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A. Words to live by and whose words to live by
What words do you live by?
The words you live by shape your life. They set the direction and outlook your life takes.
The words you live by can be helpful or unhelpful. It is important to critically discern what words you’re living by.
But the words we live by don’t come out of nowhere. They come from somewhere or someone. Whose words?
An equally, if not more important question is: WHOSE words do you live by? Who are you listening to?
Life can be very confusing. We often don’t know what to do. So we look for people to listen to.
At one moment, we find someone who seems to have the right answers and we listen to them – we live by their words. But then at a different moment, someone else seems to have the right answers, so we listen to them and live by their words.
It is important to critically discern whose words you’re living by. That is taking ownership of your life.
For me, there are two criteria to determine who you should listen to:
(1) Do they care for me and have my best interests at heart?
(2) Is what they say true, wise and helpful?
Many people have things to say.
But many times, they don’t really care about you. They’re just trying to increase their own profile or have their own agenda.
What they say is not necessarily true, wise or helpful. Rather, their words can make you feel more insecure and anxious, because that’s what will draw you to them.
Sometimes people do care about you, but what they say might not be true, wise or helpful. This can be the case with family and friends.
Your true friends and family love you. You should always be thankful for that and appreciate it.
But you need to critically discern whether what they say is wise and helpful.
B. Words to live by because of who Jesus is
People were drawn to Jesus. He did amazing things. He fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish.
People were in awe of him and wanted to force him to be king.
But his words were not easy to follow. He said strange things. He spoke about eating his flesh and drinking his blood.
They didn’t understand his words. They left him.
Jesus’ disciples had left everything to follow him, even their families. Jesus asked his disciples if they too would leave him.
This was their response:
Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:66-69)
Why did they not leave him?
His words changed them, they were words of eternal life.
What made his words words of eternal life for them, when for others they were just strange words?
They had a relationship with Jesus. Through that relationship, they got to know Jesus.
By spending time with Jesus, they saw who he was. They didn’t really understand his words, but they trusted who he was.
He was the Son of God. They saw that Jesus was not an ordinary person.
At the time, they didn’t know exactly who he was, and didn’t have the words to articulate it. (The gospels are later interpretations and articulations of who Jesus was)
But they knew that Jesus had a direct connection with God’s divine presence. In the presence of Jesus, they were in the divine presence.
So they knew that Jesus’ words carried weight and significance.
C. Jesus was leaving
But Jesus was about to leave them. Jesus had to die. There was no other way because of the words he lived by.
Jesus was one with God. He spoke the truth about himself.
He and the Father are one – that is what the gospel of John has him saying continually. What he’s saying is that he is the divine presence of God in human form.
He was speaking truth, but to Jewish leaders, he was speaking blasphemy.
Jesus saw that the path ahead was the cross.
Without Jesus there, the disciples would be left alone. Without him there, Jesus’ words would lose power.
When Jesus spoke of his departure, the disciples were troubled. They were scared.
D. Jesus would still be with them
But Jesus knew something that the disciples didn’t. He was departing from them physically, but he was not leaving them.
This is what he said:
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you. (John 14:16-17)
He was leaving the earth physically, but he would be with them through the Spirit.
The difference is that they would see Jesus in a different way, and have a relationship with him in new way.
This is what Jesus said:
I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. (John 14:18-20)
E. Resurrection: seeing the reality of the risen Jesus
The significance of the resurrection is not merely the fact that he rose from the dead. It’s what it does for the believer.
The real mystery of the resurrection is seeing the reality of the risen Jesus. Of having a relationship with this risen Jesus and thereby God.
That is what changes people. That’s the real power of the resurrection.
This is a hard thing for people in today’s modern, scientific world to grasp and understand.
Resurrection is not about a scientific reality. It is about a spiritual reality. The spiritual reality of the risen Jesus who reigns with God.
The disciples had the special blessing of living with the earthly, flesh and blood Jesus. The one who walked this earth and ate food like us. I would have loved to be there.
But the resurrection is the gift of knowing Jesus for those who live after his life on earth.
We have a real relationship with him through the Spirit. A relationship as real as the real-life relationships you have with people around you.
We see Jesus and know him in ways the disciples couldn’t. The resurrection enables this kind of relationship with him.
F. Word of God: relationship with risen Christ gives power to his words
This relationship with the resurrected Jesus gives power to his words and makes them come alive in us. They give power to our lives.
Many things have shaped me. But nothing has changed my life more than the words of the Bible.
Studying the Bible brought me back to church after I had left it. It changed how I view my life, this world and how we’re supposed to live in it. It changed my heart and brought healing.
This is why nothing is more important in ministry than the study of the Bible.
You can take away all other programs, but two things will remain: worship and study of the Bible.
We study the Bible because we believe those words have power to change us.
They are not just nice words. They come from God.
They are inspired by God. They reveal truth about God. They are God’s words.
When you are connected with God, those words come alive in you and have power for your life.
My driving desire in ministry is for everyone to taste the life-giving power of those words.
G. Relationship with Christ makes words come alive – result is peace that the world cannot give
Jesus said he would be with us and that his words would come alive in us.
I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you. (John 14:25-26)
The Holy Spirit is our teacher. The Spirit makes those words come alive in you.
The most powerful word of Jesus is about love. The Spirit will make love come alive in you and make love the guiding principle of your life.
When the Spirit is in your life and you live by the words of Jesus, the result is peace.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. (John 14:27)
The world cannot give you this peace.
H. Love Jesus: get to know him, build relationship with him, seek him out – his words will guide you, lead you to peace
There are so many things you cannot control or change. If you focus on these things, you will experience greater anxiety.
Don’t obsess over those things. Don’t allow them to take you to dark places.
One thing you SHOULD do is pursue Jesus.
Be curious about who he is. See what the Bible says about him. Love him, seek him out, get to know him. As you get to know him, his words will come alive in you.
Seek Jesus and get to know him – that will give you peace.
Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. (John 14:23)
You will not be alone. God will dwell with you and make his home with you.
I. My desired legacy: children and people who know Christ
My kids are growing up so fast.
As I get older, and see my own parents getting older, I know that I won’t be around forever.
I would like my kids to remember me fondly and to appreciate my love for them. I’d like to leave behind some assets for them.
But the greatest legacy I want to leave them is faith.
Faith that will allow them to know Jesus so that they live by his words. Faith that will give them the peace to navigate through all of life’s storms.
Even though I still have a lot of time left, I also think about the end of my ministry. I guess I am getting older.
For church: end of ministry – the one fruit I pray for is that people will know Jesus, find life in him, be changed by him, and live by his words.
This is the way to peace – for themselves and for this world.
Whose words do you live by? Live by God’s word.
The psalmist said this:
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:5)
God’s word will give direction for your life.
This is my prayer for all of you: know Jesus, love Jesus, live by his words.
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