029 - Love Hate Relationships

You pick up your Bible. Is there more here than meets the is there something here for me. I mean it's just words printed on paper right may look like just print on a page, but it's more than eight. Join us for the next half hour, as we explore God's word together as we learn how to explore it on our as we ask God to meet us there in its pages welcome to more than so I never sing, but I did hear well. Jesus said they gave me first.

This is good news for us as followers of Jesus told us in John 15, Jesse did this find out why today, ready to share with John 15 we could've left off in that segment from 12 to 17 last week and revisit that we begin today talking about the love of God. This is my commandment that you love one another. What is it me was it look like so glad you're here, and we hope you read that as you read it course of the where you made some personal observations began to think about abiding and loving and keep in effect, we hope that we covered it so shallowly just a way to check this out something probably dead because you have like effort. Are you just even the first 11 verse John 15 you can't cover half an hour just to deep, it's his guts and we can touch the idea we can grab onto the illustration and that's that's the glorious thing that Jesus teaching the way he did he give them these portable illustrations so every time they walked through a vineyard.

From that moment on.

They were there minds working to return to the line in the branches and the fruit and I find actually working in my garden is a very effective way meditating on these truths, so it's a very portable picture and we did talk about that a lot. So I hope you carried it with you as we not bear fruit like branches disconnected from the vine is just going with a rep in Dalian, so yeah so we need to remain connected remain remain as the word abiding after we came from and then and then Jesus segue. He didn't drop the whole idea fruit to Cisco still come up right now but is going to verse 12 level level leaves so this is not new either you read 12 to 17, and will revisit it a little bit okay so verse 12 this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone laid down his life for his friends, and you are my friends if you do what I command you.

No longer do I call you servants for the servant does not know what his masters doing, but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my father. I've made known to you, you did not choose me I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide so that whatever you ask the father in my name he may give it to you these things I command you so that you will love one another. So this 12 to 17. We talked about last week that it's it's pretty obvious that the branch of the vine have exactly the same purpose, which is fruit so so often we look at Jesus life in our life and think we have two different tasks. We really don't Jesus task was to glorify God was to make known who he was and that that really is part and parcel of the fruit that were talking about and I and I would maintain that that a large characteristic of that fruit is making known the love of God of God. And so the degree to which we not only talk about it, but we actually do it.

Glory to who God is best that Jesus purpose as the vine. That's our purpose as the branches connected and so here he says this just get explicit, here's your purpose is your fruit love love one another as I have loved you well. How did Jesus love them if we just stop and think about that for a minute back in the beginning of the evening. John says in John 13. If you remember knowing who he was.

Knowing where he came from knowing where he was going.

He'll love them to the uttermost and sell.

He got down on his hands and knees and washed their feet so you have to wash alone thing has something to do with humility and surveying all because later in evening.

He said you know I'm your Lord and Master, and I've done these things to you and you are blessed you are full of me abiding in you.

If you do the same right. I've always told people that love from a biblical perspective has nothing to do with you has everything everything to do with the other the other the other, but we often slip into this countercultural definition of love, which is well you know I fell in the law of an elm in the swirl of a motion right thing in the liquid love is for me as a very solicitors it just makes me feel so good I just talk about in famine he made it very clear and 13.

This is someone laying down his life. That's like boy that's all well because God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten soon so if you ever start thinking that love is all about you and what someone does for you and how you can be fulfilled exactly, then you've got it upside down because the biblical idea about love the God sized idea about love is always about the other, always, always about the other and it's about giving so so it sacrificial giving and it always is aimed the best for the other person indeed actually John writes in his first letter in chapter 4 verse seven writes, beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God's way. We love is the evidence of his abiding in us that we really have grasped the reality of his character and his life flowing in us. You know the people who saw Jesus live in action for those three years, they would probably come in to each other. No endeavor.talk the way he teaches, but I think they are much more amazed at the degree of his love even for even for the outcasts in society for the lepers for the blind. For me, for the people who really had known advocating for Ms. love was really what touched people and that's how he physically showed what the heart of God is God who loves us and so he loves and as a result he's commanding us so you love because that's what's radically different about this world.

God loves this world and the people that are in it, but you're not gonna find much of that kind of sacrificial love in this world. This world is all about itself to be a big contrast when you go out there Jesus in disguise.

If you if you love one just like that Connie, my friends, because friends have a common purpose right going the same direction and were seeking the same thing were seeking the love of God poured out in the glory of God known in the world. Yeah, I like to get. I'd like the distinction he makes a friend because he says you know I'm your master in your sermon.

I could just command you to do and ready to do right.

You know, but your heart may not be about I call you friends because your hearts and your heart is into making on the love of God seen the now you can obey without loving exactly, but you love, you will so this is something that deeply incorporated in their natures that come to love Jesus tremendously says so you need to love didn't order people to understand. So it's interesting because we skipped over this last week and we need to spend little bit of time here when he says you didn't choose me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit that your fruit should abide to sell that what ever you ask the father in my name he may give it to you and he had already said that to them back in verse by me and my words.

The concrete reality of my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish for you all well. Why is it now that's a huge promise which we know lots and lots of people misunderstand. That means I contact the postage stamp in Jesus name on the end my prayers and got a gift to me is obligated well know. There's a condition attached, and that is this hiding in the reality of his spirit in us his love in us. His purpose in us so that his purpose becomes our purpose, so that what we want becomes what he wants shapes to what he wants so that the outpouring of our hearts. We pray will be along the lines of his purpose is purpose and and that's why we pray in his name, his neck, and we do it not as a postage stamp lot with the authority of who he is because he has said you're my friends. We love the same things were seeking the same the same purpose for the same thing. So if you pray in my name you basically saying I got on praying just as though Jesus was in my shoes and in fact is in me so same purpose, same direction, same heart, you know, this just occurred to me if you can't think picture the Lord Jesus himself saying in prayer the things that you're about to same prayer may better rethink who is not bound and just hold still until you get a grasp on the Lord Jesus praying that's really helpful when we come to John 17 week of Esther Esther so you can ask yourself if God be so answer my prayer is because you asked according to his own purpose or because of my purpose yeah so that's that's really what's different bring these things in Jim's name times we think if we gather a lot of people or if we have a big national call for everybody who can pray to pray that God got answer will know Sarah, you know, but contests respond only pray according to his purpose and his desire in his love. If the purpose of the branches the same as the purpose of the following capital to God's business is all that's what he intends to do with the branches so love one another not know.

From this point he goes into a gigantic contrast, heavy contrast because SS time as the years go on. They will love one another, but it will be in the context of the world is so deeply broken that all it does is eat intellectually direct their hate against you. I am my maps of this people. Many times God calls me to love universally.

So why would you get angry at me but there is a good reason why people get angry at you and you love the context of the letter will best suit is talking about your pickup yeah because because he just said these things in commanding. He said he'll one another. If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were the world, the world would love you as its own, but because you are not the world but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not of been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my father also if I had not done among them, the works that no one else did they would not be guilty of sin, but now they've seen and hated both me and my father, but the word that's written in their Law must be fulfilled. They hated me without a cause. So love one another, but the world is going to hate you yeah and if they hated me they're going to hate you and that's a curious thing. Why would the world react in hatred to someone whose life is characterized by law because it selfless exactly and there's there's a tripwire in here and that tripwire is the guilt of some. So at the same time that Jesus lived such a total life of love was also implicitly indicting to people who did not live that way but instead look selfishly, hatefully and sinful and so that was was came the same time.

That's why Paul says you know it's there's two reactions. Yet when you talk about the gospel you get a reaction of people sensing death Mimosa life belt is like a good news bad news thing. The problem the good news is is that God wants to live with you. The bad news is you don't and so that's going to be a problem.

Her Jesus says you if you were of the world would love you right and what is the world the world wants its own way the world wants to do.

Life without God, right.

The world wants to be God.

Nine but Jesus said you're not of that mindset, not that heart. The world of the world, something that hate you hated me first in your mind, and a menu yeah you look at this crowd to said crucify me think he do all well why did they reject it, it's because his purpose was different than their purpose, their purpose was to have a king and restore their kingdom and rule the world and have power and to some degree yes something for them personally to have power and recognition.

Jesus said kingdom is not about that kingdom is not about that big the love of God is genuine, and its profound and it broad for anybody but you can't you cannot start to enjoy the love of God unless you understand that repentance is your first. You got it, you've gotta agree with God that you have a profound problem. A separate Esther confessed me to miss just agree to say the citizen God says about your condition so and that that message is not well received. Know you should remember when Jesus started out ministry. It says in Matthew Susie when Ellie started his ministry and the anyone around saying what he said repent, the kingdom of heaven is right so right, coming the first the first barrier to enjoying the love of God is your own prideful, stubborn, stuck up this about your own sin and these are all not guilty of sin in Jesus as well. You are and that's going to stop the whole process.

Repent the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Right here among you, because the king is here yesterday. Jesus is 22. Like if I if I hadn't come here the scum government had come here and spoken to Morley they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse to serve notice and then he says this is enough. I hadn't done the works that I which would you validate who he was, well, then again they wouldn't be guilty of sin, but they've seen what I've done they've heard of said me, and whoever hates me hates the father member he had said earlier in the evening to Philip well don't you get it if you see me you seen the father. The word become flesh fully explaining the love of the father. The purpose of the father so you know he hates me hates.

The father also.

You know what that means you cannot have God the father without Jesus yeah because when we talk about the Trinity there one in the same right yeah yeah and there than the purpose of God is to glorify, who is the purpose of Jesus to glorify the love of God… You guys have a problem with sin or problem with selfish rebellion, and until you come and score away and you and you agree with government you just always going to be a barrier to the tool because intentions are for you to find joy and love in his relationship with so you know. Again, this is not the first time Jesus had talked about this about this contrast between the love and hate of the world. I just want a reading from John three, 316, but we stop there starting in verse 17 says for God did not send the son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.

He believes in him is not judged. He who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. This is the judgment that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God. So Jesus is saying I am the light, and if you're drawn to me then your deeds are going to be going to be exposed. But you're gonna repent nice your standard away from it and believe that I came to your sin but you gotta start with realizing that you got a separate body if you like a cockroach run for the darkness that demonstrates that you're really not interested in God's right and you want to want to continue to embrace your own sinfulness and you don't like the idea why I think was in the middle of look somewhere the Jesus Jesus into the apostles uses look if you don't repent your parish. So really you know when someone presents to you hey you know you are promising you have one of two responses. You can either repent for your strength, your right you know what I do about it or you can rebalance a no I don't have bro and that separates all mankind. You want to say no I don't have a problem, sin, and the other one say I do, what to do about it. Jesus, I'm glad you asked because he says actually John five if you if you don't believe that I me in usual style you and your sins.and what happens if you die in your sin, you stay separated from God.

So a loving God is communicating through Jesus that there is indeed a problem, and his love is manifest in the fact that he is straight up about what your problems.

I mean it's it's all your friends that are tell you the truth about your problems in God who loves you tremendously single. Here's the problem you've got. But I've solved the problem right there is a remedy willing. If you're willing to agree with me about the nature pursuant about what I would do on your behalf in Christ so so that that's why there's eight you know you can either repent or you can rebel in the heat comes when you rebel you said to want to hear you stick your fingers in years ago LOL I don't hear about okay so this doesn't happen among unbelievers. This happens in the church so all times stick their fingers in areas not only the good stuff of the call of the Scriptures always to repentance. And I might add to this as well.

Often times people tend to characterize guns. Be a killjoy when it comes to sin, you will want to do this kind of stuff, but I'm a very strong believer in the notion that sin is self-destructive something that's not. That doesn't go well with the way your design will like that's the truth about sin. What is but like I called an oceangoing tried convincing people look this is this is self-destructive's bathroom so if God indeed is love. He's not going to mince words about the self-destructive nature of what it is you embrace and you do on a daily basis. He's got a look.

I love you. I need to tell you this is killing you is killing you.

So when we talk about a loving Jesus, you're also talking about a confronted Jesus is not confrontive about sin, because just a spoilsport is confrontive because like cancer you're embracing your cancer and you will perish because of it. That's loving actually. Well, you know you can ignore your cancer until it gets to the point where the doctor says listen your guy take this. That's right right so here ultimately you're thankful for that confrontation live in denial, up to a certain area and using then I'm glad my doctor told me the truth. That's right so that's why Jesus said so forcefully, unless you repent you will perish home on diners and so that's why the world hates you. That's the first message but the second message when someone agrees with you about their sin.

When you say there's a solution it comes to the blood of Christ and then everything changes but you know he says there at the end of 25. It was David to a couple times in the Psalms.

Once crying out to God together, hate me, and they don't have that one time he says they hate me and they want me to pay back what I took but I didn't take anything. Does that make sense so so here again it is David disorder prefiguring what Jesus saying right here they hit me with a cost because what's the cost for heating is the cause because God loves you notes because got to tell you the truth about that's being heated without cause, we should finish as always yeah Jesus then comes back to talking about the Holy Spirit, he says, but when the helper comes, whom I will send you from the father, the spirit of truth who proceeds from the father, he will bear witness about me, and you also will bear witness because you been with me from the beginning. Helper called alongside who will be here.

You, as he said earlier in this is interesting. He says whom I will send you from the father. Earlier he had said the father will send him so who is it, and then later on he said we will send him so I sent them to you from the father, the spirit of truth who proceeds from the father, he will bear witness about me, will bear witness about me, and then you will bear witness back to the vine branches right fine flows in the branches of the same purpose, the same juices come out the branches and so that's why this WILL Holy Spirit is what makes the entire purpose for which God has come to do well to make his abode in us is to make his love known to the world. You and I might I might add is well here. Most don't know this, but this would witness right here it's John's big word for me. Love is one of the witnesses, yet when you look at this word witness which actually is the word martyr. Yeah when you look at martyr, it's only used once in Luke once in Matthew and Johnny said all is over 30 times. You know what it shows up in Revelation John's word and you know why it's his words because even as he's writing this gospel. He starts off the beginning of saying that I am a witness of these things was a witness someone just tells of the tells what they've see exactly and so that's that's part of the fruit as well. He's talking to you to tell what you've seen in the Holy Spirit does help with is going to come this coming from a father. He is going to be the one who bears witness about who Jesus is and as result, we will bear witness about Jesus.

Is this an astonishing carry through the vine and bring the purpose of the vine is not the purpose of the branches is the continuation of the glorifying of God's love for us as well as the Frank talk about how it is that sin itself keeps us from the love of God. Well, Jesus is going to amplify his time. His talk about the Holy Spirit, Holland. As we move into chapter 16.

You learn that one of the things specifically that the Holy Spirit does is convict of sin convicted of sin and that is he gives us that deep recognition of the truths of our sin and our need for repentance. That's the fruit of the spirit which sounds like a bad life. Actually it sounds like a hyperactive conches, why would I want to live with a hyperactive conscious the Holy Spirit in tone enzymes help that's wrong will again a loving God's sake tell you what you're doing itself is correct.

You know this is not going to like this can lead you to death and you really don't know Paul says the wages of sin is death. If you want to write if you think that using using sin is some way to earning life is going to bring anywhere is not like discovering it up so so Holy Spirit is going to be there to kind of not just correct you to keep you on the solid trail, but actually work actively to eliminate the influence of sin in your life that's actually very good news. Through this power that has indwelt exactly oh my goodness, so he will he will Jesus introduce the Holy Spirit in the last chapter now. Or, really going places.

Now this is a remarkably changed relationship with God's document with the apostles and we sure as well and there will be this continual regenerating and renewing of the Holy Spirit, says in his letter to Titus. So now as we begin to talk more about the Holy Spirit next week. Come back and keep thinking about the vine and the branches and abiding and that remain what ever it is that life flowing from the divine into the branches that that pushes out in fruit manifests in first right so are are you engaged in making fruit for God because that's what Christians call this the purpose to glorify God's love and kindness to spread his word and we here sit here and we read his word to come back with us next week with John 1614 for ready for six and we have you here next week letting