Growing in Love

John 15:1-17

Introduction

            What is the greatest piece of music that has ever been written? We would probably have a lot of different answers. Who is the greatest hockey player? Although Gretzky may be mentioned, there would probably be debate about that as well. If you start asking about what is the greatest with the Guinness Book of World Records in your hands, you would have an interesting time, but if you did it with books from different years, you would also notice that what is the greatest changes.

            The greatest thing of all, however, has not changed ever. Jesus identifies it as the greatest commandment and Paul calls it the greatest of the things that abide. What am I talking about? Love of course and so we should not be surprised that another of the important things which we must cover as we talk about Growing in Community is love. This week the material we are following in our small groups will lead us through a study of Ephesians 3 in order to think about Growing in Love. This morning, I would like to invite you to a study of John 15:1-17 to think about love in our lives as disciples.

I.     The Love Connection

            I was pulling a wagon with Willow, our  granddaughter, in it. Our grandson, Lucas was walking along beside. He commented, "I am going the same speed as Willow and she is going the same speed as you." I complimented him on his solid grasp of logic. I told him about the axiom that if A =B and B = C then A = C.

            There is a logical connection about love in this passage that we need to know and understand. I call it the love connection and it has nothing to do with the game show that was on TV in the 80's and 90's.

            It is found in John 15:9 and 12. Verse 9 says, "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you…" and in verse 12 we read, "love one another as I have loved you." The word "as" is the comparison that appears in both verses. The connection is that the Father has loved the Son and the Son has loved His disciples and the disciples must love one another in the same way.

            What is the nature of the love which the Father had for the Son? We know that this love existed because on several occasions God declared His love for Jesus to those who were present and listening. For example, after Jesus was baptized, God declared in Matthew 3:17, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” To put it another way, God said, "That's my boy and I am proud of Him." God demonstrated his love for Jesus by sending Him on a difficult but extremely important mission. He demonstrated His love by empowering Him for service. He showed his love by raising Him from the dead and by placing Him on the throne following His ascension. Jesus experienced the love of the Father and we see it by the joy He had in spending time with His Father on many occasions. We also know that he experienced the love of the Father, in spite of His difficult task because the words spoken in this passage are His words and reflect the experience of love He had with His Father.

            In a similar way, Jesus has demonstrated His love for us. His love for us was shown in His willingness to leave heaven and come to earth. His love was shown most deeply for us in his willingness to die on the cross for us. Romans 5:8 shows us the root of love that is ours in Christ, "But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us." Romans 8:35 demonstrates the ongoing nature of His love when it asks, "Who will separate us from the love of Christ?"

            But the logical connection does not end there. As the Father has loved the Son and as the Son has loved us, so we are also called to love one another. How has the Father loved the Son? How has the Son loved us? As people who are loved and who have experienced the most amazing love possible, what does it mean for us to love one another? How do we love? What is the height and depth and breadth of love we have experienced? How do we show that same kind of love to one another? If we acknowledge this love connection we will be very thankful but we will also need to consider what it means in our relationship with one another.

II.  Abiding In Love vs. 9c

            How are we able to love in that way?

A.        Abiding Commanded vs. 9c, vs. 4, 5

            The only imperatives in this passage are found in verses 4 and 9. After affirming that the disciples are loved by Jesus, He encourages them in vs. 9c, "abide in my love." The command of Jesus is to abide in His love. Verse 4 contains a similar command when it says, "abide in me." How can we live as disciples? How can we love one another? The answer to these questions is to abide in the love of Jesus and to abide in Jesus.

            Yet we need to note that these commands are set in the context of some wonderful promises.

            In verse 5 we learn that we are not only called to abide in Jesus, but that He abides in us. Have you ever heard the saying that it is very difficult to climb a fence that is leaning towards you and to kiss a girl who is leaning away from you? If Jesus was telling us to abide in Him, but if he was distant, aloof or absent it would be like trying to kiss a girl who was leaning away from us. But the promise of this verse is that Jesus is not "leaning away from us" but is actually abiding in us. We know that every disciple is indwelt by the Spirit of Jesus and by this indwelling is empowered to follow Jesus. So even though we are commanded to abide in Jesus, we do so in the context of already being indwelt by Him, which makes it possible for us to obey this command. Indeed, this verse also says "apart from me you can do nothing." So we obey this command in the strength, presence and power of Jesus.

            The imagery in this passage is imagery of viticulture. I spoke with Bertha who grows grapes and she confirmed from experience what I had read in other places. She told me that when you grow grapes, the best time to cut them back is in March. The more severely you cut them back, the better they seem to grow. Then throughout the growing year it helps to cut off any branches that have died. She also keeps an eye on branches that have no grapes and cuts them off so that those which do have grapes put all the moisture and energy into filling the fruit. If pruned well, grape vines produce a lot of fruit. This text tells us that in a similar way, it is critical that we abide in Jesus. The text says that every branch that bears no fruit is cut away. It also says that every branch that abides in Jesus is pruned by God so that what is productive will produce even more. It is this encouragement that I would like to highlight. God is at work helping us grow.

            Aren't these things encouraging? To be called to abide in Jesus is a challenging call. But to be called to abide in Jesus knowing that He abides in us and that the Father is at work in us leading us to fruitfulness is a great blessing. It takes away none of the responsibility, but it does take off much of the pressure.

            So what does it mean to abide in Jesus? It means remaining close to Him. Such abiding has several components.

            It involves resting, by which I mean that we trust in Him and place all our hope in Him. It means that we enter the Christian life in peace not in frantic activity or desperation to please. We can do this because He abides in us and the Father is at work in us.

            It means relating. We know that there is only one way to get to know someone and that is by spending time with them. The same is true if we are to abide in Jesus. Spending time with Him, however, does not mean dutifully fulfilling certain ritualistic obligations like reading a certain number of verses or reciting a prayer. It means reading Scripture with an ear to hearing from Him and speaking to Him as one speaks to a friend.

            It also means regarding, by which I mean that we need to spend much time contemplating and thinking about Jesus - who He is and what He has done. When it comes to a human love relationship it is not unusual to spend time day dreaming about the one we love. In a sense that is what we must also do in order to abide with Jesus.

B.        Abiding and Obedience vs. 10

            So abiding in Jesus means resting, relating and regarding. But there is another aspect of abiding in Jesus and that is obedience to His commands. Please take note of verse 10 where we read, "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love." There is a connection between obedience and abiding in the love of Jesus.

            The second part of verse 10 demonstrates this connection in the life of Jesus. Although the love of God for Jesus was expressed by God and although Jesus knew the Father's love and declared His love for the Father, the greatest evidence of His love for His Father was his obedience to complete the mission which God had given Him. It was a mission that involved a huge sacrifice as is expressed by Jesus when He prayed in the garden, asking to have the cup of suffering removed, but then responding, "yet not what I want but what you want." Jesus' love for His Father was lived out by obedience to His Father.

            So abiding in His love also has a connection to our obedience to Him. In fact it would not be too strong to say that the extent to which we obey Him is the extent to which we will abide in His love. This is so because when we realize the great love with which He has loved us, obedience to Him will be natural, desired and chosen.

            In verse 12, this call to obey the commandments is reduced to one commandment. Jesus says, "This is my commandment, that you love one another." As we contemplate these things, it becomes obvious why love for one another is so important. Obedience to this command must extend in practical ways into the community of God's people.

            It is sad but true that I have heard Christian people admit that they hate others. I know Christians who have something against a brother or sister and don't take communion because of this broken relationship. It seems to me that they completely fail to understand the point of the call to "examine oneself" which is to make a choice to obey this command because of the love we have received. Communion is an opportunity to be reminded of God's love and grace and an opportunity, in the strength of that reminder, to restore our relationships. I know Christians who fail to forgive the hurt done to them in spite of the parable Jesus told about the debtor who had been forgiven much but failed to forgive little. Because of these all too common failures to love one another, we know that we need to be reminded often to obey the command to love one another.

            The really challenging thing is that in verse 12, Jesus raises the command to love one another to a high level by once again pointing to His own life. When we read verse 13, "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." we are immediately reminded of exactly what Jesus did. He did lay down His life for His friends, for us. When we remember the love connection, then we also understand that our love for one another is to be just the same as His love for us. Jesus didn't only tell us this to encourage us with how much He loves us, but also to call us to such a sacrificial love for one another.

            If we are to grow in love, we must know these things. We must know the connection. God has a great love for Jesus. Jesus has a great love for us and therefore, we must have a great love for others. We must know that apart from Jesus we can do nothing and that it is only by abiding in Jesus that we will be able to obey the command to love one another.

III.          The Privilege of Abiding in Love

            To encourage us to keep on pursuing deeper love and to keep on abiding in Jesus, we discover in this passage a great number of wonderful privileges that come with abiding in His love.

A.   The Opportunity of Friendship 15

            Abiding in Jesus brings with it the opportunity of friendship with Jesus. In John 15:15 we read, "I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father." If you hire someone to spread the top soil on your front lawn it is quite different than if you invite a friend to help you prepare your lawn for seeding. The camaraderie and the willingness to invest are completely different with a friend than with a hired worker. Abiding in the love of Jesus invites us into a friendship relationship with Jesus which gives us the opportunity to be involved in His work in a completely different way. We still serve, but we do so understanding what He is trying to accomplish. We share passion for what Jesus is doing in us and in the world. We function in a mutual relationship of care for one another, knowing we are loved by Him and loving Him as well. This is the opportunity of friendship that comes with abiding in Him.

B.   The Honor of Being Chosen 16

            When we abide in His love we soon discover we are not in that place because we brilliantly and faithfully chose Him. We discover the honor of being chosen, as Jesus declares in John 15:16, "You did not choose me but I chose you."

            When working on a PhD, students would like to be able to study with some well respected professor. They would like to choose that professor and would be honored if the professor accepted. We often think that we have chosen Jesus, but this verse reminds us that it is the other way around. Jesus has first of all chosen us. If a professor would choose a particular student that would be a very great honor. That is what has happened to us. Jesus has chosen us.

            Buck Pierce, the former quarterback of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers was recently traded to BC. In an interview, he talked about what he had tried to bring to the team and he stated that he still wanted to maintain his principle residence in Winnipeg. As he spoke, I thought I could sense a disappointment at being traded. I am sure the feelings he had that day were quite different than the feelings he had on the day he was first chosen to play.

            The honor which is ours is the honor of being signed up to play. Because He chose us, we know that we are accepted and  are not left wondering if we belong or not. We abide in His love because He wants us to abide in His love. Such assurance encourages us to keep on abiding and to keep on obeying Him.

C.   The Benefit of Bearing Fruit vs. 5, vs. 16

            The purpose of this choosing is not only so that we will feel good, but more importantly that we will bear fruit. Several times in this passage, we are reminded that abiding in Jesus is for the purpose of bearing fruit.

            The question which quickly comes to mind is, "What kind of fruit are we called to bear?" There are two kinds of fruit that could be intended. First of all, there is the fruit of growth in Christ likeness. In this case, we are reminded of such verses as Galatians 5:22 where we read, "…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness" and so on. On the other hand, when Jesus invited the disciples, in John 4:35 to notice that "the fields are ripe for harvesting" he was talking about the harvest of the fruit of lives which are brought to Jesus. Perhaps this passage is left ambiguous so that we recognize that both kinds of fruit bearing will happen in those who abide in the love of Jesus.

            There is an interesting sequence that happens in this passage. If we do not abide in Jesus, verse 2 tells us that we will be unable to bear fruit. How many churches and individuals have sought to grow and flourish without a relationship with Jesus? Yet, lasting fruit will never come apart from abiding in Him. If we abide, verse 4 tells us that there will be fruit. Verse 2 furthermore tells us that if we abide in Him and the Father is at work in our lives we will bear more fruit. Then verses 5 & 8 tell us that if we abide in Him, are pruned by the Father and are active in seeking to bear fruit, we will bear much fruit. May we do what we can to bear much fruit. Let us abide in Jesus, allow the pruning work of the Father and work diligently in His strength to experience the benefit of bearing much fruit.

D.   The Advantage of Answered Prayer vs. 7, 16

            Abiding in Jesus also gives us the advantage of answered prayer. In John 15:7 we read, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." Verse 16 also speaks of this privilege when it says, "You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name."

            We notice first of all that God promises to answer prayer. The promise is made that "…it will be done for you." and "…the Father will give whatever you ask…" But we must be aware that this promise of answered prayer is conditional upon abiding. In verse 7 it says that prayer will be answered if we abide in Jesus and if His words abide in us. In verse 16 Jesus says that God will answer prayer if we ask in His name. This makes a lot of sense. If our prayers begin out of our needy and often selfish hearts, we may not receive what we ask. But if our prayers begin in the will of God arising out of a relationship of abiding in Him and knowing His will and seeking what is done in relationship to Jesus, then we can know that we are praying according to His will and we can know that such prayer will be answered. Abiding leads us to understand the kind of prayer that will be answered. Abiding leads us to desire to pray the kind of prayer that will be answered. Abiding gives us the advantage of answered prayer.

E.   The Pleasure of Joy vs. 11

            Abiding in the love of Jesus also gives us the pleasure of joy as we read in verse 11. "I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete."

            Abiding does not leave us with duty, drudgery or disappointment. If that is what our Christian life is about, we have not really understood what God desires for us. Abiding will always introduce the pleasure of joy. When it says, "that your joy may be complete" we also understand that it will not be a partial joy, but one that is full.

Conclusion

            How has love impacted your life? How has the love of your parents, your spouse, your children impacted your life? How has the love of God impacted your life? How have you experienced love in the community of faith? Love is a big concept and we can not discuss a topic like "Growing in Community" without talking about love. It touches so many aspects of our life. It touches our relationship with God, our relationship with each other, our involvement in the world, our sense of security, our hope, our work.

            It is a big topic, and therefore, also one we need to learn so much about. With the words of Jesus in John 15 ringing in our ears, may our discussion in our small groups on Ephesians 3 help us to make steps forward as we Grow in Love.

Growing in Outreach

Acts 17:16-34

Introduction

            One time when we were between churches I worked in a factory for a while and one day I got into a conversation with a temporary worker. He was interested in spiritual things and so I was very open with him. It was a one time conversation and I did not see him again. I have often wondered if I told him too much or was too forceful with him and I have wondered what was the result of that conversation. We have lived in our house for almost two years now and we often have conversations with our neighbor family. I have not yet had a spiritual conversation with them. Am I being too hesitant?

            We know that there is an urgency to sharing the gospel which comes from the wonder of the gospel, our joy in it and also from the call God has placed on our life. Yet at the same time, we struggle to know how to share the gospel well. I took lessons in Bible School 43 years ago on how to share faith. I still have the text book with the title, "The Art of Soul Winning." Yet I still feel that there is so much to learn about involvement in God's mission.

            This morning, as we continue to go through the "Forty Days of Growing in Community" the theme we want to think about is "Growing in Outreach." Last week we talked about our identity as children of God and this week we want to talk about how we can learn more about telling others about our dad.

            The primary text which I would like to examine with you today is Acts 17:16-34 in which we have Paul's example of one time when he shared the gospel. It is a good example and has some important lessons for us on how to do it well.

            Paul had been in Thessalonica and was rejected there and left the city. He traveled on to Berea where he received a very positive welcome and where there was an openness to the gospel. But, after a while, those who had opposed him in Thessalonica came to Berea and stirred things up so that he had to suddenly and quickly leave Berea as well. He went to Athens and after his companions joined him, they traveled on to Corinth. During the brief time he had in Athens, he had a very unique opportunity to tell people about Jesus. As we observe his example it can help us grow in outreach.

I.     Concern for the Lost

            When he came to Athens he looked around and we read in Acts 17:16 that he was "deeply distressed." What distressed him was that he saw the city full of idols. As a Jew who knew the many passages in Scripture about the uselessness of idols and the many warnings against worshipping idols, he was provoked to the core of his being. But what was the nature of that distress? Had this been a city full of Jewish people, anger would have been the appropriate response, but the city was a pagan city and idol worshipping was all the people knew. I suspect that the distress within him was a distress about their lost condition. He saw that they did not have any hope because they did not know the true and living God. In other words, Paul had a heart for the lost.

            Jesus shared a similar feeling which is revealed in Mark 6:34 where we read that "he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd..."

            What about us? Do we have a heart for the lost? All around us we see people who are without hope and living broken lives. We read about people who are trapped in addictions. We see people on television who are scrambling to make ends meet in their pursuit of materialism. We hear about the terrible acts of war, terrorism and revolt going on in places like Syria, Egypt and the Philippines. We observe our neighbors and even our family and friends struggling with violence and broken relationships in families. Pervading all this brokenness is a world in which there is little knowledge of God and His grace. The Globe and Mail reported in a December 2010 article that "Before 1971, less than 1 per cent of Canadians ticked the "no religion" box on national surveys. Two generations later, nearly a quarter of the population, or 23 per cent, say they aren't religious." Do these things concern you?

            Unless we are "deeply distressed" we will probably do very little to let people know the message of hope by which we live. There is a song which comes out of Hillsong in Australia called Hosanna. One line from that song is, "break my heart for what breaks yours." If we are praying that prayer because we are deeply distressed over all who are lost, then we will want to grow in outreach.

II.  Speaking To Be Heard

            The things that move us to involvement in outreach are the command of God, our joy in the gospel and our love for the lost. If our hearts have been moved in that way, then the next question which we will ask is, "How can I communicate God's grace well?"

A.   Is It Landing?

            Have you ever spoken to someone who is hard of hearing or someone who doesn't speak your language? As you tell them something, you can see by the look on their face that they are not getting what you are saying.

            I was involved in conflict resolution at one time and a phrase that the counselors used was, "is it landing?" Each party was talking, but what each was saying was not being understood by the other person. So we were encouraged to find a way of communicating that would land. I have remembered that phrase and I think it also pertains as we talk about how to share the gospel effectively. Now there is no doubt that hardness of heart will prevent the gospel from landing. We also know that unless the Spirit is involved people we share the gospel with will not get it. Yet even as we acknowledge these things, it is also true that we need to do everything we can to make sure that the message of the gospel will land with a person. Today we live in a society which doesn't have the background of faith which we have and doesn't know the language. In a Faith Today article on using social media, I read, "There are things that Christians believe in, and get excited about, that are not acceptable in the mainstream." That makes it imperative that we find a way of communicating so that we will be heard. Sydney J. Harris writes, "The two words 'information' and communication' are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through." As Christians, are we giving out information or are we seeking to communicate?

            There are a number of reasons why our message might not land with people. One is that the people we are speaking with don't speak the language which we are speaking. When everyone had a connection to church and had at least been to Sunday School as a child, people understood our language, but today people come from other countries and from different religions and even those who have grown up here do not have a knowledge of the Bible.

            The other hindrance is that those who are listening don't trust the messenger and therefore won't give them a hearing. Today in Canada we live in a world in which the church has broken trust. Even though our church was not involved in residential schools those outside the church don't make that distinction. Furthermore, we can't say that there has never been an issue of sexual or power abuse by a Christian leader in our circles. These things have caused trust to be broken and have prevented people from hearing the gospel message.

            Acts 17 is a great passage to help us grow in outreach because it helps us understand how to build trust and how to use language that has a better chance of being heard. When Paul came to any city, he always went to the synagogue first, because the gospel was to be preached to the Jew first. Whenever he spoke with the Jews and God-fearers in the synagogue, he used the language of the Old Testament. He quoted Scripture and worked from an understanding of God's revelation. He was able to do that because his audience understood the language.

            He did this in Athens as well, but then he went and spoke in the Agora, the marketplace. This was not a place where people understood the language or stories of the Old Testament and there he did things differently. Today we live in a world that is much more like the Agora than the synagogue. What is the language which we must use in order that the gospel will land? What are the things we must do in order to build trust in relationships so that people's hearts will be open.

B.   Friendly Humble Servant

            One of the key things we can do is be careful about the attitude with which we approach others.

            Jesus was a great example of approaching people with the right attitude. He was the Son of God. He knew all things. He was completely without sin. These are three things which if we see them in some Christians would turn those who aren't Christians away. Yet Jesus had a reputation of being a friend of tax collectors and sinners as we read in Matthew 9:10-13. They liked to be with Jesus. What was it in him that attracted them to Him? Surely one of the most important things was that he loved them. When Jesus defended himself against the accusations of the Jewish religious leaders, he told them his basic method of operation when he spoke was showing mercy. Somehow they knew that Jesus genuinely cared about them and that opened the door to the gospel. How can we be like Jesus?

            Before we look at what Paul did in Athens, let us briefly examine the principle by which he operated. He declares it in I Corinthians 9:19-23 where he says, "I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them." This tells us that Paul did not come among people who needed to hear the gospel as an "answer man." He did not manifest superiority. Instead, like Jesus, he came among people as a servant. I wonder what would happen if we came among people as servants? What if instead of trying to run the show, we went to places where Jesus is not known and served people? Paul was willing to be a servant to all. He says that he was willing to "become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some." Servanthood was a strategy which he used so that he would be heard. This gives us permission to go into the world of others without condemning them, but rather identifying with them, up to the point of obedience to Christ, in order to win them.

            Paul's practice in Athens shows us a practical example of how he actually did that.

            As he walked about the Agora, he began to engage the people he met. When they heard him talk, they invited him to a more formal discussion at the Areopagus. This was a place where the citizens of Athens judged the truth of the various philosophies discussed in the city. Paul stood before them and beginning with what he observed about them he used their literature to speak about who God was and what He had done through Jesus.

            The word "argued" which is the translation found in verse 17 in NRSV is an unfortunate translation because the word is not that negative. The actual Greek word is "dialegomai" which is the word from which we get our word, "dialogue." Then in verse 18, NRSV says that there were some philosophers who "debated" with him. This Greek word means "to throw together." We might say to "mix it up." From both of these words we get an idea of what Paul was actually doing there. Given his principle of becoming "all things to all people so that he might win some," we should not be surprised that he was not speaking to them with anger or superiority or in a judgmental way. Instead, he had a conversation with them. He spoke to them in such a way that they were willing to continue to listen to him and to learn truth. He put himself in the posture of one who wanted to talk about what the truth was and was willing to both speak and listen to them.

            I think that this is an important lesson for us. We are firmly convinced about the truth and the life-giving nature of the gospel and have reason to declare it firmly and clearly, but we all know what happens when someone speaks to us in a dogmatic and unbending way. When people do that, there is no conversation and we soon quit listening. In the same way, we need to learn to dialogue as Paul did. We need to learn the art of respectful conversation in which there is give and take and listening and sharing so that the lines of communication remain open and we open doors so that the gospel can be heard.

C.   Partner With God

            We also notice another important thing that he did. He began his address in the Areopagus by referring to the "altar to the unknown God." Apparently there were a number of these in Athens and Paul used what was already there – their object of worship and their uncertainty about this god - to speak to them about God. He pointed out that there was a correspondence between what they worshipped and what he was going to tell them.

            He also quoted their poets in verse 28. These two poets Epimenides and Aratus had written between 600 and 300 BC and were speaking about Zeus in their poetry. Paul used quotes from their poetry to point to God as the one who has created everyone and desires to come near to them.

            What was going on here was that Paul was looking for ways in which God had already been at work in their culture and history. They already had an openness to God because they wanted to worship the unknown God. Their literature already spoke the truth about God and he used those points of contact to teach them more clearly about God.

            In the book "Peace Child" by Don Richardson, he speaks about the same concept. He and his wife were missionaries in what was then Dutch New Guinea. When warring villages wanted to make peace with their hated enemies they would give a child to the other tribe. From this picture, they were able to talk about Jesus as the child whom God had given in order to make peace with people. The concept of the peace child became the way to introduce the message of Jesus.

            The idea is that God is at work not only in the Old Testament, but has also been at work in other cultures. Paul found ways in which God had already spoken truth into their culture and was able to use that to point to the gospel. Bruxey Cavey says, "Instead of saying 'they are in darkness and I bring light' we ask 'How has God already been at work within their own story.'"

            This is another good lesson on growing in outreach. As we have conversations with people, we need to look for ways in which God has already been at work in their story. If we are able to do that, we will be able to begin from their story in order to share the gospel with them. This kind of conversation takes time and careful listening instead of preaching and trying to force our story into theirs.

            The method Paul used was that he came as a servant, he entered into a conversation, he listened to them and then out of their own story he told the story of the gospel.

III.          Speaking About Jesus

            Yet in spite of identifying with their story and listening to their understanding of truth, Paul himself did not succumb to their way of thinking. His method of "becoming all things" was intended to open the door for him to speak the gospel. Yet his goal never wavered. All he did was aimed at one important goal and that was proclaiming the message of Jesus.

            Paul quoted their poets, observed their objects of worship, mentioned the uselessness of idolatry, spoke about God as creator and judge, but the central message which he proclaimed and the direction towards which all of his conversations were pointing was towards Jesus. In Acts 17:18 we find that "he was telling them the good news about Jesus and the resurrection." Then in Acts 17:31 as he came to the climax of his presentation, we find that his message was about Jesus when he spoke about "a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."

            This is a critical perspective. The message we have to proclaim is not about church or the Bible or morality. If we speak only about these things, we are only proclaiming part of the message and not the important part. Our message must be a message about Jesus. If we tell people about good moral habits what have we told them? Many religions proclaim good moral habits, but the people who follow them are lost. If we tell them about our church and they come to church what have we told them? There are many clubs, organizations and even religious institutions in the world, but the people who are part of them are lost. Even if we tell them to read the Bible, we have only done part of the job because many lost people have read the Bible. What distinguishes the message we have? Is it not Jesus? Doesn't the Bible speak about Jesus? Isn't it Jesus who forgives our failure to keep good moral habits and fills us with His Spirit to empower us to follow good moral habits? Isn't it Jesus who invites us into a community of faith in which we relate not as members of a club, but as brothers and sisters of Jesus?

            I Corinthians 3:11 reminds us of the importance of this when it says, "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ." Similarly, I Corinthians 1:23 points to the center of our message when it says, "…we proclaim Christ…"

Conclusion

            Paul was careful to communicate well. He cared about the people he spoke to because they were lost. He communicated in order to gain a hearing and he spoke about Jesus.

            How successful was he? Well, as we read at the end of this passage, the response was mixed. Some laughed at him, some were ready to hear more but only a few became believers. Yet among them was Dionysius who had a significant connection to the Areopagus.

            As we read this, we need to be very careful about how we measure success. It is not measured by the number of people who respond. Even Paul, who got it right did not have all that much success in Athens. Our responsibility is to remove all barriers so that we present no hindrance to the gospel. That means that we love the lost. It means that we enter into conversations as servants who are willing to listen. It means that we find ways in which God has already been at work and above all we make sure to point to Jesus our Savior.

            So let us keep on being faithful and let us keep on trying to learn as much as possible so we can share the gospel well.

            I want to encourage each small group to take the outreach project seriously as an opportunity to practice what you are learning and thereby grow in outreach.

Growing in our Identity

Introduction

            The theme we will be looking at today is Growing in our Identity. As Christians, the Bible invites us to consider different ways of thinking about our identity. 1 Peter 2:9 says, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people…" In this passage there are four statements about our identity. We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and God's own people. 1 Corinthians 3:16 gives us another imagery of identity when it says, "Do you not know that you are God’s temple…" Ephesians 5:25-27 presents the imagery of marriage and invites us to consider that we, as a church, are the bride of Christ.

            I was very interested to hear that William and Kate named their baby after me. Well, not really named after me, but he has the same name as I do. I saw a digital image of his birth registry and on it he is identified as: His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis duke of Cambridge. On that birth registry his father's occupation is stated as Prince of the United Kingdom and his mother's occupation as Princess of the United Kingdom. That is quite an identity! He is the child of a prince and princess and heir to the throne and who he is has some pretty major implications about how he will be brought up, what will be expected from him and what he will become.

            Another of the identities we have in Christ is that we are children of God and that has some pretty major implications about what is expected of us and what we are becoming.

            This morning, I would like to think with you about some of the implications of our identity as children of God. As children of God we need to grow in our understanding of what it means that we belong to God and each other. We need to grow in our understanding of what it means that we are called to be like God and to walk in holiness and we will also grow in our understanding of the hope that is ours because we are children of God and heirs of all that we will inherit from our eternal Father.

I.     Belonging

A.   Becoming Children of God

            To understand our identity as children of God we need to go way back in the history of God's people. God had chosen Israel as His people and redeemed them from Egypt and brought them into the Promised Land. But they rebelled against God and their sin was very serious. Later in their history, in the book of Hosea, God warned the people about their sin and rebellion and in Hosea 1:9, God said about them, "…you are not my people and I am not your God.”" In this text, Hosea prophesied that because of rebellion God was disowning them. Yet in the very next verse God promised, "in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' it shall be said to them, 'Children of the living God.'” God's promise was that they would be children of God.

            The New Testament picks up on this language. Our sin has also separated us from God. We do not know God, we disobey God and we are alienated from God. But Paul quotes Hosea 1:9 in Romans 9:26 to talk about God's grace in redemption. He says, “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they shall be called children of the living God.” In spite of our sin, God has made a way for us to become His children.

            How does that happen? John 1:12 says, "But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God…" The privilege given is "the power to become children of God." The word "power" is translated as "right" in some places and "authority" in others. When we consider these three words we probably get the appropriate idea. "Power" suggests the idea that we were given the ability to do something we were unable to do. Jesus has justified us so that we can be children of God. "Authority" gives us the idea of being in a place where we can be. We did not belong in God's presence, but because of Jesus we now do belong. The word used in most translations is the word "right," which gives the idea that being children of God was something completely foreign to us and to which we had no access, but because of Jesus, it is appropriate for us to be called God's children.

            This privilege is given to us by faith in Jesus. Two words are used in John 1:12, the word "received him" and "believed in his name." Both parts are necessary. Belief in His name is the affirmation of the understanding that Jesus is the Son of God who came to earth and died for our sin, was raised so that we could be made right with God and is reigning as Lord of all. Receiving Him is the understanding that Jesus is not just a concept to be believed, but a person who comes to live within us.

            If we believe and if we receive Him, then the verse promises that we are children of God. Anyone who is in Christ has this identity. Another place that speaks so beautifully of this identity is I John 3:1 which says, "children of God…that is what we are" and I John 3:2 which says "we are God's children now." What is our identity? We are children of God.

B.   Being Children of God

            What is the meaning of this identity?

1.    Belonging to God

            I John 3:1, tells us that it is the love of God that has brought us into this privileged position. It says, "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God…"

            Because it is love that has brought us into this incredible identity and given us this awesome privilege, we are given the blessing of intimacy with the creator of the universe. Galatians 4:6 gives us a beautiful picture of that privilege and what it means when it says, "And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”" Because we are children of God, we are able to call God "daddy." There is no disrespect in this familiar term, but rather the promise of intimacy and the blessing of a relationship in which we know the one who has made us and who is the Lord of the entire universe.

2.    A Community of Belonging

            But the implications are not only for us personally. Belonging to God as His children also means being part of a community in which we belong to all the rest of God's children.

            When Lazarus had been raised from the dead, the Jewish religious leaders were discussing what they should do about Jesus. In the context of that discussion the chief priest declared that someone needed to die for the nation. His thinking was that if Jesus didn't die, the nation would be in jeopardy with the Roman occupation. Yet his prophecy was accurate in that Jesus did die for the nation and in that context, Caiaphas also said in John 11:52, "and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God." Here we once again encounter the language of "children of God" but here our identity is coupled with the gathering "into one" of all those who are children of God. It refers to all those who follow Jesus, not only the Jews but also the Gentiles, becoming one body which is identified as "children of God." The power of this verse is that it reminds us of the blessing which accompanies being children of God. The blessing is that we are not only intimately related to God, but also a part of His family. Notice that the language is "children of God" not "child of God." When we become children of God, we become part of a family, we are members of a community of belonging and that is another part of what it means to be children of God.

            What is the importance of knowing our identity as children of God? This week someone told me a story about someone who "went backpacking to Europe to find themselves." We all sometimes ask, "Who am I." Well knowing our identity as children of God settles that issue. We don't need to find ourselves, we know exactly who we are.

            It is also important because it settles the issue of what God thinks of us. He does not see us as horrible sinners who need to be carefully watched and condemned if we fail. He sees us as His children.

            When we know our identity as children of God, our primary relationship is also settled. We know that there is at least one person who loves us and is always there for us!

            In addition it is important to help us understand who we are in relationship to others. It isn't us and a bunch of strangers, but we are in a relationship with all the other children of God who are our brothers and sisters.

            These are the implications of being children of God.

II.  Being

            Because of who we are, there are also implications for how we will live. We are God's children, therefore we are called to live in a God-like way. Who we are has a bearing on who we must be.

A.   Call to Holiness

            We have made reference to I John 3 several times because of the language of being children of God which is used there. Verse 3 spells out the implications of that relationship when it says, "…all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure." In that same verse we also are reminded that we don't know what the future will be for us, but we know that it will include likeness to our heavenly Father. The implications of being His children are that we need to bring our lives into full alignment with His being. We need to live in holiness.

            II Corinthians 6:14-18 is another passage which spells out the implications of who we must be because of who we are. The discussion in which Paul is engaged in this passage has to do with whether or not it is OK to eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols. Although Paul himself had no problem eating such meat, he cautioned them. He affirmed that if they ate the meat just as meat there was no problem. But, he also pointed out that if in their heart there was any acknowledgement of the reality of the idols or the gods behind them, then there was a problem. He warned them and us that there must be no "partnership, fellowship, agreement" with "lawlessness, darkness, Beliar, unbelievers." In verse 18, he once again uses the imagery of being children of God to support the call to holy living when he says, "I will be your father, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." Walking in holiness is the expected lifestyle for anyone who is a son or daughter of God.

B.   God Leads Us To Holiness

            But we know that it is not easy for us to live holy lives as God's holy children and so Scripture also promises God's help.

            The language of being children of God is used in Hebrews 12:5-9 where we are promised that our Father treats us the same way as parents treat their children. The text speaks of "the exhortation that addresses you as children…" Then in verses 7-8 we read, "Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline?" What a powerful verse which helps us understand the trials that come into our life. Because we are children of God, we can see trials as God's way of guiding our lives into His holiness. Thus we are called to accept difficulties in life as part of our identity as children of God and a blessing which helps us become more like our heavenly Father.

            What is the importance of knowing that as children of God we are called to holy living? It is important because it sets the direction of our behavior. Being children of God helps defines our values. It allows us to live with struggle knowing it is leading us towards holiness. It gives reason to help one another by being accountable to one another.

III.          Becoming

            Scripture also speaks about what our future will be as children of God?

A.   Likeness

            I would like to take us back to I John 3 once more because it also speaks of who we will become. After declaring clearly that we have an identity as children of God, the writer declares with certainty that "we will be like him, for we will see Him as He is."

            We are already becoming like Jesus now as we follow God in holiness and as we submit to His discipline. When we see Him, all will be completely clear and we will be exactly like Him. So we rejoice in the knowledge that we are becoming and will be like Jesus. Because we are God's children, that is our future.

B.   Inheritance

            The other blessing of what is coming because of our identity as children of God is that we will receive an inheritance.

            Many Scriptures speak about this hope. Romans 8:14 says, "all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God." Then verse 17 says, "if children then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ." We may be tempted to focus on the good things that we hope to experience with this inheritance. We may think about our mansion. I suspect mine will be on a lake with many trees around it and mountains in the background. We may think of the trees which bear fruit every month instead of only for two months of the summer. But the language of this verse brings us back to the true glory of our inheritance when we read that we are heirs "of God" and "joint heirs with Christ." It is God Himself who is our inheritance and we share in that relationship with Jesus. This speaks of a wonder of belonging and an intimacy of relationship. We will see Him face to face and recognize that face and rejoice to once again begin the kind of conversation which was lost to Adam and Eve when they sinned in the garden. What a blessed inheritance!

            Revelation 21:1-7 expands on these ideas. Although that passage promises "a new heaven and a new earth" the true glory of our inheritance is that "the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them." On top of that, the presence of God will bring with it wonderful blessings as we read on when it says, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more." The wonderful thing is that all these will be inherited by those who conquer and the promise of verse 7 is "I will be their God and they will be my children." So we see that being children of God leaves us with a pretty impressive inheritance.

            What is the importance of understanding that because of our identity as children of God we will become like Jesus and we are heirs of God? It gives us hope for the future and allows us to live towards that future and not just for the present.

Conclusion

            It is important for us to know who we are. Knowing who we are is important in life and work. If a police officer isn't clear about his duty to uphold the law, there is trouble. If a teacher isn't clear that they are in the classroom to instruct their students, there is trouble. If a parent doesn't put the care of his or her children above their own desires, there is trouble. If a child of God doesn't know what that identity means, there is trouble.

            As you study the theme "Growing in our Identity" over the next week in your small groups, I invite you to rejoice in your identity and also to think carefully about the challenging and wonderful implications of that identity.