Are You Jesus' Friend? (1 John 2:24-29)
Gary McManus, 08/29/2021Part of the Life With Jesus is Better series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
August 29, 2021 1 John 2:24-29
Where are you in your relationship with God/Jesus?
Where are you in your relationship with God’s Word,
the Bible?
Last week: John 6:35: “I am the bread of life.”
REAL LIVING. . .A LIFE that goes on for eternity
is a life that abides in me, Jesus. (John 15:4)
Our Lord Jesus came declaring there was to be a good relationship between God and humanity. ( Jesus was the proof of that.) A relationship of abiding love.
abide (KJV) = dwell in me = stay united in me =
be joined with me = live in me.
Jesus declared this message to crowds who had been told that they could not have a right relationship with God. (sinners, tax collectors, harlots, the sick, defective, lepers, even adulterers.
Many American’s problems in their faith relationship
is that we Americans have trouble in their relationships. (including a relationship with God)
Jesus talked about his relationship with his followers many ways: bread, the way, good shepherd, the true vine (John 15:4) Also, “I have called you friends. . .” (John 15:15)
Do you ever have to be reminded of any relationships you are in?
Do we have to be reminded of our relationship to the Lord? Short answer: yes.
John, chapter 15, Jesus says “I am the true vine and you are the branches.” How close a relationship is that?
CONNECTED (See John 14:20, Galatians 2:20)
People will say “strange” things to me about their
relationship with the Lord.
(But see Psalm 34:18)
Our Lord Jesus was betrayed and abandoned by those he called his friends. Then, after his resurrection, Jesus went to the friends FIRST, saying: “peace”. (John 20:19)
The sabbath was established as an identifier of God’s
people.
Jesus left us signs of our connected-ness to Jesus.
[During a pandemic, maybe we shouldn’t attend worship.]
Prayer (OUR Father. . .), baptism (1 Corinthians 10:2); to which there are witnesses.
Remember your baptism. (Romans 6:3, Galatians 3:27, 1 Peter 3:21, see also Galatians 4:5, Hebrews 9:15, 1 Peter 1:3-4)
And how about the Lord’s Supper/communion table, worship “do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19 , Matthew 26:28)
Cups, water, juice, bread. . .all the five senses are used to help you and I remember.
Abide in him as he promised to abide in you. Amen.
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