Remain in Jesus Christ’s Love (Jn. 15:9-27)
Let us bless and greet one another, “Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God.” May everyone receive God’s grace and blessings today. As we live our lives, there are many things we have to endure or experience, and in this world, there are no solutions to the unresolved areas of your life. Only God can give you the solution to those unresolved problems. If you receive God’s grace through today’s worship, then you will be able to see the problems that you didn’t even realize before, and they will be resolved.
In order to receive that grace today, the worship title is, “Remain in Jesus Christ’s Love.” Last week, we received the Word that Jesus Christ is the vine, and we are the branches, and as long as we remain attached to Jesus Christ, we will bear fruit.
1. Remain in Jesus’s love
1) In my love
Today, Jesus Christ is telling us to remain somewhere, so where is the state of our heart? Does our heart belong to the visible things of the world, or does our heart remain within the things that God desires? In today’s scripture, Jn. 15:9, Jesus says, “As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you, so remain in My love.” So, what exactly does this word, “love,” mean? Everybody uses this word, “love,” but what exactly does this mean? I need to at least know how God defines love in order for me to know if my definition is right or wrong, and so I can apply it. The “love” that people give is conditional, “I love you because you are my child,” or “I love you because you are my parent,” or “I love you because you’re my friend,” or “Because you’re so good to me, I love you.”
(1) As God loves Jesus (Jn. 15:9)
However, the “love” that God tells us about in the Bible does not have a condition, because we don’t have to fulfill some kind of condition for God to love us; God Himself is Love. So there is no calculation involved, but that’s what this world wants. Even inside of the parent-child relationship, there shouldn’t be any calculations. If a love is calculative, then it will result in scars, and then it will even result in hatred. “I did this for them; why are they doing this to me?” But they don’t even think about everything the other person has done for them; we only remember what we did for the other person. So, in that kind of state, we cannot have a normal kind of relationship.
(2) Jesus loves us (Jn. 15:9)
So when Jesus Christ tells us to “remain in My love,” what exactly does this mean? It’s not talking about some kind of emotion. When we think about love, we may think about the emotion of “love,” but that’s not it. So, if you don’t even know what God’s definition of “love” is, then even when you listen to the message, you will understand incorrectly.
(3) Remain in Jesus’s love (Jn. 15:9)
Love is where I remain because God Himself is love. If there’s any emotion that comes from me, that is conditional and that’s not right.
2) Way to remain in my love
(1) As Jesus kept God’s commands (Jn. 15:10)
(2) We must keep Jesus’s commands (Jn. 15:10)
Then, the way for us to remain in that love in God is in Jn. 15:10, “If you keep My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I [Jesus Christ] have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love.” If we really love somebody, then we want to hear what they have to say, and we want to follow what they do. It doesn’t matter how much I try to be a good listener. If I don’t love this person, then I will evaluate, “Oh, this word is right, that word is wrong,” Before Jesus Christ died on the cross, He physically did not want to be nailed on the cross, but He said, “Not My will, but Your will be done,” and that is how He remained in God’s Love and fulfilled that command.
(3) Command is to love each other (Jn. 15:12)
So then, the way for us to remain in God’s Love is to follow His command, and God’s command is to love each other. But we don’t have the ability to love each other. Every single human being is born separated from God and has conditions that must be met, and if those conditions are not met, the relationship is broken, and the condition of that relationship might be, “This relationship must benefit me.” But that’s not the will of God, that’s my own condition, and that is called “sin.” Because of “my own conditions that I set for myself,” that is the reason why people fight, complain, betray each other, and get angry. If you come to church and you feel so afflicted and angry, it is because things are not going the way you want them to go, but people don’t know that that desire of “what I want” is a sin; they just speak of it freely. “Sin” is anything that does not come from faith in God, anything that is not aligned with God.
3) Reason to remain in my love
So, “To remain in Jesus’ love” means to remain in His Word, and “To remain in His Word” means to love one another. But first, we do not have the ability to love one another to begin with. If any of you think that you do have the ability to love everyone and you try to do it, you’ll come to the conclusion that you can’t. And then you’re going to get married to someone, live together, and you’ll come to the conclusion that you can’t, then all you can do is just endure. Or, you just live together with them like a roommate because they’re familiar. There are some people who say, “I will love you to the very end,” there are some dramas like that, I don’t understand it personally. I don’t know if we have that, because the Bible tells us that we don’t; that’s not the right love. We must understand the love that God tells us about very well. There are reasons why we must remain in His love.
(1) Jesus’s joy in us (Jn. 15:11)
(2) That our joy may be complete (Jn. 15:11)
Jn. 15:11 says, that this is so that our joy may be made complete. So, if we love God and we love each other and remain in God’s love, then God’s love and joy are inside of us and it is complete. Initially, it may seem like I’m sacrificing or devoting myself to this person, but if I do it out of love, then actually, I’m filled with God’s joy after. On the other hand, there are people who only want to serve themselves, they have no joy. Even in society, there are reasons why people keep doing volunteering and community service because it feels good, and that’s not necessarily the joy from God, but there is joy and meaning that comes from helping other people.
The Lord is telling us today that if we remain in His love and love other people, then we will be filled with the joy of God. But people don’t have the joy of God; that’s why they try to make their own joy. Some people try to find joy by drinking alcohol, or if that’s not working, some people try to find joy through ecstasy of drugs, or moment-by moment, they try to find their joy through singing or having fun. There is someone who told me that when they’re so happy when they’re on their way to gamble, even if they’re not actually gambling, because they’re just imagining themselves gambling. So, even when they’re driving back, they might be feeling bad, but they’re still excited about the next time they go gambling because they have that excitement, so that person has to keep gambling to fill that joy. In order to find that momentary joy in substances and alcohol, you have to keep on doing it. There are some people who find joy through work so they become addicted to their job. There are some people who try to find joy by traveling and seeing a lot of things.
All of those things require money and energy, and it only gives me temporary joy. But the joy the Bible is telling us about, the Lord gives it to me so there are no conditions. We just remain in the love of God and we love each other, and we’re filled with the joy of God. Don’t we call that, “Happiness”? So we cannot find happiness anywhere else. You think that if you force your kids to study until they pass out, then they’ll be happy, but there’s no joy there. Do you think if you make a tremendous fortune and get very rich, you’ll be happy? No, you’ll be more stressed trying to maintain that wealth. However, when you think about, “How can this money be used to love people?” That’s when you’re filled with God’s joy.
(3) God’s kingdom – Joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17)
Rom. 14:17 says that the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Your eating, drinking, it’s all momentary and physical, however, what the Holy Spirit inside of us gives us is always continuously unconditional.
2. Love each other
1) Do what Jesus commands (Jn. 15:14)
(1) Jesus’ friend (Jn. 15:14)
(2) Servant doesn’t know his master’s business (Jn. 15:15)
In today’s scripture, Jesus Christ uses two words, “Servant” and “friend.” It says that in Jn. 15:15, “The servant does not know his Master’s business,” but a friend is someone to whom you’ll tell everything, and Jesus says that He is our friend. How can we become His friend?
(3) I have made known to you (Jn. 15:15)
Again, Jn. 15:14, “You are My friends if you do what I command,” but we don’t have the ability to carry out or keep God’s commands, then that means we are forced to be in a state where we have no joy, and Jesus should be our friend, telling us everything, but He’s not. However, if the Holy Spirit lives within me, then it is possible.
2) Holy Spirit
(1) The things God has prepared for his children, What God has freely given us by grace (1Cor. 2:9,12)
1 Cor. 2:9-12 says that there is something God has prepared for those who love Him. What the Lord has prepared for those who love Him is something no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human mind can conceive. No matter how much you study in the world, no matter how successful of a position you climb to, you cannot know the things of God, then, how can we?
(2) Revealed to us by the Holy Spirit (1Cor. 2:10)
1 Cor. 2:10 says that these are the things God revealed to us by His Spirit. The Holy Spirit Who lives within us has to show us the Word and reveal the deep things of God.
(3) Searches all things, even the deep things of God (1Cor. 2:10)
(4) Teach you all things, Remind you of everything (Jn. 14:26)
Jn. 14:26 says that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things and remind us of what Jesus said? When you are facing a problem or a crisis or a situation, maybe in your family, someone is sick or something else, it’s only a problem because you can’t see God’s blessing. If you’re able to see God’s blessing in that, then instead of a problem, it’s actually a blessing. However, if you do not know the things of God, then the longer you go to church, you’re going to say, “Oh, I’ve tried going to church, but my business isn’t doing well, I’m getting more problems with age,” and you’re going to have so many conflicts. It is because that person is unable to see.
Joseph was about to be killed by his older brothers, and one of them decided to sell him as a slave. However, Joseph was able to see something and realize. Joseph was able to discover, “Actually, it is not my older brothers who were trying to sell me, but God used my older brothers to send me to Egypt.” Finding those answers is the reason and the meaning of our walk of faith, but if we’re not able to discover that, then we’ll live similarly to a nonbeliever. David was continuously chased to death by King Saul, and we must be able to see that as a blessing. If we’re not able to see that, “Oh, God is preparing me right now to be the King of Israel,” that whole time wouldn’t have been a problem. Let’s say there are diseases or sickness in your family, that’s a problem, right? But that’s because you don’t really see. Through this disease, God has given me the time to concentrate on only God. Let’s say there’s a mental illness in your family. Then because of that one person, no one in the family can move. No matter if they go to church, no matter where they go, they always revolve around this.
However, if you receive the Word of God’s grace in prayer, then you will realize, “God allowed this problem in my family so that I can realize God’s Word and grace.” When you go to your job, there’s always 1-2 people who always give you a hard time; they’re always criticizing you, they’re glaring at you, and they make life hard for you, and you might think, “If that person wasn’t here, then I would do my work better.” But that person will always have a hard time. However, if you’re able to see what God has prepared through this person, then you will realize that this person is a blessing, and you begin to change yourself. Your inner vessel or your size is only this big, then of course, you can’t contain anyone else. If you only think and care about yourself, then of course, you can’t think of anyone else, and God is forcing you to think about others for once. And what if you keep on praying, but that person keeps giving you a hard time? You might ask, “I keep on praying, but why is God not answering?” God is telling you to change yourself. Stop looking at the speck in someone else’s eye, and look at the plank in your own eye. He already told us in His Word, “You and I are the same, who can judge? Who can criticize?” So you yourself change so that you won’t become like that. Most conflicts are resolved, then through that individual, I’ve realized myself. After that point, that person is not a problem for me.
If you don’t understand this, if you’re fighting with a four-year-old, aren’t you the problem? If you’re an adult and you’re trying to debate with a four-year-old kid using words that you learned in college, then you are the dumb one. What that means is, you as an adult do not have the ability to contain the words of a four-year-old. That means that physically you might be an adult, but internally, you’re four years old, that’s why you keep conflicting with people. Same thing out in the world. “Oh, God is suing that person as a sign to change myself.” But you never try to change. Then you might think, “I believe in Jesus Christ and I go to church, so I have the truth, and that person doesn’t have the truth, so I’ll never change myself according to them.” The Lord keeps telling you to change yourself, but you’re never able to hear that. You think you don’t do anything wrong.; you think the other person is the villain. And if you’re going to nitpick about everything everyone else is doing wrong, then you’ll have to fight, from the moment you are born to the moment you die. What the Lord desires is that you change yourself so the other person doesn’t affect you like this because you need to make your vessel larger in order for God to put things into that. If you’re trembling and shaking over money or a job because you don’t believe in God, how can God give you blessings in such a small vessel? So, instead of just trembling and shaking, just go further in faith, do the opposite of your hangouts, then you’ll be aligned with God, because your thoughts are the opposite of God. Only the Word of God is aligned with God; everything else is wrong.
However, the more upright you are, or the more correctly or well you try to live, the less likely you’re able to understand the gospel. The lord calls us sinners, but you think you’re right? That’s why you’re not aligned with God, then you will always judge or criticize other people because that person thinks that they’re okay. That’s why they’re not able to receive God’s blessings. What does the Lord say? “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Through Jesus Christ, He has forgiven our sin and calls us righteous. My nature, my abilities have no choice but to oppose and reject God, but through faith in Jesus Christ, He has called me righteous. So in other words, you and that other person, we’re the same, “This person is better than person,” we’re all filthy rags to God. Because of our faith in Jesus Christ, He just calls us righteous. It’s the same thing as your child, no matter what anybody says about your child, you think your child is great because they are your child. Everybody else may be criticizing your child, but the parents can never hear those words, because they are their child.
Just because we believe in Jesus Christ, God says, “You’re okay.” We think God is taking it easy on us because of our actions, but we’re wrong. That thought itself is sin. You calculating and manipulating with your brain, it’s sin. You have to be a patient looking for a doctor, but you don’t think that you’re a patient, then, there’s no reason for you to look for Jesus, you’re healthy so you want to live by your own strength, that’s why you don’t have a reason to live for Jesus. Paul said every single day, “I want to die, I’m a sinner of all sinners,” in other words, He is saying, “I need Christ every day,” that’s grace, so how could I ever judge or criticize anyone? That becomes the basis or foundation for loving others. “Well, I got a good education,” or “My parents raised me right,” I’m sorry, but that means nothing. The more you emphasize things like that, the further you become from the Lord. What you really need to discover is, “I’ve received the greatest education and training, but it turns out, this was only setting me up to oppose God.”
That was Paul’s confession in Phil. 3: “Everything I considered to be my gain in my past, my education, my fame, my glory, I now consider a loss for the sake of Christ,” because in the past, he didn’t know the gospel, so he was hanging onto his education, or he was holding onto the background of His family line, or he was holding onto His correct thoughts and his mindset. That’s why there is no happiness or joy. That’s why there’s so much fighting and conflicts. Without Christ, people can never have joy or peace.
3) Jesus chose us and appointed us (Jn. 15:16)
In Jn. 15:16, it says that Jesus has chosen us and raises us up. I used to think that I went to church on my own, I thought that no one told me to go to church, so now you’re able to see how much I lived my life with my own sense of righteousness, ,so I was thinking, “I can go to church every day because I chose to go to church on my own, and I’ll choose not to go to church on my own.” So I was so lost in my own self-righteousness. I was my own god, there was no God, I was god. In reality, God was actually moving my life for a long time, so I had no choice but to go to church in the very end. We are not here because we simply wanted to be here; God called us and appointed us, we have a position and a role. The fact that you have been anointed into a position means that you have a role to play. If you look at sports, as well as war, people have their own positions and plays.
Everyone has their own role. That’s why God has raised you up, as a pastor or elder, as a deaconess or a senior deaconess. The Lord has chosen you and appointed you, that means we have a role that we have to play, and in order to fill that role, God has prepared the power and grace for you. Human parents are limited so it’s possible that they might not have been able to do their best. However, God is unlimited in power and He is the creator of the universe, so He can give you everything you need to fulfill the role He called you for. So I hope you will stop thinking with your thoughts of God’s Word; instead, take the Word of God and put it into your thoughts, because either way, my thoughts are wrong. Whatever I’m thinking may have only been correct within my family background, my environment, where I grew up; it’s not the truth. God appointed me and God will fulfill that role through me, and God is bound to pour down the grace, power, and blessings to do that role.
(1) So that you might go to the world and bear fruit (Jn. 15:16)
So, why does He do all of this? So that we may go out into the world and bear fruit that will last. I will tell you two things, “Remain in My Love,” how can we remain in His love? I don’t even know what “Love” is. “If you keep my commands, then you remain in My Love.” Then what is His command? “My command is for you to love one another, love each other,” but we don’t have the ability to love. “That is why I will go into you as the Holy Spirit, and give you the power and the spirit to do this. For this purpose, I will teach you all things.” The Holy Spirit will remind you of everything Jesus said, and the Holy Spirit will give you the power to do this work. That’s why God gave us the new covenant and the advocate, the Holy Spirit, lives within us now. In the Old Testament, they had the command of God written externally on the stone tablets, and even if they looked at that every day, they had no ability to obey it, that’s why the Holy Spirit has to be inside of us now. No matter how much they look at the Ten Commandments, they might know it with their brain, but they don’t have the power to fulfill it. So then, God says, “Now, I will enter into you and engrave my Word onto your heart,” because otherwise, it’s not going to work. That’s why the Lord resurrected and sent us the Holy Spirit. We can’t even know this, the Holy Spirit has to teach us and remind us in order for us to realize, because we’re sinners.
(2) Fruit that will last in us (16)
So now, God also does this so we can go out into the world and proclaim this to nonbelievers and bear fruits that will last, and as evidence of that, God says, “My joy may be made complete in you. It’s hard to make money, isn’t it? It’s hard to study, isn’t it? The reason it’s so hard is because you don’t know the reason why you have to do that. When Jesus is saying, “I am sending you out into the world,” He is saying, “I’m using your jobs, your studies, your company, to send you out into the world, so that through this, you can proclaim the gospel to nonbelievers, and bear fruit that will last.” Then, when you pray, holding onto the Word that God gave you and you meditate on it, then God’s joy will be complete in you. That’s what the Lord will do for me because my goal for working or studying or doing anything, is aligned with God’s desire to bear fruit.
Are you happy? Is working “joyful” to you? What makes you joyful? Are you joyful when you make a lot of money? Does the Bible ever say, “I’m not going to make you happy if you don’t have money”? No, Jesus says, “If you remain in My commands, then I will give you joy. Love one another.” If you love each other inside of the church, and you love nonbelievers out in the world by giving them the gospel and bearing fruits that will last, then the Holy Spirit is the one doing that work, so we will be filled with God’s joy. So, to have the fruit that will last, it means we go out into the field, proclaim the gospel to nonbelievers, establish them inside of the church, and train them to know Jesus Christ. That’s all we have to think about. But instead of thinking about this, we keep thinking about something else, so actually, we lose joy. If all I’m thinking about is bearing fruit, then when will I study or work?
If you’re aligning your heart to the Word of God, it doesn’t require your action to adjust your heart to God, then, God gives you the strength to do it, then the fruits will naturally take place. But, if you don’t understand this, the longer you live your walk of faith, the harder your life will be, because you keep thinking you have to do something. “I must have done something wrong, that’s why this is happening to me,” or, “I must have done something right,” and even when you repent, it’s about what you did or didn’t do. When you’re focused on your actions, that’s not real repentance. “Fundamentally, my spirit was not aligned with God, and that’s why I acted this way. Because I’m making my actions in a spiritual state that is not aligned with God, then of course, the result is bad.” Then, what is true repentance? It means, through your bad actions, you’re able to recognize, “Oh, the problem is my spiritual state,” and you realign your spiritual state to God. Let’s say you’re thinking, the world is so hard, that’s the result. Why is the world so difficult? It turns out, “Oh, I’m not aligned with God, that’s why.” Realigning yourself to God, that’s repentance.
However Christians think that repentance is like remorse, which is what nonbelievers journal about, that’s why we’re not changing. In North Korea, people every day have to self-criticize or self-judge, they have to confess everything that’s wrong about them, and then, they do this for other people, “This week, this person did that wrong.” Everyone can do that, anywhere in the world, without Christ, but the Bible is talking about the fundamental cause of all of those things. The repentance is, “I’m not aligned to God, so I’ll align myself to God.” That’s true repentance. If you’re not aligned with God, then nothing is aligned, but if you are aligned with God, then you will have God’s joy and fruit. “My finances are hard, my job is hard, my family is hard because there’s someone who’s sick,” are those words right or wrong? But what God is telling you is, “I’ve hidden a blessing within these problems, but you’re not able to see it, are you?” The Bible specifically tells us that the Holy Spirit will teach us and remind us of all things, but you’re not able to hear it, are you? You say, “God, I’m praying about this, why aren’t you changing the problem,” and God says, “I’m not trying to change the problem, I’m trying to show you something through it.” That’s what the Holy Spirit will teach you.
(3) So that whatever you may ask in Jesus’s name, you will receive (Jn. 15:16)
Therefore, in 15:16, “So that whatever you ask in My name, the Father will give to you.” Then, all the answers of blessings we get from God are not earned by doing something, but we must be aligned with God. How do we align with God? Remain in His love. How can we remain in His love? Keep His commands. What is His command? To love each other. Inside of the church, inside of your family, out in the world, love the nonbelievers by giving them the gospel and saving them. In order to do that work, the Holy Advocate, the Holy Spirit, will live inside of you and give you the power, grace, and blessings to do that. It’s not about your actions or what you do for that, but if you just align your heart to be aligned with that, then He will give you joy. If you have no joy and you’re not receiving answers to your prayers, then the Lord is not dead, He’s not wrong, I have to change myself. I heard that professional boxers don’t have a fear of getting hit, if somebody is afraid of getting hit, they cannot be a professional fighter. You have to be fearless about getting hit in order for you to strike back as soon as you’re hit, but if you’re always afraid of getting hit, then you’ll always have to dodge the attacks.
3. Witness who testifies of Jesus to the world
1) World hates us (Jn. 15:18)
(1) Do not belong to the world (Jn. 15:19)
Even if problems do happen, it should be okay, you should have no fear because if you’re afraid of this, how can you break through to the world? Because the Lord is with me and if I remain alive with His desire, then in the midst of problems and circumstances, God will give me His answers and guide me, isn’t that right? The weaker I am, the more my parents take care of me. If anything, if a child is very healthy and independent, the parent spends less time taking care of them. If you’re saying, “It’s because I’m too old or too poor, I cannot speak the language,” you are making excuses to God. “Oh, it’s because right now, I’m using substances, so give me a little bit of time to stop using drugs,” you’re not going to get to quit. For the people who say they did quit, they didn’t quit, it’s just a temporary break.
But if God continuously pours his joy into you, then there’s no reason for you to do drugs anymore. There’s no way for you to quit your alcoholism. “Oh, did you quit?” then it turns into something else, why? Because the fundamental “me” has not changed. “Is your depression cured? If that’s not filled by the joy of God, then it will turn into something else,” so you shouldn’t lie or hide, it’s from the Bible and my experience. If you’re fundamentally aligned in the direction of God, then God’s blessing and joy will follow you. Then, you’ll receive everything you ask for. Your power is irrelevant because God is power, the real problem is that we’re not aligned with that God, but if we are aligned with that God, then He will answer; that’s our walk of faith. If you don’t know the secrets to align yourself to God and you just work hard, then you’ll just get beaten up. Does that mean we should be lazy instead of diligent? You’ll be beaten up more; it should naturally take place. “If you remain in My love, then you’ll naturally have fruit,” of course, we need God’s grace our entire life, but until we get to that point, we need to ask extra for God’s grace and joy.
(2) Persecute Jesus, also persecute us (Jn. 15:20)
And then Jesus said He is sending us out into the world but He says the world will hate us. “Oh, but nobody hates me,” then you’re fake. What’s fake? “My goal for working or studying is not aligned with God,” that’s what is fake about me. If the direction of my life is aligned with God’s desire, to love the people in my family and my workplace by giving them the gospel and saving them, then for sure, Satan will block it. Satan will use people to persecute you, but most people think that, “We should have good relationships with everybody, and I can just tell them that I’m Christian or I go to church.” The Bible does not tell us that. There are people who have really good relationships with other people but they’re Buddhist. Or there are people who are really good at human relationships but they’re atheist, so nonbelievers are like that too. The Bible doesn’t say that. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is sending us out into the world in order to save people, to bear fruits, to give them the gospel and save them; then, Satan will for sure try to block that and persecute you. Some people might think, “Is God powerless? Can’t He block Satan’s attacks?” Then, that is a person who does not know the Word of God at all, they’re just imagining God on their own.
(3) To fulfill what is written: They hated Jesus without reason (Jn. 15:25)
Jesus Christ Himself, God himself, was persecuted by the world. If the Master is being persecuted, of course, the servant will be persecuted, and then in Jn. 15:25, it says there is no reason for this persecution. In Jn. 15:25, it says it was to fulfill the law, “They hated Me without reason.” People will hate you for no reason; you’ll ask them, and they’ll say, “It’s not anything you do, I just hate looking at your face,” that’s what the Bible is saying. The devil just blocks you and attacks you to prevent you from proclaiming the gospel, but that’s a blessing. Then, you will receive 100-fold blessings on earth and the blessings will follow you. Because you are somebody who is truly aligned with God, of course, God is bound to work. We do not belong to the world, we do not belong to Satan; we belong to God, so of course, Satan is bound to attack us. If you think, “I go to church very well, I give offering, I pray well, I get along with people at my workplace, I’m living a good life,” you’re just thinking that on your own. That person will suffer, do you know why? Because every standard they have is based on “my actions,” then if somebody is not able to live up to their standards or expectation or actions, they will look down on that person even if they don’t say anything out loud, and spiritually speaking, that person does not think they need the power of God.
What does the Bible say? The Bible tells us to love one another, that when you go out into the world, save them, rescue them, that is the standard. Anything other than that is wrong. You just think you’re right by yourself. That’s why there’s no happiness, that’s why there’s no answers to prayer. We don’t receive answers to prayer by praying a lot; we can receive answers to prayer while staying still. I’m not telling you not to pray, but I’m saying that there are some answers that you get because you pray for it, but there are more answers that God gives you, even if you’re staying still. Do you only give things to your kids if you ask for it? No, you know what they need in advance and you give it to them, that’s a parent. Our next-door neighbor has no care for my kids’ needs. At least if my child asks for something from my uncle, my uncle will give it because they’re from the same family, but a parent is different. A parent prepares everything the child needs even before they say anything. The child doesn’t even know what they need; they just go on vacation and the parents have already packed all of the things they need. Then, when they get older, the parents have their clothes laid out, they have money prepared and set aside, so a child does not have to ask in order to receive, a parent is somebody who prepares everything in advance for that child.
If you and I are aligned with God, then even if we don’t ask and pray about it, God will give us what we need in advance. Oh, you need success to do this? Then, success will follow you, when will you chase after success and then do God’s work? God will look at you and say, “In order for the gospel to be proclaimed by this person, we must raise them up and promote them,” so then He does it. Why? Because it is needed. That’s how people won’t trample on you, then the Lord does it. Then even if you don’t chase after things like that, the Lord will take care of it. So, we are not living or chasing after success, we are chasing after God’s Word, and then success follows somewhere in that process.
2) Jesus will send the Holy Spirit from the Father (Jn. 15:26)
(1) Spirit of truth (Jn. 15:26)
Jn. 15:26 says, “The Holy Spirit Whom the Father will send.” It says, “When the Holy Spirit comes, Jesus will send to you from the Father.” One of the reasons there was a split in the Orthodox church between the Eastern Orthodox church in Russia, Armenia, and places like that, versus the Western Roman Catholic, is that the Eastern Orthodox churches believed that the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father God only, but the Western Roman Catholic churches believed the Holy Spirit was sent by God through Jesus Christ. This is the difference between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Western Roman Catholic Church. If you think about the Eastern Orthodox Church, those are the people with really long beards and black outfits. The Eastern Orthodox Church believes God the Father sent the Holy Spirit, and we believe that God the Father sent the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ. God the Father does not work unless it is through Jesus Christ, that is why the Holy Spirit is given to us by Jesus Christ through the Father. That’s the Triune God, and that Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth.
(2) Spirit testifies about Jesus (Jn. 15:26)
The Truth will not align with the words of the people, and this Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus Christ. Some people may think, “If the Holy Spirit is testifying of Jesus Christ, I don’t have to do anything,” but you will not have any answers until your thoughts change. The person who is asking that person has a very extreme mentality, they went from a life completely centered on themselves and their actions, and now they have the Lord saying it’s not them, so they’re saying, “Fine, You do everything, then; I’ll do nothing.” However, if you know the reason why Jesus Christ had to come to earth in the form of a human, die on the cross, and resurrect, then you will also know the work that He is doing through you now. The fact that we are the image of God means that, through us, God reveals Himself. So how does God reveal Himself through us? He doesn’t control us like robots. Instead, God gives us the Holy Spirit to live within us and gives His desire into our thoughts and our heart, so that, by our will and our desire, we make a decision that is aligned with God. So then, we do it, or we cannot do it, but the Lord has to change us, the Lord has to align us with God so that we as our own individual people make decisions aligned with God. That’s why the Holy Spirit lives within you and gives you the grace and the joy of God. So, the Holy Spirit allows us to be able to make the choices and to have the strength to work for God’s purpose.
(3) Filling of Holy Spirit – Power, Witness (Ac. 1:8)
So, God is doing His work through me, that’s why we must receive the filling of the Holy Spirit. In order to receive the filling of the Holy Spirit, we must have the prerequisite condition that we confess, “I cannot do it alone.” Some of you might be thinking, “But I can do it on my own, I can study well, I can make money and succeed; why does the church keep on telling me I can’t do anything on my own?” but that’s not what we’re talking about. I’m saying we’re never able to love other people, you will never be able to love nonbelievers and save them with the gospel. Only when the Holy Spirit completely fills you with power can you do this, so by believing in this, receive the filling of God’s power. Then, when God’s power comes upon you, you will be witnesses until the ends of the earth.
3) Power of the one who saves
(1) Accept all people
Now, you must become people who accept everyone. How can I accept everyone? All you have to realize is, we’re both wrong because only God’s Word is true. The reason you’re not able to accept that other person is because you think you’re right and they’re wrong, but if you believe that everyone is wrong, if we debate, we’re just debating two wrong ideas, so whatever they say, you know that you’re wrong and they’re wrong, so you just listen. Either way, you know they are going to act wrong, so you just say, “Okay, they’re acting wrong,” so then you just accept that and you expect it, and then you transcend that.
(2) Transcend all people
If you’re an adult, you should be able to accept anything that a four-year-old does, right? But it’s not that you’re actually at the level of a four-year-old; you transcend that, then what do you do?
(3) Decision, direction to save
You make the decision that saves. Love people, love nonbelievers, only make that decision. “I hate that person to death,” you hate that person because you’re looking at them with the standards that are inside of you, and I hope you will use this as an opportunity to change what’s inside. Even if you look at someone and physically speaking, they are completely lacking in every way, there are people whom God has prepared behind them to receive the gospel and salvation. So, if you always look through the lens of saving, you will no longer hate that person.
Conclusion
1. Filling of the Holy Spirit
2. Guidance of the Holy Spirit
3. Fruit of the Holy Spirit
In conclusion, if we receive the filling of the Holy Spirit every day, then we will obey God’s Word and bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. May we enjoy this blessing throughout the week and live a walk of faith that bears fruit.
Message Prayer
Let us pray holding onto the message that we have received together today.
Offering Prayer and Newcomer Blessing
God, we thank You. We have returned Your materials as offering. We pray that everywhere it is used, people will be saved, and may You bless all the hands that have given the offering with the blessing of answered prayers. May You give the true healing to those who are sick or diseased, may You give new strength to those who are weak. May we all become people who are overflowing with the love, joy, and peace that comes from God of loving each other and nonbelievers. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.
God, we thank You. God, we pray You will bless the lives of all the newcomers so that the Word of God will be fulfilled exactly in their life, so that they may enjoy the power and peace to save other people. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.
Announcements
1. Online zoom early morning prayer (Mon.-Fri. 5:30, Sat. 6AM) – Raise the bartizan of prayer
2. Hollywood camp – Temple
3. Offering can be given to the church venmo: @Antiochmissionchurch
Benediction
Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the unending love of God, and the indwelling, guidance, working, and fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be upon the heads of all the people of God, the people of all nations, and the remnants who desire to
be with them from now until forevermore always, amen.