John 15:1-8
We Need to Rely on Jesus
Click here for the first part of the message.
I want to finish the thought that I began this morning. Looking at
Luke 6:20-26, we saw Jesus told His disciples that they were
blessed if they were poor, hungry, weeping, and rejected by the
world. He also reversed the thought to pronounce woe unto those who
were rich, full, happy, and accepted by this world.
I asked and gave my answer to why this would be the case. I believe
it is because those who lack this world’s gifts and gold, might look
for something better in Christ. I pointed out that Jesus said in
\\#Luke 6:24\\, that Jesus said the rich had received their
consolation already. From whom? The only source they could have
gotten consolation from was the world.
My conclusion from that passage is that there are blessings to be had
for Christians who do not have this world’s gifts and gold. We want
on to look at some things we (Christians) need to do if we want the
blessing that Jesus spoke of.
1. We need to reject the world.
2. We need to restrain the flesh.
3. We need to realize heaven.
But I want to give you another truth alone these lines tonight,
indeed, the greatest truth in this series. It is the title of
tonight’s message, "We Need to Rely on Jesus."
It is not enough to remove ourselves from this world. In fact, it
means nothing to remove ourselves from this world, if we do not move
ourselves toward Jesus.
The greatest and most important step to getting the new man right is
to both move away from this world and to move toward Jesus.
John 5:4 …He that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without
me ye can do nothing.
Ro 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Ga 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit,
and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
All of these verses point us to a central fact.
I. We need to rely on Jesus.
A. What is relying on Jesus?
1. Relying on Jesus is the same thing as walking in the
Spirit or being filled with the Spirit.
a. I know some have charismatic backgrounds and you may
have been taught that being filled with the Spirit
was speaking in tongues.
b. The debate of what speaking in tongues aside,
certainly we can all agree that the Holy Ghost was
sent to more than stir us in the worship service.
c. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is being lead by
God to the extent that our thinking processes, our
behaviors, our testimony, and our witnesses are
altered by God.
d. The power of having God fill us up, would have to
make such an influence that both His presence and
absence would be easily noted.
2. Certainly, the church as a whole and the individual
believers are missing the impact of God.
3. We rely on programs, methods, intellect, music,
attractions, charm, and wit. While none of these things
with the presence of God are wrong, all of them without
the presence of God leaves only a carnal, powerless
church in its wake.
B. We need to rely on Jesus, both as a collective body and as
individuals.
II. How do we rely on Jesus? I see two methods God can use to bring
us to the place of relying on Jesus.
A. Conviction
1. Conviction is when God puts a burden on your heart.
a. Every Christian knows what conviction is.
b. You cannot come to Christ for salvation without
conviction.
c. I have sometimes spoke incorrectly saying that if
you do not remember the "day" when you were saved,
you might not be saved.
d. What I should have said and attempt to indicate now
is that if you do not remember when God convicted
you of your sinfulness, you might not be saved.
e. Conviction is THE work of the Holy Spirit that draws
ALL who believe on Jesus to Him.
2. However, conviction seems to be rarer today than ever
before.
a. People come to church, make professions of faith, then
promptly walk out the door to sin again. Where is
the conviction?
b. Lost people sit in church services for years and never
felt drawn to God. Where is the conviction?
c. Perhaps the lack of conviction is part of God’s end
time plan to let the world sink into sin and evil,
but I miss the conviction of God!
3. Yet, conviction is one way—even the best way—that God
might take us down the road of relying more on Jesus.
B. Our choice
1. While conviction is the best way to be drawn to God and
relying on Jesus, it is not the only way.
2. We can simply choose to rely on Jesus.
a. God has created us with a freewill and if we choose
to, with God’s help, we can change the source of how
satisfaction and hope.
b. Looking at \\#Luke 6:20-26\\, Jesus spoke of His
disciples being without funds, without food, without
laughter, and without acceptance in this world.
c. All of that does not literally have to happen to us
for us to turn 100% to God. We could have those
things and choose Christ over them.
(1) Abraham had things and relied on God.
(2) Isaac appears to be a godly man who relied on
God.
(3) Joseph, King David, and others.
3. However, it is far more difficult to choose Christ when
you have so much of this world.
a. That is why Jesus pronounced the blessings upon
those who lacked worldly gifts.
b. Along with that choice, you will have to make many
others such as those I spoke of this morning.
c. Never the less, any Christian can choose to rely on Jesus.
C. God can remove the worldly gifts for you.
1. We typically call that suffering.
2. Suffering is God’s way of removing the things that are
temporal out of our lives.
3. Suffering cannot touch anything that is eternal. (It can
touch your body, your mind, your wealth, your friends,
your family, your talents, your trophies, and your
titles, but suffering cannot get to your real valuables.
4. As I said this morning, the real valuables are put in your
safety deposit box - heaven.
5. You might not can get to them right now but they are still
safe, waiting for your arrival.
6. It is always amazing to me how those who have suffered the
most have some of the best understandings of what God
does in suffering.
a. Joni Eareckson Tada and Dr. Michael Easley, both with
terrible pain and suffering.
b. They shared their testimonies of how they would never
have chosen their paths, but they had learned more
about the presence of God by going through their
suffering than they ever would have without it.
7. Sooner or later, everything that is temporal will be
removed out of lives.
8. There are problems with suffering just as their are with
making choices:
a. Suffering is difficult too. And we have not choice
in it.
b. We often refuse to let suffering accomplish God’s
work.
(1) The children of Israel a great example.
(2) In our own lives, we can become bitter at God and
the world.
III. Five choices that Christians need to make.
A. We need to choose faith over fretting.
1. Faith is a powerful took.
2. It serves both the unsaved and the saved.
a. For the unsaved, it triggers the great salvation that
God gives.
b. For the saved, it allows us to believe in God’s power
and His presence.
3. Christians, start choosing faith today.
a. Believe that God will honor His word.
b. Believe that God has a plan.
c. Believe that God will reward the righteous.
d. Believe that God will make all the sacrifices and
sufferings worth it.
B. We need to choose prayer over play and pleasure.
1. I am not saying there is anything wrong with some pleasure
in life, but there is something wrong with living for
pleasure.
2. Choose prayer.
a. Prayer is the most effective tool in the Christian’s
arsenal.
b. Prayer accomplishes all the points that I mentioned
this morning.
(1) You must reject the world to pray.
(2) You must restrain the flesh to pray.
(3) You must realize heaven to pray.
c. And it also demonstrates a dependency on God.
(1) People who need God pray.
(2) People who think they do not need God, do not
pray.
d. Plus you get needs met when you pray.
C. We need to choose fasting over self-indulgences.
1. Fasting is discipling the flesh—pure and simple.
2. Fasting is doing without something that you either want or
need or both for the sake of getting God’s attention.
3. There is more flexibility in fasting that some think.
a. You can fast food or something else.
b. You can fast for a few hours or for days.
4. And there are other things you can do like fasting or even
with fasting.
a. Rent your clothes.
b. Put on sackcloth.
c. Dump dust on your head.
d. Sit in ashes.
5. But all of these and fasting all mean the same thing.
They all say, "I am not satisfied by this world any more!
I want God."
D. We need to choose obedience over obstinance.
1. If Christians are going to make a good new life, we have
to change the things that ruined our old one—
disobedience.
2. Let God pick an area of your life and change you.
E. Medidations
1. Medidation is where you read the Scriptures, maybe
memorize them, study them, and ponder them.
2. Medidation on Scriptures is a key for the sucessful
Christian life.
Jos 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart
out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein
day and night, that thou mayest observe to do
according to all that is written therein: for
then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and
then thou shalt have good success.
3. Medidation is where good sermons and Sunday school
lessons come from!
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