WEBVTT 00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:04.019 As you know, after Easter, I said this last week, 00:00:04.099 --> 00:00:06.900 I'm just trying to remind us all, the lectionary 00:00:06.900 --> 00:00:10.240 gospel readings remind us of Jesus' words to 00:00:10.240 --> 00:00:13.759 his disciples before his death, burial, and resurrection. 00:00:14.619 --> 00:00:18.280 And just as the disciples needed Jesus to explain 00:00:18.280 --> 00:00:21.500 all the law, the prophets, and the Psalms after 00:00:21.500 --> 00:00:25.160 and in light of the resurrection, we can only 00:00:25.160 --> 00:00:27.780 truly understand the words of Jesus through the 00:00:27.780 --> 00:00:31.699 lens of the resurrection. It is through the resurrection 00:00:31.699 --> 00:00:35.299 that the words of Jesus have been made clear. 00:00:35.880 --> 00:00:38.740 Jesus' words are proven true in the resurrection. 00:00:39.799 --> 00:00:47.520 Amen. Christ is risen. Let us pray. Heavenly 00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:50.700 Father, praise be your name. Make us ever mindful 00:00:50.700 --> 00:00:53.359 that we are the people of the resurrection and 00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:55.859 that there is no power greater than your power. 00:00:56.159 --> 00:00:58.960 No power that can overthrow thy purpose and thy 00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:01.979 kingdom. Help us to hear and obey your voice. 00:01:02.700 --> 00:01:05.079 We do humbly ask you now that by your mercies 00:01:05.079 --> 00:01:07.640 and grace that you would make the words of my 00:01:07.640 --> 00:01:10.700 mouth and the meditations of all our hearts acceptable 00:01:10.700 --> 00:01:13.340 in your sight, O Lord our strength and nearest 00:01:13.340 --> 00:01:22.359 kinsman redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen. Let's hear 00:01:22.359 --> 00:01:27.819 the gospel reading once more. John 14. If you 00:01:27.819 --> 00:01:31.819 ask anything in my name, I will do it. If you 00:01:31.819 --> 00:01:35.099 love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray 00:01:35.099 --> 00:01:37.859 the Father, and he will give you another helper, 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:41.920 that he may abide with you forever. The spirit 00:01:41.920 --> 00:01:44.659 of truth from the world cannot receive because 00:01:44.659 --> 00:01:48.700 it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know 00:01:48.700 --> 00:01:51.980 him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 00:01:52.280 --> 00:01:56.040 I will not leave you orphans. I will come to 00:01:56.040 --> 00:01:58.939 you. a little while longer, and the world will 00:01:58.939 --> 00:02:02.000 see me no more. But you will see me, because 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:05.879 I live. You will live also. At that day, you 00:02:05.879 --> 00:02:09.639 will know that I am in my Father, and you in 00:02:09.639 --> 00:02:13.240 me, and I in you. He who has my commandments 00:02:13.240 --> 00:02:16.319 and keeps them, it is he who loves me. And he 00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:19.699 who loves me will be loved by my Father. And 00:02:19.699 --> 00:02:24.800 I will love him and manifest myself to him. Judas, 00:02:24.800 --> 00:02:27.159 not as chariot, said to him, Lord, how is it 00:02:27.159 --> 00:02:29.740 that you will manifest yourself to us and not 00:02:29.740 --> 00:02:32.840 to the world? Jesus answered and said to them, 00:02:32.900 --> 00:02:36.919 if anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My 00:02:36.919 --> 00:02:39.639 father will love him. And we will come to him 00:02:39.639 --> 00:02:42.939 and make our home with him. He who does not love 00:02:42.939 --> 00:02:46.039 me does not keep my words. And the word which 00:02:46.039 --> 00:02:50.020 you hear is not mine, but the Father who sent 00:02:50.020 --> 00:02:53.759 me. These are the words of Almighty God. receive 00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:57.000 them in your hearts. Now there's three things 00:02:57.000 --> 00:03:00.060 I want you to see in this passage today, or to 00:03:00.060 --> 00:03:05.240 understand about this passage. One, love is words 00:03:05.240 --> 00:03:14.580 and actions. Love is words and actions. Living, 00:03:15.860 --> 00:03:19.919 we should be living, guarding the observance 00:03:19.919 --> 00:03:24.840 of God's commandments. We should be living, guarding 00:03:24.840 --> 00:03:30.340 the observance of God's commandments. And finally, 00:03:31.560 --> 00:03:34.500 and this is the best news of all, the living 00:03:34.500 --> 00:03:39.919 triune God is with us. The living triune God 00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:44.500 is with us. So I have a question for you this 00:03:44.500 --> 00:03:50.129 morning. What do you love? At first glance, it 00:03:50.129 --> 00:03:54.310 seems easy to diagnose. After all, what do you 00:03:54.310 --> 00:03:57.710 spend your time and your resources and your energies 00:03:57.710 --> 00:04:03.710 on? But I think the true examination comes down 00:04:03.710 --> 00:04:09.370 to why you are spending time and resources and 00:04:09.370 --> 00:04:14.810 energies on them. If you've been around me long, 00:04:14.889 --> 00:04:18.240 you may have heard me say, We must be able to 00:04:18.240 --> 00:04:22.860 distinguish between allies and co -belligerents. 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:27.040 Those are terms often used to describe people 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:30.959 who are collaborating together in war. The difference 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:35.060 between allies and co -belligerents is simply 00:04:35.060 --> 00:04:39.160 their motives. For example, many peoples can 00:04:39.160 --> 00:04:42.600 unite together to stand against tyranny. But 00:04:42.600 --> 00:04:50.829 the question is, to what end result? And tyranny 00:04:50.829 --> 00:04:54.910 is an evil, and it should end. But to what end 00:04:54.910 --> 00:04:59.910 and by what means? Some can come together to 00:04:59.910 --> 00:05:03.689 end tyranny for the purpose of ending wicked 00:05:03.689 --> 00:05:07.709 rule and establish a Christian world. Others 00:05:07.709 --> 00:05:12.170 might fight tyranny to remove all restraint and 00:05:12.170 --> 00:05:16.100 to establish anarchy. That is the rule by every 00:05:16.100 --> 00:05:22.220 person's idols So again, I ask you What do you 00:05:22.220 --> 00:05:28.180 love and why? As you know from the sermon last 00:05:28.180 --> 00:05:30.920 week Jesus on the night that he was going to 00:05:30.920 --> 00:05:34.120 be betrayed Sitting around a table gathered together 00:05:34.120 --> 00:05:38.899 in deep intimate fellowship Right. He tells his 00:05:38.899 --> 00:05:44.389 disciples Do not be troubled This is just the 00:05:44.389 --> 00:05:49.009 next passage in that time, at that table. And 00:05:49.009 --> 00:05:52.029 why are they troubled? They've been hearing Jesus, 00:05:52.329 --> 00:05:54.829 especially in the last several weeks, continue 00:05:54.829 --> 00:05:57.430 to emphasize his death, the fact that he's going 00:05:57.430 --> 00:05:59.670 to be arrested, the fact that he's going to be 00:05:59.670 --> 00:06:01.069 put to death, and he keeps telling them that 00:06:01.069 --> 00:06:04.550 he's going to rise again. And now they keep seeing 00:06:04.550 --> 00:06:07.490 all these signs around him, and Jesus emphasizing 00:06:07.490 --> 00:06:10.769 even more that even the betrayer is in their 00:06:10.769 --> 00:06:16.199 midst. All of these things, they're troubled. 00:06:17.899 --> 00:06:21.120 And Jesus assures them by first reminding them 00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:25.680 that He and the Father are one, and that they 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:28.920 are brought into peaceful relations with the 00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:33.779 Father by He alone. The only way to have peace 00:06:33.779 --> 00:06:36.319 is to have peace with God the Father. And you 00:06:36.319 --> 00:06:41.879 can only have that through Christ alone. And 00:06:41.879 --> 00:06:47.079 finally, he assures them that Jesus's mission 00:06:47.079 --> 00:06:50.680 is the redemption of sinners by the establishment 00:06:50.680 --> 00:06:54.660 of the new temple in which God dwells, built 00:06:54.660 --> 00:06:59.399 of the living stones of his bride, the church. 00:07:01.100 --> 00:07:05.439 Jesus in verse 14, assurance takes place in this 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:08.439 way. And whatever you ask in my name, that I 00:07:08.439 --> 00:07:11.209 will do. that the Father may be glorified in 00:07:11.209 --> 00:07:15.449 the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will 00:07:15.449 --> 00:07:20.089 do it. Asking for something in His name, or better 00:07:20.089 --> 00:07:24.250 put, for Jesus' sake, is to ask the Father to 00:07:24.250 --> 00:07:30.209 do something that brings glory to God. Who gets 00:07:30.209 --> 00:07:33.910 the glory is a very big motive for why people 00:07:33.910 --> 00:07:38.980 do things, even good things. even things that 00:07:38.980 --> 00:07:43.939 look like they're going to last. Now, the illuminating 00:07:43.939 --> 00:07:47.339 light of Jesus comes down on the motives of the 00:07:47.339 --> 00:07:50.379 heart. So he's assuring them. He's building them 00:07:50.379 --> 00:07:56.019 up. He said, look, I'm the foundation. You are 00:07:56.019 --> 00:07:58.959 going to be part of the next. I'm the cornerstone. 00:07:58.980 --> 00:08:00.720 You're going to be part of the foundation. And 00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:02.860 the church is going to grow. And it's been growing 00:08:02.860 --> 00:08:05.910 this way. Right Jesus right here at the bottom 00:08:05.910 --> 00:08:09.509 and it's growing out and it's filling the earth 00:08:09.509 --> 00:08:15.870 Just as all the scripture has declared But here 00:08:15.870 --> 00:08:18.170 after he says he gives them all this authority 00:08:18.170 --> 00:08:21.189 and assures them of all this He says what are 00:08:21.189 --> 00:08:26.310 your heart motives? Are you asking God? for things 00:08:26.310 --> 00:08:29.670 Are you doing things? Are you putting your energies 00:08:29.670 --> 00:08:33.529 and efforts in things that are to bring about? 00:08:33.870 --> 00:08:39.590 The glory to God Jesus in this way starts with 00:08:39.590 --> 00:08:44.149 verse 15. He says if you love me Keep my commandments 00:08:44.149 --> 00:08:47.009 First of all, you need to understand that this 00:08:47.009 --> 00:08:53.769 you is the plural you you all or y 'all in the 00:08:53.769 --> 00:08:58.029 context of What he said just before this it is 00:08:58.029 --> 00:09:00.850 all y 'all who are the temple of the new the 00:09:00.850 --> 00:09:04.210 stones of the new temple Jesus tells them to 00:09:04.210 --> 00:09:07.929 the collective group of them. Do you understand 00:09:07.929 --> 00:09:14.610 this? He's speaking to them corporately. And 00:09:14.610 --> 00:09:17.610 just as Paul tells us in Ephesians chapter 2, 00:09:17.789 --> 00:09:19.870 beginning in verse 19, now therefore you are 00:09:19.870 --> 00:09:22.710 no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow 00:09:22.710 --> 00:09:24.850 citizens with the saints and members of the household 00:09:24.850 --> 00:09:27.649 of God, having been built on the foundation of 00:09:27.649 --> 00:09:30.690 the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself 00:09:30.690 --> 00:09:34.580 being the chief cornerstone. in whom the whole 00:09:34.580 --> 00:09:36.899 building being fitted together grows into a holy 00:09:36.899 --> 00:09:40.080 temple in the Lord, in whom also you are being 00:09:40.080 --> 00:09:43.779 built together for the dwelling place of God 00:09:43.779 --> 00:09:48.279 in the Spirit. Together the church must love 00:09:48.279 --> 00:09:52.759 God by keeping God's commandments. For this reason 00:09:52.759 --> 00:09:56.440 here in worship, we do a corporate pair of repentance. 00:09:57.080 --> 00:10:00.990 We don't just do that haphazardly. Presumably, 00:10:00.990 --> 00:10:02.509 if you're a faithful Christian, you're going 00:10:02.509 --> 00:10:05.590 to be dealing with your sins all week long. We 00:10:05.590 --> 00:10:08.909 hope so anyway, right? You're going to sin against 00:10:08.909 --> 00:10:11.529 your wife, right? You're going to sin against 00:10:11.529 --> 00:10:14.370 your kids. You're going to sin against the neighbor 00:10:14.370 --> 00:10:17.309 in some fashion. It might be gossip, it might 00:10:17.309 --> 00:10:22.750 be disdain, whatever it is. Sin against the authorities 00:10:22.750 --> 00:10:29.090 God's placed in your life. All of this, we need 00:10:29.090 --> 00:10:32.470 to Understand that we should repent of those 00:10:32.470 --> 00:10:36.190 things, but we sin all of our sin affects the 00:10:36.190 --> 00:10:40.049 rest of us in this church Whatever you sin this 00:10:40.049 --> 00:10:43.429 week it has impact your your joint by covenant 00:10:43.429 --> 00:10:49.409 by the meal of God We need to corporately repent 00:10:49.409 --> 00:10:53.169 and sometimes even we can do this we can sin 00:10:53.169 --> 00:11:00.590 as a group conspire together in sinful ways And 00:11:00.590 --> 00:11:03.970 that is why we do as a church come together and 00:11:03.970 --> 00:11:08.470 confess our sins before God corporately. You 00:11:08.470 --> 00:11:12.009 know, Jesus, earlier at this very table told 00:11:12.009 --> 00:11:14.889 them this, a new commandment I give you that 00:11:14.889 --> 00:11:17.730 you love one another as I have loved you. You 00:11:17.730 --> 00:11:20.909 also love one another. By this, all will know 00:11:20.909 --> 00:11:24.210 you are my disciples. If you have love, one for 00:11:24.210 --> 00:11:29.629 another. So I ask you, what do you love? If you 00:11:29.629 --> 00:11:31.830 didn't speak to another person in this church 00:11:31.830 --> 00:11:38.149 this week, what's going on? If you didn't make 00:11:38.149 --> 00:11:42.389 a sacrifice for others in your family and across 00:11:42.389 --> 00:11:48.769 the church, are you loving one another as Christ 00:11:48.769 --> 00:11:54.190 loved you? We are to love God and one another 00:11:54.190 --> 00:11:57.169 in a manner that is so astonishingly different 00:11:57.169 --> 00:12:00.840 from the unbelieving world that the only conclusion 00:12:00.840 --> 00:12:05.960 is that we are disciples of Jesus. Can you imagine 00:12:05.960 --> 00:12:13.980 that? What is love? What is it to love? We know 00:12:13.980 --> 00:12:16.840 that God is love. And in Romans 5 -8, it tells 00:12:16.840 --> 00:12:19.960 us, God demonstrated His love towards us. And 00:12:19.960 --> 00:12:22.539 while we were still sinners, Christ died for 00:12:22.539 --> 00:12:29.899 us. You know, a lot of times we want love to 00:12:29.899 --> 00:12:34.440 simply be, I do because they do. Well, if they 00:12:34.440 --> 00:12:37.240 stop sinning against me, then I'll stop sinning 00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:41.200 against them, or I'll treat them better. That 00:12:41.200 --> 00:12:48.620 is not how the love of God works. Jesus, by the 00:12:48.620 --> 00:12:51.799 command of the Father, lays down His life that 00:12:51.799 --> 00:12:55.580 we might be reconciled to God for the glory of 00:12:55.580 --> 00:13:02.720 God. We lay down our lives for one another that 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:08.059 others may be reconciled to God in our families, 00:13:09.159 --> 00:13:15.559 in this church, and in our very community. We 00:13:15.559 --> 00:13:18.000 see, of course, this very thing in the shadow 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:23.320 and type of Lazarus' sickness and death and in 00:13:23.320 --> 00:13:27.740 Jesus' providential delay. Right that is laying 00:13:27.740 --> 00:13:31.799 down dying for the glory of God in John 11 for 00:13:31.799 --> 00:13:37.980 it says when Jesus heard that that Lazarus was 00:13:37.980 --> 00:13:43.120 sick Right Jesus says this sickness is not unto 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:47.100 death But for the glory of God that the Son of 00:13:47.100 --> 00:13:50.039 God might be glorified through it now We know 00:13:50.039 --> 00:13:52.440 that Lazarus actually died people were grieving 00:13:52.440 --> 00:13:56.509 people had come from all over Lazarus has been 00:13:56.509 --> 00:13:58.649 dead for four days. Do you ever feel like God 00:13:58.649 --> 00:14:03.309 has put you in a bad spot and there is no alternative 00:14:03.309 --> 00:14:06.470 but the absolute worst disaster that you can 00:14:06.470 --> 00:14:15.009 think of? And you're like, why is God delaying? 00:14:16.610 --> 00:14:21.389 Why is he not responding the way that I want 00:14:21.389 --> 00:14:25.750 and the timing that I want? The very answer to 00:14:25.750 --> 00:14:31.009 that is right here. Jesus loved us by obeying 00:14:31.009 --> 00:14:33.470 the Father for the glory of the Father at the 00:14:33.470 --> 00:14:35.269 right time. Remember, people were trying to push 00:14:35.269 --> 00:14:37.710 him to be the king. They said, time's not come. 00:14:38.350 --> 00:14:39.889 And then, of course, when he's killed, nobody 00:14:39.889 --> 00:14:42.610 wants things. OK, this is not the king, then. 00:14:47.230 --> 00:14:49.690 When Jesus was questioned by whose authority 00:14:49.690 --> 00:14:51.610 he was teaching in the temple in John chapter 00:14:51.610 --> 00:14:56.100 7, he says this. He who speaks from himself seeks 00:14:56.100 --> 00:14:59.240 his own glory. But he who seeks the glory of 00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:04.039 the one who sent him is true. And no unrighteousness 00:15:04.039 --> 00:15:07.000 is an enemy. So the question that we have to 00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:10.080 ask ourselves is, are we speaking for our own 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:12.399 glory? Are we doing things for our own glory 00:15:12.399 --> 00:15:15.120 or for the glory of God? Are we living as the 00:15:15.120 --> 00:15:18.519 people of the resurrection for God's glory so 00:15:18.519 --> 00:15:22.429 that others might know Him? Are we so cross with 00:15:22.429 --> 00:15:26.090 other people? Are we so antagonistic? Are we 00:15:26.090 --> 00:15:29.950 growing people in the Lord? Not for any gain 00:15:29.950 --> 00:15:33.129 of ourselves, not for anyone to mention what 00:15:33.129 --> 00:15:38.149 we've done. Dearly beloved, Jesus, when assuring 00:15:38.149 --> 00:15:41.250 his disciples, tells them if they love him, they 00:15:41.250 --> 00:15:44.429 will keep his commandments. Of course, they're 00:15:44.429 --> 00:15:48.870 not gonna be without sin, but when they do sin, 00:15:49.409 --> 00:15:54.909 right? They will repent. Now, what does this 00:15:54.909 --> 00:15:59.389 mean to keep the commandments? It means they 00:15:59.389 --> 00:16:01.990 are to guard their observance of His commandments. 00:16:02.129 --> 00:16:03.730 Now, what's the first question that you've got 00:16:03.730 --> 00:16:06.570 to ask yourself about guarding the observance 00:16:06.570 --> 00:16:10.750 of God's commandments? You got to know them. 00:16:12.250 --> 00:16:14.809 One question I might ask you is, can you recite 00:16:14.809 --> 00:16:17.850 the Ten Commandments? And then the second question 00:16:17.850 --> 00:16:20.750 is, do you even know what they mean? Last summer, 00:16:20.789 --> 00:16:23.629 we did a whole series on the Ten Commandments, 00:16:23.929 --> 00:16:26.210 or as I think is more appropriate to call them, 00:16:26.250 --> 00:16:29.570 the Ten Words. These are God speaking his law 00:16:29.570 --> 00:16:36.529 to his people. And I put a whole sermon on what 00:16:36.529 --> 00:16:40.549 those meant. Some of those things might have 00:16:40.549 --> 00:16:45.590 been new to you. Are you studying God's law so 00:16:45.590 --> 00:16:49.190 you understand what these things mean? What they 00:16:49.190 --> 00:16:55.730 do prohibit and what they do tell you to do You 00:16:55.730 --> 00:16:58.590 see if they sin you got to know it and so that 00:16:58.590 --> 00:17:04.690 when you do sin you will in humility repent We 00:17:04.690 --> 00:17:08.630 need to follow God's own example of love which 00:17:08.630 --> 00:17:11.990 is serving others love by sacrificial living 00:17:11.990 --> 00:17:16.289 is not For our own glory, but for the glory of 00:17:16.289 --> 00:17:23.130 God Sometimes we can get on social media, or 00:17:23.130 --> 00:17:25.450 we can get on the phone, or in a conversation, 00:17:26.470 --> 00:17:29.390 or do things in such a way that people say, look 00:17:29.390 --> 00:17:32.190 at me and the hardship I've had, or the sacrifices 00:17:32.190 --> 00:17:35.309 I've made, or the things that I've done. Whose 00:17:35.309 --> 00:17:44.089 glory is that for? The fidelity of their love. 00:17:44.299 --> 00:17:47.680 will be to keep the commandments for God's glory 00:17:47.680 --> 00:17:51.920 alone. Do you follow God's word for your glory 00:17:51.920 --> 00:17:58.900 or God's glory? Are your motives in such a way 00:17:58.900 --> 00:18:03.079 that others recognize your works and they see 00:18:03.079 --> 00:18:08.799 God in Christ Jesus? Are you allied with God 00:18:08.799 --> 00:18:13.859 or merely a co -belligerent? Do you follow the 00:18:13.859 --> 00:18:17.079 commandments of God for the approval of men? 00:18:17.539 --> 00:18:20.720 Do you fight for acknowledgement from others? 00:18:22.339 --> 00:18:29.200 Do you go to work for men or for money or to 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:33.819 please God? How do you do your work? Does the 00:18:33.819 --> 00:18:37.059 how relate to exactly how much it is and for 00:18:37.059 --> 00:18:42.089 what attention you'll get from it or Is it so 00:18:42.089 --> 00:18:46.089 that they know God? Do you do hospitality for 00:18:46.089 --> 00:18:48.869 the honors of your cooking, or your housekeeping, 00:18:49.369 --> 00:18:52.890 or even to hear praises about your family, or 00:18:52.890 --> 00:18:57.430 your hobbies, or your interests? Do you dress 00:18:57.430 --> 00:19:01.329 or adorn yourself to please and glorify the Father, 00:19:02.009 --> 00:19:06.809 or for the applauses, accolades, and acknowledgement 00:19:06.809 --> 00:19:12.529 of others? Do you attend this church? Simply 00:19:12.529 --> 00:19:15.349 to have some type of marriage bad merit badge 00:19:15.349 --> 00:19:20.750 that says I go to the best church in town The 00:19:20.750 --> 00:19:23.230 most right church the one that follows the Bible 00:19:23.230 --> 00:19:28.130 the best Or do you come here to worship God? 00:19:28.970 --> 00:19:38.490 for his glory Dearly beloved all of this All 00:19:38.490 --> 00:19:45.369 those motives that point back to you. This is 00:19:45.369 --> 00:19:48.849 contrary to Jesus' words here, and is echoed 00:19:48.849 --> 00:19:56.750 again by Paul in 2 Timothy 3, 1 -5. We can hear 00:19:56.750 --> 00:20:00.910 now that those who do not seek the glory of God, 00:20:01.150 --> 00:20:04.549 for they are hudstrong, haughty, Lovers of pleasure 00:20:04.549 --> 00:20:08.009 rather than lovers of God having a form of godliness, 00:20:08.269 --> 00:20:12.690 but denying its power And what does Paul say 00:20:12.690 --> 00:20:18.049 and from such people? turn away Now these people 00:20:18.049 --> 00:20:21.190 they look right and good their families might 00:20:21.190 --> 00:20:24.049 look like they're in order They might do all 00:20:24.049 --> 00:20:28.670 the right kinds of things, but to what end? for 00:20:28.670 --> 00:20:35.359 whose glory Jesus now brings his assurance to 00:20:35.359 --> 00:20:40.079 his disciples who of course are realizing Because 00:20:40.079 --> 00:20:42.759 he keeps saying it again and again because they're 00:20:42.759 --> 00:20:45.599 hard -headed just like we are But he's saying 00:20:45.599 --> 00:20:49.500 that he must leave them But he says I will not 00:20:49.500 --> 00:20:55.240 leave you as orphans He says he will pray the 00:20:55.240 --> 00:20:58.180 father that's beseech the father that is get 00:20:58.180 --> 00:21:02.519 the father's ear and he will give you another 00:21:02.519 --> 00:21:08.259 helper or comforter that he may abide with you 00:21:08.259 --> 00:21:12.539 forever. Now this isn't helper like, okay, you 00:21:12.539 --> 00:21:14.920 know, gonna pick up, this Holy Spirit's gonna 00:21:14.920 --> 00:21:17.019 come around to just pick up your messes. No, 00:21:17.019 --> 00:21:21.759 no, no. This word is paraclete in the Greek, 00:21:22.180 --> 00:21:25.960 and it means an advocate. One who builds up one 00:21:25.960 --> 00:21:29.039 who encourages one who confronts one who sticks 00:21:29.039 --> 00:21:32.240 with you He dwells with you and he will be with 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:40.180 you and he will help you You see Jesus sends 00:21:40.180 --> 00:21:43.440 to us the third person of the Trinity and in 00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:47.079 this way the spirit gives us wisdom Convicts 00:21:47.079 --> 00:21:51.460 us of our sin as it says in John 16 and the spirit 00:21:51.460 --> 00:21:55.220 dwells with us and works for God's providential 00:21:55.220 --> 00:21:58.740 plan to the glory of the Father and the Son and 00:21:58.740 --> 00:22:01.920 for our benefit. Even if it's not in our timing, 00:22:02.220 --> 00:22:05.160 even if we think that everything is stacked against 00:22:05.160 --> 00:22:08.740 us in the government and in the legal system 00:22:08.740 --> 00:22:15.779 and in the church and everything else. Obey God 00:22:15.779 --> 00:22:21.700 for His glory. Keep steady. God dwells with His 00:22:21.700 --> 00:22:25.359 people. through the Spirit, because of the work 00:22:25.359 --> 00:22:29.740 of the Son. And we're reunited to the Father. 00:22:33.740 --> 00:22:36.660 Jesus is assuring his church of his abiding with 00:22:36.660 --> 00:22:41.500 them. It is sure. But again, the troubling circumstances 00:22:41.500 --> 00:22:44.819 were once again highlighted by Jesus. A little 00:22:44.819 --> 00:22:47.839 while longer, and the world will see me no more. 00:22:48.009 --> 00:22:50.869 but you will see me because I live, you will 00:22:50.869 --> 00:22:53.309 live also. And in that day you will know that 00:22:53.309 --> 00:22:58.630 I am in my Father, you in me, and I in you. So 00:22:58.630 --> 00:23:00.089 again, you come back to this troubling thing. 00:23:00.230 --> 00:23:03.630 Jesus is like, he's like a dog on a bone. He 00:23:03.630 --> 00:23:05.910 will not leave. Hey, are you listening to me? 00:23:05.910 --> 00:23:07.549 You can almost see him coming up and grabbing 00:23:07.549 --> 00:23:11.549 him and shaking him. Are you listening? You ever 00:23:11.549 --> 00:23:15.809 felt like that with your children? I may have 00:23:15.809 --> 00:23:23.430 done that once. Here's the thing. Jesus is trying 00:23:23.430 --> 00:23:26.329 to make clear the reality of what he is doing 00:23:26.329 --> 00:23:29.349 and that he's not going to be with them. And 00:23:29.349 --> 00:23:34.769 he has given him these very words. And he says 00:23:34.769 --> 00:23:38.569 this, because I live, you will live also. What 00:23:38.569 --> 00:23:42.890 this means is, I've got to go die. I'm going 00:23:42.890 --> 00:23:46.890 to leave you. But I'm going to send you the spirit. 00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:49.960 You're not abandoned. I'm going to dwell with 00:23:49.960 --> 00:23:55.079 you by the Spirit Excuse me, and they're only 00:23:55.079 --> 00:23:59.480 going to know all these things About I am in 00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:02.279 the Father the Father's in me and I in you and 00:24:02.279 --> 00:24:04.960 this so you to the Father all of that happens 00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:09.400 because he goes Jesus again points to his impending 00:24:09.400 --> 00:24:13.319 arrest and Those disciples are going to abandon 00:24:13.319 --> 00:24:15.460 him his suffering and his death he points to 00:24:15.460 --> 00:24:19.140 all these terrible things Too often, we don't 00:24:19.140 --> 00:24:23.400 want to accept the hard providences that God 00:24:23.400 --> 00:24:27.180 allows. Let me say this again because we need 00:24:27.180 --> 00:24:31.380 to hear this. Too often, we don't want to accept 00:24:31.380 --> 00:24:36.700 the hard providences that God allows. We desire 00:24:36.700 --> 00:24:40.140 to be delivered from our hardships and we can 00:24:40.140 --> 00:24:44.380 ask Him, But you know, sometimes we at least 00:24:44.380 --> 00:24:49.299 want to be distracted from our miseries. You 00:24:49.299 --> 00:24:52.279 do understand that without the misery of Jesus' 00:24:52.539 --> 00:24:56.019 arrest, suffering and death, we cannot get to 00:24:56.019 --> 00:25:00.980 the resurrection. Without the resurrection, we 00:25:00.980 --> 00:25:04.480 cannot deal with our sin or be reconciled to 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:08.440 our holy God. It is in the resurrection that 00:25:08.440 --> 00:25:11.660 the disciples truly see as they have never before 00:25:11.660 --> 00:25:15.880 understood that Jesus is in the Father and that 00:25:15.880 --> 00:25:21.599 they are in Him and Jesus is in them. So there 00:25:21.599 --> 00:25:24.279 at the end when we hear Jesus reiterate, He who 00:25:24.279 --> 00:25:27.440 has my commandments and keeps them, it is He 00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:30.380 who loves me and He who loves me will be loved 00:25:30.380 --> 00:25:34.759 by my Father and I will love Him and manifest. 00:25:34.970 --> 00:25:40.269 myself to Him. We know that Jesus died for our 00:25:40.269 --> 00:25:45.829 sins and He didn't leave us leaving us with that. 00:25:46.329 --> 00:25:48.890 He didn't leave us to ourselves but we are reconciled 00:25:48.890 --> 00:25:53.289 to the Father in Him and He in us but also that 00:25:53.289 --> 00:25:56.250 the Holy Spirit comes to change our hearts and 00:25:56.250 --> 00:26:02.230 minds to conform us to Christ Jesus. What do 00:26:02.230 --> 00:26:08.000 we know? Like we keep seeing continuously Disciples 00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:10.660 Standing right in there Jesus explaining it again 00:26:10.660 --> 00:26:14.740 and again. He's like this is Judas Lord, how's 00:26:14.740 --> 00:26:16.980 it you'll manifest yourself to us and not to 00:26:16.980 --> 00:26:19.880 the world because they're thinking right if you 00:26:19.880 --> 00:26:24.460 manifest just yourself to me Well, the world's 00:26:24.460 --> 00:26:28.839 not gonna see me with you Sitting in your great 00:26:28.839 --> 00:26:36.140 throne and and and be that co -regent And Jesus 00:26:36.140 --> 00:26:39.779 answered him, if anyone loves me, he will keep 00:26:39.779 --> 00:26:43.359 my word and my father will love him and we will 00:26:43.359 --> 00:26:47.859 come to him and make our home with him. He who 00:26:47.859 --> 00:26:51.359 does not love me doesn't keep my words. Jesus 00:26:51.359 --> 00:26:56.440 just goes, he pivots back to what he's been saying. 00:26:58.480 --> 00:27:01.740 See, Judas here, not the Ascariot, he's just 00:27:01.740 --> 00:27:04.480 on the wrong thinking. And he's been walking 00:27:04.480 --> 00:27:06.539 with Jesus for three years. You may have been 00:27:06.539 --> 00:27:09.420 walking with Jesus for a long time or a short 00:27:09.420 --> 00:27:13.220 time. Turn yourself to his priorities for his 00:27:13.220 --> 00:27:20.619 glory alone. Know his word. Learn it. Love it. 00:27:20.880 --> 00:27:27.099 Obey it. And through the church, through the 00:27:27.099 --> 00:27:30.940 brethren, by the power of the Spirit, love one 00:27:30.940 --> 00:27:35.059 another. And you will truly understand and see 00:27:35.059 --> 00:27:39.500 God manifest. Dearly beloved, Jesus is enthroned, 00:27:39.500 --> 00:27:43.619 and that is a great joy. We are not alone. Jesus, 00:27:43.640 --> 00:27:46.640 who always keeps his word, has told us that he 00:27:46.640 --> 00:27:49.180 abides, that is, dwells with us in the Spirit. 00:27:50.180 --> 00:27:53.240 Judas wanted to know how Jesus would be manifested 00:27:53.240 --> 00:27:56.480 if he's not here with us. Jesus, having already 00:27:56.480 --> 00:27:59.359 assured them of the Spirit, responds. And he 00:27:59.359 --> 00:28:03.380 says this. Love me. Love. and keep my commandments. 00:28:04.700 --> 00:28:07.119 God's people in their love shown by obedience 00:28:07.119 --> 00:28:12.319 reveals and manifests God to the world for God's 00:28:12.319 --> 00:28:16.000 glory. Let me say that again. God's people in 00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:19.640 their love shown by obedience reveals and manifests 00:28:19.640 --> 00:28:22.099 God to the world. Don't worry about what the 00:28:22.099 --> 00:28:28.200 world is thinking or seeing. Obey Him. You might 00:28:28.200 --> 00:28:34.259 say this is the slow road. Obey Him steadfast, 00:28:34.839 --> 00:28:41.920 steady, first in worship. And then at the end 00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:43.640 of the worship service, we are commissioned. 00:28:43.880 --> 00:28:46.200 And we go together in the Spirit and flow out 00:28:46.200 --> 00:28:49.180 into the world, loving God and keeping His commandments, 00:28:49.680 --> 00:28:53.359 thus transforming the world from glory to glory. 00:28:55.339 --> 00:28:59.460 Here in closing, these last words in 2 Corinthians 00:28:59.460 --> 00:29:02.890 chapter 3. Nevertheless, when one turns to the 00:29:02.890 --> 00:29:05.990 Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is 00:29:05.990 --> 00:29:07.650 the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord 00:29:07.650 --> 00:29:10.529 is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled 00:29:10.529 --> 00:29:13.829 face, beholding as a mirror the glory of God, 00:29:14.210 --> 00:29:18.009 are being transformed into the same image. That 00:29:18.009 --> 00:29:21.529 is the image of the Lord Jesus Christ, from glory 00:29:21.529 --> 00:29:24.990 to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 00:29:26.150 --> 00:29:30.380 People of God, The living triune God abides in 00:29:30.380 --> 00:29:34.539 His church so we are able to love Jesus and to 00:29:34.539 --> 00:29:38.779 guard and observe the commandments of God that 00:29:38.779 --> 00:29:43.220 His glory may be revealed in the world in every 00:29:43.220 --> 00:29:48.259 single relationship that we have. Let us pray. 00:29:53.140 --> 00:29:55.720 Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your 00:29:55.720 --> 00:29:58.829 Son to deliver us. from our sin that we might 00:29:58.829 --> 00:30:01.549 be reconciled to you and abide with you forever. 00:30:02.049 --> 00:30:05.369 Help us, we pray, to be children of the resurrection 00:30:05.369 --> 00:30:09.690 and so love Jesus and obey his commands to your 00:30:09.690 --> 00:30:12.789 glory and your honor that our light may shine 00:30:12.789 --> 00:30:15.170 before men that they may see our obedience and 00:30:15.170 --> 00:30:18.430 glorify you. We ask all this for the sake of 00:30:18.430 --> 00:30:21.730 your son Jesus who reigns with you and the Holy 00:30:21.730 --> 00:30:23.950 Spirit forever and ever. Amen.