Message Date: March 27, 2022
Bible
- 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17 NKJV
- In our last series we As the World Turns, we focused on the “world” part of this scripture; in this series we are focusing on what Jesus offers the fallen world: eternal life.
- Jesus died for more than just keeping you from hell.
- It wasn’t about rules primarily, but about relationship with God.
- 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 NKJV
- Grace: eternal love (not performance based)
- Truth: living in victory (freedom)
- Freedom is not the absence of something, it’s the presence of someone.
- 1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:1-3 NKJV
- “In the Greek it is the word that has to do not so much with duration of life, not a life that goes on forever and ever, tho that is a part of it, the main meaning of this word is quality of life there’s only one person to whom the word eternal can properly be applied and that one person is God, eternal life is therefore nothing other than the life of God, to possess eternal life, to enter into eternal life, is to experience here and now something of the splendor and majesty and joy and peace and holiness which is characteristic of the life of God that you partake of through knowing him.” – William Barclay, New Testament Words
- To know: to know by experience, intimately and personally
- “To know God is not merely intellectual knowledge (gnosis) of God: it is a personal relationship with God ,and once again, without Jesus such intimacy with God would have been unthinkable and impossible. it is Jesus who taught men that God is not distant and remote and unapproachable but that he is the father; whose name and nature our love to know God is to know what God is like and to be on the most intimate terms of friendship with God and neither of these things as possible without Jesus Christ.” – William Barclay, Barclay’s Daily Study Bible
- “In the Greek it is the word that has to do not so much with duration of life, not a life that goes on forever and ever, tho that is a part of it, the main meaning of this word is quality of life there’s only one person to whom the word eternal can properly be applied and that one person is God, eternal life is therefore nothing other than the life of God, to possess eternal life, to enter into eternal life, is to experience here and now something of the splendor and majesty and joy and peace and holiness which is characteristic of the life of God that you partake of through knowing him.” – William Barclay, New Testament Words
- To know Him personally
- 2-6 Steer clear of the barking dogs, those religious busybodies, all bark and no bite. All they’re interested in is appearances—knife-happy circumcisers, I call them. The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with Christ’s praise as we do it. We couldn’t carry this off by our own efforts, and we know it—even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials. You know my pedigree: a legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day; an Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin; a strict and devout adherent to God’s law; a fiery defender of the purity of my religion, even to the point of persecuting the church; a meticulous observer of everything set down in God’s law Book. 7-9 The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness. 10-11 I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it. 12-14 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. Philippians 3:2-14 MSG
- Not about rules–about relationship.
- The quality of life that is offered you through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection that has a tangible result: joy.
- 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. John 17:13 NKJV
- Joy: to be delighted
- 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. John 17:13 NKJV
- Pattern:
- Relationship — God is real to them.
- Result — joy, quality of life
- 2-6 Steer clear of the barking dogs, those religious busybodies, all bark and no bite. All they’re interested in is appearances—knife-happy circumcisers, I call them. The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with Christ’s praise as we do it. We couldn’t carry this off by our own efforts, and we know it—even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials. You know my pedigree: a legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day; an Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin; a strict and devout adherent to God’s law; a fiery defender of the purity of my religion, even to the point of persecuting the church; a meticulous observer of everything set down in God’s law Book. 7-9 The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness. 10-11 I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it. 12-14 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. Philippians 3:2-14 MSG
- 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. I John 1:1-4 NKJV
- Fellowship: partnership, participation, (social) intercourse, communion
- The jealousy of God:
- 1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:1-10 NKJV
- God is jealous for your sake, not for His.
- 2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. II Corinthians 11:2-3 NKJV
- 38 They shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39 then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me. 41 Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.’ Jeremiah 32:38-41 NKJV
- Fear: reverence
- 1 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. 6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. Psalms 37:1-6 NKJV