Remaining in Jesus

Good morning. Thank you so much for inviting me to speak to you this morning. First of all, I would like to thank you for your church's leadership, pastors, elders, office staff, sisters and brothers in Christ. For your love and generosity to us.

You have been so kind. In helping us To improve this campus. A lot for the last 1516 years. On behalf of EFC, I would like to express our deeper appreciation for what you have done on this rental property.

And I can see The Lord has blessed us with so much within these two churches. Particularly Within EFC. Thank you so much for your love toward us. And may the Lord bless you richly.

This morning I'm going to share a well-known passage to you. I believe we all know today's passage very well. And perhaps We may have studied this passage many times. We may even be able to memorize.

The whole passage, right? The reason I choose this passage is because it is so profound, it is so significant to our Christian life. And that we just need to be reminded of it all the time. I remember The time we were in Ghana, West Africa.

It's about more than 10 years ago. We will awake missionaries in Ghana. Between the years of 1994 to 2000. I still remember those days.

And the terrible experience I had. I had to preach at the local indigenous churches quite often. Every time We were in a car going back to our house after Sunday service. my kids.

would always tell me how many mistakes I made during my sermon. They were just very kind to mark all the wrong pronunciations and the grammar for me. So, Please bear with my strange English. Perhaps that might help you to pay more attention this morning.

You will notice This passage was part of the last word that Jesus spoke to his disciples. Let me ask you the question first. What would a person say if he had only one final chance to speak? If you only get 5 minutes to speak out, Then you are done.

Then you cannot speak anymore. What would you want to say to your family? I don't know Your word But I know that it would be the most important thing in your heart. In another words, Jesus had one last chance to speak.

Or to teach His final words to his disciples. Which is according to Gospel John. From chapter verse 13, verse 31. To the end of chapter 17.

Today's passage is part of the upro discourse. Therefore, I believe It is most important to Jesus. And to his disciple too. With such important final words, Jesus tells his disciple to bear much fruit.

Of course I believe We can talk about more about this subject. We can talk many different applications of bearing more fruits. We all know if a fruit tree wants to bear fruit. There are some conditions and the elements need to be met.

Of course That Best condition needed. If we want to bear more fruit. Without this condition, We just cannot bear any fruit. I believe We all know this answer, don't we?

To remain in Jesus. This morning from today's passage, first point. I would like to share with you. What is the meaning of remaining in Jesus?

Remaining in Jesus. were the final words that the disciples received from their Lord. What does that mean to the disciples? First we can see.

That is a decision. Which disciples are asked to make. We cannot forget. Like Jesus is just about to leave his disciple to face the crucifixion.

How can the disciples remain in Him? Do you believe that it's possible? Of course Jesus will not tell something meaninglessly to his disciples when he has this final chance. Remaining in Jesus is something that we all can choose by ourselves.

You can make Your own decision. It is not an abstract concept, but rather a concrete one. It is a real thing that each and every Christian can do. It depends on your own decision.

Jesus really wants each one of you. Today He wants you to remain in Him. But he is not. Going to force you.

He respects Your choice He sincerely invites you to remain in Him. To remain in him. can also be understood as draw in Him continually. Verse 7 tells us, if you remain in me and my words remain in you, therefore, we can understand that the remaining Jesus.

Which means we keep the word of God. In our hearts. And also we can find out in John 1 John chapter 2, verse 24. tells us, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you.

If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. This is a very clear teaching that we have to remember. And the practice The word of God Here, the remaining is constantly Continually To stay within Jesus. To constantly keep the right relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is very important. Why do we have to do this constantly? It is because we so easily forget the Lord's word. In our busy daily life.

Therefore, we have to remain in Jesus continually. In our Chinese version of the Bible, it has often remaining in Jesus, which indicates that this is very, very important. To every Christian. If you are willing And you can keep this relationship constantly.

No doubt Our hearts are occupied by many worldly things. We all need very busy lives today. Your spouse. Your son's baseball game.

Your daughter's piano class. Your bitterness Your study Your monthly bills, your cars, your dogs, your cats. Your holidays, etc. Our minds and hearts are just so busy running after these things each day.

Day by day. Week by week. Then our spiritual life. just becomes drier and drier.

Quite often, we only hear the word of God once a week. And even then, we are sometimes late. Or not even here. I don't know about you because I do not hear your conversations.

But I have heard many Christians talking about Sharp pain Clothing Famous restaurants when they see each other at church. If our Christian life was focused on this. Then our spiritual life, of course. will be very dry.

Our relationship with God. would then become a crisis. Our relationship with our spouse. become boring.

Our relationship with others. would become worse and worse. The reason It's because we are withered branches. A withered and dried up branch becomes very hard.

And shock Look at what I have got here. Anyone Who is touched by it, wouldn't feel comfortable. Ouch But If a branch is Remains in the van. Life is within that branch.

So then, It is soft The branch can just turn around. And keep continue to grow. Why it faced the hard situation. This shows us how important it is for Christian.

to remain in Jesus. I remember We left Taiwan As a result of God's calling. To be missionaries overseas in 1992. After learning English, And finishing candidate course.

We flew to Ghana, West Africa, from England. On August 31, 1994. My 2nd daughter's watch was taken from her. Just outside.

The international airport. 2 days after arriving, The parking lights of my car was stolen. On the same day I bought the car. My little boy When I was just 3.

My little boy got malaria after 2 weeks of us being in Ghana. The situation just became more and more difficult. And that we were forced to strong spiritual warfare. If we did not have a clear calling And God's words in our hearts.

We could have just picked up our stuff. And run away from Africa. The second point I would like to share with you, why do we have to remain in Jesus? The answer for this question is very simple.

If we do not Then we are apart from the event. We become dried up branches. And our spiritual life just dies. We cannot have real joy in our life.

Our life becomes meaningless. We feel like everybody has wronged us in one way. All the others. There will be a lot of bitterness.

Disappointment. Wrench Anger, slander. And the malice within our hearts. Once we are with the branches, What will happen to us We just become snakes.

And that will want people who are weak than us. If not, Then we will be hurt. And the broken Bylaws who are stronger than us. This situation It's going to be circling and circling.

Again and again. And they will just turn your life upside down. If we are The withered branch. We might feel everybody that's wrong to me.

Or My relationship with others. I will feel something wrong. Of course We all know The final destination. For the withered branches is to be thrown into fire and burned.

But before that, If we are just like a withered branches. Thank God we are still in here today. And we are not destroying the fire yet. But through our life.

We might Hurt someone. We might feel wounded. By the others So then we got a miserable life. Jesus at verse 4 says to us, remain in me.

And I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain in you. It must remain in them.

Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. If we do not remain in Jesus, Then, We can bear no fruit. Eventually, We have become dried-up branches. If we Do not hurt others.

Then And we will be wounded easily by others. I remember We spend Our 1st 2 years in Ghana. Learning the tribal language and the culture. We were first outsiders to name.

But we hoped we could become insiders and to be accepted by their society. That is the only way for us to even have a chance of sharing the gospel with them. So, they asked Use questions such as, why do you come here? What do you want from us?

How would you answer? Your question. I'm here to learn from you. I see your culture.

It is of value to me. Please teach me. your language. what?

There was a battle in my heart. My life in Taiwan was just so advanced. My Chinese civilization is already 5000 years old. Now, I'm giving up all I had.

And coming to Ghana. To learn how to use charcoal to cook. How to fetch water from the river. How to survive from all kinds of disease.

and unhygienic problems. If we cannot put down ourselves, Then we have no ministry. We will bear no fruit. Why did Jesus remind the disciples to remain in Him?

It is because of our sinful nature. That pushed us away from Jesus. The light of the world. We all prefer darkness according to our sinful nature, don't we?

That's why Jesus teaches us to remain in Him. We need the word of God to cultivate and nurture our spiritual life. Jesus promised us in John 6:35, saying, then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

And also in John chapter 6, verse 63, Jesus says, the Spirit gives life. The flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. The word of God.

It's just so important to us. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Verse 3, in today's message, passage. The word of God.

has the power. Two cleaners. If we remain in Him, Then we can united with Christ. More closely and deeply.

The third point I want to share with you is how can we remain in Jesus constantly. There are many things we just cannot do like Jesus did. When he was in this world. Unless we really have Jesus' life.

Within us. Our life Needs to be transformed. So that we can be gradually like Jesus. Since the first day, We received Jesus into our hearts to be our savior.

The new life It's already within us. But this new life needs to continually be growing. This is just like the relationship between branch and the event. The branch has to remain in the van.

The verse 7, Jesus says, if you remain in me, and my words remain in you. Here indicates to us that if we want to remain in Him. Then we have to take the word of God very serious in our life. If one man saying that he remained in Jesus.

But In his heart. There's no place To keep God's word. Then he just lies to himself. It's just like Having a factory.

We can buy This one branch at store. It looks good And then we can even decorate it to be more beautiful. But It still has no life. It is just like a Christmas tree.

When Christmas is over, The branch dries up and is ready to be thrown away. A fake Withered branch cannot grow anymore. Neither Does it bear any fruit? I believe Jesus.

does not want anyone of you to be a withered branch. He tells us To remain In him continually. We have to be longing for this relationship. This is a desire.

That we should pursue wholeheartedly. Within our entire life. It is just like a hungry baby crying out loud for his milk. If you have this desire.

Then you will be willing To sacrifice your sleeping time. And get up earlier to meet your Lord. You may be willing to cut down your computer. And the internet time.

And spend more time in reading the Bible and prayer. Perhaps You will rearrange your sport time. In order to attend Bible study group. There will be no problem or struggle.

If you are longing to have a close relationship with Jesus, Reading the Bible is not going to show us how good we are. Not to prepare us for teaching at Bible study. We read the Bible because we are longing for the word of God. That's God's word.

Deeply root in your heart. Light your way and guide your life. It is for our soul. Otherwise We will be soon be drying up.

While I was in the mission field. I met many Christians who became missionaries. After a very short training. They love the Lord and they want to serve him overseas.

Within the 1st 2 years, They became so exhausted without spiritual feeding and support. Life was not easy at all. Plus they had to adjust to the culture. And the climate Some of them were just burnt out.

Even one brother. Who was from Australia. fell into temptation. And finally, He had to leave the mission.

And eventually, These Christian brothers. got married With a Muslim girl. This just reminds us How important That we should remain in Jesus. We should have the word of God.

Remains in our hearts, in our life. My dear sisters and brothers, Today Our Lord also gives us a command. He asks you To remain in Him. He tells you to remain in his words.

He's saying to you that he is the one and that you are the branches. He wants you to bear more fruit. So that your Heavenly Father can be glorified. People will know you are a true Christian.

People will know you are his disciples. My sin. Your fruit. Where are you today?

Are you remaining in Jesus? Or Are you Already apart from him. Let's pray together. Father, we just thank you for your words.

That reminds us today. Even though we all know this passage very well. But Father, we just pray that that you help us So remember your words. To meditate your words.

And then we also can practice, and experience in our daily life. Father, Our life in this world is just so busy and dry. And Father We are longing for your words. We are longing for your power.

In our lives so that we can bind together with you. And also that we can have good relationship with one another. Father, I just pray. For each one of us today.

that keep us Remain in you continually. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.