Intimacy Not Information - Abiding in Jesus | Navaz DCruz

Intimacy not Information - Abiding in Jesus |Navaz DCruz

This message was preached by Navaz Dcruz at Word of Grace Church on  November 4th , 2018. To listen/download the audio please click here. To listen to the Sunday's worship and prophetic contributions please click here.

PART 2

VERSE 4-5

 ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

 INTRODUCTION

In Part 1 we looked at the fact that there can be many vines that we could be a part of but Jesus is the true vine. We saw that if we are to be fruitful we would be pruned. Pruning is not punishment but a process toward more fruitfulness. Jesus wants us to be fruity Christians.

HOW DO WE ABIDE IN A DIGITAL WORLD THAT PINGS, BLIPS,  SCREEN LIGHT UPS EVERY OTHER MINUTE?

Many things are grabbing our attention each day and the immediacy of everything is to the point of being ridiculous. The pressures of work are real, – long hours, long commutes to and from office, deadlines etc.etc.

Our relationship with Jesus cannot and should not be another pressure point; rather he should be the place where all pressure is released.

He said ^28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matt 11:28-30)

Jesus does not come to add to your burdens but he is our burden bearer, He is the lifter of our heads.

When you love someone you want to spend time with them. You are not timing it or clocking in.  That is what Jesus is calling us into – a restful abiding in His presence – out of joy and not duty.

VERSE 4 ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

I.                 WHAT DOES ABIDE MEAN?

 So while our relationship with Jesus is eternal. No one can pluck you from His hand, what quality of relationship you enjoy is up to you.

The word abide/remain is repeated 10 times in a span of 4 verses. Repetition for emphasis is a style of a good teacher and Jesus certainly was that.  We would be wise to pay attention to what Jesus puts an emphasizes on.

The Word Abide/remain is also translated “to stay/to dwell”. To make your dwelling place. This is reflected in the Old Testament very well in Psalm 91, Ps 84. It is about taking up residence. It’s where you feel secure, relaxed “at home” and have your most intimate relationships.

 In the Old Testament, God’s presence was confined to a geographical space. His death on the cross put an end to that. Today, his presence is not confined to a box behind a thick curtain. 

He has now made is dwelling among us. He now has taken up residence in our hearts. He also says when 2 or  or more gathered I am there among them. 

So we have God’s indwelling presence and his manifest presence in a group of people.

 No branch can bear fruit by itself;

No branch can have life, without it being connected to the main branch. All the branches draw their sap, sustenance from the main branch.

WHAT IS IT TO REMAIN/ABIDE/ STAY CONNECTED?

This requires commitment and covenant. It’s not transactional or conditional.

Another way to say abide/remain is to stay stuck in. Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and not being distracted by anything else or anyone else.

Jesus is unconditionally faithful, committed to us. Are we unconditionally faithful and committed to him? Is it a relationship of convenience?

 To be disconnect would mean to get dismembered from the Vine.  The analogy is two fold, individual and corporate. Rom 12 This not only affects your relationship with Jesus but with one another as well.

This abiding is 24/7. It is not something we can or should turn on and off.

There is no religious-secular divide in our lives. We can learn to practice the presence of God in our everyday lives.

Jesus lived in a constant commune with His Father. Then He tells us to abide in Him in the same manner and tells us that apart from Him we can do nothing!! In Acts 17:28 we are reminded that it is in Him we live, move, and have our being!  

Its about being God conscious. He becomes our frame of reference for everything we do – in our families, at school, work, in our socializing; in everything.

God desires so much more for us but we often settle for just getting our foot into the Kingdom and not fully enjoying all that we can because of being in the Kingdom.

When we pray His kingdom come on earth. We don’t pray His kingdom come to church!! The church is the display and reign of the kingdom of God gathered. In the week the Kingdom is like salt and light scattered on the Earth.

Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

The branches get its nourishment, strength, fruit-bearing ability, it’s very DNA from the main vine.

We get saved when we believe in Jesus but we get sanctified when we believe like Jesus.

What is the DNA of Jesus?  All the qualities of God that we love. God is love, kind, gracious, slow to anger, forgiving, wise, giving, gentle, gracious, righteous holy and so on.

I will have God thoughts, Christ-like thought patterns that think more about others than myself.

II.              RESULT OF ABIDING

We will be fruity.

Fruitfulness is linked to my relationship with Jesus.  It is not about how well I administer or create programs.

It’s so simple to the point that we actually ignore it or miss it altogether. It’s about me “being” and not “doing”. The focus is on BEING to begin with and then the BECOMING will follow

Fruitfulness comes from intimacy and heart connection. Transformation comes from intimacy and heart connection.

Intimacy with Jesus not information about Jesus leads to transformation.

Abiding will make us live from His presence and not just principles.

John 5:39-40 

 ³⁹ You study^[a] the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, ⁴⁰ yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

When we come into his presence, we get a deeper revelation of who He is. Revelation transforms us, not information.

Knowledge of His word is only the gateway. Then we want a deeper understanding and communion with Him.

Today is an invitation to go deeper with Jesus

Obedience alone is cold, dry and faithless. It will not produce healthy fruit.  The Pharisees did that and it only made them blind to their sin and judgmental of everyone else.

III.             WHAT DOES NOT ABIDING LOOK LIKE?

·       Living to please me

·       Distracted

·       Religious duty

·       Not committed to things that matter to Jesus viz: Time with Him, how we interact with our family, our personal private holiness, our love quotient for other Christians, our diligence at work, faithful in giving, serving.

·       Attracted to worldly pleasures and self-indulgence.

HINDRANCES TO ABIDING?

·       The Bible will keep you from sin and sin will keep you from the bible.

·       Anxiety and fear cloud our thinking and clogs our hearts. Fear and love cannot co-exist. His perfect love will drive away fear and anxiety.

He gives us his perfect peace. Do you know what that is? It is himself – his presence. Peace is a person. Jesus is the prince of peace.

·       Unforgiveness and offense – This not only builds walls towards the people you are offended with, but it also affects your relationship with God.

How do I know that?

1Jn 2:11

  But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

 We cannot love God and hate our brother. If I dismember myself from one part of the body, I also disengage with the Head i.e Jesus.

Are there people you are avoiding? Here at Word of Grace. You say I love Jesus, I love the worship and the word at this church but I’ll keep my distance from so and so or I’ll only interact with these people, but those people I don’t want to talk to. My friends, you are kidding yourself. Get it sorted because you will hit a heart block in your relationship with God.

Church is messy. Its made up of imperfect people like you and I. Jesus has shown us much grace.  Let us extend lavish grace as well.

IV.             WHAT DOES ABIDING GIVE US?

·       IT gives us Identity. We are called sons. We are no longer orphans. We are chosen by God (v16), we are called his friends (v.15). It will give you rest and you wont strive to prove anything to God or anyone.

·       This gives us security because you know Who you are and whose you are.

·       It gives us purpose and perspective. We will be clear on our calling and we will get committed out of joy and not duty.

·       Joy (v11). If your joy quotient is low, check your abiding quotient. They are directly proportional. The more you abide the more joy you will experience and vice versa.

·       Answered prayer ( v.7)

HOW DO I DO THIS?

Eg) I have a gift for painting, but if I don’t exercise that gift I won’t get good it and people won’t be able to say that is my gift unless they see proof of that.

In Acts 4:13 – They recognized that the disciples were men who has been with Jesus Therefore staying in connection is crucial.

TOOLS TO ABIDING

Colin covered this two weeks ( Click here for the message) ago in his message so I will mention it briefly.

·       Have a time alone with God every day.  

Your reputation is your reputation. As you do this every day you will build a strong relationship with God. How can you know God better? 

Read his Word. It has everything you need to know about him, his ways and his thoughts about you.

·       Pray in tongues. If you have not yet received this wonderful gift, ask one of us to pray for you.

·       Worship – put on some of our worship or go to YouTube and worship along with some of the songs you are familiar with. Let your heart become open and transparent before Jesus. Practice being 100%  with him.

·       Write down what he says to you.

As you do this every day. If you do this for 20 min each day you would have spent approximately 10 hours in the Word each month. You will see the difference in your life.

The word will transform you. The Word is Jesus. His presence and His word are a powerful combination that will transform you from inside out.

SO WHAT DO I DO?

•         Stay committed, stay focused, stay persistent.

•        Do not give up. Do not get distracted.

•        Yield to the loving pruning of God

•         Stay in fellowship, in connection, in communion in covenant with Jesus.

•        When we live like this there is bound to be fruit that counts.

To listen/read Part 1  click here

 Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

The Glorious Church - Things that await us | Steve Oliver

This message was preached at The Glorious Church Conference by Steve Oliver in Mumbai. To listen to the audio please click here.

I asked God to give me insight into what awaits us.  I have four things.

1. We are entering a time where God is going to ask you to lay something down to pick up something else. If your hands are full then you can’t take up to her things, This has already started happening. Be encouraged to say “yes Lord” because he will entrust you with more.

God told me to lay down the church in South Africa. And in the next month I was called to Dubai.

2 In the next few months God is calling us to sacrificial honouring of one another. Be more conscious of what is happening in others lives than your own. If we are fore warned it’s easier to take those steps. It’s an honouring of one another.

3 In the months ahead God is asking you to let go the supports and walk in confidence. He will ask you to do things that will need big faith- big steps of faith. Some will be asked to do big things and I want you to remember the God’s grace is there for it.

4 For those who are serious about God there is going to be a significant harvest for you. I believe you will enter a very fruitful season. Isaac was set on the purposes of God, There was a famine but in faith he planted and God gave him a hundred fold.

If you take the prophetic and treasure it, it will give birth to faith that will result in fruitfulness

So even these 4 things I pray that it will produce much fruit.

1996 we left Cape Town and we moved among the Basotho people., All we had was a prophetic word and faith that God would do what he promised. I had very little training. I would pray “Lord help me “. We had no friends nearby so it was lonely. One day I spent time in John chapters 13-16. This became my training manual for me – a manual of instruction that shaped my life a great deal.

I want to take you through 10 things that Jesus taught me and it’s a foundation on which I built the church. 

John 13 is the final chapter of Jesus life with his disciples. He knew that the cross awaits them. So he gives them final instructions in these final moments. He prepares his disciples for what is about to happen.

The salvation of millions depends on how we respond.

1  13:1 JESUS BREATHED LOVE UPON THEM

Jesus begins by modeling what every leader should be able to express by our lifestyle. Jesus washed the disciples’ feet and he models a lifestyle of love that can never be equaled. He shows them the full extent of his love. All we will do form here on has to be out of a lifestyle of love. It’s not about me, what I can get. We will be measured by the love we have for one another. Jesus shows them as they out that it must be out of a place of truly loving one another. Love the people. Love one another.

2. JOHN14 DO NOT LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED. In a short time we will spread across this nation and the nations and we have to learn to live without troubled hearts. Trust in God. We live with the most assured future. Jesus has gone before us and prepared mansions for us.

The disciples have walked with Jesus for a few years and now he was preparing to go. Do not let your hearts be troubled is what He said to them. To see the world changed we have to live with the assurance of what He has done for us.

3. JN14:12  ANYONE WHO BELIEVES IN ME WILL DO WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING. Really? He will do even greater things because I am going to the Father. How is this possible?

V16 I will give you a counselor who will be with you forever. This is the greatest thing Jesus said.

Our task is enormous. I then remember this – The Holy Spirit will be with us forever. He will never leave us. He walks with us. This very representation of Jesus himself. The very presence of heaven was right with us – whom we could feel, touch, and smell. WE need to get used to functioning with him. God has given us each other and the Holy Spirit. We must not forget this. We have to encounter the Holy Spirit and know He is with us.

4. JN14:23 IF ANYONE WHO LOVES ME THEY WILL OBEY ME AND MY FATHER WILL LOVE HIM AND WILL COME TO HIM AND MAKE OUR HOME WITH HIM. We create a household out of our obedience to Christ. We create a heavenly household.

“God comes to board with you” J Wesley. These can be pressurizing times.

5.  v26 THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL TEACH YOU ALL THINGS AND WILL REMIND YOU OF ALL THINGS This does not mean that we throw out what God has said. If you are serious about God what God has said to you in these days, he will remind us about it.

We go out there is on one who will remind us.

6 .JN15:16 YOU DID NOT CHOOSE ME BUT I CHOSE YOU. What words those are! He has appointed us to bear fruit.

7. 15:26 HE WILL TESTIFY ABOUT ME. Jesus goes before us. If you are not seeing growth ask God to go before you.

8.16:13 HE IS PREPARING HIS DISCIPLES. WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES HE WILL GUIDE YOU IN ALL TRUTH. If you want to live according to the SpIrit of God, live according to word of God.

Our conscience is our greatest gift. The Holy Spirit fellowships with our conscience. This way we will know what is right and wrong. We need the spirit. I love praying for people because I know how much good it will do you.

9. HE WILL ONLY SPEAK WHAT HE HEARS AND HE WILL TELL YOU WHAT IS TO COME. People end so much of the time trying to find out about the future. But we have one who will tell us what is to come on a daily basis.

When someone prophecies and it resonates in our hearts the spirit will show us what is to come. This comforter is there when you are troubled – to comfort us.

10. HE IS ALSO OUR ADVOCATE. HE STAND FOR US AND GIVES US THE HUMILITY TO NOT FIGHT BACK.

We need to be people of the Word and Spirit.

Jesus instructed his twelve and then he said as he broke bread. We do it in remembrance of Him.

Discipleship : Part 3 - Remaining leads to growing.

Discipleship Part3

TEXT :  John 15:1-4

John chapter 15 comes straight after the disciples were in the upper room. In Chapter14 the last verse says “Come now let us leave”. This is after the washing of the disciple’s feet and the Last supper. It’s the night before his crucifixion. Possible they were moving to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus would pray his high priestly prayer. And along the way 

He shares this with the eleven. Remember Judas has gone off to do what he had to do. As they walked they have must passed some grape vines – which was a common sight, much like how we see coconut trees along the coastal regions. Jesus always used something in nature to teach a principle. He knew he was going to die but the job of making disciples would be entrusted to these eleven. He knew the key to their fruitfulness was abiding in Him. He had given them many “I Am s” viz. I am the door, I am the way, I am the good shepherd etc. Now he is saying that He want their life source, their vitality, energy to come from Him. So what is Jesus saying? There are three things Jesus is saying here. Let’s look at them.

I. TRUE DISCIPLES BEAR FRUIT

 If you claim to be his disciple you will bear fruit. In John 15:2-3 he refers to 4 situations. Verse2 – No fruit. This is a dangerous place to be in. The question one must ask in such a situation is if the person is really a Christ follower. What fruit is Jesus looking for?

1) Fruits of Repentance Matt3:7-10  – your belief must be attested by the presence of fruit. Repentance is making a U turn- from walking in sin. Then the gospel comes into your life and you walk away from sin. Eg.) you used to read the Horoscope daily – now you no longer do it because you know it is a sin and displeases God. So you identify areas of sin in your life and turn away from it.

2) Fruit of Christ like Character: Gal 5:22-23 As you have come to become a Christ follower do you have these fruit in your life? ⁽²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control.)

3) The Fruit of thankfulness. Heb.13:15.This is one of the signs of a disciple of Jesus. We realize we are nothing and that everything comes from him – it’s all His work of grace. We are not demanding but a thankful people.

4) The fruit of giving. Romans 15:26-28 One of the surest ways you know if you are a disciple of Jesus is that your wallet has been converted too. Money is loaned to us by the Lord. Are we faithful stewards of what God has given us?

5) The fruit of making disciples. Are we making disciples of Jesus? 1Cor 15:16, Rom1:13. ( I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.) Who because of you is a follower of Jesus? Jesus talks about bearing fruit, bearing more fruit and bearing much fruit. There are degrees and stages of fruitfulness as well.

There is a warning for when there is not fruit. However I see you this morning as ones who will bear much fruit.

II  HOW DOES FRUIT COME?

By remaining, in the Vine. John 15:5. We need to be connected to the vine. A branch not connected with die and is useless. True lasting fruit come from remaining in the Vine. Word used are, abiding/remaining/lined to. “Apart from me you can do nothing” If you want more of the Spirit be led and guided by Jesus. We can do works of the flesh that will not last. Ask God how you can multiply your talents He has given you. God is not looking for great ability but availability. They need to be FAT people i.e. Faithful, Available, Teachable.

III. HOW DO YOU REMAIN?

A- Verse 7 One of the ways we “remain “is that we are intimately connected to the WORD. What is the WORD like?

i  It is like a mirror– James 1:23-24.As we read it God will show us what we are not like and He will give us the power to change.

ii- It cuts to the heart. Hebrews 4:12 the word judges the thoughts, action and motives. Joshua 1:8 God commands Joshua to meditate on the Word day and night, to do whatever it says in order that he may be successful.

2Cor 3:18 – how do you change your desires? As we remain, something of Jesus transfers onto us.

B – John 15:9-10.  Start obeying His commands. Some things may confuse you. You may not understand everything you read. Focus on what is clear and you know you have to do. “It’s not the things that I don’t understand in the bible that bother me, it’s the things I do!” Mark Twain.

God want you to be fruitful. The way is by remaining- spending time in His word and prayer. Focus on His glory. Just do it and the change will come from some, much , to abundant fruit.

 You can also listen to the audio of this sermon by clicking here .

 Colin D'Cruz

Dec. 2011