This World Is Not Our Home
INTRODUCTION
If Jesus hopes to reveal His glory through these He has given it to, He knows we must have His prayers, presence, power, and peace
In II Peter 1:4, we are told that as believers we “have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises.”
2 Peter 1:3, “as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue”
Where I Belong
“So when the walls come falling down on me
And when I’m lost in the current of a raging sea
I have this blessed assurance, holding me.
All I know is I’m not home yet
This is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus
This is not where I belong.
Building 429
I. HIS PROVISION. 13
He is our Sufficiency and our Satisfaction. The joy He gives does not mean we will escape tribulation and hostility. It is not founded on immediate circumstances but on the eternal purposes of God.
Hebrews 12:2, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
- The Joy He Showed
- The Judgment He Received
- The Job He Completed
2 Corinthians 4:17-18, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
We are not to depend on outward circumstances but on inward spiritual resources that were hidden from the world.
Jesus illustrates His comfort and joy in sorrow.
John 16:19-24, “Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, ‘Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'? Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.’”
Nehemiah, in the finishing of the walls around Jerusalem, found his workers weary.
Nehemiah 4:10, “Then Judah said, ‘The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.’"
Work finished, as it began, with worship
Nehemiah 8:1, “Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel.”
Nehemiah 8:5, “And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.”
Nehemiah 8:6, “And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. Then all the people answered, ‘Amen, Amen!’ while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.”
Nehemiah 8:8, “So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.”
Nehemiah 8:9, “And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, ‘This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.’ For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.”
Nehemiah 8:10, “Then he said to them, ‘Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’"
II. HIS PRESENT AND PROSPECT. (POTENTIAL) .14
A. PRESENT. 14a
When we are faithful to the word Jesus has given us, the world will act with hostility.
The Word of God is the gift of God to us. The Father gave the words to His Son (8), they received it, and believed it.
The Word gives strength to overcome.
Jeremiah 15:16, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.”
NOTE: John the Baptist’s exalting of Christ and His Word.
John 3:29-36, “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
The Psalmist and the Word
Psalms 119:14,
“I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.”
Psalms 119:162
“I rejoice at Your word
As one who finds great treasure.”
B. PROSPECT. 14b
“the world has hated”
Why? Because the Word disapproves of so much the world embraces. It disapproves the world religions, denies its philosophies, disregards its wisdom, its many ways to God, etc.
John 15:18-19, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
Jesus demonstrates this truth about the Word in John 5
John 5:31-47, "If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish — the very works that I do — bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you — Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"
Later He writes:
John 8:23. “And He said to them, ‘You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.’”
In John 3 He told Nicodemus that he needed to be born from above.
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’"
“born again” – from above
Later – Paul and Peter would speak this same language,
“because they are not of the world”
Philippians 3:20, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ”
1 Peter 2:11, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul”
“sojourners” - temporary residents
Why can’t all see this?
1 Corinthians 2:14. “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
1 Corinthians 2:16, “For ‘who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”
Same in Old Testament
Exodus 14:20, “So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.”
A pillar of fire was darkness to the Egyptians but light to Israel, so God’s Word is our light in this dark world.
1. The world is seen as the spiritual antagonist of
God the Father.
1 John 2:5, “But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.”
1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world.”
2. The devil is the particular adversary of God the Son.
Revelation 12:4, “His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.”
1 John 3:8, “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
3. The flesh and the Holy Spirit are set one against
the other.
Genesis 6:3, “And the Lord said, ‘My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.’”
John 3:6, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
Galatians 5:17, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”
God’s people have a book the world hates
III. THE POWER, PERSEVERENCE, AND PURITY. 15-17
“in your dreams” – my thoughts as I read v.15; snatched away, transported to heaven, no trials or temptations.
John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
In verse 15 Jesus knew that the “evil one” was out to destroy us.
John 10:10a, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy”
Why leave us here? - To reach the lost (18-19)
Sanctification means to set apart for a specific purpose, to become more like Christ. He came to seek and save the lost. He was on mission.
Romans 10:13-15, “For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!’"
“sent” – used 6 times in John 17 and 46 times in John’s gospel.
2 Corinthians 5:19-20, “that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.”
To be sanctified is to be consecrated for a special task.
Jesus prayed that we have joy, His word. We are sanctified, kept, and sent.
We’ve been called by the word, cleansed by the word, and consecrated by the word.
The Word imparts power for holy living. To sanctify speaks of practical holy living for the glory of God.
True sanctification comes through the ministry of the Word of God. When you were saved, you were set apart. As you grow in your faith, through the Word, you are more and more experiencing sanctification.
You love sin less and you love God more. You want to serve Him and be a blessing to others. All of this comes through the Word.
1 Peter 2:2-3, “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”
His Word is Truth John 17:17
His Son is Truth John 14:6
His Spirit is Truth
In 1 John 5:6, “And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth”
With the mind we learn God’s truth through the Word
With the heart we love God’s truth through His Son
With the will we yield (lean) to the Spirit and live God’s truth day by day
FACT: Learning, loving, leads to living
NOTE v.16 is the same as v.14
We can trust that we will be treated by the Father in the same manner as Christ.
1 John 5:18-19, “We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.”
The world is a place of danger, but it is also a place of duty.
We need outward protection but also inward purity. The instrument of sanctification is the Word of God.
Acts 20:32, "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
IV. HIS PROGRAM. 18-19
The Lord Jesus lived on earth to represent the Father, so we now live on earth to represent Christ.
A. HIS COMMISSION. 18
His mission will be their (our) mission.
We are now ready to be sent. Why? We have what we need.
He was the “sent-One” – we are the “sent ones”
Speaks of exact parallel, I also (even so)
(John 3:14, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up”)
(Romans 6:4, “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”)
We must “wake up” to our Mission
MY EYES ARE DRY
By Keith Green
My eyes are dry my faith is old
My heart is hard my prayers are cold
And I know how I ought to be
Alive to you and dead to me.
And what can be done with an old heart like mine
Soften it up, cleanse me I cry
(*) Let my heart break, let tears once again
Flow down my face, for the souls of lost men
(*) words added by Mike Speck with permission in the late 1980’s
B. HIS CONSECRATION. 19
The sanctification of the disciples for their mission rests in the completion of Jesus’ work on the cross.
The power of Jesus’ words to His disciples in sanctifying them is grounded in the efficacy of His own death; (power to produce) speaks of effectiveness or productiveness.
Jesus set Himself apart for us, now He has set us apart for Him.
Christ’s Sanctification – for redemption (salvation)
Believer’s Sanctification – for holiness
Hebrews 12:14, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord”
2 Corinthians 3:2-3, “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.”
The Lord’s consecration was to be not just the disciples’ example, but also the expression of the disciples’ own consecration.
Hebrews 10:10, “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
He is set apart for God in death, therefore, glorifying His Father.
Hebrews 13:12, “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.”
Jesus sanctified Himself; He would set Himself apart to righteously obey the Father’s will by dying on the cross.
“By the truth” (in truth) – not just in name or empty profession.
Titus 2:14, “who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”
The Word of God enlightens us, enables us, and encourages us. We need a daily diet of God’s Word.