Life Source Series

I was alarmed by a comment I read this week that said, “If the Holy Spirit were taken away from us, 95 per cent of what we do in our churches would still go on as scheduled.” Can that be true?

The extent to which we are connected to Jesus is critical to this sermon, friends. If our very existence is not centered in Jesus Christ as the focal point of every breath drawn; if he is not front-row center in every pursuit and practice of life; if we choose to be severed from him and his priorities for us, it is to waste a life which at the end of the day, will amount to nothing.

As Jesus offers himself as “I AM THE VINE”, he holds out

2. THE PROPOSITION (VS 5, 7)

V 5 – The Message: “Joined with me…intimate and organic”

In war times, soldiers become a tight-knit community – movie “Blackhawk down” is (quoting from my source) the “Action/war drama based on the best-selling book detailing a near-disastrous mission in Somalia on October 3, 1993 where nearly 100 U.S. Army Rangers, commanded by Capt. Mike Steele, were dropped by helicopter deep into the capital city of Mogadishu to capture two top lieutenants of a Somali warlord. This led to a large and drawn-out firefight between the Rangers and hundreds of Somali gunmen. This led to the destruction of two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters in Mogadishu, and the heroic efforts by various Rangers to get to them.” (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0265086/plotsummary)

People didn’t wake up one morning, watch the news of this terrible broadcast and decide to sign up as a Ranger and try to go in there and get the downed helicopter crews out. The Rangers suited for the task were well trained and equipped for gorilla warfare. They trained by sleeping in woods and wore wet clothes for days. They ate rations that chewed like rag and smelled like rot. They were prepped for such a time as this. My brother told me such stories of his experience as an infantry soldier in the Armed Forces and how the test really pushed him to the edge of sanity.

The lesson of abiding in Christ, of being right with God, is a picture of that very reality. No less than seven times do we read the reference to “remain in…” This experience is not one of waking up one day and deciding Jesus and I are tight; we’ve got this relationship thing purring like a fine-tuned engine. No, it takes intentional work and effort to “remain in…” Christ. It takes regular Bible study and prayer. It requires fellowship with other believers of like passion and desire. It grows on you when faced with crisis, or in times of solitude. It grows out of support groups, work, and even exercise and diet. Spiritual fitness is like physical fitness. I have had diet experiences (not recently!) where, after the first week, I couldn’t understand why I hadn’t lost 25 pounds so I could “get on” with my life! Being in relationship with Jesus takes time – and discipline – and determination – to get to the place of being “intimate and organic.”

THE PROPOSITION continues: V 7b – “ask whatever you wish…”