Followers And Fakers

Real transformation cannot be faked forever.

Matthew 7:13-14 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

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In today's culture we like to pretend that truth isn't absolute, that reality is optional and that every view of God is a different path to the same place. Nobody wants to hear that there is only one truth and there are consequences for what you do with the truth.

The idea that there is more than one truth is really just a way of fooling yourself into believing that you can do what you want without being responsible to God. But what if you are wrong? What if there is a God who is perfect and has a set moral code for you to live by and truth that is absolute and unchanging?

Jesus made it very clear as soon as his ministry started that in order to please God and be blessed you need to have certain virtues. In Jesus first sermon he tells us that there is a better way to live that will result in blessings, he wants his followers to behave like citizens of a better country, and then he continues his teaching by making sure we know how to get to that better country. (Matthew 5:1-6)

Jesus let us know that all roads are not leading to Heaven, he told his listeners about the two gates, the two roads, the two fruit trees and the two foundations to build your life on. These are all black and white absolute truths and if you make the wrong choice the consequences will be devastating.

The two ways illustrate the start of the life of faith; the two trees illustrate the growth and results of the life of faith here and now; and the two houses illustrate the end of this life of faith, when God shall call everything to judgment.

-Warren Wiersbe

It is very easy in our culture to know about God and Jesus and seem to be a believer but if it is just head knowledge without real transformation and you still look like the rest of the world then there is much to be concerned about.

Head knowledge can produce religious activity but it doesn't prove you are genuinely a child of God. Don't forget about Judas, a member of Jesus small group, he was the best faker ever. The other eleven people had no idea that Judas was living a lie.

Matthew 7:19-20 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

The fakers can claim that Jesus is their Lord, they can seem like they are following his teaching, they can be emotionally involved in worship and they can be active in ministry but the presence of these traits do not authenticate anybody as a true Jesus follower.

Psalms 51:10, 17 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. 17 The sacrifice You desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

You can fake a lot of things but eventually the condition of your heart will have an effect on your behavior and then the truth about your heart will be revealed. If you really know the truth and it leads you to true repentance and submission to Jesus as Lord then you will obey him consistently although imperfectly. 

A real follower will stay when it seems more rewarding or easy to bail out, when being obedient is too much of a sacrifice the fakers are likely to count the cost and make their get away. Why suffer for what you don't really believe? Why do something for someone else when you can look out for your own interest? Why trade your pleasure and suffer to benefit someone else?

Matthew 7:24-25 "Anyone who listens to My teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock.

The fakers can build their house so that it looks exactly like a follower but someday when the weather outside is frightful the fakers house will collapse and his reputation will be ruined as he takes a look at the other houses around him that stood strong in the storm.

Video: Casting Crowns - Praise You In This Storm

We are all builders with complete control over what materials we will use, we decide if we will use the materials and the building codes that God has approved so that we can stand firm in the hard times. We will have peace and joy despite the storms because we know that we have a firm foundation for this life and the one to come

Someday the truth about the people that Jesus never knew will be revealed. There will be people that we thought we would see with us in eternity that will cry out to defend their actions but it will be too late.

Are you genuine? Has following Jesus cost anything? Are you really following Jesus?

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Follow

Jesus offers a simple invitation to learn more.

Matthew 9:9-13 As Jesus was walking along, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector's booth. "Follow Me and be My disciple," Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed Him.

10 Later, Matthew invited Jesus and His disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. 11 But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with such scum? "

12 When Jesus heard this, He said, "Healthy people don't need a doctor--sick people do." 13 Then He added, "Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: 'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.' For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners."

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Following any religion or spiritual teacher probably makes you think of the work that will be required to follow their rules. Most religious systems say "change these things and you can join us," so it may seem strange to learn that when Jesus asked people to follow him he said "come as you are."

When Jesus began his ministry, he looked for some men to partner with, men that were willing to check out what he was doing and get to know him better, they probably never intended to keep following for so long but there was something about him that they couldn't walk away from.

When the unlearned, dirty fishermen and the repulsive tax man began to follow Jesus they didn't know what they were in for. They didn't really know him or his purpose for calling them, they didn't believe or have faith in anything, they were just excited to learn more about Jesus.

God never did like religious people so it's no surprise that Jesus did not give the invite to any of those types of people. It reminds me of Jesus birth, the least likely to get the good news were the ones that got it, the dirty shepherds and the Gentile wise men were chosen while the religious Jews that were well acquainted with scripture missed it despite the heads up they received from the wise men.

But don't be too hard on the Pharisees, some of them were really sincere and devoted to pleasing God, the bad news for us is that we are not much different. Their sinful attitude is common among man since the beginning and it continues with us.

We tend to look down on other people, especially people that don't have Jesus' influence on their lives, we like to think that we are better than they are. The world sees our hypocrisy and it turns them off to following Jesus because too often our actions, our attitudes and our tongues prove that we are very similar to them. (Romans 2:1-3)

The more conscious I am of the work that God has yet to do on me the less critical I am of what God has yet to do in you.

-Andy Stanley

We like to make following Jesus a complicated list of rules or beliefs but when Jesus first invited someone to follow him there were not any prerequisites. Jesus didn't say you have to follow the rules or believe a certain way, he invited people to follow first, get the facts and learn more about him.

The church should be a place where those that are without Jesus feel loved, accepted and comfortable so that they can come close and learn more about Jesus. The church will never grow if people think that they have to obey our rules and be a better person before they can be welcome in our building.

Matthew 23:13, 15 "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people's faces. You won't go in yourselves, and you don't let others enter either. 15 "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are!

To the people that do not know him he gives a warm invite but to the religious fakes that would not get serious about their relationship with God he was kind enough to warn them so that they could change their ways.

Religion says to believe right, behave right, change your ways and if you are successful then you can join us. Jesus says come as you are, come and see what I am all about, follow me and then you will find the power to change.

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Reacting To My Savior

Seeing the glorified Jesus will be overwhelming but I do not need to be afraid.

Revelation 1:17-18 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave."

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When we think of seeing Jesus in heaven we usually think about the human Jesus that walked among the people and looked just like any other guy but if you study the book of Revelation you will realize that the Jesus that we look forward to seeing isn't going to look the same.

When John saw Jesus in the vision he didn't see a humble carpenter, he didn't look upon a familiar face and have an out burst of joy as we would when we see an old friend, John saw someone that was much different from the man that he knew.

Jesus is now in full glory, the glory that he has always shared with God, the Jesus that John saw in the vision struck him with fear and dread. John is overwhelmed by the holiness of God. John was instantly aware of his sinfulness and his depraved condition and was totally devastated. His immediate reaction is to fall down to the ground like a dead man. (Philippians 2:6-11)

John's reaction was fear but then Jesus reacted to John's fear with assurance. 

It was proper for John to react the way that he did but Jesus didn't want John to continue forever in fear, Jesus touched John and told him to "fear not!" This is similar to what Jesus said in Matthew 17:5-7 when the disciples witnessed the transfiguration.

John receives a touch from Jesus and an assurance that he doesn't need to be afraid. Jesus loves him and went to great lengths so that John could stand before Jesus without fear. Since Jesus is on our side and he will never die we don't have any reason to be afraid.

2 Corinthians 3:16-18 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord--who is the Spirit--makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.

When we see God's glory contrasted with our sinfulness it will cause us to live differently. If we get close to God through studying his word and we see who he is then we will come to understand our situation without Jesus work on the cross. We will allow God to work in our lives and change us "into His glorious image."

A true Christ follower should be repulsed by their sinfulness, we should desire sin less and less as we get to know and see Jesus more, sin will look a lost less appealing to us and that will cause us to be a better reflection of God's glory.

Revelation 6:15-17 Then everyone--the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person--all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?"

We will all see what John saw and we will probably all fall down like a dead man! If you have a relationship with Jesus then you will not have to fear the appointment that we will all be forced to keep.

Transformed to Serve

God has changed me and I can't go back to the way it used to be.

John 21:3-6 Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing." "We'll come, too," they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. 4 At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn't see who He was.

5 He called out, "Fellows, have you caught any fish?" "No," they replied. 6 Then He said, "Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get some!" So they did, and they couldn't haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.

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What do you do when you are so excited and you are anxious to share the good news? Probably you don't go fishing. It must have been an unusual time from the resurrection of Jesus until the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to go and make disciples.

They were so excited to learn that Jesus was alive again, one day they are defeated and discouraged, the next day they are probably ready to tell everybody, but it wasn't time for them to start their ministry.

Luke 24:49 And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as My Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.

Throughout the Bible you will find God telling people to wait. It seems like any major event on God's timetable is preceded by a period of waiting. I remember Abraham, Joseph, King Saul, Job and Simeon all having to wait on God, some of them being good examples and others showing us the hazards of not waiting. (Lamentations 3:25-26)

Peter didn't do a good job of waiting, he was going back to fishing for fish instead of waiting for men, and he also influenced his fishing buddies to go with him. Maybe Peter was tempted to go back to the way it used to be.

Seven professional fisherman spent the night catching nothing, maybe God is teaching them a lesson about waiting, fishing all night without catching anything is certainly a long and miserable night. It is just about an impossible occurrence for a fisherman that uses a net, catching nothing at all would take an act of God, it makes me wonder if Peter thought about the previous time when this happened. (Luke 5:1-9)

Peter had a surprise appointment with Jesus this morning, an appointment that is just as surprising as the first one that he had after an unsuccessful night of fishing, this meeting would change everything even more that the first one did.

Jesus came to the seashore that morning to restore broken relationships and to teach these men about their responsibilities as witnesses of the good news.

Even though the conversation recorded in scripture is between Jesus and Peter, all of the disciples had failed Jesus, the truth of the lessons that Jesus taught were for all of them and they apply to all of us as believers today.

My Responsibility As A Believer:

Obey Jesus 

Cast your net when and where Jesus tells you. (John 21:1-8)

These guys spent the night working very hard, doing work they were not supposed to be doing, and they probably complained about the results. Catching men is their new job that Jesus has been training them to do for the past three years. After the Holy Spirit comes they won't have time to bother with fishing for fish anymore.

Allowing Jesus to be in control is the best way to avoid wasting your life. This reminder for them is for us as well. I will accomplish what really matters when I am depending on Jesus and submitting to his timing and authority. (John 15:5)

Love Jesus 

Check your love for Jesus and his family often. (John 21:9-18)

Fixing relationships is what Jesus is all about, he asked Peter to confess his love, something he had already boasted about but failed to live out during Jesus' trial. Jesus made the connection between truly loving him and showing it in obedience and service to him.

Do you love Jesus? If you do it should show in the way that you live. We should be fishers of men and we should also help tend the flock. If you love Jesus then you will want to be near the flock and you will be concerned about the health, protection and guidance of the other believers in the flock. (Philippians 2:3-6)

Follow Jesus 

Consider the cost that may be required of a believer. (John 21:19-25)

A repaired relationship with Jesus must have been an amazing blessing for Peter, in Peter's mind that would have been a great place to end this conversation, but Jesus continues to share important information that isn't so easy to hear.

Jesus takes the conversation from Peter's life and ministry to his death as a martyr, Jesus never dodged the issues so that he would have more followers, he was always upfront about the trouble and hardship that his disciples would face in this evil world.

Following without turning away and staying focused on Jesus despite the circumstances are some of the greatest daily challenges for a follower of Jesus. It is a struggle which must be dealt with constantly if we are going to die to self and become a living sacrifice. (Romans 12:1-2)

Following without meddling in what Jesus is doing in another believers life is another challenge. It is easy to look at what God is doing with somebody else and allow that to change our focus and our direction. (John 21:21)

The lives of the disciples were radically changed from the moment that Jesus called them to follow him but the transformation was just getting started. They still needed the helper that Jesus promised to send after he is gone.

The Holy Spirit's power in their lives would change these ordinary men, men that failed so often, men that didn't understand Jesus teaching, men that walked away when the going got tough. They would be powerful and they would speak with wisdom that is unheard of from a group of unschooled fishermen. (Acts 4:13)

2 Corinthians 5:15 He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

Jesus Christ is transforming lives today, he is changing us from our old carnal state into a people that will represent him well and serve his purpose on earth. The easy life is not my goal, pleasure and riches are no longer the main desire to be fulfilled.

God has changed me and I can't go back to the way it used to be! I will live for Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. I will set aside the evil desires and the pride that drives men to live for self. I will live to honor my Lord and fulfill his desire and plan for my life.

The Abiding Life

Abiding with Jesus has a lot of benefits for now and eternity.

 

John 15:7-11  If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8  By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

9  As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.

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

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Today's scripture is a continuation of the study that I recently did in John 15:1-8, in those verses Jesus told his disciples "I Am The Vine." In that lesson Jesus taught the disciples that a real Christ follower is attached to the vine, he is getting his nourishment from the vine and he will be pruned so that he can produce more fruit. (John 15:2,5)

A vine and the branches is just one of the ways that the Bible describes the intimate relationship of a Christ follower. The Bible also illustrates this relationship as a body and its many members (1 Corinthians 12:1-31), a bride and the Bridegroom (Ephesians 5:25-33), and as sheep and the Shepherd (John 10:1-18)

These illustrations show us that abiding is a dependent relationship, the Christ follower must depend on Jesus as well as other believers in order to survive, yet it is still a friendly and intimate fellowship where we live and work together in harmony to please God and advance his kingdom.

The "abiding life" has many benefits, Jesus continues to tell us in today's scripture that abiding in him is the only way to get our prayers answered and it is the only way to live in love and obedience just like Jesus did.

The abiding life has prayers answered

Psalms 66:18 If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

Are your prayers being answered? Does it seem like nothing is happening? Whatever is asked for from a clean heart that is living for God's will and seeking to promote the kingdom is going to get answers.

When we are abiding in Jesus we will ask for the right things, he will keep us from asking for things that we shouldn't ask for, we will pray for the things that please God instead of the prayers that please ourselves. 

The abiding life will live in Jesus love 

Ephesians 3:17 Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.

"What the world needs is love, sweet love, Its the only thing that there's just too little of" is the lyrics to a song by Dionne Warwick, she saw the problem but she did not know the solution, she didn't know that God's perfect love is what we need to end the love shortage that she saw.

If you feel unloved then check out what Jesus tells us in verse nine, he says that to the same degree that God loves Jesus is the amount of love Jesus has for me, you can't get loved any more that that. What an incredible thought, that stupid dirty sheep that are so unworthy can be loved so much!

The abiding life will obey God just as Jesus did

Luke 22:42 "Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine."

Jesus was obedient to his Father's will  and he expects us to do the same. There isn't any other way to prove your love to him than to see your old sinful ways as detestable and move toward doing the things that please God.

It is very dangerous to think that you can be a Christian and still live in your old sinful, disobedient ways. True repentance sees how detestable our ways are and the cost that was paid on our behalf and it refuses to live that way anymore. Without true repentance we cannot abide with Christ, we will not produce fruit and we will not please God.

Colossians 1:9-10  So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.  10  Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

The "abiding life" is not a supernatural resource that you tap into to fix life's problems and then return to your old carnal ways. Once you have begun to cultivate this deeper communion with Christ, you have no desire to return to the shallow life of the careless Christian, you will remain in Christ through the good and the bad times.

The "abiding life" seeks to glorify God, when people see the fruit of the Holy Spirit, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control,” in us, God will be glorified. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Help me Lord to live the "abiding life." I want to know what pleases you and apply it to every area of my life.

Do You Really Know Jesus?

Church membership, small groups and even faith doesn't mean you really know Jesus.

 

John 14:7-11  If you had really known Me, you would know who My Father is. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him!"  8  Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied."

9  Jesus replied, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don't know who I am? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father! So why are you asking Me to show Him to you?

10  Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I speak are not My own, but My Father who lives in Me does His work through Me.  11  Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen Me do.

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Do you know Jesus? I mean really know him? It isn't a strange question. There was a time in the United States when just about everybody knew who Jesus is but those numbers have slowly declined. But just because they knew who he is doesn't mean that they really knew him as a close personal friend.

The Bible tells us that in Jesus' small group they didn't all know him and some of them knew him better than others. We saw recently that Judas didn't get it at all and he wasted three years of his life living a lie. The other disciples didn't really know him fully or they wouldn't react to situations the way they did.

Philip proved that he didn't really know when he asks Jesus "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus has been with them for all this time telling them that he is God (John 10:30-33) and yet they are still confused.

Philip is the same guy that Jesus asked “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” (John 6:5) If he really knew Jesus he wouldn't have any doubt that Jesus could feed them even if there wasn't a basket of bread and fish.

I cannot criticize Philip for what he didn't know, I have to ask myself if I really know Jesus, does the average church attender or small group participant really know Jesus? What level of intimacy is my relationship to Jesus?

The average person in Jerusalem may have had physical or factual knowledge of who Jesus is but it didn't have an affect on their life. Even the people that were against Jesus had this much knowledge of him but because they stopped there and didn't go any further in their relationship with him, out of ignorance they came to the wrong conclusion about him.

We need to know Jesus deeper through a relationship built on faith or else we will be in danger of forming the wrong opinion about him. This is the depth of knowing that scripture refers to between Adam and Eve in Genesis 4:1 and this is the depth of relationship that Jesus uses in John 17:3.

John 17:3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

The apostle Paul mentions a deeper knowing of Jesus in his letter to the Philippians. This deeper knowledge of Jesus causes your perspective of worldly things to change.

Philippians 3:8-10  Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ  9  and become one with Him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with Himself depends on faith.  10  I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. I want to suffer with Him, sharing in His death,

The value of knowing Christ and holding him above any other love in this world is pretty radical. Paul was educated, he had position in the religious system and he was known for being a devout Jew that obeyed the law but none of this was important to him after he received a deeper knowledge of Jesus.

We can be too much like Paul, we know enough about Jesus to make us dangerous, we can come to some radical opinions about him and do some stupid things. We can value our own ability and our social status above the value of knowing Jesus better and allowing him to be in control.

Perfect Unity

John 14:19-21  Soon the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me. Since I live, you also will live.  20  When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. 21  Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me. And because they love Me, My Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal Myself to each of them."

The Holy Spirit, the Son, and the Father takes up residence in the life of a believer!  This is such an incredible thought! Jesus will send the Holy Spirit to be our Advocate, he will live within us and help us know the truth so that we can live in unity with the three persons of the trinity. (John 14:16-17)

John 17:23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

I need to go beyond just knowing Jesus and take it to a deeper level. The burning desire of every believer ought to be to know God better, to know Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I mean really KNOW them and be a real follower of Christ.

I should be diligent to be "Digging the Word" so that I might know and I should allow what I know to affect the way that I live. Once I began to cultivate this deeper communion with Christ it made me hungry for more, I have no desire to return to my previous shallow life being a careless Christian.

I need to remember Jesus words at the beginning of John 14 and realize that I can live with a heart that isn't troubled if I have faith and if I live it out my faith in obedience to his commands. (John 14:1)

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I Am The Way, The Truth And The Life

Jesus answers important questions that have eternal consequences.

 

John 14:3-9  When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am.  4  And you know the way to where I am going."

5  "No, we don't know, Lord," Thomas said. "We have no idea where You are going, so how can we know the way?"

6  Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.  7  If you had really known Me, you would know who My Father is. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him!"

8  Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied."

9  Jesus replied, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don't know who I am? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father! So why are you asking Me to show Him to you?

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This post jumps right into Jesus' classroom, he has been teaching his disciples their final lessons before his death, these lessons will have to sustain these guys through the dark days ahead. The disciples have already had their world turned sideways and their perspective on the Messiah has been challenged, they have more questions and doubts than ever.

The beginning of John 14 is a very popular portion of scripture and with good reason. this may be the climax of everything that Jesus has taught them in the past three years, some of life's most important questions are answered here.

Jesus told them in the previous verses to not doubt him and don't be upset by what is about to happen. If they trust in God the Father then they can trust in the Son as well and then Jesus tells them that they have very good reasons to do so. (John 14:1-2)

I Am The Only Way To God

Jesus is going ahead of the disciples to get a place ready for them and he promises that when everything is ready he will come and get them. Thomas had to speak up and ask how they would know the way to where he is going, Thomas wants to get there so logic says that he needed to know more information.

Thomas didn't realize that the journey is a spiritual one, Jesus wasn't going to a physical location so getting there wasn't something that Thomas needed to do for himself, he didn't know that Jesus would come back and personally escort him there when it is time.

I Am The Only Source Of Truth

What is truth? The question that Pilate asked during Jesus' trial is an important one for each of us to answer. Some say truth is a power trip used by some to control the masses, to some, truth is subjective and based on preference or opinion, others believe truth is a popular consensus created by the culture.

Truth is far more than facts. It’s not just something we act upon. It acts upon us. We can’t change the truth, but the truth can change us. It sanctifies (sets us apart) from the falsehoods woven into our sin natures.

-Randy Alcorn

Absolute truth is unpopular and inconvenient, absolute truth is demanding, you don't get to decide what is right. If something is absolutely wrong then your only decision is whether you are going to do right or do wrong. I don't get to redefine what absolute truth is going to be. Our society and the church has distorted the truth of scripture and adopted new teachings on social issues but God hasn't changed his mind.

I Am The Only Giver Of Eternal Life 

Death has been defeated and my faith gives me peace and joy! If the only thing you did was believe on Jesus so that you won’t go to hell, then you are missing out on the everlasting life the Lord wants to have with you right now. Eternal life is not just a destination to go to after you leave this world, it is also a relationship to be enjoyed now, it is a relationship that begins in this world that keeps on growing until we experience it eternally in heaven.

My relationship with God should grow closer and closer while I am here even though it can never become what it will be when I am in his presence without my sin nature and the cares of this world getting in the way.

The Promise From God

Galatians 3:16-17, 29  God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn't say "to his children, " as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says "to His child"--and that, of course, means Christ. 17  This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking His promise. 29  And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God's promise to Abraham belongs to you.

God's promise to Abraham is still in the process of being fully realized, the promise that through the Messiah all of the true descendants of Abraham would be blessed, Jesus has begun the work that will be completed in each of us when we cheat the grave and arrive in the presence of God the Father.

I am so unworthy and completely undeserving of the promise that God made to Abraham, just as Abraham didn't do anything to gain the approval of God, I am at least as bad as he was. 

God's Promises - Psalm 12:6, 71:22, 91:4, 119:140, 145:13

Eternal Life In John's Gospel - John 1:29, 36, 3:14-16, 5:25-25, 10:9, 10:17–18, 11:25, 14:9, 19

I have a place in my Father's house that he is preparing for me. I don't have to figure out how to get there because he will personally escort me there! Thank you Lord for your amazing love that has prompted you to do so much for me. 

Real Christ Followers

The imitations can be so close to the real thing that you might be surprised.

 

Matthew 7:20-23  Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.  21  "Not everyone who calls out to Me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter.

22  On judgment day many will say to Me, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.'  23  But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who break God's laws.'

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In my previous post "Living A Lie" we saw that all of the disciples were deceived into thinking that Judas was one of them. Everyone in the room at the Last Supper was shocked except for our Savior, Satan had produced such a superb counterfeit Christ Follower to the point that the eleven guys that Judas was in a small group with didn't have a clue.

Christianities true value can be seen in the number of cheap imitations that there are. Counterfeiters do not waste their time producing pretend copies of something that isn't real and very valuable, a lot of effort goes into making false cash or precious gemstones or even imitation of expensive medication but nobody is making fake versions of cheap things with little value.

That's one of the ways that Satan proves to us that Christianity is valuable and real. Other religions do not have a problem with fake versions, nobody has ever seen a false Buddhists or a fake Hindu, I know that Christ and his teachings are extremely valuable because of all of the effort that Satan puts into making counterfeits.

You even heard it from our president, “Well, there were Christians a thousand years ago who slaughtered Muslims.”  Those weren't Christians, by the way, those were false Christians who belonged to a false Christian system, but that’s the kind of strategy that goes on all of the time surrounding Christianity.

-John MacArthur "Traits of a True Believer"

There is a lot of talk about being a Christian, many funerals do the injustice of labeling someone a Christian when their isn't any real evidence, what a tragedy that is! The people that attend such a funeral will understand a false gospel and feel comfortable about their eternal relationship with God.

So how do we know who the true Christians are?  Who are the true followers of Christ? If Judas was able to trick eleven guys in his small group then how can we be sure about our own small group?

It is difficult for us to know because the heart is where the real change has to take place. Anybody can put some effort into changing the outside, I can follow the rules and do what is expected of a Christ follower for long enough to fool anybody, but real transformation comes from the heart.

Ezekiel 36:25-27  "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols.  26  And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.  27  And I will put My Spirit in you so that you will follow My decrees and be careful to obey My regulations.

A new heart and a new spirit has to come from God, the inner spiritual transformation has to work its way out to the outer physical transformation, too often we try to change our exterior with the hopes that it will sink inward. The Bible tells us that is the wrong direction.

Heart Issues: Acts 15:9, Romans 2:29, 2 Corinthians 4:6, 2 Timothy 2:22, Hebrews 10:22

From the inside a new creation comes about from nothing, just as the whole universe was created by God from nothing. The new creature looks outwardly toward Christ instead of inwardly toward self. The old things are replaced with new things that are full of life and the glory of God.

Empty Words: Psalm 55:21-23, Proverbs 26:23-25, Ezekiel 33:31-33, James 2:15-16, 1 John 3:18-19

We have all heard the parable of the two builders that built their own homes, they might have the same architect, same floor plan and they were probably in the same neighborhood because they both weathered the same storm but without a solid foundation they will have drastically different outcomes.

Spiritual activity without a proper foundation is the easiest way to seem like you have been changed by the gospel, you don't have to dig or pour a footer, you just pick a place and start building, your house may resemble the true believers around you but without the proper foundation it is all going to fall. (Matthew 7:20-27)

Examine Yourself First: 1 Corinthians 11:31, Matthew 7:4-5, Romans 2:1,

Real followers of Jesus have a new birth, a new heart and new desires, they are Spirit led and obedient to God's Word. Real followers of Jesus are strangely different, what they hated before are the things that they love, going to church and studying God's Word are no longer a chore. All of the stuff the world loves is seen as garbage and so they strive to die to their old way of life.

Ye call Me Master and obey me not,
Ye call Me Light and see me not,
Ye call Me the way and follow me not
Ye call Me Life and desire me not,
Ye call Me wise and acknowledge me not,
Ye call Me fair and love me not,
Ye call Me rich and ask me not,
Ye call Me eternal and seek me not,
Ye call Me gracious and trust me not,
Ye call Me Noble and serve me not,
Ye call Me mighty and honor me not,
Ye call Me just and fear me not,
If I condemn you, blame me not.

It may sound like a long checklist of things to look for in someones life but it can all be summed up with the word love. It's that thing that Jesus said that we should be known for and since the world is pretty good at love that means that we will have to be really extreme at showing love in order to be set apart from the rest. (John 13:35)

These are the clues that somebody is a real follower of Christ. They have experienced a new birth, received a new heart, and enjoy new desires. All of these things make them a totally different person than they used to be.

Plenty of "good" people will end up in hell for eternity without God. Living a moral and descent life may fool your pastor, your friends or even your small group but it isn't going to fool God.

Your good works, church attendance, baptism, Bible study or prayer time isn't going to keep you from hearing Jesus say "I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who break God's laws."

How Is Your Serve?

Jesus condescended the most because he loves us the most.

 

John 13:3-6  Jesus knew that the Father had given Him authority over everything and that He had come from God and would return to God.  4  So He got up from the table, took off His robe, wrapped a towel around His waist,  5  and poured water into a basin. Then He began to wash the disciples' feet, drying them with the towel He had around Him.  6  When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to Him, "Lord, are You going to wash my feet?"

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This is Jesus last Passover celebration, his Last Supper with his disciples, Jesus knew God's timetable and that his final hour was drawing near. You and I would be very self-centered in this situation, just like the disciples were as they sat at the table with Jesus but instead of worrying about himself he is concerned with the men that he would leave behind and the strength of their faith.

On many occasions Jesus was asked who he is, where he came from and why he thought that he had the authority to scold the Pharisees. John tells us that Jesus knew that he came from God, he would return to God and he knew that God had given him the authority to do God stuff. Yet he did things that we wouldn't expect God to do.

It is difficult to imagine that Jesus had authority over absolutely everything, we can't even comprehend what that means, when we say that somebody has authority over something we know in our heads that the authority covers certain boundaries. A school teacher has authority in certain areas that we can clearly define but Jesus rules over things that we don't even know about.

Should the ruler over absolutely everything be my servant?

"No," Peter protested, "You will never ever wash my feet!"

Jesus stepped down from the highest position and humbled himself, he made the greatest leap in condescension, we will probably never understand why he loves us so much that he would make this giant step from greatness to the lowliest servant.

Only humble people love, and your capacity to love is directly related to your capacity to humble yourself. The less interested you are in yourself, the greater your capacity to invest yourself in somebody else. The lower you go in self-concern, the higher you go in concern for others. -John MacArthur

I have never considered the connection between loving and being humble. Jesus willingness to be so humble and come down so low from his superior position in heaven is incredible. That level of selflessness is far superior to the love that we have that is self serving and seeks to gain something in return.

Shouldn't Jesus announce that I am his greatest follower?

Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank. 

These guys were so busy arguing about their rank and how well they were doing at following the Rabbi that they missed one of the most important qualities of a Christ follower. Think about this, the hands that control the universe, including all the angelic host, humbly washed the dirty feet of twelve undeserving apostles! And that includes the feet of the betrayer!

Unworthy Servants

Luke 17:7-10  "When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, 'Come in and eat with me'? No, he says, 'Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.' And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey Me you should say, 'We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.'"

I am an unworthy servant that has a hard time thinking of myself as I should, my level of gratitude for what God has done for me is severely lacking because of my perception of who I am and what level of despair I was in without my Savior doesn't really sink into my head. Pride gets in the way of seeing myself the way that God sees me.

If I could wrap my head around the idea of how depraved I am then my level of gratitude would be increased along with my ability to love and serve the hurting world around me the way that Jesus did.

Help me Lord to see myself through your eyes for who I really am so I can fully appreciate what you have done for me.

Pocketful Of Faith

Take this pocketful of faith, It is all I have today, I'm giving it all.

I don’t want to get there

At the end of it all

Looking behind me

To see there was so much more

Take this pocketful of faith

It is all I have today

I’m giving it all

I’m giving it all

CHORUS

You will always have my heart

Everyday I’ll trust You more, oh God

Take this pocketful of faith

It is all I have today

I’m giving it all

I’m giving it all

VERSE 2

Leaving the safety

Here at the shore

Beyond the horizon

I see there is so much more

Take this pocketful of faith

It is all I have today

I’m giving it all

I’m giving it all

BRIDGE

Anywhere You go I’ll follow

When You call my name I’ll run

Lead me on into tomorrow

Light my way like the rising sun

It is a good idea to schedule an inventory of your life on a regular basis if we are going to live as passionate followers of Christ then we have to make sure that we are really doing it. There are so many other things to choose to live for that it is easy to get distracted and off course. If you wait to long to look back then you will discover that there are times when you have wasted time and energy on things that didn't matter.

It takes faith to be obedient and passionately follow Christ, to jump out of the deceptive safety of being normal, it takes faith but thankfully it doesn't take a lot of it. Just a pocket full of faith is all you need to get started on the road of following Christ.

It is scary to ask God if I am playing safe or if I am truly following him with the degree of passion that he desires. Do I really want to know the answer? It may require that I make big changes, nobody likes big changes, big changes are painful changes.

Following anywhere is my goal, he moves, I move, he calls and I answer, he leads and I follow. I must die to self so that I can live with fewer regrets and accomplish the work that God has for me to do.

Following Jesus

Following keeps on happening one step at a time no matter what happens.

 

John 12:12-19  The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors  13  took palm branches and went down the road to meet Him. They shouted, "Praise God! Blessings on the One who comes in the name of the LORD! Hail to the King of Israel!"  14  Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:  15  "Don't be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey's colt."

16  His disciples didn't understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into His glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about Him.

17  Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising Him from the dead, and they were telling others about it.  18  That was the reason so many went out to meet Him--because they had heard about this miraculous sign.  19  Then the Pharisees said to each other, "There's nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after Him!"

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Jerusalem was probably in a state of chaos, there were crowds in the city with their animals for the Passover celebration, and there were people that were amazed that Lazarus was back from the dead. It reminds me of the commotion that Mary and Joseph experienced when they arrived in Bethlehem to register for the census.

The excitement goes a little bit higher when the word gets out that Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem. A crowd begins to parade out of the city to meet him as he comes to town.  The Pharisees are annoyed at the welcome party that Jesus received and unsuccessfully tried to persuade him to silence the people, they told Jesus but he told them that "If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!" (Luke 19:38-40).

The crowds were amazed by Jesus. 

The thing the Pharisees most feared was happening right in front of them and there doesn't seem to be a way to stop it. "Everyone has gone after him!" And why not? Jesus has made their dull life of oppression and poverty so much better. He has fed thousands, given them help with their physical ailments and brought back relatives that have died. Following was easy and for a while it made their life better.

But are they really followers of Jesus? They followed him around but that didn't make them people of faith anymore than going to church makes you a Christian. A fully committed follower knows that Jesus isn't the key to your "best life now."

The Pharisees were amazed by the crowd.

These guys were deceived into thinking that they needed to worry about losing their position and power but Jesus knew better. Jesus knew that the crowds wanted something that he wasn't going to give them, Jesus knew that they didn't understand the mission that brought him to earth, he knew that they would turn against him in a few days. Jesus would disappoint the crowds when he didn't leverage his influence to overthrow the system.

Maybe it wasn't their position or power, maybe some of the Pharisees really believed that they were doing the right thing, in Deuteronomy 13:1-5 God instructed them to kill false prophets, maybe some of them believed that they were obligated to get rid of Jesus in the same way that Saul was persecuting the early church.

The problem with that thinking is that the Pharisees are the real false prophets and teachers that are leading the people astray. Somebody should be throwing rocks at them!

Following Has A Price

Luke 14:25-28  A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them,  "If you want to be My disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison--your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be My disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow Me, you cannot be My disciple. But don't begin until you count the cost.

Jesus didn't smooth talk his way into getting followers, he didn't give the itching ears the stuff that they wanted to hear, Jesus told the crowds that following him was not going to be easy. Many times he told the crowds that his committed followers would have to make great sacrifices.

Make sure that you follow Jesus because of who he is not because of what you think he might provide for you. The truest test of following comes in the “even if” moments, even if my marriage falls apart, even if this cancer never goes away, even if I lose my job, even if we never get pregnant. Following keeps on happening one step at a time no matter what happens.

Isaiah 43:2  When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

Are you a part of the crowd or are you fully committed? The crowd questions God's love when the going gets tough. The crowd isn't going to keep on following when the goodies and benefits are surpassed by the struggles and disappointments that will surely come.

We question God's love in the difficulty but he knows that in those uncomfortable situations we grow and we make choices that increase our faith, he will put us in those situations on purpose because he wants so much more for us. It is only when we come through the tough times that our faith muscle gets exercised and it gets put on display for God's glory.

We are satisfied with where we are and who we are but God wants so much more for us. Our amazement with Jesus only requires us to use our brain. God is after our heart and that is what he needs to get us to be his committed followers!

Do we have the faith to follow Jesus one step at a time? Will we follow Jesus wherever He goes, knowing that it is God who leads the way?

I Am The Vine

God planted a new vine and he tends to it so it will be fruitful.

 

John 15:1-8  "I am the true grapevine, and My Father is the gardener.  2  He cuts off every branch of Mine that doesn't produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.  3  You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.  4  Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me.   

5  "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.  6  Anyone who does not remain in Me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.  7  But if you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!  8  When you produce much fruit, you are My true disciples. This brings great glory to My Father.

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Our God loves to create, out of nothing he likes to make the most elaborate and complex, out of the dirt he likes to make something clean, and out of the old he likes to make things new. Maybe that is why I like yard work, I like to do my part to create, it is a partnership with God to get things to grow. I do my part and leave the rest up to him.

Our creator is portrayed as someone who has planted and cultivated a vineyard. In the Old Testament God prepared the soil for his vineyard, he built up walls to keep out the wild animals and to keep people from stealing the fruit, his vine had every advantage and should have been the most productive and prosperous. (Isaiah 5:1-7, Psalm 80:8-16, Joel 1:7, Jeremiah 2:21, Ezekiel 19:10)

But after a lot of patient gardening Israel has forfeited its right to be the vine, the New Testament message is of God planting a new vine, Jesus comes along and says, "I am the true vine." Formerly God's life was poured through Israel and you must be connected with Israel to get God's blessings but that's all changed now.

God tends to the vine by looking for two different types of branches, the ones that bear fruit and those that don't, both types are holding the vine back from maximum fruit bearing. It may seem harsh but he uses his knife on both types of branches, the dead branches he cuts off and the fruitful branches get pruned.

He cuts off every branch of Mine that doesn't produce fruit

The way that John MacArthur explains it makes so much sense. If you look at the context of this metaphor it is easy to understand that the first branch that didn't bear fruit was Judas. He was close to Jesus and he played along like he was a fruitful branch but he proved to be a phony. The branches that are being cut and thrown into the fire were never Christ followers.

John 13:10-11  “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

A lot of people try to attach themselves to the vine, John calls them "Judas" branches. They attend church, they go to your small group, they sound like they belong but they are not genuine. Eventually, the fruitless branches are identified and they are removed for the sake of truth and the benefit of the real branches.

He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more

The last words you want to hear from the doctor is "we need to operate." That is the news that the Great Physician has for you. Pruning improves your fruit production. In order for us to operate at maximum fruit-bearing capacity God needs to cut off our sins, our habits and attitudes that slow down the production of fruit.

Hebrews 12:10-11  For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

God's discipline is to bring us to being holy, sanctification is the church word for the process of being made holy and set apart for God. To live attached to the vine is a life of dependence, exercising faith and imitating the vine.

Sanctification means being made one with Jesus so that the nature that controlled Him will control us. Are we really prepared for what that will cost? It will cost absolutely everything in us which is not of God.

-Utmost.org

Jesus is our only connection with God, the only means that we are saved and the only hope we have of living a fruitful life for God. When we are joined to the vine, we are united with Jesus in all our interests, we have common desires, we are delighted in the things that he loves and we hate the things that he hates. We are willing to endure the same trials, contempt and persecution that he bore.

When you produce much fruit you are My true disciples

Every believer bears fruit but not all of them bear much fruit. Jesus' followers should be know by the abundance of fruit and the type of fruit. The fruit we produce is the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. (Matthew 7:15-23, Galatians 5:22–23)

God's Pruning Tool
Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

God never changes, he is still using the same tool that he has always used to prune his vine, he uses the knife of his Word to get rid of the impurities that will hold up fruit production. He takes off the old blooms, the shoots that are going the wrong way and the parasites.

The Gardner's knife causes us much pain, sometimes we wonder why some things have to be cut away and we resist, we don't like it or understand everything that the Gardner cuts off. I have to wonder if I really need so much attention from the gardener. I must trust that he has great things in store.

I need to be a part of the true vine, the world grows their vines that I need to avoid, Their vine may be their bank account, their education, fame, talents or relationships. Many people plant a vine of religion and rules. None of these can bear fruit! The Vine is Jesus and you need to be attached.

RELATED ARTICLES

The Cost Of Sanctification (utmost.org)

Awesome Outcomes

Does your faith have a positive effect on others?

John 4:43-52  At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee.  44  He Himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown.  45  Yet the Galileans welcomed Him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything He did there.

46  As He traveled through Galilee, He came to Cana, where He had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick.  47  When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.

48  Jesus asked, "Will you never believe in Me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?"  49  The official pleaded, "Lord, please come now before my little boy dies."

50  Then Jesus told him, "Go back home. Your son will live!" And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.

51  While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well.  52  He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, "Yesterday afternoon at one o'clock his fever suddenly disappeared!" 53  Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, "Your son will live."

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Jesus doesn't stay in one place for very long. He didn't waste his time with people that did not react in faith but he didn't stay too long with people that did demonstrate faith. He could have stayed and enjoyed the popularity that he had in Samaria but after a couple of days he moved on.

After the warm welcome that Jesus had among people that were not considered Jewish he went back toward his homeland but once again he didn't encounter people of faith. We don't even get a picture of what his ministry was on that day but we know that they didn't respond.

Time to move on, time to reveal God's love to somebody else, somebody that the Jews would despise. The royal official of Herod's court could be a Gentile or he could have been a Jew that had taken a job working for the government, either way the man was probably despised and rejected.

The official left his home in Capernaum to search for Jesus in Cana. This must have been a last ditch effort to save his son. This guy probably had enough money and the social network to give him access to the best doctors of the day but none of that did any good.
The man seems to have faith that Jesus can heal his son but he doesn't know about Jesus timetable. The verb tense that John uses indicates that he was repeatedly begging Jesus to come to his home and heal his son.

He tries to rush Jesus because he thinks that he needs to get Jesus back to his house. He thought that the travel time could make the difference between life and death for his son. Jesus settles the man's fear by telling him that it is finished, the healing has taken place, Jesus tells him that his son will live. He isn't going to die but does that mean that he is fully healed?

One commentator pointed out to me that the man was traveling home, which was only a day long journey, yet he wasn't home yet when the servants met him the next day. It seems that he really did have extreme faith, it looks like he didn't run home with any anxiousness, I am pretty sure that I would have run home to be sure that my son was okay.

My Faith Affects Others
2 Thessalonians 1:3-4  Dear brothers and sisters, we can't help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. We proudly tell God's other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering.

Most of our prayer time is focused on getting rid of the stuff that makes us uncomfortable and we fail to realize that the uncomfortable stuff is usually the stuff that God is using for our benefit. What if it isn't for our benefit but for the good of somebody in our life? We usually don't consider that the stuff that we don't like is the stuff that God loves to use.

This family and their servants were greatly upset at the thought of losing this boy. The father probably spent a lot of money to see the best doctors in Capernaum. His mom probably cried herself to sleep every night. Somebody probably stayed up with the boy all night. Surely they must have begged some "god" to heal the boy.

These were the worst of times but they were the best of times. Through all of the tears, the grief and the stress a greater good came. The father met Jesus and his reaction to Jesus had an effect on his entire household.

The father believed that Jesus could come to his house and heal his son but Jesus increased his faith and gave him a better understanding of himself so that the man could believe that Jesus could heal him without being there.

Does your faith have an effect on others? Does your faith have a positive effect on others?

All of us have faith that affects others but most of us don't have faith that has a positive effect on others. Too many times we don't put our faith into practice, we beg God to remove the difficulty, we freak out that life isn't going right. This kind of reaction has a negative effect on the people around you that need to grow in faith. They need to see how big your faith is and that you put it to good use.

I need to display faith in every situation because there are people all around me that are watching to see if my faith is good enough to get me through the tough stuff that life throws at me. If my faith fails it can have an effect on many more people than I realize.

Thank you Lord for faith, thank you for the effect that it has had on my household. What a blessing to see that my faith has been contagious and has been passed on to my children. Help me to be strong in faith so that the people around me will see that you are sufficient for every need.

Come And See

Jesus invites us to come and check him out.

 

John 1:38-46  Jesus looked around and saw them following. "What do you want?" He asked them. They replied, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are You staying?"  39  "Come and see," He said. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when they went with Him to the place where He was staying, and they remained with Him the rest of the day.

40  Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus.  41  Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means "Christ").

42  Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, "Your name is Simon, son of John--but you will be called Cephas" (which means "Peter").

43  The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Come, follow Me."  44  Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter's hometown.

45  Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, "We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth."  46  "Nazareth!" exclaimed Nathanael. "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"

"Come and see for yourself," Philip replied.

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Two men took the initiative and start following Jesus and it doesn't take long for him to realize that he has company. Have you ever been followed by a couple of rough looking men that you don't know? Would you walk faster and try and get away?

Jesus is a very kind and inviting person and he decides to break the ice with these two guys by asking a question. In the previous post we looked at the question that Jesus asked. The disciples make it clear that they are anxious to spend time with Jesus and they want more than just a few minutes on the road with him. (What Do You Want From Jesus?)

"Come and see" is the invitation that Andrew and John received from Jesus. The offer is the same one that we have today. He doesn't force himself of us but if we take a step toward him he will invite us to come closer and check him out and make an informed decision about who he is. His response to the disciples revealed nothing and it didn't promise anything, it only invited an opportunity to begin a relationship. Do you desire to be in the presence of God?

It didn't take long for Andrew to be fully convinced that he had found the Messiah and he wanted to share the awesome news with his brother Simon. That's the same response that most new followers of Christ have, they cannot keep it to themselves and hide it under a bushel, they seek to tell their family and friends so they may be brought to the Saviour. That is the thrust of mission work today. We do not wait for them to come to us, but we go for them and seek them out, and tell them that a Saviour is found.

Jesus invites Philip to "come follow me," Philip must have made up his mind about Jesus very quickly. We see another immediate reaction reaction, Philip's reaction was the same as Andrew's, he wants to find his brother right away and share the good news."

"Come and see," is the reply that Philip gives when Nathanael shows that he is skeptical that somebody that comes from the region of Galilee or the town of Nazareth could possibly be the Messiah. Philip didn't try to convince him, he didn't give him any apologetics or try to reason with Nathanael, he just wanted to show him Jesus.

So we should beg the people around us to lay aside their prejudices against religion, since there are so many definitions for the term Christian, we should be cautious about asking them to be one. We should just ask them to "come and see" Jesus for themselves.

John 7:52 They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself, no prophet ever comes from Galilee!"

"Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Nathanael may have been skeptical or prejudiced but he certainly was not proud like the religious leaders that couldn't believe that the Messiah would come from Nazareth or from the region of Galilee. As soon as Jesus met  Nathanael he confirmed that Nathanael was a man of good character.

Jesus knows each one of us but do we know him? Do we know more about our definition of a Christian than we know about Jesus? A Muslim, a Jehovahs Witness, a Mormon or any other religious group, don't need to be convinced to become a Christian. They need to be shown Jesus for who he really is.

If we seek to know him then we will have a better chance of becoming like him. If we show Jesus to the people around us then we will overcome the prejudice that people have toward Christianity. After all of the history of messing things up, they can easily say, "Christian, can anything good come from that?"

Philippians 3:8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

We don't need to show anybody a lot of knowledge or doctrine. We need to invite the people around us to learn about Jesus by inviting the to "Come and see."

What Do You Want?

How would you answer Jesus question?

John 1:35-39  The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples.  36  As Jesus walked by, John looked at Him and declared, "Look! There is the Lamb of God!"

37  When John's two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.  38  Jesus looked around and saw them following. "What do you want?" He asked them.

They replied, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are You staying?"  39  "Come and see," He said. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when they went with Him to the place where He was staying, and they remained with Him the rest of the day.

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A popular phrase that you have probably heard is "Jesus is the answer" but have you ever thought about the questions that Jesus asked? As a teacher or Rabbi Jesus used questions to make us think and go deeper in analyzing our hearts. Instead of easy answers Jesus asks difficult questions.

It is almost time for John the Baptist to fade into the background, his ministry doesn't seem to have lasted very long, it isn't long after Jesus begins his ministry that John's ministry disappears. There isn't any reason for the crowds to keep following John the Baptist when the Messiah is the one that you should be following.

I have to wonder what the disciples of John wanted if they didn't want Jesus. John the Baptist must of had a lot of disciples around him the day that he pointed out Jesus and told the crowd that that guy is the Messiah and yet we only know of two people that stopped following John and turned to Jesus. It makes me wonder why they were following John. If they believed in his message about the coming Messiah then they should have said good-bye to John the Baptist and followed Jesus.

These two guys were very happy to see Jesus and the look on their face must have made it very clear that they wanted to be with Jesus. As Jesus notices the disciples he turns to them and makes himself available to them. That's the same thing that he does for anyone that is honestly seeking him.

Jesus breaks the ice and begins the conversation with a question. Jesus asked them "What do you want?" Their smiling faces may have turned to red with embarrassment. Was he mad that they had interrupted his day?

What do you want from Jesus? Why are you following him? We all have different reasons for beginning to follow after Jesus. Most of them are pretty selfish at the beginning of our faith journey, we want to avoid hell or we want Jesus to fix our situation in life that we created, your life is a mess and you don't know what else to do.

Instead of a direct answer the disciples ask Jesus where he is staying, that's an indirect way of saying that they want to get invited over for the afternoon, they wanted to be with Jesus for more than a few minutes on the road. They addressed Jesus as "Rabbi" and they knew that they needed to stay with him and learn from him.

Consider three of Jesus questions that are recorded in the Gospels: ✔  What do you want? (John 1:38) ✔  Why are you looking for me? (Luke 2:49) ✔  What do you want me to do for you? (Mark 10:36, 51)

We can analyze our motives and the condition of our heart by asking ourselves the questions that Jesus asked two thousand years ago. His questions will help us to focus on God and not religion, his questions will draw us to repentance, and his questions will bring to mind our level of obedience and commitment to him.