Jesus and His Disciples

Transcript

This transcript was generated automatically from the audio and may contain small errors.

Good morning. Glad you guys are here. This is going to be our seventh week studying Jesus' seven signs in the Gospel of John. And if you want to recap of those signs, you can check the previous week's sermon right at the beginning. I cover all six signs that we've already talked about. You can look for a link to that in the comments below. Like I've mentioned before, the Gospel of John is different from Matthew and Mark and Luke. In fact, around 90% of John's content is unique to his gospel. It's not found in Matthew, Mark, or Luke. And the story that we looked at last week, Jesus Raising Lazarus from the Dead, is one of those stories that's unique to John. And when Jesus does do that, when he raises Lazarus from the dead, it marks a noticeable turn in Jesus' ministry. First of all, it was Jesus' sixth sign, and it was his most powerful and his most famous

sign yet. Second, the sign ramped up his celebrity status so high that the Pharisees were even quoted at the end of chapter 12 that the whole world has gone after Jesus. They're saying, everybody's going to follow this guy. So Jesus was getting really popular. Third, the sign, his sixth sign, it led directly to Jesus's death. It was kind of a perfect storm for Jesus's opponents because they could really no longer ignore his celebrity, which was their motive, and Jesus was near them in Jerusalem, which was their opportunity. And I've watched enough crime shows to know when you have motive and opportunity. That's a guilty verdict. So this week, though, we're actually not focusing on a sign. We're going to mention a sign, but we're not really going to focus on it. Instead, we're going to focus on Jesus and his disciples in John chapter 13 and 14. John 13 and 14, you can kind of turn there.

We're going to be kind of moving through them quickly like we have been. And to see why that we need to go through John 13 and 14, we really need to put ourselves into Jesus's position. put ourselves in his shoes. Jesus right now with his disciples is leaving everything to them. I want you to think about something that maybe takes a while to build, maybe a business or a family or you know attention for a cause, maybe a project at work. It's a big thing and you knew that you had to leave it to a group of people that were extremely inexperienced. Well your stress levels would be pretty high. You would be explaining to them, okay, there's a certain order to this, you got to do this this way, and you would be stressed out because you want it to be just right. Jesus here in John 13 and 14, although he has been preparing his disciples for years, at this point he begins to look them in the eye and go in depth on what really matters.

And so what we get in John 13 and 14 is this profound summary of what Jesus means when he says, follow me. And we're really going to be focusing on that phrase today, follow me. Jesus in John 13 and 14 is honing in on what it is to be a disciple, and he does it with three statements. We're going to look at each of the statements individually. before Jesus does any of that, before he makes any statements, he performs a lowly act of a servant. Jesus washes their feet in John 13 3 through 5. He is vulnerable with them.

Try to picture it as we read. And the verse is going to be right here. Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him." So Jesus is being extremely vulnerable with them. He's he's dressing like a servant, acting like a servant, and after he does this Jesus explains it to them starting in verse 12. So John 13 12 through 16 it says when he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place he said to them do you understand what I've done for you you call me teacher and Lord and you are right for so I am if I then your Lord and teacher

have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done for you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor as a messenger greater than the one who sent him." Jesus now, that he's washed their feet, he now begins the summary of what it means to follow him, and this is his first statement and we see it really in verse 15 and I'm gonna summarize it here. Jesus says, what I do, you do. What I do, you do. Jesus humbly serves them. It's an astounding, astounding act of service to them. But he does it as an example to be followed. Jesus is saying, if you're gonna follow me, your action should match mine. Follow me means imitate me. What I do, you do. And there's a genius to that because Jesus is not looking for reimbursement with his actions, right? He's not saying, uh, I've done this for you. Now you can do it back to me. No, he's,

he's saying serve other people for their sake, just like I'm doing right now. Jesus is getting nothing back from the disciples as he's washing their feet. And he's saying what, what I do, you do. Imitation. Follow me means imitation. So that's the first statement. What else does it mean to follow Jesus? Look at verse 20. Verse 20 in John 13 says, truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. So whoever receives the one I I send receives me. So this almost sounds like imitation, but it's a little different because it's in the context of sending Jesus is saying to them, look, I'm sending you two people. I'm sending you to them. Those people will either welcome you or they will not. And when people do welcome you, they welcome me. So here, this is Jesus's second summary statement of what it means to follow him.

And he's saying, where you go, I go. where you go, I go. This is representation. And so Jesus sends us and we go, but when we go, whether that's a home visit, whether that's serving our neighbors, going into work, hosting a Bible study, getting that basketball team going, Jesus has a plan to make disciples through it. Many of you are at home and you're stuck at home with COVID-19. You're trying to shelter in You're trying to love the people around you, and you're thinking, what good am I doing here? Right? But Jesus has a plan for you to make disciples through this whole process. I know for me, I've been getting a lot more FaceTime with my own children. It's great. Mostly. It's not all great. But it is a great opportunity. And we can make disciples through it. Jesus is sending us. So sometimes he's sending us to our own homes like like we've been the last couple of days

follow me Means that we represent Jesus Jesus says where you go I go you carry my name with you And so Jesus is framing this up well for the disciples He serves them in humility and he says what I do you do imitate me and Then he sends them out to people and he says where you go I go you representing me The third way that Jesus says to follow him is in verses 34 and 35 of John 13. So we're really kind of skipping through John 13 pretty heavily. John 13, 34 through 35 says, a new commandment I give to you that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you love, if you have love for one another. And so Jesus's last statement on following in his last summary statement is, how I've loved so you love. How I've loved so you love. This is about responsibility. It's about being responsible for other people. And

And it's really wild to think about this, but one of the most groundbreaking things that Jesus did in his ministry was love more than any person has ever loved. And I might sound corny, but I really want you to think about it. Consider how he loved the disciples, how he taught them, how he cared for them, how he empowered them, how he commissioned them. And also, think about how he loved the hundreds, if not thousands of people in crowds. He was healing people. He was setting people free. He was feeding people. He was inviting people into the kingdom. Think about how he laid his life down on the cross. Think about Jesus' perfect obedience to the Father on our behalf. What Jesus is saying to the disciples right here, he's wrapping it all up in love. saying, this is how I've loved you and I want you, I'm commanding you, a new commandment I give to you, I'm commanding you to love each other like that.

Jesus is saying the same way I took responsibility to train you, care for you, forgive you, bear burdens with you, heal for you, show you the kingdom, you guys do that for each other. And he says when you take responsibility for each other in this way, everyone will know that you belong to me. It's heavy. And I don't really know how the disciples reacted. We don't get that information in John 13. But if it were me, I would begin wondering how this was all going to work. Jesus, obviously, he's preparing me for this thing and I'm a little nervous if I'm a disciple right now. And my only thought is like, I'm not like you, Jesus. I mean, I get angry when things don't go my way. I'm timid around people I don't know, right? All these excuses, they begin to come to mind, right? And it's because we know just like the disciples knew then that all that Jesus is telling us to do, imitate him, represent him,

be responsible for each other. All of that takes way more fuel and way more substance than we have. So sometimes whenever we look at Jesus's commands for us, something like, hey, go and make disciples, we just think, I can't make disciples. I don't know how to do that. In fact, okay, many times we're scared, but I think it goes deeper than that. It's not just that we're scared. It's that we know deep down we're going to fail. We know that if we are the ones who are carrying all that weight, we are going to drop it. And it is for this reason that a certain false teaching bubbles up throughout history. It bubbles up all throughout Christianity. And for today, I'm just going to call it split level Christianity. Split level Christianity. Right? And split-level Christianity, it's where, it's a false teaching, but it's the belief that some people, some Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit, and some people are

not. Some people follow Jesus as Lord and Savior. Some people just follow Him as Savior. However you conceive it, however you put it together verbally, you're essentially saying Christianity is divided into two. There's Christianity for the really obedient people, and then there's Christianity for dummies. This is the essence of split-level Christianity. Right? You have two levels, one for really special ops and the other for all the dummies and the idiots. And this idea has gone by several names throughout history. In the early church, It was Gnosticism. In the 1700s in America, it was called New Light Theology. In the 1800s, it was called the Holiness Movement. In the 1970s and 80s, it was called Lordship Salvation. And the reason why this idea of split-level Christianity is so popular, the reason it stayed around so long all through history, is because it seems to alleviate the burden of

actually following Jesus, and it leaves the heart stuff to the spiritually elite. But let me be absolutely clear. Nothing is more detrimental to your spiritual growth than swallowing the lie of split-level Christianity. And I want to show you why. Let's pretend you are in line at Walmart. that has been happening a lot more lately, well actually it happened a lot more and then it happened a lot less and now you're just picking up your groceries. But let's just say you're in line at Walmart and you feel the Holy Spirit getting your attention. You start to think about talking to the person, the stranger that is right in front of you. You don't know this person, they don't know you, right? And you feel like the Holy Spirit is telling you, okay, start a conversation with this person. And in that moment, there is a host of things that immediately come to mind.

Most of them are reasons why you should not do it. You start thinking, maybe they're too busy. Now, what if they're in a hurry? They're not going to have enough time. It's going to be awkward. How do I start? What do I say? All of these, all of these thoughts are perfectly normal temptations, but you're going to need something to fight those temptations. if you were going to follow Jesus, right? Because when you follow Jesus and you're faced with those temptations, what you can do is you can begin to rehearse the truth, right? Jesus, we can begin to pray. Jesus, you said that you'd be with me and I need you here right now. Holy Spirit, I hear you asking me to do this. Give me the words. Fill my heart with compassion for this person. Fill my heart with the words to say, give me the courage to speak up. Give me an idea for a conversation starter. Please do let it be too awkward.

And then you begin praying, right? That is a normal, healthy thing to do when the Holy Spirit's asking you to start a conversation with a stranger in front of you. But when you believe in split level Christianity, you begin to not rehearse the truth, you begin to rehearse the lie. And you begin to pray something different. Jesus sends someone capable to this person, Send a missionary to this person. Holy Spirit, convict that person that salvation is found in you. And I prayed that they would hear the gospel from somebody else really soon. Right? And this lie, what it does is it passes the buck to the spiritually elite. And what you never do, if you believe that lie, is you never rehearse the truth in the face of fear. And meanwhile, churches are dying because no one is coming to faith. Meanwhile, your spiritual maturity level is hitting the floor and you wonder why you're stuck.

You wonder why there's not a lot of spiritual vitality in your life. And it's partly, I would say, it's because you believe a lie if you believe split level Christianity. The fundamental lie in split-level Christianity is that you cannot do what Jesus is asking of you. When split-level Christianity is your default, it undercuts your ability to rehearse the truth and obey, and that is devastating to your spiritual growth. And I believe, I'm calling it split-level Christianity, but I believe this is a lie that has pervaded humanity, and I believe the disciples are dealing with that same lie in a lot of different ways. I'm sure they didn't call it that, especially because they spoke Aramaic and Greek. But what I want to tell you right now is that following Jesus, when he says follow me, it is the cure for split-level Christianity. And we begin to see that

in John 14. Jesus begins talking to the disciples about coming back for them. And we're gonna look in John 14 verses 2 through 4. It says, In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back again and I'll take you to myself that where I am, you may be also. And you know the way to where I'm going. And if you're the disciples at this point, you are definitely thinking destination. Jesus is talking about a house, rooms, preparing a place, follow me where I'm going, right? All of that. Even the phrase follow me, you're thinking destination. And if you're thinking about that, the next question that is asked is obvious, and it's Thomas, and it's in verses five and six. Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?

Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. So Thomas asks, where is this path? Where's the way? We don't know where you're going. And Jesus says, I'm the path. In other words, Jesus is saying, following me is not about reaching a destination. This is why Jesus says, follow me, not follow a path. In other words, Christianity is not doing things in a specific order to achieve goodness or holiness or the next spiritual plane. That's following a path. Following a path is what every other religion does. Islam's path is its five pillars. Hinduism's path is letting go of everything. Burleson, the religion of Burleson, we keep talking about it. The religion of Burleson's path is being moral and going to church. And if I do that, then I have achieved my own goodness. In the wider culture, the path is letting everybody live their own truth.

The false promise associated with following a set path to achieve your own goodness is that you don't know if you're ever doing enough. You don't know if you're ever good enough whenever you're following a path. And so when you make following Jesus into following a set path, you were essentially saying, I can do this and this and this and this and this and I can be good enough. And when that happens, what you were immediately falling into is split level Christianity because there's there's people like like me. This is what you're thinking. There's people like me who do enough. And there's other people who are elite who do more than me. And then there's other people who are terrible and they don't do anything. When we swallow split-level Christianity's fundamental lie that you are not able to do what Jesus is asking of you, you only focus on what you can do.

You only focus on what you can do so that you can feel good enough. You can feel like you've done enough. And what you do is you turn Christianity into something that you can accomplish. This is why Jesus does not leave us with a bunch of commandments and no power. Christianity is not about something you can accomplish. Christianity is about following Jesus. And so just remember, Jesus is leaving ministry in the hands of his disciples, in the hands of a few guys who he's not sure if they get it, but he's leaving their hands anyway, and he's driving a few key points home. He says, what I do, you do, imitate me. He says, where you go, I go. You're representing me. And he says, how I've loved, so you love. Take responsibility. Take the responsibility that I took. Guys, this is a heavy load. When I look at those summary statements that Jesus is saying in John 13 and 14, that's

But this is why Jesus gives us the Spirit. Look with me in John 14, verses 15 and 17. This is Jesus saying to the disciples, if you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another helper to be with you forever. Even the Spirit of truth, that's the Holy Spirit, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him or knows him, you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you." Jesus calls the Holy Spirit a helper. But what does the Holy Spirit help us do? Look at verse 15. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. The Holy Spirit helps us keep Jesus's commandments. And so Jesus intends for us to obey him. Now He still has grace for us. He still understands that we're not going to be perfect, but He intends for us to walk in obedience, but only with the Spirit inside making us alive. In other words, when Jesus says, follow me, it requires communion.

Follow me requires communion. Following Jesus is not about a list of to-dos and to-don'ts. Following Jesus is about communing with him and for the disciples as they're looking at this in John 14 Also in John 15 and 16 and 17 where Jesus talks about the Holy Spirit This is the ultimate turning point for them This is their ultimate Reorientation in their relationship with Jesus and it can be our turning point today Where when we really grasp what Jesus is asking us to do that? And he intends us to be obedient and he's given us power to do it. We begin to look at how the Spirit can help us follow Jesus. And what I want to do really quickly is frame that, frame how the Spirit helps us within those three summary statements that I gave you before. And so what's that first summary statement? Jesus says to the disciples, what I do, you do. And quite simply, the Spirit gives us the strength and the desire to obey.

Let's just think about washing people's feet like Jesus did. Look it is not easy to wash people's feet. People's feet are gross. There's a lot of bacteria and fungi on people's feet. It's nasty. So it's not easy to wash people's feet. It's also not easy to want to wash people's feet. Okay, getting the nerve up, getting the courage up, getting the desire going, right? We need the Holy Spirit to inspire us toward washing people's feet. We need the Holy Spirit to motivate us to read the Bible, to pray, to love other people. We need to connect on a deep level that this is important. And to connect on that deep level, that deep emotional level, we need the Spirit inside of us to do it. Otherwise, it's just a religious performance. It's just a function. I do, you do, the Spirit gives us strength to do it and the desire to do it. Second statement, where you go, I go. What the Spirit does is the Spirit gives us knowledge and timing. What I

want to do is look at verse, John 14 verses 25 and 26. It says, these things I have spoken to you while I am still with you, but the helper, remember he helps us be obedient. He helps us follow Jesus' commands, the helper of the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."

And so whenever we say, where you go, I go, the Spirit's giving us knowledge and timing. Representing Jesus is a heavy, heavy thing. It is fraught with difficulty. We need the Holy Spirit to help us be on guard. We need the Holy Spirit to bring things to mind. We need the Holy Spirit to help us remember what Jesus said to us. Moreover, we need the Holy Spirit to set up the perfect timing to have those conversations with people, right? So the Spirit is saying, look, where you're going, I'm gonna help you get there and do ministry while you are there. For some of you, that's in your home right now, right? You can have a ministry with the people that are in your home and the Spirit wants to inspire you toward the desire to do that. He wants to give you the knowledge and he wants to set you up with moments of perfect timing where you can minister to people. So what

I do, you do. Spirit gives us strength and desire. Where you go, I go. The Spirit gives us knowledge and timing. Lastly, how I loved, so you love. The Spirit changes what we love. In the end, in the end, we can slap on any kind of smile or any kind of action or any kind of habit. All of those are great things. Smiling on purpose, you know, doing spiritual habits. Those are all good things, but without the Spirit changing the affections of our heart, changing what we love. What we're going to continue to do is fall into the trap of the lie of split-level Christianity. We are going to fall into the the temptation to love ourselves more than other people, to be selfish, to be self-serving, not to be others centered, to be others serving. Jesus can change our hearts. Jesus has sent the Spirit not just to fill us once, but to continually work on us, to continually change and redirect our

hearts to where we are not loving the things that our flesh wants, but we are loving what Jesus has told us to love. When Jesus says, I give you a new commandment love each other is I have loved you. He gives us his spirit in order to do that. Did you know that you can love just like Jesus loved? You can through his spirit as he gives you power and strength and knowledge and timing and desire and changes what you love. And I want to I want to just encourage you I want you to ask Jesus right now to change your heart. I want you to just begin with a fundamental prayer and just say, Jesus, I need a new heart. I need you to change my heart so that I can walk in obedience. I need you to give me the desire, give me the want to, to do what you're asking me to do, to love the people that you have given me to love. Help me do that. Let's make that our prayer right now. Would you pray with me?

Jesus, we need a heart change. Holy Spirit, we ask you to invade our hearts, to change our hearts right now, as we sit, as we wait for you. Holy Spirit, we know that you are in control, that we can trust you. I pray that we would give ourselves to you in this moment and that you would begin working on our hearts even now, even today, help us to see the difference and help us to imitate Jesus, help us to represent Jesus, and help us to take responsibility to love other people like Jesus did. And it's in your name that we pray, amen.