The Perfect Community

“The Perfect Community”

While we have very little information to go on (just 13 verses), Luke 2:40-52 give us a good insight into the communal life of Jesus Christ. One can only imagine that the earthly life of an adolescent Jesus was not only lived in perfect harmony with what would someday be referred to as “the Bible”, but was also as common as any other Jewish boy of his age.  It’s hard to imagine the two lifestyles being fashioned into one… but Jesus did it.

The early verses of our story help us greatly to see what kind of childhood that Jesus had. Let’s read together verse 40-44.

Verse 40 is key to understanding the kind of child Jesus was. It could also give us a glimpse into the kind of community He grew up in.  The kind of community that produces healthy, spiritual, intelligent and gracious kids.  What tools are necessary to have this kind of community?

It Takes a Village

Perhaps the greatest tool required to produce this kind of child is a community of the same.  A child will most always adapt to his surroundings… being creatures of habit and example.  Having such a community aided greatly Mary and Joseph as they raised Jesus.

Let’s read verses 41 and 44 together, stopping at each verse to find key words/phrases that stand out as suggestive ideas for such a community.

·         Vs. 41 ___________________________________________________

·         Vs. 44 ___________________________________________________

Ideally…

A key principle in discipleship is, if anything is ideal, it is ideal to keep it that way.  In-other-words, if at all possible, it is always best to follow manufacturer’s instructions.  The manufacturer of “church” (God) gives us the ideal format for the leadership/authority structure in the church.

(1) God/Jesus

(2 )Apostles/Bishops (leadership) (Elders)

(3 )Men (husbands/fathers)

(4) Women/children

The idea church community is arranged in this fashion.

The Wrath of God and The Wrath of Man

“The Wrath of God and the wrath of man”

Without a doubt, God’s divine attribute of wrath is an unexpected character of God.  We expect him to be holy, sovereign, omniscient and omnipotent… but “wrathful”?  It’s not how we choose to view a loving God. 

It’s funny, really- how much of the world has always loved the dark, violent side of sin… in fact, we have come to expect it from lost humanity.  It seems that the world would love the wrathful side of God… (“It” seems rebellious and vengeful) but instead, the world uses this divine character to reject Him instead of embrace Him.

For the Christian, however, it makes since.  True believers want so much to be like God and the Christ of the Bible- and yet we are taught to avoid wrath and pursue peace.  Turn to James 1:19.

Romans 12:18 says, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”

This clear scripture seems to give some leeway to activity that is contrasting to peace; “If it be possible…”  What may be some typical scenarios that would cause a Christian to choose between peace and… not-so-peaceful?

Our chief objective

Our chief objective is live glorified lives- harmonious with the scriptures.  This is only possible when justified Christians seek continually to live sanctified (set apart) lives.  Being set apart from the world causes us to see the lost in a different light.  When our objective is to live a glorified life, anything less than glorious is easily noticed. However, when we live too worldly, the line between us and them becomes very blurry.  These blurry-eyed Christians find wrath a more convenient pattern of life.

Wrath is ours… but not ours

Wrath is God’s attribute, not ours.  Due to our sin nature, wrath is our first choice… but it shouldn’t be. Now, having been washed, ours is to release vengeance to our God.

The scriptures are clear that God delights in the protection of God’s people:

Duet 32:43  “Rejoice, O ye nations, [with] his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, [and] to his people.”

Psalm 94:1  “O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.”

Romans 12:19 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

Matt. 18:6 “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and [that] he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

It’s clear that God longs to be Lord of our life… even over our adversaries.  One final scripture should seal the deal… Matt. 5:44, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”

The Love of God

The Love of God – Matt. 22:36-40

Throughout the Bible God’s children are instructed to love one another.  In fact, this seems to be the repeated theme throughout the new testament- to love God first and your neighbor as yourself.  According to the text, this is the foundation and the sum of every commandment.  And yet, it seems to be the least obeyed in all the Bible. 

In “air war” we were given 3 “loving facts” as an introduction to our morning sermon. Let’s examine these 3 facts more in depth.

1. Love Is the Nature of God

In this we mean that the heart of God flows naturally through the emotion of love.  This is not so with man.  Someone turn quickly to Jer. 17:9. If love flows naturally from the heart of God, according to the text, what flows from the heart of man?

We must not leave this point without making clear that the “nature” of God and the “essence” of God are different.  Does anyone know what attribute of God would be considered the “essence” of God? (Hint: it is the foundation by which all other things flow).

Why is this important? When we realize that man is not holy, we can begin to realize why we cannot love as God commands us to love, except we rely on our new nature.

2. Love is the Response of Man

This is not to suggest that man naturally responds to anything in love or that he ever looks for things to respond to with the heart of love. This is only to suggest that we only show love to God as a response, and never without provoking. (1John 4:19)

It seems that the only way to combat this carnal nature of man is to deny ourselves and fully consider God in all things. 

3. Love Has a Measuring Stick

John 14:15 says, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

Wouldn’t it be nice if everything and everyone in life had but one standard of love? With man, our standards change with every new television show.  But with God, the measuring stick of our love to God has always been the same- obedience.  This is in fact how we are to gage our love for God.  If we are obeying Him at all times.

Turn to Matt. 5:17. 

What we see is that the death and resurrection of Christ makes it possible for evil-hearted man to love God. Without the Gospel no man would be fit to glorify a holy God. Praise His name!

The God of Patience

The God of Patience  16b

Patience is a testimony to our trust in God.  Anything other than patience is our proclamation of doubt.  John Piper wrote, “Impatience is a form of unbelief.”  We read Romans 8:28 which says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.”  A more modern version of this same verse might read, “And we doubt that all things…”

In fact, ever moment of distraction from our planned agenda, should be a reminder of God’s sovereignty over our lives.

Tiffany Turner said, “Without having patience (courage in trying circumstances, the quality of bearing burdens w/o complaint) you cannot have mercy (forgiveness, tenderness, mildness) for someone and vice versa.”                                       

Incompetence

Paul wrote a warm greeting to the church at Colossae.  In that greeting he encouraged them to deal with people in patience.  Turn and read Col. 1:10-11.

Frustration due to the incompetence of others generally leads to the exposure of our inner weakness.  These trying situations should be viewed as opportunities to express our faith in God’s plan for our lives.  Keeping our cool shows both our faith and inner strength.  Does this mean that we are to never express our displeasure to the incompetence of others?  What are ways that Christians should express their displeasure toward others?

Good has already considered that…

Nothing that we could ever endure is out of the sight of our God. The knowing thumb of God is constantly on the unknowing pulse of His people.  Though we may not know the next moment, He knows the end from the beginning. (Is. 46:10 and Acts 15:18)

The story of Joseph is a perfect example of this Biblical truth. Genesis 37-50 tell the story of a truly patient man.  The end result of his patience was the opportunity to see the glory of God revealed.  This would have been forfeited had Joseph expressed his displeasure out of due season.  Someone read Gen. 45:7-8 and 50:20.

Job… enough said!

4 Natures of Man and God

4 Natures

“God will always be faithful to Himself”

1Cor. 15:45-48

Essentially, there are 4 natures:  Human nature, Sin nature, Divine nature and New nature.

1) Human Nature – Every person who has ever breathed had/has a human nature, including Adam and Jesus.  It’s our human nature that dictates our:

·         Personality

·         Desires/interests

·         Likes/dislikes

*It’s our human nature that requires us to grow, learn, think and imagine.  Even Jesus possessed this human nature (Luke 5:52). 

*Human nature is susceptible to temptation but isn’t in bondage to it. (remember, temptation is not a sin)

2) Sin Nature – Every person who was/is born of the seed of man has a sin nature (Rom. 5:12). This verse also helps us to understand why Adam obtained a sin nature after he fail in the garden.

Note: We are not sinners because we sin, but rather, we sin because we are sinners (John 3:18)

*This explains the need for a virgin born Savior.

*Jesus did not have a sin nature, thus, never needed to be saved.

3) Divine Nature – Jesus was the only man to ever walk the earth with a divine nature (Num. 23:19). The strength of Jesus was His divine nature.  In-other-words, though He possessed a human nature which made Him susceptible to temptation, Christ drew His power against temptation from His Divine nature (Heb. 4:15).

*This is why Jesus is referred to as the “Word” (John 1:14)  The Bible is God’s Word, divinely given to man. It becomes our weapon to fight against sin. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Psalm 119:11)

4) New Nature – It is at rebirth that we are given a new nature. Every true Christian has a new nature.  It is this new nature that makes 1John 3:9 a possibility. “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

*As Christ drew His strength against temptation from His Divine nature, the Christian draws his power against temptation from his new nature.  Read James 1:12-15

1^st Adam verses. 2^nd Adam

Now we know why it is necessary to trust Christ as Savior.  By nature, every human places his trust in the 1^st Adam for salvation.  However, the 1^st Adam fell to temptation and passed sin nature to every man.  Jesus, the 2^nd Adam, won the victory over sin by leaning wholly on His Divine nature.  It is in trusting in the work of the 2^nd Adam that secures our standing in Christ.  “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2Cor. 5:17

The Shepherd of My Sanctification

The Life of Jesus Christ 10b

“The Shepherd of My Sanctification”

John 6:37-40  and  John 17:1-26

Question: If given a choice between free 1^st quality clothing and free 2^nd/3^rd quality clothing (and which would you choose?  Unfortunately, many Christians today choose to live 2^nd/3^rd quality lives.  To not live a 1^st quality life is an insult to the cross of Christ… for, in dying, He paid to give us “abundant” life. John 10:10.  Turn and read.

In the morning sermon I mentioned that the greater theme of the Bible is “for God’s people to be a separated, sanctified people for His glory.”  It’s interesting how we gladly receive His salvation, rest in His security…. but run from sanctification. Can someone please explain why we, as God’s people, hesitate (if not completely abandon) sanctification.

Sanctification Defined

Justified: the legal term used to describe the spiritual standing of every true Christian.  Justification takes place the moment we come into a saved relationship with God through His Son.

Sanctified: the life long process of cleansing from the world/sin.

Adam was given a choice between celebrating life or mourning death, and… he chose death. From that day forward, God has been setting apart His people from the world.

Will someone please turn and read 1John 2:15? 

Another equal theme of the Bible might be “separating the good from the bad.”  Once again we are led to the thought “good” being a word of comparison.

·         Jacob/Esau

·         Sheep/Goats

·         Wheat/Tares

·         Holiness/Evil

Worldliness is Idolatry

When the Corinthian church was entertaining the thought of idol worship, Paul reminded them of the Lord’s words… “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you.”

In it but not of it

John 15:19-20

John 17:14-16

John 18:36

Eph. 5:22-33

The Purpose of the Gospel

The Purpose of the Gospel

Challenge: Has the Gospel ever posed a problem in your daily life?

John 8:28—36

One purpose of the Gospel is to _________  ____  _______  ________  ___  ______ in the lives of delivered men and women.

Isaiah 8:13-14

The Gospel of Christ will always ___________ the truth from lies; the real from the phony.  In-other-words, the “good news” of Jesus is not good news to them that believe not.

We are to never be ashamed of the Gospel that has made us free unto salvation.

Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Romans 9:33

The word “ashamed” in this verse gives thought to the word “___________”.  While those who are saved should never be ashamed to tell others of the good news, we should also not feel guilty when others fail to know the truth.  Many will die and live eternally in hell; however, we are not to feel guilty because we have the inheritance of Heaven and not hell.

Matt. 10:32-36

The Gospel of Christ will always make us feel uncomfortable in the presence of sin. And yet, when the Gospel is exposed, it will either _______  _______  ____  __________ or separate men to eternity in hell.

Foreknowlege

Question:

Had God looked through time and saw that no one would have received Christ’s sacrificial death as God’s atonement for sin, would Jesus still die on the cross?

Ps. 90:8

God knows all of our thoughts and sins whether the world sees them or not. So our thought process has to start by Glorifying God and with a pure heart toward all that we are in contact with. Now in my old life I was bad about over analyzing everything and everyone but now I've found something to analyze that I could spend three life times on and not even scratch the surface the Bible!!!!! and the only one that suffers is you having to read my long responses. LOL I said all that to throw this at you about this verse. When each word is defined and fit in the context of God's message to me, this verse becomes so powerful. Here's what I came up with. “Thou hast set (to direct with fixed attention) our iniquities (wickedness/gross injustice) before thee (in the presence of), our secret sins (sins of thought) in the light (spiritual awareness), of thy  countenance (to manifest displeasure).” Wow God allows us sinners in His presence even though it gives Him displeasure. In His Love for us and His Holy Being He will forgive us of our sins and allow us into His kingdom and all we have to do is ask and have Faith.  Praise God!!!!!!!!!!  Derek Rohrkemper

Ps. 90:8

I feel like with Psalm 90:8 that God is saying that he has already weighed and measured my life and still wants for me to come to him. That God with his pure and Holy light has even allowed the stain of sin in my life to be in his prescence and still wants me, thats kinda awesome!     Holly Barger

Ezek. 11:5

I love these scriptures. They make my faith in God stronger. Everything about me is known by Him. The good thing is He still loves me even though He knows all about me. The way I see it. When I am walking in His Word, I know the joy of my salvation and can truly rest and trust in Him and be joyful. When I am not, I am convicted and must repent. He shows me these things because He knows these things. So when I pray, I am a winner either way. Conviction hurts but it is good for the soul because it causes me to make things right. So I am a winner either way. Thank you precious Jesus. You are my God. We never have to explain ourselves to God. He already knows. He still wants to here our praise and confessions but it is comforting to know, He Knows.  Thanks for these studies pastor. I love them.                  Donna Turner

Ezek 11:5

Yes God knows all about me and He is all knowing of everything. So we need to keep God in our heart so He can use us in His will.  This verse is showing that man cannot trust his own heart but must leave it all to God who alone knows the heart and judges all men fairly. Only a person with a redeemed heart can live in proper fellowship with God.  God bless love and prayers your friend and Sister in Christ   Sandy Egbert

Ezek. 11:5

This tells me that my God knows the present and future thoughts, both bad and good, of everyone. As God's children, the Holy Spirit (with emphasis on HOLY) lives in us and He knows our every thought.  This tells me to think godly thoughts all the time (lol) as if I could.  I know the Lord tells us not to grieve the Holy Spirit in Eph. 4:30.  With God's help, we are to try not to sin in our thoughts, words or behavior.  Sin starts in the heart and mind, the Holy Spirit is there to help us say no to sin.  If we ponder sin and do not say no, it becomes the sinful hurtful words out of our mouths and possibly bad behavior.  Love you Pastor, your sis in Christ     Ruth Singleton

Jesus is God

The Life of Jesus Christ   11b

“Jesus is God” part 1

Read aloud the following scriptures

Isaiah 64:6  Psalm 14:3  Psalm 39:5  Psalm 62:9  Romans 3:12  Romans 7:18

These verses are not to be avoided by the Bible reader.  They bring to surface certain emotions about ourselves that wouldn’t be so if we were to never read them.

Question: What are these emotions and why is it important that have them?  In-other-words, how do these emotions make us feel about ourselves and why is it important that we feel this way from time to time?

What is holiness?  Holiness is the standard of Heaven and the foolish confession of every man.  “In our own eyes” we feel the need to be holy and become so by comparing ourselves to our neighbor.  This allows us to retain some since of self hope.  But the truth is, God alone is holy (Rev. 15:4)

Why holiness?  Holiness is the platform for all other attributes to be built upon.  Without holiness, all other attributes of God or man fall to ruin.  This is why we have nothing to offer to God in the way of salvation but the sin which He so gracefully forgives.  Once this takes place, all other attributes can begin to take form.

Calvary, the place of death and holiness

When we think of Calvary, we tend to think of pain, suffering, blood and death.  All of these things were so.  However, when Heaven saw Calvary, on the day of our Lord’s crucifixion, it witnessed holiness in its greatest form: a holy God who could not look upon sin.

The Shepherd of My Security

The Life of Jesus Christ 9b

“The Shepherd of My Security”

John 6:38-39

Everything about God’s gift of salvation points in the direction of eternal security:

1. Unmerited Grace – Titus 3:5

(we did nothing to deserve_____ salvation and we can do nothing to secure____ it)

2. Sovereign Grace – Romans 9:15

(salvation is in the controlling___ hand of God; therefore security must be controlled by God as well.)

3. Immutable Grace – Malachi 3:6 and James 1:17

(the decision of mercy and grace upon the redeemed was not an after-thought or contingent___)

4. Omniscient Grace – Heb. 4;13 and Matt. 7:23

(in order for the thieves and robbers to breech the security of God’s elect, they would have to do it without God knowing____ it)

5. Decreed Grace – Acts 15:18

( for God to lose security of us (which He decreed from the beginning) He would have had to also decree His own inability_____ to secure us)

The Giver that Keeps on Giving

Much time has been spent lately on the understanding that the redeemed of the Lord are the residual___ gift from the Father to the Son.  To understand eternal security, we must understand that we are not a one-time gift from the Father to the Son, but rather we are a continued gift. 

Heb. 10:10 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all].”

Eph. 4:30 says, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed                 unto the day of redemption.”

Will someone please stand and read loudly Lamentations 3:22-24?

God WILL not let you go

“And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing:”

Once again, according to verse 39, what is the will of God? 

What would be necessary in order for a truly saved sinner to ever lose salvation?

Answer: God would have to change or forget His will.

The Shepherd of My Salvation

The Life of Jesus Christ 8b

“The Shepherd of My Salvation” Part 2b

John 10:1-17

The comparison that Jesus makes between genuine and non-genuine shepherds was simple: He referred to Himself as “good.”  Can anyone explain why this was a sufficient term to separate Himself from non-genuine shepherds?

The Roll of the Shepherd

The shepherd had a detailed job description:

1) Lead the sheep to sufficient fields for grazing

·         This may be considered feeding the sheep.

2) Protecting the sheep from wolves and thieves

·         This may be considered protecting/watching over the sheep.

3) Sheering and oiling the sheep

·         This may be considered preparing the sheep

Wolves On the Prowl

One specific area that Jesus dealt with in John 10 was the protecting of the sheep.  This was of utmost importance for the shepherd.  Wolves were constantly on the prowl. Also, thieves were waiting for straying sheep.  The shepherd was constantly on the lookout for wolves and thieves

Notice that Jesus spends the bulk of this chapter dealing with false shepherds.

Vs. 1 “He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.”

Vs. 3, 4, 5, and 16.  Jesus used the word “voice” to help them understand the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep.  Obviously, the shepherd must have spent ample time with the sheep in order for them to know his voice specifically.

Vs. 11. “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”

This verse is not speaking of the prophesied death of Christ. That comes in verses 15, 17 and 18.  This verse is speaking of the great dedication of the “good “ shepherd vs. the hireling mentioned in verses 12 and 13.

Hireling Defined

1) He was temporary custodian of the sheep.  An employee, not the owner.

2) The hireling had no real need to care for the sheep because they were not his.

3) He cares more for his own life (ministry) and not that of the sheep.

4) He entered the position of shepherd with the intentions of taking any better offer.

Ninty and Nine

The good shepherd, mentioned in John 6, left the 99 to go find 1 lost sheep.  Notice that he had confidence in the 99 sheep that He left in the wilderness.  His confidence came as a result of their strong relationship.  And the strength of the relationship was due to the fact that they had not strayed.  The stayed close by his side, following him and trusting him.

Jesus the Good Shepherd

The Life of Jesus Christ 7b

“The Good Shepherd” Part 1

John 10

This morning’s sermon covered a lot of material: Jesus’ earthly occupation as a builder, why He chose to illustrate His life as a shephered and what made Jesus a “Good Shepherd.”  But the point I want to discuss with dialogue this evening is the principle of percentages.

Everything Jesus does is valued at 100%.  Does anyone want to give an example of this principle in the life of Christ?

·         In John 6, Jesus said, “…of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing.” And so we see that every sheep in the fold will go to Heaven due solely to the fact that the Good Shepherd WILL NOT lose His sheep.

·         In Luke 17, we read the story of the “ten lepers.”  All were healed but only 1 returned to give thanks.  Because everything Jesus does is valued at 100%, He was concerned about all 10.

·         In Luke 15.  Jesus picks asks His disciples a great question, “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?”  What was His focus on in this text?

The disciples knew the value of having a complete fold… a whole flock.  Anything less than the whole family of sheep decreases the value of the sheep fold.  If every disciple of Christ at Calvary were to seek to walk in the Lord 100%, imagine the joy of the Lord in our church. Would you agree that the bulk of our church growth, spiritual advancement and individual interest in church comes from our not living for God 100%?

For example: bitterness is stored up between church members, gossip runs rampant and sin takes place without discipline.  When these things exist, the value of the flock is decreased.

Question:  why do we allow these things to take place in the church without concequence?

Why is church discipline important?  It either brings back the wondering sheep, thus making the flock 100%.  Or, it removes the wondering sheep. Either way, the flock is 100%. 

For example: When Judas chose to turn his back on God and betray Jesus, the flock was not lessoned, but rather, made complete. As long as Judas was in the fold, the value of the fold was lessoned.

Another example is found in John 6.  Turn there and review this text.

Jesus is preaching/teaching “hard sayings” according to verse 60.  These teachings separated the sheep from the goats. Verse 60 says, “From that [time] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”  This gave a whole new meaning to “the truth shall make you free.” (John 8.)

When Jesus preached the truth, many chose to follow Him no more.  Now, let me ask you a question: was the value of the sheepfold decreased or increased by the departure of the unbelieving sheep? 

The truth will always set men free. It will always separate the sheep from the goats.  The principle we see is the principle of 100%.

A life of Obedience

The Life of Jesus Christ 6

“A Life of Obedience”

John 8:29

The most important of all relationships is our relationship with God (Matt. 6:33).  When that relationship is right, it lays the sturdy foundation for all other relationships.  Although our salvation is eternal, as our relationship with God weakens, so does the foundation.  In turn, when our Godly relationship weakens, so will all other relationships.

Jesus/God Relationship

When purchasing medicine, the label may list a myriad of ingredients. However, there will always be one ingredient that is considered to be the ingredient that really gets the job done.  What does the pharmicutical industry refer to this ingredient as?  Active      ingredient.

The active ingredient in the Jesus/God relationship was their time spent together.  Their time spent together was both quantity and quality.

1 QuestionSurvey

In your opinion, how much time is needed to have quality time spent with God?

According to the Bible, Jesus often chose the morning hours to be in pray with God.  According to Mark 1:35, what do we learn about Jesus’ prayer time.

1. “in the morning” (before the distraction of daily life)

2. “he went out” (shows effort on His part… not in bed)

3. “into a solitary place” (it was a quiet place)

Questions

1. Does a Christian want to sin?

As we define temptation, we must say “yes”.  James 1:14 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

But in our heart of hearts we do not want to sin. Why? It displeases the Father and endangers our relationship with Him.

2. Does a Christian have to sin?

Rom. 6:6 “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

1Cor. 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].”

3. Why do we sin?

John 14:15  “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

The emphasis is on love, not obedience.  Obedience is a bi-product of our love for the Father.  It is the fruit of our love for God.

Why do we sin?  Let’s examine the charts below and dissect our life of sin.

Sin

We don’t love God

We don’t know Him

We don’t spend time with Him

We don’t see the need

Pride

James 4:6 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

Obedience to Him

We fall in love with Him

We get to know Him

We spend time with Him

We see the need

Grace = Humility

God's Love Language

The Scriptures are clear that God had a perfect will for His Son.  John’s Gospel declares from the beginning that Jesus loved us even before we were created (1:1-4) due to the fact that Jesus held the office of Savoir from the beginning.  Which is to say that there was never a time when Christ didn’t know and love the Father’s will for Him.

The question must be asked: why did the Father have a will for Jesus?  The answer is simple: The provision of a will allows for the opportunity of obedience.

Obedience is ALWAYS God’s Chose Method of Love

It’s possible to obey without love, however, it is NOT possible to love without obedience.  Jesus loved the Father’s will, therefore He was obedient to the Father’s will.

To forsake the Father’s will would have showed the lack of love for both the Father’s will and His creation (us); but because Jesus loved God and His creation (us), He chose to be obedient to the Father’s will.

God Never Compromises His Chosen Method of Love

1Sam. 15:22 states, “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.”

Obedience is better than sacrifice because sacrifice is a method of our own choosing; and God never allows us to choose how we will express our love to Him.

(Example: Obedient giving is better than the sacrifice of labor or time)

Proof Scriptures:

Exodus 20:6

 “And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” 

John 14:15

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

John 15:10

“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

Tonight we see to very important and crucial elements of our relationship with God.

1) His chosen method of showing Him love is by keeping His commandments (obedience).

2) His commandments are the staple of a true relationship with Him.

So, how do we love God?  By keeping His commandments.  Jesus always did; and never failed.

When we fail to keep His commandments we are showing our love to that which draws our obedience rather than the One who has given us the commandment to obey.

The God of Purpose

The Life of Jesus Christ 2b

“Purpose is in Christ”

John 1:1-5

Imagine that someone in our church was selected to represent our country in the Olympics.  When they return home they stand before us and say:

“I did not win the gold medal and I did not win the silver medal.  Neither did I win the bronze medal.  I am both a failure and a loser.”

To that, what would you say?

1._______________________________________________________________________________

2._______________________________________________________________________________

3._______________________________________________________________________________

4._______________________________________________________________________________

“Winning” and “losing” are words of comparison.  If I say “I win” I am comparing myself to someone who has lost.  If I say “I lose” I am comparing myself to someone who has won.

In other words, winning and losing requires 2 things:

1) A competition

2) Opposition

The reason that we can never lose as Christians is also 2 fold.

1) We are not competing       

2) Our opposition has already been defeated.

Victory in Jesus

We must know whose team that we are on.  Those who are on “Team Jesus” can never lose.  The victory was one before the foundation of the world (verses 1-3); for Jesus was the light that pointed sinful men to the God (Verse 4).

So, why do so many Christians live in defeat?

Some Christians can never see themselves as anything but loses because they do not realize fully that their relationship with God is “in” Christ Jesus.  In some way they are relying on themselves to win the victory.  In the very least, they want to have some part in the victory: and because this is not possible they live in defeat.

In short, what I am saying when I live in defeat is, “I just want to be a participant.”  However, when I say this:

1) My focus is now on me instead of Christ who has already won the victory

2) Unless I feel successful I refuse to be satisfied with who I am “in” Christ

So, how do we participate in the victory?  The answer is found in John 6:28-29