Community with the Trinity

A. The High Priestly Prayer

John 17:11 (ESV)

11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.

Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

John 17:26 (ESV)

26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

This is perhaps the most profound truth of all

that Jesus prays for unity in the church, the same unity he has with the trinity.

1 Corinthians 1:13 (ESV)

13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

How is that possible?

B. Union with Christ

because each believer is united to Christ.

Each of us individually and collectively as the church are connected into the Trinity itself.

this union that Christ has within the Trinity is passed on to us

are are invited in

We belong

In Christ, we have been united into the very relationship of the Trinitarian God

That reality has profound implications for how we live our lives.

That fundamental truth is what Jesus is unpacking thorughout John 13:-17.

and it is by nature of our unity with Christ that the church can be unified

and it is the source for everything else we have talked about.

Plugged In

[IPHONE IMAGES]

You have been plugged into the source of life.

When you plug your iphone into your computer what happens?

It gets synced up

It gets charged up

That is life in Christ — when we abide

when we live out our union with christ

We get sync’d with Him

We get energized with Him

It takes a little time to sync right?

it’s been a year since I synced my phone

I have photos from 2005 on their still

my data is all used up — I have no space left

You need to sync up with Christ

and offload what you have been carrying.

That is the key to a loving life.

Summary of Reasons

The goal is Love

To give us the Helper

To increase our trust

To give us Joy

To keep us from stumbling

To give us peace

To make us one

This is what Jesus left his disciples

It is how they will endure/persevere without Jesus being physically present.

He is equipping them for the Work of Ministry

He is showing them how to love

A. A New Relationship

But is also defines a new kind of relationships between them and God.

It’s just one more surprise from God.

FRIENDSHIP

Maybe that makes you uncomfortable to think of God that way

maybe it feels irreverent to God

Yet, These are all things that a friend would give us, would share with us.

The ESV Study Bible (Chapter 15)

You are my friends implies a stunning level of comfortable personal interaction with one who is also the eternal, omnipotent Creator of the universe (see 1:1–3, 10).

In the OT, only Abraham (2 Chron. 20:7; Isa. 41:8) and by implication Moses (Ex. 33:11) are called “friends of God.”

Here Jesus extends this privilege to all obedient believers.

Friends enjoy each other for who they are.

God enjoys you for who you are

We are to enjoy God for who he is

B. Relationship

We are no longer enemies of God.

We are not just servants of God and sons of God

but we are friends.

John 15:15 (ESV)

15 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.

Jesus as God, has given us direct access to God

becuase he has dealt with our sin

he has paid for it

he has made a way to the Father

He has put his very spirit in us to lead us, guide us, teach us, and transform us.

We now get to enjoy a friendship with God

it’s utterly amazing.

Conclusion

So, have you ever asked yourself, “How am I going to do this?”

How am I going to get through this season?

You have a friend in Jesus

you also have a Lord, and Savior and big brother

You have friendship with God

a relationship with the most powerful, the most passionate, the most loving, the most joyful being in all the universe.

One who is with you to help you

to give you joy, peace, and faith in Him

to keep you from stumbling

To make us One

Question:

What is keeping you from enjoying a friendship with God?

Whatever it is, let’s cast it aside today

and come to Him anew

Jesus is the Truth

Jesus is the Way

Jesus is the Life

Let’s begin living into our friendship with God.

and experience all the love, power, peace, joy, help and unity that comes from it.

Come along in this journey through John 13-17 to learn how.

Let’s Pray

Extra

Universal Longings

The truth is what Jesus will teach them are the very things we are all looking for in life

Things like joy, peace and confidence in life

How to persevere under intense pressure

Most importantly how to give and receive love

These are the deep longings of every human heart

Whether we are cheering at a sporting event

caught in some deep addiction

or addicted to success or money or anything else.

Here is what Jesus offers us:

Fullness of Joy

Lasting Peace

Greater Trust/Faith

Help

Freedom from doubt and fear

to keep us from stumbling.

Peter

Peter demonstrates this.

John 13:36–37 (ESV)

36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?”

Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.”

37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”

Peter, again, trying to be the leader

declares his devotion to Jesus.

“The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak”