Sorry everyone that this is being posted fairly late in the day. Just haven't had a chance to get to the computer before now.
This chapter speaks to me in so many ways and on so many levels that it's difficult to know exactly where to begin!
Several of you made comments around the promise, "But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like and it will be granted" v7
I too have struggled coming to terms with this in the area of unanswered prayer, and maybe it is about being patient.
However, I'm starting to feel it's more about believing v following. In the next few paragraphs Jesus talks at length about love and persecution (our response to this is often a useful indicator of our ability to truly express unconditional love).
I wonder sometimes whether I truly love others, like Jesus commands us to. "I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you. v12 And here is how to measure it - the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends. v13 You are my friends if you obey me. v14"
The New Commandment about loving others is clearly one of the key areas of the Gospel and demands our obedience. Our response to it is a strong measuring stick of our overall obedience to Christ and a really pragmatic indicator of whether we merely believe in Christ or actually follow him.
To me, following and obedience go hand in hand.
It isn't hard to say you believe in Jesus, but following him has to do with lifestyle, attitudes, values, total surrender. In the area of love towards others, if I'm following Jesus, why do I have so many friends among the affluent and so few among the poor? Why do my cupboards bulge with clothes when so many are unclothed? Why am I tempted to overeat in a world in which so many beg for bread? Why do I have so much privacy in a world that is starved for love? Why am I getting on so well in a world that marked Jesus out for death?
Author and presenter, Wolfgang Simson, argues that God gives us his grace and love unconditionally but his blessing is dependent upon our individual and corporate obedience. God doesn't love us any less when we fail to obey him, but when obedience occurs, blessing is given and fruit is produced.
To me the fulfilment of Verse 7 could very well be about my readiness to fully commit to obeying Christ's commands, particularly in the area of LOVE, which is where it all starts.
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An eight week journey of seeking God as we read.think.pray.live our way through the gospel of John
An Invitation
Please join us during this lead up to Christmas 2009 by doing the four things listed below. Anyone can join at any time throughout this 8 week period although obviously it would be best if you can begin with us on the first of November 2009.
Requirements:
1. Commit to seeking God EVERY DAY in Nov & Dec '09 in a way that is more radical than anything you have ever done before.
2. Read.think.pray.live your way through the Gospel of John in seven weeks (3 chapters each week) and then 1 John, 2 John, 3 John in the final week.
3. Listen to the Holy Spirit and obey whatever he says to do!!
4. Contribute your insights and experiences to this blog.
May we all continue to seek the Kingdom of God before anything else!
Requirements:
1. Commit to seeking God EVERY DAY in Nov & Dec '09 in a way that is more radical than anything you have ever done before.
2. Read.think.pray.live your way through the Gospel of John in seven weeks (3 chapters each week) and then 1 John, 2 John, 3 John in the final week.
3. Listen to the Holy Spirit and obey whatever he says to do!!
4. Contribute your insights and experiences to this blog.
May we all continue to seek the Kingdom of God before anything else!
3 comments:
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us Mike. I couldn't agree more!
John 15 is such an amazing, critical, all encompassing, encouraging chapter for me. It covers many of the main themes I believe Jesus is speaking to me about at the moment.
But first, why is Jesus sharing all this stuff with the disciples in the first place??
Verse 11 - so that they would be FULL of joy!!! Not guilt, not to feel burdened, not so that they may think, this is all too hard - no, so that the disciples would be filled with joy!!!
Main themes for me - ABIDE, don't strive. Remain in Jesus ALL the time, not just Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights and maybe the odd prayer time etc
When we abide we WILL bear fruit! Bearing fruit is critical. Jesus chose us for the purpose of bearing fruit (v 16). Bearing fruit brings the father glory and shows we are disciples (v8). I have spent a lot of time over the last few months thinking, researching about the meaning of FRUIT. What are your thoughts?
Love = Obedience (v 9-10)
Abiding => answered prayer (v 7)
If we follow Jesus we should expect persecution. If we look like Jesus the world will hate us... if the world loves us it's probably because we blend in to the ways of the world (v 19) See also 1 John 2:15
I would love to chat further with anyone about what it means to really abide in Jesus day by day and bear much fruit!!
Jesus said it was better for him to go - because then we would have the Holy Spirit within us - instead of having to FOLLOW teachings we would be indwelt with them through this amazing friend, supporter, encourager who is the Holy Spirit.
I know that for me (something I only learned with the JC teachings this term) - I have lived life ignoring the Spirit role and presence in my moment by moment life. I have tried to be obedient (in my own strength). I have prayed (which has almost always been in the sense of a conversation with someone who is NOT part of me - my Father in Heaven, or my Lord Jesus - risen, and and alive but separate to me) and had many answers - some negative and many positive from my perspective!
When the penny dropped when I was preparing the JC lessons on "Fruits of the Spirit..." I felt really stupid! I had looked at (and experienced) the Holy Spirits role in my life as the 'power' available to me - in making extraordinary and miraculous things happen. And that is true - but only a small part of who He is and what his purpose is in my life!
Even as I sit and write these words we are chuckling at how limited my understanding was of His role in my life! I have learned that abiding means this continuous living relationship - whose vibrancy I determine, in that any any time I can ignore His presence and get on with life myself (my previous status quo) or we can together share the moment!
Fruit? I am looking forward to LOTS more that comes from Him coursing through my thoughts and actions - not for me - but for my Father - the gardener!
As ever - He is putting me to the test - and there are daily trimmings and some loppings.. and I have been so grateful for His control in a number of recent situations... the fruit He produced was a wonderful witness to me and others of His power to act through me when I let Him!
Hi all...sorry I haven't really been posting here...but anyway John is still providing all sorts of blessing at the moment!
Just this weekend had a fascinating chat with a bunch of soccer supporters after a Melbourne Victory (Soccer) game...and a bit of John came into the picture.
...first met this one fella who regularly visits prisons to play soccer with the inmates...pretty quickly deduced he was a man of faith...and then suddenly I met a big group of his mates who are all part of this growing network here in Melbourne where people are visting prisons to play sport with the inmates and then having opportunity to share Jesus/brefiend them etc...(one of the Victory players is apparently a Christian involved in all this too)
was immediately impressed with the way they had embraced the concept of "going into the world" rather than sitting around inside the safety of Church walls...
then began talking with one of them about how he came to faith...he said he had no church background...but simply walked into a bookstore one day with a conviction that he needed to buy a certain book...
after reading it he began weeping and met with Jesus and was converted...
as simple as that!
He now is filled with a passion to share Jesus...
And for some reason I felt led that the words from John 15 I'd read were words for him...
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last...."
that God had specifically chosen him out of 'nowhere' (ie. no regular church structure) to go and bear fruit that will last...
and also shared "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
God is the one who has chosen us...it isn't all about us...and we cannot do anything to bear fruit in our own strength...in fact in our own strength we will just have a bunch of lifeless words...
it is so crucial we 'remain in the vine'...God is the one that does the choosing, the convicting and the changing...certainly we do need to be obedient and be there....but God is the one who makes the difference...
(on a side note was so inspired by this encounter...and have contact details re: potential of going with them and helping tell a bit of the story to encourage others via a short video project...)
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