Abiding in Christ

THE SACRAMENT OF LIVING TOGETHER

May 3, 1992 AM

John 15:5-7 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who
abides in Me, and I (abide) in him, he bears much fruit; for apart
from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is
thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Introduction:

In this verse are two absolutely essential facts of our faith. If we miss them forget all the rest; if we grasp them, all the rest will find a way to fit in.

I. JESUS WAS MADE FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US

The Word becoming flesh is the miracle of all miracles, the arch-type of all sacraments:

THE SACRAMENTAL MIRACLE - A SACRAMENT IS A VISIBLE SIGN THAT CONVEYS SPIRITUAL REALITY.
1. Jesus reveals to us the invisible God; through Him we come to know God.
2. Jesus also reveals to us what humanity is intended to be; the image of God in which God created us, the image which is marred in the separation of sin, the lost image of God that is to be perfected in each of us is manifested in Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
The two important theological points are:
1. IN CHRIST GOD PERMANENTLY IDENTIFIES WITH US!
  There is commitment on God's part. There is an eternal love expressed.
  The word is not "He was flesh" (fuit), which would say that for a while Jesus was flesh as He dwelt among us but now has thrown away that aspect of His being; but "He was made flesh" (factus est). Hebrews 2:16 puts it "(Jesus) too on Him, or assumed the true human nature."
2. THERE IS/MUST BE AN 'ABIDING QUALITY' IN FAITH
  It takes "abiding" to understand the love of Jesus. We have to live with Him a while to grasp the fact of His great grace and love.
  [Illus: Sir Joshua Reynolds, the acclaimed English portrait painter, said that when he went to Italy to make the acquaintance of the great masterpieces of art there he was greatly disappointed. He said those paintings maintained a dignified silence; they refused to confide in him their thoughts. But Reynolds persevered. He looked at them again and again, he watched them with devotion— and they gradually began to tell him a few of their secrets; and as he continued unwavering in his devotion, they at last flung away their reserve and he saw a wealth of beautiful ideas that was lodged in them. (from C. W. Jones, BI, John I, 59)]

II. JESUS SAID THAT WE NEED TO ABIDE IN HIM

There is a permanence about the relationship we have with Him.

LIFE IN CHRIST IS MORE THAN A MOMENT OF DECISION
1. There is a moment in time when we grasp the truth and believe! There is that wonderful moment when we are born again!
2. No conversion in and of itself can in an instant, unsupported, make of Jesus a life-long Friend. True, a wonderful friendship can and does begin in that wonderful instant.
  [Illus: Real, genuine friendships grow. Jay A. Bergers— we were different as students here; he seemed so much more intense and earnest; I probably ...]
LIFE IN CHRIST IS A MUTUAL 'LIVING TOGETHER'
1. We "abide in Him" - Vine/branches
2. His WORDS abide in us; we take seriously what Jesus has to say to us- not just in a legalistic sense— but in a relational, growing, following way.
OUR LIFE IN CHRIST BECOMES SACRAMENTAL
1. Remember THE SACRAMENTS; AND SACRAMENTAL MEANS OF GRACE THAT CONVEY GOD'S PRESENCE TO US— those outward and visible things which convey spiritual reality
  1. Baptism and Communion: water/bread and wine— the significance of immersion or pouring, of eating and drinking
  2. Religious or spiritual activities; preaching: gathering together in God's House; obedience: a symbol of God's sovereignty.
2. But ABIDING, living together with Christ makes ALL of our lives POTENTIALLY sacramental. We are to represent Jesus!

III. CHRISTIANS ARE TO BE INCARNATIONAL, SACRAMENTAL IN THEIR LIVING OUT, IN THEIR ABIDING IN CHRIST

The TEXT in us "comes alive!" The CHRIST becomes "incarnate by His Spirit" in the Church!

TRUE FAITH IS ALWAYS INCARNATIONAL, PERSONAL
No transforming relationship can be "objective". People are NOT "objects." We cannot "zap the gospel" and then leave. Like Jesus, we must commit to bringing a message and also BEING a message, and staying with the people God to whom sends us. The message is LOVE! Not some sort of goofy-dust magic we sprinkle and then run back to our ghetto.
This is why morality and loving-kindness can never be legislated. The government is NOT Almighty God!
I deplore the knee-jerk reaction to every crisis of blaming government failure and seeking some governmental action. The moral failure we are experiencing is a failure of incarnation; it is the failure of Christ's followers in His Church to BE THE CHURCH, and to convey to each coming generation the heart of our Gospel, which is the INDWELLING SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST.
I will probably stand on City Hall steps next Thursday to pray for the healing of our nation because Neale McLain has asked me so to do. But I hope that my presence there is NEITHER translated as a protest against our mayor or city officials (- actually I am well-pleased with Mayor Sheets!) NOR as any kind of confidence that as city hall or state legislature or congress or President go so go our morals.
ONLY INCARNATIONAL FAITH WILL HEAL OUR RELATIONSHIPS - Jesus Christ by His Spirit living in you and me, and people just like us in every race, tribe and nation, is the only hope of this world!
1. We must take Jesus into the work-place. We are training our young people to be "successes;" but are we defining "success" as Jesus does?
  [Illus: One woman discouraged her son's call to ministry; there isn't money in it!]
2. Jesus must have access to every part of our home life: Here is where the battle will be won or lost for our children!
  1. The marriage relationship reflects the love of Christ and His church.
  2. The parent child relationship reflects the relationship of God to His children.
  3. The brother-sister relationship reflects the fellowship of the Trinity.
3. Multiplied over and over again, the life of Jesus in His church is more powerful than any other force on earth! Kay Roberts spending hours teaching a newcomer to our country English, or Lorna Owens working with a member of a different culture, or Christians sponsoring homeless people may not get the headlines like some organized lobbyists for legislation of various kinds. But they are powerful manifestations of change that do in human hearts what passing laws can never achieve.

Conclusion:

The miracle of all miracles— the fact that God became flesh and dwelt among us— calls for the most wonderful of responses in all the human experience:

If it is true that in Christ God became one of us, it is also true that we are not fully alive or complete unless and until this miracle has become personal to each one of us!

God is being released in our needy world only as we take God into the work-place, He is willing to bless our homes, but only as He is living IN us by His Spirit!

We are not responsible to change the entire world all by ourselves. To make God visible in this world is too big an assignment for us alone; but we can begin by inviting Christ into our lives, and then by letting God's love be seen in the relation ships where we are.

Prayer #84 (EH) Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me; All His wonderful passion and purity. Oh, Thou Spirit divine, All my nature refine, Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

Live in me, Lord Jesus, Live in me Love through me, Lord Jesus.