P James • Love and Glory in Mission with God

How do I edit God? How can I simplify something very deep and complex? 

Let me give the "call to action" first and hope that it hooks you in to following through some of the deeper logic of the Gospel of John:

God's call on our lives is to show the world what God the Father’s love is like. How do we do this? We lay down our lives in hospitable service in this world. God’s mission of hospitality becomes ours. 

Here is how I get there. (The underlinings highlight the pieces that support the "call to action.")

I. The promise of the Holy Spirit for Believers (John 14:15-17)

15“If you love me, keep my commands. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

II. The Work of the Spirit in all of Humanity (John 16:8-11)

8When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

III. The Work of the Holy Spirit within Believers (John 16:12-15)

12“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

IV. Jesus Prays to be Glorified (John 17:1-5)

V. Jesus Prays for his first disciples to be set apart (sanctified) and protected within this world (John 17:6-18)

17“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”

VI. Jesus Prays for Us (John 17:20-23)

20“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

   A. We are called to be one. (Verse 21)

   B. We receive the Son’s glory from the Father in order that we might be one. (Verse 22)

VII. Jesus Prays for Us (John 17:24-26)

24“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

   A. The Father loves the Son from all eternity. (Verses 5, 24)

   B. Jesus will continue to make the Father known. (Verse 26 and see John 1:18)

   C. The Father loves the Son because he lays down his life for us. (John 10:17 – “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life.”)

   D. Jesus reveals the Father to us so that the love the Father has for Jesus may be in us. (Verses 23, 26)

God's call on our lives is to show the world what God the Father’s love is like. How do we do this? We lay down our lives in hospitable service in this world. God’s mission of hospitality becomes ours.  

How can this possibly be successful? Jesus prays for our success and joins us in this work. We are the branches, HE is the vine (John 15:1-8). Our friends and family “in the world” cannot receive the Holy Spirit (John 14:17). They can receive us and learn from our humble and hospitable service (John 13:15-17). We are joined and empowered by the Holy Spirit in this work (John 14:17, 16:13, 15). As we obey Jesus and give ourselves in love, our joy will be full (John 15:9-17).

Here comes Sunday... Let's be ready to talk about this!

John 15 - I am the true Vine ... abide in me!

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.  Abide in my love. -- John 15:9

This blog is a continuation of a sermon series exploring themes of hospitality in the Gospel of John. 

John 15 is first of three chapters (15-17) known as the "final discourse" chapters, which form the last series of teachings by Jesus before he is arrested and crucified.  

In this chapter, Jesus declares himself to be "the true vine" (John 15:1).  Just as God, the Father, took the Hebrews out of bondage to slavery in Egypt and planted them as a nation (Psalm 80:8-9, 14-15), so Jesus would take people out of bondage to sin, death, and the Evil One, to become a holy nation, a royal priesthood unto God (1 Peter 2:9), by his atoning sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection from the dead to life everlasting.   Just as God, the Father, planted a choice vine of pure seed (Jeremiah 2:21), so Jesus as the pure spotless lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29) would fruit unto rightesness, being a faithful witness and servant of the Father's will (John 5:19-24).   As Israel failed as a true witness of God's character, justice, and righteousness (Isaiah 5:1-7), Jesus would be the true witness, bearing light to the nations (John 8:12, 28-29) into truth that would set them free.

Jesus then admonishes his disciples to abide in him, his word, and love (John 8:31-32; 15:5-11) so that they might bear fruit that lasts, prove to be his disciples, and receive fullness of joy.  He gives them a singular command: love one another as I have loved you (John 15:12), and sends them forth into the world as witnesses in his name.  Jesus forewarns his disciples that they will experience persecution from the world (John 15:18-25), for as the world did not receive him, nor will they receive his disciples, but some will because of Jesus.  In the end, the world now stands condemned, for it has witnessed the coming of the true vine, the Son of God, in whom and for whom all things were made (John 1:10), but rejected him and chose to live in darkness than come into his light of life and grace (John 3:16-21).  His disciples are not to be worry or be afraid for Jesus will send to them the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, who will continue lead and guide them, encourage and strengthen them to bear witness and remain steadfast (John 14:26-29; 15:26-27; 16:7-15). 

What is expected of us?

Our role is very clear in this chapter.  We are to be fruitful branches, bearing fruit that will last, connected to the true vine, Jesus.  In fact, Jesus tells us that apart from him we can do nothing (John 15:5).  Our reward, is further pruning from the Father (John 5:2) and increased joy (John 5:11).  Those branches that do not abide in Christ wither and are cut off and thrown into the fire (John 15:6).  

What is this fruit we are to bear?

First, bearing fruit is to have faith and believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of the world, that believing our sins are forgiven, we become children of God born of the Spirit, and receive true life everlasting. 

Second, bearing fruit is to be a faithful witness of Jesus to others, proclaiming to be the Christ, the Son of God.  Like Jesus, as we go forth into the world to proclaim the gospel, many will hear and believe and become disciples of Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Third, bearing fruit is to love another as Jesus has loved us.  He willing laid down his life for others, as a servant of his Father's will, obedient to the last, even to excruciating death on a cross, to be raised to newness of life forevermore.

Fourth, bearing fruit is simply to enjoy being loved by Jesus and the Father.  As dearly loved children of God, we grow in our understanding and experience of the nature and fulness of God's love for us, and the imcomparable riches he has in store for all his beloved children.   We know who we are, whence we came and wither we are going, our present hope, future, and destiny as Christ's beloved bride, living and reigning with him as coheirs for all eternity.  

How does this relate to hospitality?

Knowing the "big picture" enables me, through the help of the Holy Spirit, to welcome and show hospitality, in the name of Jesus, to those around me.  I can afford to be generous, because God has been generous with me, and I am secure in his love.   As I welcome people into my life, my "space," my networks of community, and even my home, I can provide spaces of shelter, safety, security, sustenance, friendship, and provision (i.e., hospitality) to those in need, knowing that The Lord is my shepherd and that he cares for my needs.  Because I am loved, I can love others.   To draw an analogy, I can be generous with giving out water to thirsty people, because I am tapped into a living source of water that never runs dry, but is like a river unto eternity.

Love the journey with you in the Gospel of John!

- Pastor Jeff

Pre-Sermon: John 15

I've been enjoying reading through the Gospel of John through the lens of hospitality, the practice of welcoming strangers into the community by providing them food, shelter, protection, and patronage.

To quickly review:


John 1

The preface which summarizes the entire gospel: "He came to his own (i.e., he was not a stranger), and his own people did not receive him.  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:11-12).

In terms of hospitality: Jesus is the host.  Humanity has been welcomed into his house. Humanity behaved badly as his guests.  We have brought dishonor to his name.  We were expelled (asked to leave), yet not left to fend for ourselves.  We were clothed with his grace and protection (Genesis 3).
It is like owning an apartment complex, which the owner rents out free of charge.  One day the owner comes to visit, but none of the tenants will receive or welcome the owner.  Instead they mistreat and force the owner to leave.  The invitation is given to a few disciples to come along and see heaven opened upon the Son of Man.

John 2 - 12, Who is Jesus?

Jesus is:

• The wedding host (John 2)
• The temple of God (John 2)
• The savior of the world (John 3)
• The bridegroom (John 3)
• The giver of living water (John 4)
• The healer (John 4/5)
• The true ambassador of the Father (John 5)
• The true bread of life (John 6)

The people debate: Is Jesus the Christ/Messiah? (John 7)

Jesus is:

• The light and truth of the world (John 8)
• The judge of the world (John 9)
• The good shepherd (John 10)
• The resurrection and the life (John 11)
• The atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world (John 12)

John 13-17, The Last Discourses

• John 13 - Love and serve as I have loved and served you (foot washing)
• John 14 - Believe and obey (the Helper will be with you forever)
• John 15 - Abide in me and bear fruit
• John 16 - Stand Firm and Pray

This is a quick reference outline for the context of John 15.  By now, the reader (you) have come to some conclusion also as to who Jesus really is -- the Son of God.   The question is whether you will receive him or reject him?  Ironic, isn't it, that the true host of the world comes to his own as the stranger.   Whereas he knows us, we do not know him, unless enabled by the work of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle John intentionally keeps the tension as to who really is host and guest.

Jesus' admonition to us in John 15 is simple: Abide in me and my love.  Then, he instructs us to love others as he has loved us.

-- Pastor Jeff