Cutting room floor: In the beginning...

This was part of the first sermon (He Has Made Himself Known) that didn’t make it to the final cut that I thought was pretty interesting.

John’s gospel starts with “In the beginning” – does that sound familiar? That's how the Bible begins with Genesis 1:1. In the beginning, God created. The first thing He created was light. And the story begins with a man named Adam, the first human being.

John's Gospel starts in the beginning, also talks about creation, and talks about Jesus Christ, who the Bible calls the true light and the second Adam (Romans 5). The first Adam brought sin and death into the world, the second brought salvation and life. 

So John, in telling us how Jesus revealed Himself, draws many parallel truths from Genesis. One more reason that I personally believe that Genesis is literal history!

Prayer: the ultimate game-changer

John 16:33 - I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Life can be hard, amen? The Lord gave us, in John 13-16, some tremendous resources to get us through a hard world. So far we have seen:

• PEOPLE TO COUNT ON.
• THE PROSPECT OF THINGS TO COME.
• A PERSON WITH PRESENCE AND POWER.
• A PLACE TO BELONG.

He gave us even more, one that we don't use near enough: the PRIVILEGE OF PRAYER.

John 16:23-24 - In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. 

Many times Jesus told us to pray in His name. What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name? 

This means much more than tacking a phrase at the end of your prayer. It is praying in unity with Christ, that is, praying for what Jesus would want!

Prayer certainly changes things, no doubt about that. But when we pray, when we really pray, we find that prayer changes US! You find yourself becoing less concerned with what you want, and more concerned with what will glorify God. And when that becomes your agenda, it doesn’t matter what the world throws at you because you are in tune with God

In John 14:27, Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

So enough with trying to find peace the worldly way - it's temporary and shallow.

So enough with expecting everything to be great here during our stay on the earth, it isn’t going to happen.

Are you using the resources that God has given you? We can experience the peace that Christ gives as we do life together, keeping our eyes on eternity, following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, walking in obedience and communing with God in prayer.

Let's do it - but let's do it with the resources God has given us. 

p.s. - that is quite a toolbelt we have!

Home Sweet Home

John 16:33 - I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

The Lord gave us some tremendous resources to get us through a hard world. He talks a lot about these in John 13-18. The first one we looked at was PEOPLE TO COUNT ON. Secondly, we looked at THE PROSPECT OF THINGS TO COME. Third, He has given us A PERSON WITH PRESENCE AND POWER.

As the infomercials say, “But wait… there’s more!” Jesus has given us

A PLACE TO BELONG.

Where do you abide? Home is where the heart is, right? Is your heart about America… all eagles, flags, and the Statue of Liberty? Do you love the state you are in? (That may just be a Texas thing. They still think there are people out there “messing with Texas“.) Maybe your thoughts about where you abide go to your town, or even your street, possibly down to your very house.

We may not feel we have a place we really belong. But Jesus gave us a place to abide. In fact, in John 15:1-11, you see the word over and over. Abide. Abide. Abide. Abide in Jesus, He abides in us. In fact, we can do nothing apart from abiding in Him! He said we are branches, attached to Him, the vine. The branches are dead off the vine, but alive and fruitful on the vine.

But what does He mean by abide? What does that look like? The answer is right in the passage:

John 15:10 - 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.

Following Jesus Christ means you are attached to Him and obedient to Him. It’s evidence that you are attached when your desire is to honor and serve Him your heart your whole heart.

Have you ever felt like a fish out of water? I think I do…most of my life. At a banquet, at the preachers’ meeting, at the senior citizens’ home, around teenagers, weddings, receptions, grad parties - so often I just feel like, “What the heck? Why don’t I feel like I should be here? I don’t think I belong here! Do I belong here?”

Jesus gave us a place to belong. We are in Him, and He is in us. That’s home.

Even before Christ, even before Pentecost, Moses had an idea about this concept. In Psalm 90, verse 1, he says, “Lord you have been our dwelling place, in all generations.”

Do you know God as your dwelling place? Are you abiding in Christ? Stop and look at your life right now - what evidence is there that you belong to God? Are you at home in Him?

It sure is a comfort to have a place to call home. 

p.s. - can't wait to finally be home with the Lord...in person...forever!

SPOILER ALERT! Heaven is Going to Be So Awesome!

John 16:33 - I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

In the world, we do have trouble. A lot of it.

But Jesus said some things so that we have His peace. The Lord gave us some tremendous resources to get us through a hard world. The first one we looked at was “People to Count On”.

Secondly, Jesus has given us THE PROSPECT OF THINGS TO COME.

John 14:2-3 - In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

 
I love the book of Ecclesiastes. Here is the short version: life is hard, life is empty, life is meaningless, life is short, life isn’t fair. But that’s only an earth-side view of life, only looking at what is “under the sun”. When the Lord is brought into the equation, life has meaning. Deep, rich meaning. But without the Lord, life is a tragedy, then you die.

Some people, might I suggest most people in the world, live as if this is all there is. Life under the sun, here and now. This is it. Nothing to look forward to. We live a hard life, then we die. Pointless. Just do whatever the heck you want while you are here, just try to be happy whatever the cost, because our existence is a joke, life is meaningless.

So here is some good news: Jesus Christ gives us the prospect of things to come! This is not the end, in fact, this life is just the beginning! We have the privilege of being the beneficiary of the Lord’s redemptive grace now, but being in His presence for eternity.

If I asked you if I could bite your arm, you wouldn’t go for it. That hurts, right? But if I told you if you let me bite your arm, I would give you a brand new car, you would roll your sleeve up and shove your arm in my mouth. It still hurts, but what changed the attitude...? The knowledge that something bigand great comes afterwards. Amazing how much less painful things can seem if we have the big picture in mind.

Eyes to the sky. Life can be hard, but Jesus promised the best is yet to come. He is preparing your place right now. And He is going to escort you there someday.

We have peace, knowing the day will come when all pain, heartache, disappointment, and hurt will forever be a thing of the past.

p.s. - is not going to bite you