The 3 musts of John 3

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 2 AUGUST 2026 pm – MR JOHN WEIR

JOHN 3 VERSES 1 TO 18, 30 – THE 3 ‘MUSTS’ OF JOHN 3

 

John 3 is one of the most famous chapters in the bible. 36 verses in total. John Luther called John 3 verse 16 the heartbeat of the bible. When you become a Christian you have a desire to read the word of God, you cannot wait to get to the Sunday services. The bible is a tremendous book. We must read it every day. It is good to have a bible reading plan and take time to read all the bible. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God.” Imagine meeting some of the prophets in heaven and being asked by them “what did you think of my book”? It is important to keep the word of God and it is important that we respond when we hear the word of God.

 

Firstly, the “must” of salvation – verse 7 “Ye must be born again”. Some people get confused about being born again. Some people talk about being saved, converted or regenerated. They all really mean the same thing. Nicodemus is told he must have a spiritual birth. In the Greek it means to be born from above. Have you had a spiritual birth? That is the requirement Jesus makes. To be in the kingdom of God only the Holy Spirit can perform this in the heart of man. There are many ways to the cross, every testimony is different but it is important we get to the cross and God’s salvation. Ephesians 2 tells us we are dead in trespasses and in sin. 2 Corinthians 4 verse 4 tells us we are blinded by the god of this world. You can talk to people about many things – the weather, farming, shopping for instance but when they hear you talk about the gospel, salvation and the Holy Spirit they don’t want to know. In verse 8 we read about the wind – “it bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” We don’t know where the wind is coming from but we see its effects. We can see the leaves moving, we can feel the hair on our heads moving, we can see cut grass blowing. When a person is genuinely converted there should be a change. When you meet the Lord you are not the same. “What a wonderful change in my heart has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart.” Before conversion there is conviction. The Lord can use many things to convict us but it is important that we preach the word of God. We live in a day and an age where people try all sorts of gimmicks to get a crowd into a building. “Being born again not of incorruptible seed.” There are a lot of people who know the word of God but are not saved. They know the gospel inside out and back to front but are not living for the Lord. Nicodemus knew the Old Testament. He knew all about religion but he was outside the kingdom. I wonder how he felt when Jesus told him he need to be born again. John Wesley was preaching God’s word and was never converted himself. He read Luther’s Preface to the Romans and there were Moravians on the ship when his heart was strangely warmed. He went everywhere preaching the word and many churches were founded. The converted man gets a new heart, a transplanted heart. When you get saved there are certain places you used to go to but don’t go there anymore. We don’t talk like that anymore – why – because we want to please the Lord. The Lord was direct with this man – “you must be born again.” Reverend Wiliam Haslem was an Anglican Vicar in Cornwall. In 1851 he was preaching his own sermon when he was converted. He was preaching on the verse “what think ye of Christ?” Some saw he had now been converted and shouted “the parson is converted. Hallelujah!” The congregation erupted with joy. We read of many ministers converted during the 1859 Revival.

 

Secondly, the must of suffering – verse 14. The Lord Jesus is speaking of his death. Maybe the problem is that Calvary’s cross becomes all too familiar. We sing the hymns, read the bible but does it ever cut our hearts? Do you think about the cross? Are any tears shed? That is sometimes the problem. We become too familiar. Never forget the suffering and agony of Jesus as he hung on the cross. To be saved we must come by the way of the cross. The preacher must uplift the Saviour. He shouldn’t be promoting himself or his denomination or his own achievements. Salvation is totally and completely in him and him alone. “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh to the Father but by me.” Here the Lord speaks of Moses in the wilderness. Nicodemus knew all about the Old Testament and where this story came from (Numbers 21). Sadly in the Israelite history there were ungrateful hearts. The Lord used this story to explain his death. When I think of all Jesus went through for me, how he shed his blood for me, was beaten, mocked and humiliated more than any man. Reflect back on Calvary – he died there for you and me.

 

Thirdly, the must of submission – verse 30 “he must increase but I must decrease.” The words of John the Baptist. He knew when he began his ministry he would fade out. He didn’t want the limelight. Loads of people want that tonight. Stay in the background. Some of the best Christian people are there in the background. Everyone wants to be famous today. John the Baptist wanted to decrease. Stay humble. Sometimes people get big headed and proud. Some people in God’s work don’t know when to step aside. John the Baptist knew. We are not building our own kingdom but God’s. He knew he had to fade away. When our time is over we should bow out gracefully. John the Baptist was a wonderful character. He was full of the Holy Spirit in the womb. His father was Zechariah and his mother Elizabeth. People flocked to hear this rough man. He was uncouth but he had the touch of God on his life. That is why people wanted to hear him. He had God’s approval on his ministry. He told people to repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. Maybe we have never repented of some secret sin. John ate locusts and wild honey, his clothes were made of camel hair. John the Baptist had the touch of God on his life. Maybe because he was humble. If we stay that way the Lord can use us. He must increase and I must decrease. The 3 musts from John 3 – the must of salvation verse 7, the must of suffering verse 15 and finally the must of submission verse 30.

 

The people Jesus came into contact with on the night he died

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 26 JULY 26 – MR JASON CRUISE

MARK 15 VERSES 1 – 7, 15 – 31, 34 – 38

 

There are many solemn and sombre scenes we read about in scripture. None more so than the cross. Mark 15 the crucifixion of the eternal son of God. His public ministry is now over. The one who lived an absolutely sinless perfect life is now on the centre cross of Calvary. He who did no wrong, went about doing good. The one who healed the lame, made the blind to see and deaf to hear. The one who did good for all is on the centre cross, condemned to death. As he was brought to Annas, Caiphas, the Sanhedrin, Pilate, Herod then back again to Pilate – many came into contact with him that day. They saw him face to face. As we consider these people which one represents you tonight? I wonder which of these has the same attitude towards the Saviour and his finished work? What will your response be tonight? 

First group are the chief priests – verse 3 “but he answered nothing”. As you hear this message there is the awful possibility that God would cease to speak to you.  Here are these chief priests putting many accusations to the Saviour. He answered nothing. How long has God been speaking to you? What if God were to say tonight is the last night he will speak to you? Leave you in your sin. Maybe you have heard the gospel down the years. You have rejected his offer of mercy. Still found in sin. On the road out to a Christless eternity. “Behold now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6 verse 2) Make sure you are right with God. Come in repentance, acknowledge before him your need of him, that you are born in sin, shapen in iniquity, fallen short of heaven’s standards. You need the Saviour. If you would only cry out tonight you could be saved, made right for home in heaven. What if God would cease to speak to you? Maybe you are saying “I am not really that bad a person, I do good to my neighbours, the sin I have committed is not that bad.” Only one sin will keep you out of the presence of heaven. Romans 3 verse 23. You fall short of the standards God demands, that heaven requires because of your sin. Romans 5 verse 12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:.” On the authority of God’s word you are a sinner. If you are ever going to be saved you will have to first come and acknowledge you need a Saviour. The one who died on the centre cross. Each one of us has an appointment with death. James 1 verse 15 “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” “ And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9 verse 27. There are 8.3 billion people around the world tonight. They all have an appointment with death. It is not like an appointment with the doctor – you can cancel it at the last moment. It is an appointment with death. We must keep it. Are you ready for the day of your departure? Have you made preparation for when you leave this scene of time and go out into your eternal destination? Heaven with God or hell, eternally separated from God. Are you still a Christ rejecter tonight?  Verse 31 “he saved others he cannot save himself.” See Christ upon the centre cross. As they whipped his back you can see the blood flow. On his head was put the crown of thorns – they were pressed in so hard. See his hands and feet – the nails were driven into them. See him as he hung there.

“O Christ, what burdens bow’d Thy head!
  Our load was laid on Thee;
Thou stoodest in the sinner’s stead,
  Didst bear all ill for me.
A victim led; Thy blood was shed;
  Now there’s no load for me.”

The eternal Son of God bore all of your guilt, sin and shame. Isaiah 700 years before the birth of Christ said “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” On that centre cross Christ bore an awful load, to pay an awful price so you could be saved and made right for heaven and home. The chief priests were cloaked in their own religiosity. They believed they were good enough to get into heaven. Perhaps you are in church every week. Your name is on the roll book. You have been baptised, confirmed, catechised. You believe you are right and ready for a home in heaven. Paul in Ephesians 2 verses 8 and 9 said “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” As in ages past salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person of Christ alone.” If you are relying in anything but Christ it is futile. You will find yourself in hell if you leave this earth without a Saviour. Make sure you are right with Christ tonight. Perhaps you can recall times when you were sent along to Sunday School and church services. You know the scriptures so well but you have never had a heart change. You cannot point back to a time and place when you put your faith and trust in Christ. There is no better time than now to come in repentance. A sinner in need of repentance. “He saved others, himself he cannot save.” Not only has he saved others, thankfully he saved many and is still able to save all who come in repentance and faith.

Second, Pontius Pilate – verses 4 and 5. Pilate marvelled. In the original Greek to be in wonder was to be amazed, astonished. Many people stood before Pilate. He was the Roman Governor. He condemned many to death on the cross. Never a man stood before him that left him amazed, in wonder as did the eternal Son of God. Matthew 27 verse 14 “marvelled greatly”. Not only marvelled greatly when alive but also in death. Verse 44 Pilate was never in amazement of astonishment by any man that stood before him in court but now he is. “I find no fault in this man”. Pilate had condemned Christ to death. Matthew 27 verse 22 “what then shall I do with Jesus which is called Christ?” Pilate does not say “what would you do?” What would they do? A personal question demands a personal answer. You must and will ask yourself. “What will you do tonight with Jesus?” Will you log off for another Sunday evening? Leave the building still with your back to God? In rebellion? Trampling the broad road. Now Pilate gives in to the crowd. Are you scared of the crowd tonight? Scared what friends might think? To tell your friends you have put your trust in Christ as Saviour? They will laugh you into hell but never laugh you out. Don’t worry about what people will say, worry about the eternal destination of your never dying soul. Pilate is scared of the crowd. He washes his hands of the whole situation. There is something that water will never wash away – sin. The only thing that can deal with your sin is the precious blood of Jesus. 

“What can wash away my sin

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

Hebrews 13 verse 12 “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.”

 

He suffered so you can come and put your trust in him. Now your name is recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

 

Third, the Roman soldiers – verse 24. The men that had led the Lord. Matthew 27 verse 27. They led Jesus into the common hall. They buffeted, smote, spat, pulled the hair off the face of God’s eternal Son. They plaited a crown of thorns and forced it down onto his head. What agony he endured. He suffered that he might be able to go all the way to Calvary to take the sin of all humanity on himself. “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.” (1 Peter 3 verse 18)  What are you relying on for eternity? The divine judgment of God was satisfied by the sacrifice offered at Calvary because of the sacrifice offered. The way is open to you to know the joy of sins forgiven. Maybe you are wondering how long would eternity last. If I could tell you that after 1000 years in hell you would be released or after 10,000 years but there is no hope. Revelation 20 talks about the lake of fire, eternally separated from God and the love of God. It is for eternity. We love you and love your soul. We don’t want you to go into that awful place called hell. We read of these men who gambled over the garments of the Saviour. The eternal Son of God wants to clothe him with his imputed righteousness. Romans 3 verse 10 “For there is none righteous, no not one.”  Isaiah 64 verse 6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Christ wants to clothe you in his imputed righteousness, make you ready for home in heaven.” Maybe you are saying “you don’t know the awful sins I have committed. My list of sins are so bad.” “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast him out.” (John 6 verse 37)  Will you not come to him tonight? Know you are ready for home in heaven. John 14 verse 6 “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me.” The only access is God’s son. By coming and trusting in his finished work on Calvary.

We have thought of the chief priests who mocked, Pilate who marvelled and the soldiers who gambled.

Lastly the 2 men who hung on either side of the Saviour. One of these men came in repentance and put his trust in Christ as Saviour. Luke 23 verses 39 to 43. This man hangs at the side of the Saviour. A dying man stepping out into eternity. He knows his time on earth is now over. As he hangs on the cross he becomes discerning. He begins to think of his sin. He became a delivered man. He came to put his faith and trust in God’s Son the Lord Jesus. Verse 41. This man acknowledged his wrong doing, that he is a sinner. If ever you are going to be saved you will have to acknowledge you are a sinner. He did more. He acknowledged that the man on the centre cross had done nothing amiss. The only reason why the sacrifice at Calvary was accepted was the author was the one accepted.All the sacrifices in Leviticus chapters 1 to 6 have to be without blemish. The only one who ever lived on earth and met the criteria for Calvary was Christ. Pontius Pilate could say of him “I find no fault in him.” He lived upon this earth for 33½ years, perfect before man and God. Never one vile word, thought or action. He stares death in the face. This dying man became a discerning man. He became a delivered man. There was only one who could rescue him. He was the man on the centre cross. Verses 42 and 43. These words of Christ are a great comfort to that thief. “Today thou shalt be with me in paradise.” The comfort of every dying person – to be in the presence of Christ in a moment. Joy can become a reality for you if only you put your faith and trust in Christ. Nothing you can inherit, earn or achieve to make you right for heaven. John 2 verse 9 “Salvation is off the Lord.” All of God, nothing to do with the preacher or any church elder. Salvation is of the Lord. If you only would come in true repentance you can know the joy of sins forgiven. We don’t present a dead Saviour in the gospel tonight. He is heaven, in his rightful place at his Father’s right hand. He calls to you “come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” After 3 days he arose again. “Christ died for our sins”  We can rely on the word of God. We present to you a living Saviour, the one at God’s right hand. “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

  

Eleazar the steadfast swordsman

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 26 JULY 2026 – PASTOR BRYAN CRUISE

2 Samuel 23 verses 8 to 12

 

Here in this chapter the dust literally still hands in the air. The Philistines war cry has sounded across the valley. They were determined to crush the Israelites. What did the Israelites do in response? They ran. They should have stood their ground but they fled the area. They scattered. All except 1 man. I want us to focus our attention on verses 9 and 10 this morning. In the mist of this retiring army one man stood his ground. He had no king’s crown on his head. He was not a giant slayer like David. He was simply a soldier in the battlefield. This chapter records David’s final testimony in the bible. Here we read of David’s warriors – men who fought impossible battles, who displayed extraordinary courage. Eleazar was the steadfast swordsman. 

First I want you to see his preparation for the battle. Eleazar’s name means God has helped or God is my helper. His name comes out of the shadows in verse 10. The Lord brought a great victory that day. His name preaches of the divine sufficiency of God. In 1 Chronicles 27 verse 4 we read “And over the course of the second month was Dodai an Ahohite, and of his course was Mikloth also the ruler: in his course likewise were twenty and four thousand.” Eleazar’s father was Dodai and he was the commander of one of the 12 divisions of David’s army. He was in charge of 24,000 men within his division. So Eleazar was the son of a warrior. He came from a lineage of valour. Eleazar likely grew up around battle hardened men. His ability to stand alone was not spontaneous. It took years of training. He inherited the resolve of his father. He watched his father. Dodai’s greatest legacy was not the thousands of men he commanded, it was the one son he raised who refused to back down. Your greatest contribution to the kingdom of God might not be in what you do but who you raise. Maybe you have children or grandchildren – what you say behind closed doors is so important. You can lead an army but it is your private faithfulness at home that is more important. So many carry sorrows in their own households. They may lead well in public but it is what goes on in the home that really counts. Dodai raised someone who could stand alone for his king. This detail hits hard when we ask – “where are the men, the fathers who are raising children who will stand alone?” Eleazar was a man who refused to let go. He had the sword of the Spirit and stood firm. He was nurtured, sharpened in the home of warrior. One of the reasons he could stand was because of the influence of his father. You have influence wherever you are today. Do you know that today? You might say to me “I am just 1 Christian. You don’t understand but tomorrow morning in my school, on the factory floor, in the canteen they will make jokes and jibes at me.” You have influence. Let me tell you this – people who pretend they don’t see you do see you. Whenever someone in the work place gossips about someone else – you are the one who speaks worthwhile truth. You are the person of godly influence. Eleazar did not fight bravely, he fought alone. In verses 9 and 10 we see his brothers fled. Whether it was due to fear, fatigue or faithlessness. They turned their backs on the enemy. It was abandonment. Whenever you lose your spot on the battlefield it means certain death. Eleazar arose to the situation. It was a challenging scenario in front of him. It was a solitary stand. It reflects deep loyalty to his King of kings. The word “arose” means so much more than standing up. It conveys a sense of rising with purpose. Stepping into the defensive. His action was purposeful.  It is the same verb in the Old Testament used to describe leaders to action. Genesis 22 verses 2 and 3 “And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. ³ And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.” Before Abraham took Isaac with him he rose up with purpose. Numbers 16 verse 25 “And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.” Whenever rebellion breaks out in the camp, Moses steps into a decisive role. Joshua 1 verse 2 “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.” God called Joshua to arise with purpose. Everyone of those moments marks a moment of purpose. They chose to obey. They signify someone stepping into the frame. It defined them as believing, rooted not in ego but in faith. They believed that the battle mattered. They were standing for the kingdom. Eleazar did not do it because he was stronger than other soldiers. He was more convinced of the fight.  In 1521 when Martin Luther was summoned to recant his teachings, every bishop was against him yet he is recorded as saying “here I stand, I can do no other so help me God.” Eleazar stood. What happens when you stand for God? It was not because he didn’t fear, for I am sure he did feel it. There was a presence with him. 1 Chronicles 11 verse 13 “And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties.  He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a parcel of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines. ¹⁴ And they set themselves in the midst of that parcel, and delivered it, and slew the Philistines; and the Lord saved them by a great deliverance.” Barley was the humblest grain in ancient Israel. It was the food of the poor. John 6 verse 9 “There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?” The lad had 5 barley loaves. He was poor. This detail in our text, the fighting on the barley field. The ground seemed common to you and I. They were not defending a palace or a temple or the Israelite version of a treasury building. It was a barley field. If you had only one thing to defend and it was a barley field – who cares about that? Our man knew that it had been entrusted to Israel. It was not about barley but obedience. What you guard does not have to glamorous just God given. You teach Sunday School – who cares about that? You help at mums and tots – just a common thing. You are not one of the super spiritual. If you are given a field to defend in the kingdom of God then do it. Judges 7 verse 21 “And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.” This refers to Gideon’s 300 men – every man stood in his own place. Everyone had a place to stand. You cannot stand in my place and I cannot stand in yours. You have a place to stand for God.

His persistence in the battle.  Our text emphasizes Eleazar’s exhaustion. “He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the Lord wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.” He kept going past the point of human strength. This speaks of Eleazar’s tenacity.  His ability to fight when everything in him wanted to quit. He pressed on. God’s greatest victories come after you struggle. No doubt you have read stories of missionaries who have buried children overseas. Or know the single mother who drags herself and her children to church every week. Or widows who sit alone in the same pew singing the hymns yet is unwavering. Or the man who works various jobs yet he comes early to church to help set out the chairs. Or the woman who has chronic illness yet lifts up others in prayers. People like these press on weary but they don’t let go. Verses 9 and 10 speak of brutal endurance. He fights until his hand grows weary. His hand clave to the sword. That word “clave” comes from the Hebrew word dabaq. It means to cling to, to hold fast. It is used in other places. Genesis  2 verse 24 “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Deuteronomy 10 verse 20 “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.” This word is always used to signify a relentless covenant attachment. Eleazar had a spiritual tenacity. Steadfast. Whenever faith is tested you cling to the sword. You cling to the sword of the Spirit, God’s word – Ephesians 6 verse 17 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”  The sword is the only defensive piece of equipment. The Greek word for the “word” is logos. It is used in 1 John. Paul does not use that word rhema. Not the written word but rather the spoken word. The word of utterance. You not only need the written word but also the spoken word. In any situation bring one verse into your mind that brings confidence to your situation. You need to know the promise for the situation. In Matthew 4 when Jesus was tempted by Satan, he replied “it is written.” Jesus gave a specific word for the temptation. He knew what to say in the specific situation and he used it precisely. The Christian who neglects to read scripture goes into battle with a dull sword. A sharpened sword hidden in the heart, polished by meditation is deady to the believer. A believer must be skilled in scripture. The devil is not impressed by dusty bibles but by a believer who can show his loyalty to his sword. As you and I go into another week we will wield against the sword against the world. We are scripture poor. Colossians 3 verse 16 “let the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

Thirdly, his portion after the battle. The final sentence in verse 10  is both glorious and humbling. Eleazar is the only man who has fought the battle. He has faced it alone. He swung the sword and endured. The glory did not go to Eleazar but to the Lord. The writer of the book wants you to know God did this. Not techniques of human intervention. Harmony between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. The Lord is the one who brought the victory. Proverbs 21 verse 31 “The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord.” On the day of battle you are the one who participates in the battle yet the Lord gives the safety and victory. God does not need me today. He works in spite of me. The mighty warrior depended on the mighty God. There is an interesting phrase – “and the people returned after him only to spoil.” The very people who ran away at the start scared and afraid, when they saw the Philistines were defeated they ran back again. The individuals who didn’t risk anything, who didn’t drop any blood, showed up at the end. The spoils were taken from the defeated army. The reward of the victory. Only one man fought to secure the reward – Eleazar. It is fitting that we close with this one sentence. It whispers the gospel more than the account of military might. It is a shadow of Calvary. It is pointing to a greater battle. The loner stand of Eleazar. He fought alone and everyone reaped the benefit. Christ fought alone at Calvary. We reaped the benefit. We received the spoil of a fight we didn’t participate in. All others forsook him. Our Saviour clung instead to a cross. With hands pierced he bore the wrath we deserved. We were undeserving of the spoil of victory – forgiveness, adoption, reconciliation with God. You and I come to Calvary empty handed. We receive a treasure we did not earn. The spoil with the strong. For he has poured out his soul unto death. You contribute nothing to your salvation except faith in Christ. Christ fought the battle for you. All you do is come to Christ with empty hands, come and say to the Lord how sorry you are for your sin. Turn from your sin, trust in Christ for forgiveness. Receive it rich and free. You do not contribute to the fight. You come empty and receive the spoil. The resurrection triumph was the church. We are the beneficiaries. God is still looking for swordsmen. Men and women who are steadfast in the fight. Believers who will stand their ground when others retreat. To cling to Christ when the cost is high. Endure in faith when no-one else will. Will he find a swordman in you today? The field is lonely. The battle is costly. Your hand will grow weary. The King is worthy. The sword is sufficient and God the Lord will bring about a great victory.  

The Portrait of a Prophet

LIMAVADY BAPTIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 20 JULY 2026 – PASTOR BRYAN CRUISE

2 Kings 3 verses 4 – 20 – The Portrait of a Prophet

We open in the middle of a crisis. The king of Moab, King Mesha has paid an enormous annual tribute to the king of Israel, 100,000 lambs and wool of 100,000 rams. But the moment King Ahab dies, King Mesha the King of Moab decides this is a good time to rebel. But in response Ahab’s son, King Jehoram forms a military coalition – himself, the King of Israel Jehoshaphat the King of Judah and also the king of Edom. To go against this uprising in Moab. Edom has long been an enemy of God’s people descended from Esau but now they are subject to Judah. So they join the fight. Jehoram and Jehoshaphat well they are connected through marriage. Humanly speaking everything appears to be in their favour. These 3 kings and their sizeable army and carefully considered battle plan set out for Moab. Their campaign begins to unravel almost immediately. They make their way through the wilderness of Edom. A harsh desert region south of the Dead Sea. Well known for its rugged terrain, its rocky cliffs, its intense heat and they are travelling. Verse 9 tells us they fetch a compass, they went a round about route, not the conventional way. To get into Moab. Humanly speaking strategically brilliant coming to Moab from the south. Difficult to fight against, unexpected. After 7 days in the desert the army is dying of thirst. In a matter of days human confidence becomes human desperation. Brought to the brink of disaster. Only then when these 3 kings reach a end of themselves that they seek the Lord through his prophet. It is at that moment the spotlight falls on one of the most significant men in the Old Testament. In the midst of frightened kings, fading hope and failing plans we see Elisha as a striking portrait of what a servant of God ought to be.

 

Elisha’s character. In response to the drought and desperate situation the king of Israel Jehoram cries in despair. The first word he says is “Alas” verse 10. “Alas the Lord has brought these 3 kings together so they may be defeated.” You will notice that this is the first time the Lord is mentioned in the chapter. Not in prayer. It is in complaint. In our chapter Jehoram the king never speaks to the Lord, he only ever speaks about him. Never to him. That is the difference between King Jehoram and the Psalmist. The Psalms don’t take too long for me to see myself in them. The Psalmist brings his confusion, his fear, his disappointment, his desperation. He brings his complaints to the Lord. Jehoram is different. He complains to other people about God. Psalm 42 “why are thou so cast down my soul.” Psalm 13 “how long oh Lord will thou forget me forever.” Psalm 52 “my God my God why hast thou forsaken me.” The Psalmist knows where to go with his problems – to the Lord. Your fears, your disappointments, your unanswered questions, your tears – bring them to the Lord because the Lord is never offended by the honest prayers of his children. That is what Jehoshaphat does in our passage. He asks the right question. He does not speculate God’s will. He wants direction. Verse 11 “is there not here a prophet of the Lord.” Jehoshaphat was already aware of Elisha’s ministry even though his ministry was in the northern half of Israel. Jehoshaphat knows about Elisha and he knows that his greatest need in the middle of a crisis is no the change of circumstances but it is direction from the Lord. So he enquires in our passage about Elisha. The other interesting thing is in verse 11 the individual who knows where Elisha is, is not a soldier, not a counsellor, not a king, it’s an unnamed servant of the king who knows where the prophet is. Throughout scripture unnamed servants become instruments of God’s providence. The most beautiful example is found in John 2. The first miracle of the Lord Jesus in Cana of Galilee where he turns water into wine. Who knows where it came from? The other guests didn’t know, the master of the feast didn’t know. Verse 9 the servants knew where it came from. The most humble individuals in the gathering knew were the ones who knew where the power of the Lord came from. They witnessed it. We can see that in our passage. You are a servant of the Lord and never think that your quiet service is insignificant. Your prayers that no-one hears, your acts of kindness that no-one applauds, your cups of tea, your words of encouragement, your visits to the sick, your faithful attendance in the assembly, your faithful work, your faithful labour that no-one else seems to appreciate – God sees your service. In fact in our passage Elisha is identified by his service. Verse 11 how he is introduced. The unnamed servant doesn’t say “well Elisha is near by. He is the prophet who parted the Jordan Sea by hitting it with Elijah’s mantle. He healed the waters of Jericho.” No the unnamed servant says first “He poured water on the hands of Elijah his predecessor.” He remarks that Elisha did a menial task, the work of a servant. He poured water on the hands of another. Elisha’s greatest commendation from the mouth of another. It was his service, his servanthood. On that great and awesome day when you stand before the Lord Jesus Christ he is not going to say “well done thou good and faithful deacon, elder, Sunday School teacher, youth worker but servant.” Your service is what people ought to know of you. Your service for the Lord. There is a beautiful irony in our passage. The kings, their army and their animals are literally dying of thirst and the servant of God is introduced as a man who poured water. Not only do we see this regarding his character. The description continues in verse 12. It is said of him “the word of the Lord is with him.” Think of the description that C H Spurgeon gave to John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress “Prick him anywhere and you will find that his blood is Bibline, the very essence of the bible flows through him. He cannot speak without quoting a text for his soul is full of the word of God.” If only we were people like that! Would you bleed the bible if you were pricked today? Colossians 3 verse 16 “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.” The word “dwell” means to take up residence, to lodge. Does the word of God dwell in your heart? Does it dwell I your mind? Does it dwell in your life. The word of God should live in you and you in it. It shouldn’t be a guest, a visitor, a weekend accommodation for an hour on Sunday. We are to thoroughly acquaint ourselves with the word of God. We must not consult the bible merely in moments of crisis. The bible is to be systematically read and studied. It is to be the thing to shape our thinking, to govern our lives. There must come a point in your walk with God when it goes from being highlighted in your bible to being highlighted in your life. That people can point to you and say “there is a disciple of Jesus Christ.” Psalm 119 verse 11 “Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against you.” Job 23 verse 12 “Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips. I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”

 

Elisha’s confrontation. Next what happens is whenever these 3 kings approaches Elisha he confronts them – verse 13. Elisha refuses to flatter King Jehoram. He addresses the king with astonishing boldness – “what have I to do with thee?” He is saying “Jehoram what common ground do you and I share? Go back to the prophets of thy father and thy mother, the prophets of Baal.” He is saying “go back to the prophets of Baal that your mother fed in 1 Kings 18 and 19. Go back to those bootlickers who were in your father’s court in 1 Kings 22 verses 6 to 8. Why are you here seeking me?” Elisha calls out his two faced religion. He has one religion when everything is going well and another when things are going tough. 3 kings stand before Elisha, they command thousands of men and here they are in front of him. Humanly speaking they are the most powerful men in the region. Elisha does not back down. He doesn’t soften his message because he is standing before royalty. He does not flatter the king to gain favour. He does not mince his words to preserve his own life. He is courageous before them. The very next verse gives the answer – verse 14. Elisha speaks and “as the Lord of hosts liveth before whom I stand.” These words are more or less identical to Elijah’s words in 1 Kings 17 verse 1 when he stood before king Ahab. You can see the type of man Elisha is. He does not say “as the Lord liveth” but he invokes the name “the Lord of hosts.” Yahweh Sabaoth. It is used in scripture when God’s people are threatened, when his purposes are opposed, when his glory is challenged. When God himself uses that title he is not counselling his people. He’s going to war on their behalf. Sometimes we think of angels when we read that title. It is far more than that. Hosts means everything in creation. Your God, my God, is the God of angel armies but he is also the God of galaxies and stars. He is also the God of every natural element upon the earth. He is the God of every army, of every nation and he can send them any direction he wishes. Our God is the Lord of hosts. He is the commander and chief of everything in existence. That is why Elisha invokes his name. Standing before 3 kings and their vast army says “it matters not because I stand before the God of every army. You are not intimidating because I stand before God.” Like his predecessor Elijah before him he occasionally stood before kings but he knew he stood before God continually. He knew his audience ultimately was ever heaven. Every believer must remember he serves God first and not man That perspective changes everything. A man or woman who spends their life conscious of God’s presence will never be overawed by the greatness of man. Crowns, titles, influences, authority all have their place but one day we will stand before the King of Kings. In verse 14 Elisha is very frank. “I am only speaking to you because Jehoshaphat is with you.” If it were not for him you would not be here. I would not be here to see you.” Jehoram receives an answer from the Lord not because he deserves one but because Jehoshaphat is standing beside him. One righteous man brings blessing to others. The presence of a righteous, a godly individual brings blessing to those in their company. Jehoram benefits from another man’s godliness. God often extends mercy to others because of the presence of his faithful people. Think of Potiphar’s house. When Joseph was there his house prospered because of him. Think of those on the ship in Acts 27 when Paul is on board. Those individuals were saved because of his presence. 1 Corinthians 7 tells us the children of a believing parent are holy, set apart, blessed in a way that children of unsaved parents aren’t. Their presence blesses them. Think of Mark 4 verse 36 when the Lord calms the sea of Galilee. Verse 36 it was not just for the disciples in the boat with him but other ships with him. They were in God’s presence. One believer walking closely with God can have influence far beyond what they realize. Maybe you are saying to yourself “I am only one person. You don’t know what it is like in my work, in school. They begin to joke and to jibe. They are rebels.” But this passage reminds us that in God’s providence one faithful believer can have influence far beyond what we realize. Wherever you may be – in work, school university – take a stand for God. You be the odd person in the meeting. When someone says a crude joke you be the awkward silence. When someone gossips about someone else you be the one who speaks a wholesome word. You be the one that is different. The one who blesses individuals. Is that you? Are you the godly influence. In our passage today after Elisha takes his stand he orders for a minstrel to be brought to him – verse 15 “now bring me a minstrel.” Before he brings God’s message he orders a minstrel to be brought to him. This is not an instrument, it is a musician. The same word in its root comes from the word “min” like a minister. Serving others by their music. A musician. He summons him to come. 3 kings are waiting, thousands of soldiers are waiting yet Elisha is not pressured to speak immediately. He says “bring me a musician”. And they wait. There is a powerful lesson here – never allow urgent circumstances with respect to replace dependence on God. Never feel pressured to speak or act before you have sought the Lord. I remember hearing about Helen Ewing. She lived in Scotland. A diligent evangelist. Whenever travelling evangelists came to an area to mission they would invite her to come and sit at the back of the meeting and pray. Missionaries knew she had died because their work was not as effective any more. Depend on the Lord. In our passage Elisha knows it is better to pause rather than speak. Why did he bring a musician? Around Israel at this time in our story pagan religions often had frenzied music, ecstatic rituals and self harm in an attempt to force their false gods to respond. Here the picture is different. No frenzy, no manipulation, no spectacle. Quietness and then God speaks in his own time. The musician disappears from the narrative as soon as God speaks. We never learn his name, never hear another note – why – because he quietly fulfilled his purpose and then fades into the background when the word of God takes centre stage. It fed into the ministry. It was not the ministry itself. The word had its proper place. Music was not central. It is best when it draws attention away from itself and toward the word of the Lord.

 

Elisha’s counsel. There’s a world of difference between human advice and divine counsel. The king had already received human counsel now he needed God’s counsel. That is what Elisha gives him. That is what God gives him. Verse 16 “thus saith the Lord make this valley full of ditches.” Those words change everything. Up until this point we have heard the king’s strategy, the king’s despair, the servant’s report, the prophet’s rebuke, now for the first time God speaks and everything changes. God commands ditches to be dug before the water can come. Imagine the soldiers – they are worn out, 7 days marching on rugged terrain, no water, exhausted, dehydrated yet God charges them to “dig ditches”. Imagine how hard it would have been to dig ditches in an arid land with rocky soil and yet they did because God commanded it. This is often how God works in scripture – Noah built the ark before the flood, Israel stepped onto the Jordan before the water parted, the servants filled the water pots to the brim before the wine came. Faith obeys God’s word before it sees God’s provision. Every stroke of the spade in these ditches was an act of faith. The men who dug couldn’t make the water come but they could be ready when it did. You and I cannot manufacture God’s blessing but we can prepare ourselves through prayer, obedience and faithful service. Then when God is pleased to work he finds a people ready for his provision. Maybe you are in a waiting season and it is tough and yet you are preparing for yourself when the blessing will come. Are we a ready people? An expectant people? The most spiritual thing a believer can do is keep digging when the valley is dry. When God speaks about when he will fill the ditch with water he says in verse 18 “this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord.” The armies were in an impossible situation, they are dying of thirst, they are seeking the Lord to give them water and the Lord says it is a light thing, it is a small thing for me to do this for you. What seemed impossible to man was effortless to man. Dale Ralph Davies remarks “this is too trivial a matter in God’s eyes. Rehydrating Israel’s parts, troops and packed animals is a piece of cake for God so he will limit himself to such trivial work but he will also hand over victory against the Moabites as well.” Not only does God address the immediate problem, the need for water but he solves the dilemma ahead of them. He promises them victory against the Moabites. Towards the end of the chapter they do defeat the Moabites. What about the water? What happened? It did come in verse 20.”And it came to pass in the morning when the meat offering was offered that behold there came water by the way of Edom and the country was filled with water.” God miraculously brings water and it comes from Edom. Where did the army come from? What terrain did they take? They marched through Edom. Not a drop of water. They marched through this arid desert wilderness and saw no water for 7 days. It came from back the way they came. God brought it. The route that nearly became their grave became the direction their salvation arrived. The water comes from the very direction they travelled. How often does God not turn the place of your deepest trial into the place of your greatest blessing? How often does God not work in that way? In the place that your struggled. The valley you found so tough does God not bless in the end? Verse 20 the water did not simply fill the ditches but the country. The country was filled with water. The ditches were dug and they were filled with water but far more. For the entire region now flowed with water. God’s provision is not meagre today. What God supplied for them was far greater than anything they could have produced for themselves. God will do exceeding abundant more than we could ever ask or think. Dig ditches – why – because then he will fill the country. You ask for God and he will do more than that. That is why so often we pray for God to meet our needs and he does do that, but far more. He meets our need but he exceeds the need.

 

Do not seek to imitate Elisha today but learn from him. A servant of God is shaped by the word of God. He knows that he stands before the face of God and he knows that he must faithfully proclaim the whole counsel of God for the church. The church has never ultimately needed clever strategies, larger armies or greater resources. She has always needed servants in whom the word of God dwells richly. The God who filled the dry valley is still able to 2026 to fill empty hearts. To strengthen weary saints. To revive churches. To supply every need of his people. God’s resources are never exhausted. His promises are never failing. His provision is not meagre but it is overflowing. What a God we serve today. The appropriate response is our adoration and our praise. 

Keswick at Portstewart - Friday 10 July 2026 - Clive Bowsher

 

KESWICK AT PORTSTEWART – FRIDAY 10 JULY 2026 – CLIVE BOWSHER

BEING UNITED TO JESUS

This evening we're going to think together about being united to Jesus. 

As a much younger married couple, I remember Kerstin and I going to listen to a speaker in the Corn Exchange in Cambridge and this speaker was quite well known and he was coming to talk about idols and idolatry and you're thinking great date night, right? And I remember it was packed and you know we were queuing for quite a time to get in. It was quite difficult to find a seat and you know we sat down we waited for the speaker to come on. And as I was sitting there I just felt a bit sort of fidgety you know and a little bit irritated if I'm honest. And you know, I kept thinking to myself that I felt a little s underwhelmed. And you know, we sat and we listened and then we filed out quite slowly.  By the time we got to the place we were going for coffee I was in quite a bad mood. And I remember sort of trying to unpick the arguments, and you know, find the gaps maybe in in what was being said. And it's a little bit I don't know if it's exactly amusing looking back but the reason for this I think was that you know at the time I was just kind of too heavily invested in the particular career that I was doing and you know our life projects, those things that we are partially leaning on to prop us up and very often they're glory projects. They don't like to die, you know, because we're kind of relying on them. Hence my fidgeting, hence my rather bad mood. Hence every kind of objection that I could find to avoid concluding the rather obvious thing that this this guy had a point. We I think invest in you know these things that we go after for a sense of glory because we are actually wired each one of us for a kind of glory. We want something that really tastes. If you dig a little bit deeper into what's going on when we, you know, try to build up our own glory, you know, it might be all sorts of different things. It could be career, it could be sort of respectability, could be reputation that they're always things I think that are seeking kind of glory and good opinion from other people, rather than from the only one who can give it. But when you dig deeper, it's very often, isn't it, that we want to know that we are valued. Dig still deeper, you know, even deeper. And it's actually that we're longing to know we're loved. And that longing for what really tastes, that longing for glory can have us going in all sorts of wonky directions if we go looking for it in the wrong place. And if we try to establish it for ourselves, you know, my reputation, my respectability, my CV, whatever that might look like, you know, degrees, sporting accolades. Sometimes it can just be like what the neighbours think, right? But there is a glory that we are wired for. And here's the thing, you don't have to create this glory for yourselves. It's something that is given to us. It's something that we receive because glory isn't about comparison. It's not about being better. Glory is about belonging. Glory is about being valued enough, about being important enough to be brought in by the only one whose view matters really fundamentally, right? There's a glory that you are wired for. And this evening, there's a sort of open armed invitation from God himself to step into that if you've never done that for the first time or maybe to step deeper into that.

We're going to begin by having a look at a little episode in John 8 and then we're going to go back to the farewell discourse and have a look at a chunk of John 17.

John 8 verse 31

Jesus is talking to a group of people who have believed what he's saying intellectually. They believe in their heads.  He's talking to these people who are descended from Abraham and he says to them, verse 31, "If you abide in my word," which is very close, isn't it, to saying, "If you abide in me, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." But immediately these people are kind of indignant that Jesus might be suggesting that there's a kind of freedom that they haven't yet known, a truth that they haven't yet appreciated, and a freedom that they haven't yet stepped into. And so immediately their kind of their own glory project kicks in a little bit. And you can see for them what that is. It seems to be linked to their ethnic descent from Abraham because they say straight away to him, “you know, we're we are offspring of Abraham. We've never been enslaved to anyone.” And you go Exile, Babylonians. If you're thinking historically, you go, "What about the Roman occupation at the moment?” Sometimes we're pretty blind to ourselves, aren't we? But they're so wrapped up in in their identity having been descended from Abraham that their ears are kind of closed to what Jesus wants to say to them. “You know, how is it, Jesus, that you can say to us that there's a way for us to become free? We don't have a problem of being bound by anything.” They're indignant. And so Jesus says to them, "Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” Jesus says the great robber of freedom is sin. You know, sin promises freedom and then you know once we take the bait we discover the hook and if we carry on that way, if that's what we're living in we discover that the Father is far away. The very glory that we're longing for, the very freedom that we're longing for is far far away. And so Jesus tells them a short powerful story here. It’s kind of like a little parable. He says, "Okay, there's a house and in this house there is a slave and a Son. And the slave is under obligation to the master, right? It's contractual. It's economic." And the thing is Jesus says the slave does not belong to the house forever. He doesn't remain forever. It's insecure between the master and the slave. It's not permanent. It's not great. He doesn't belong. The slave verse 35 does not remain in the house forever. The Son remains forever. Jesus the Son remains in the Father's house forever. Right? We know that, don't we? The Son, you know, in the Father, the Father in the Son, the Son belongs. The Son relates to the master of everything as Father. But then verse 36 blows you away. Because Jesus says, "This Sonship that I have, this place that I have in the Father's house, I share with you." In verse 35, you wonder which Son he's talking about, don't you? It's not immediately obvious who he's talking about. He's certainly talking about himself, but the jaw-dropping thing is that he's also talking about you and me who have trusted in him. And so he says, "If you've trusted in me and so I've set you free, I've given you the same sort of freedom in the Father's house that I myself enjoy." When the Son sets you free, you are free indeed. You know, when the Spirit unites you to Christ through faith, he brings you into the Father's house to share the Sonship of Jesus, to stand where Jesus stands, to have the same access to the Father that Jesus enjoys, to know the very same freedom.  Jesus is the one who has dwelt in the Father's house since before the foundation of the world. He's the Son who remains forever. And because we're united to him, he brings us into the very same place. If you're a Christian this evening, can I ask you, do you know deep down that sort of belonging to the Father? You know, Jesus isn't just telling a sort of pretty parable here. He's saying for real, it is true for you this evening that through faith in me, Jesus, you have the very same access to the Father that I enjoy. I've brought you right into the most holy place. That takes some drinking in, doesn't it? You know where you're seated right now. You are in the Father's presence, that immediately you are held in the Father's embrace that securely. You can never lose it. When the Son brings you in to his own Father's house in this way you are free indeed. You have absolutely everything. When the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.

I grew up in a non-Christian family and I came to know about Jesus in my late teens and I remember when I first encountered the gospel, it felt to me like the need to escape judgment. I knew that I needed to repent. I was glad of a way of escape, but it didn't feel like freedom to me. I had no idea how God felt towards me. I had no idea what Christ wanted to share with me. And so, the Christian life felt like a long list of dos and don'ts. Do you know that feeling? It's just me. You know, it felt rather contractual, rather like that slave in the house in Jesus' little parable there. It felt more like obligation than delight. I wonder if the Christian life has felt like that to some of us in some seasons. And I remember a fortnight as a student when I tried, you know, like seriously tried to be like Jesus in every single thing that I did. I came from this kind of background where you set goals and you strive to achieve them. I read all the way through the New Testament a few times. I hadn't done that before. And I'm thinking, okay, so you know, God must be interested primarily in what we do. It’s about behaviour. It's about dos and don'ts. And so I'm going to see if I can make the grade. And so for a whole fortnight originally, you might be able to guess how far I got. But you know, I was going to try to really do this, to really be like Jesus. It sounds quite naive as I stand here and say it to you all, but this was the goal. And I was absolutely horrified. I had no idea what my heart was really like, you know, and so I think I got about I don't know, I probably got an hour in or half a day in. And the problem was I hadn't understood that actually what God really wants with each one of us is fellowship and relationship. It's first and foremost about behaviour. He doesn't want me to work my way up to him. It was a bit like my Kenyan friend. You know, it seemed to me at that time like God was up there, I was down here. He was separate from me and to be reckoned with. And I couldn't see his smile. And there was little power to change. God wants to share his heart with you, not a rule book. He wants to share his very house with you and he's invited you in his Son. What I was doing during that fortnight was looking to God purely as master and I was going to do exactly what he said and I just did not know his love. I hadn't heard that invitation to freedom. God is saying this evening that his intention, is for you and I to live and dwell with him in his house in the way that Jesus does. That is the freedom that Jesus is talking about in John 8 here. And if you've never said yes to that for the first time, can I encourage you to do that this evening? He's not throwing a rule book at you. He's not interested in a sort of outward behaviour and being shiny on the outside. He's not interested in you trying to build up your own sort of capital with him and establish some kind of reputation. He's interested in you saying yes to this invitation to come into his house and do life with him in his Son in the power of his Spirit. It's life in his house, not just for what is to come, but in the here and now as well. And you know, pretty much the only thing we need to do to accept that is to lay down our own glory projects and to receive from him. Doesn't that sound good? If you've accepted that invitation, you already belong in the Father's house. You're in his presence each and every day in Christ. You are in his full affection. So the first heading is - you get to share in the Son's glory.

You might be going, "Whoa, that sounds perhaps a little bit radical. What exactly do we mean by that?" Come with me to John 17, and I'm going to read verses 1 to 10 to us. This, of course, immediately follows everything that we've been looking at in the farewell discourse, John 13 through to-16.

There's a lot of talk about God's glory in those verses, isn't there? God's house, of course, is full of his glory. It's not a harsh sort of unapproachable glory, the glory of God. It's the glory that our hearts are actually wired for. It's the glory that our hearts long to taste. God's glory is his abundant outgoing love. God's glory is his overflowing fullness, his selfgivingness. It's the glory that the Father and the Son share. And did you notice in verses 9 and 10 here Jesus says something really interesting. He says “I'm not sorry I'm praying for them. I'm not praying for the world but for those whom you've given me for they're yours. All mine are yours and yours are mine and then the key bit. Jesus says “I Jesus am glorified in them.” And just to apply it, “I Jesus am glorified in you sitting there.” You know, as the Father is glorified in the Son and particularly so at the cross and you see that all the way through those verses we just read. As the Father is glorified in the Son so the Son is glorified in you and me, his people. Well, there's only one way that can work, isn't there? And it's exactly what Jesus says in verse 22, if we can just skip ahead. He says to the Father, "Father, the glory that you have given me." And that is the glory that the Father and the Son have shared since before the foundation of the world. “Father, the glory that you have given me, Jesus, I have given to them.” Now, that should have you kind of, you know, stepping back. What's Jesus saying here? Is he really saying that that the glory that the Father pours out on the Son, all the fullness, all the love, so that is poured out by the Son into his people? That is exactly what he's saying and you can see here that is what makes us fruitful in mission. That is what enables us to love one another with the love of Christ. That is what enables us to be one so that the world will see because it's seeing the glory of Christ that the Father sent the Son. The Son shares his life with you because you're united to him. The Son shares his righteousness with you because you're united to him. The Son's Father is your Father. The Son's house, the Father's house is your house. And you get to share in receiving his glory, too. Paul says that, doesn't he? You know, just as we've been justified, we're glorified. We're not saying that, we're an originator of glory in the way that God is. God's glory is his outgoing fullness. But we're recipients of it. As the Father has glorified the Son, so the Son glorifies you and me. That means that God deeply values each and every one of us, doesn't it? And Jesus is passionate about this. It's why he's praying about it here. It's why he's talking to the Father about it. Verse 24 of chapter 17, he says, "Father, I desire that they also whom you've given me." He's talking about believers throughout here, I think.  Not this split original disciples and later believers, although there's something of that going on as well.  I think that all he's saying here in verse 17 applies to all of us who have put our trust in him. He says, "Father, I desire that they also whom you've given me may be with me where I am to see my glory, to share in my glory that you've given me because you love me before the foundation of the world." We've already been brought into the house. We've already been brought into this glory and the consummation is coming for sure. Already you have a full place in the Father's house. You get to enjoy life there in the Son and by the Spirit already. And this is what I want you to really get this evening. Already God's glory rests on you. He's valuing you, you know. He says, "You're the apple of my eye. You're my beloved.

I remember a particularly sort of draining period in pastoral ministry a few years ago and I woke early one day praying. I was so under pressure. I was praying. I was sort you know how you curl up in bed and I had this sense of sheltering in God and you know the pressures were so extreme at the time. The workload was so extreme. Some of the difficulties that we were working through were extreme. I said “Lord you need to do something.” And about an hour later, a good friend, an elderly lady in the church where I was the pastor, rang up and said that she'd been praying for me. And you know, she explained when she'd been praying. And actually, it was pretty much exactly the time that I had called out to God. And she said, "Clive, I pictured you sheltered in and immersed in the glory of God." And as she said that to me, I thought, "Ooh, you know, that's a little bit unusual."  I thought, I wonder how scriptural that is. I think I better go and test that, you know. And so, you know, eventually came to John 17. Jesus says to you that the glory that the Father has given him, that rests upon you. And you know, God's house is full of his glory, isn't it? We see that, you know, in the Old Testament as his glory fills the temple. And somehow I had always thought, well, you know, that's not really the kind of place that that I can step right into. But the point is that in Christ that is exactly where we are right able to sit in the most holy place. Able to sit immersed in, showered by the glory of God without fear. Absolute, to the contrary with sheer delight, able to in a sense come into the family living room led there by the Son. In him we are able to drink in the love of the Father and stand in glory. That means you are completely welcome, doesn't it? Means you belong fully. Means you could not be more accepted. This is lifegiving glory. This is the love of the Father for the Son.

And that brings us to our third heading which is you stand not only in the glory of the Father and the Son. It's not a glory but it's a glory we get to bathe in. We get to stand in that glory and to stand in the father's full affection. One commentator says this, "God wants for us what? God wants us to know the full dignity and honour of sonship. But my heart keeps whispering that I should settle for being a hired servant." You know that slave in the John 8 parable. Do I truly want to live as one so totally forgiven and accepted that a new freedom opens up? You need to be in this place with the Father, that Jesus is describing. This place of complete freedom is also deeply vulnerable, isn't it? This commentator says, you know, it requires a willingness to let God be God and to fully trust his promise and goodness. It requires a willingness to let God do the restoring and the reshaping. He goes on to say, "Do I want to radically break from my way and surrender myself absolutely to the love of God?" The glory that your heart longs for is a glory that you don't have to strive for. It's a glory that you receive. It is a value. It's a value that you receive from the Father having been welcomed into his house. The Father's glory, his delight, his value of you rests upon you. He's made you his child. He's brought you in. And this is another key way to think about being united to Christ. He's brought you in to share the sonship of Jesus, to stand where Jesus stands. And I believe that God this evening wants to counter every voice that may have spoken against your dignity as a human being and as a person, to counter every voice that may have spoken against your future and against your potential. Perhaps even some religious voices. The Father has invited you into the fullness of his house. Christ has invited you to come in and share his sonship fully, his eternality of life, his righteousness and his very fellowship with the father. The glory that your heart longs for is Christ in you and you in him glory. It's in one another glory.

And so you get this this logic through these verses, verses 20 and 21, us in Christ, us in God. Verse 22, the Father's glory and Christ's glory in us. Verse 23, why is that? Why? Why is God's glory in us? It's because Christ is in us. And get this, verse 23, we are loved in just the way that the Father loves the Son. You stand in Christ in the Father's full affection. His word to you is that you are the apple of his eye. That you have the full dignity of sons and daughters of God. That just as Christ is his beloved, so are you. You belong in the Father's house, you share in the Son's glory. You stand in the Father's full affection.

 

Keswick at Portstewart - Wednesday 8 July 2026 - Clive Bowsher

KESWICK AT PORTSTEWART – WEDNESDAY 8 JULY 2026 – CLIVE BOWSHER

BEING UNITED TO GOD AND FLOURISHING

Yesterday evening we thought about being united to Jesus and our togetherness with him even our oneness with him. And this evening I'd like to talk under the title being united to Jesus and flourishing. Being united to Jesus and flourishing. I want to ask you a question. What is it that makes you feel really alive? You know, what is it that that really gets your heart beating? There are some things that drain us, aren't there? You know, for me, it's stuff like household admin. Does anyone else hate household admin? On the other hand, there are things that really get your heart beating. Apologies if it's admin that gets your heart beating, but not for me. For me, it it's like a fast 5k run. I say a fast 5k run, it's a little bit slower than it was a decade ago in my case but I just love the freedom of it, you know, the sense of freedom as you're running along, you don't really need to think about anything else. In my case, you're gasping for oxygen so much, you can't think about anything else. But a real sense of freedom. What is it that makes you feel alive? We want to feel alive. And I put it to you that if you sort of take notice of what is really motivating you, what is really driving you, what is really motivating and sort of shaping the lives of your friends and your family, right at the heart of it all is some kind of what I'm going to call life project. Right? That thing that at a heart level, sort of a functional level, you're going after because you really think that it's going to secure the good stuff for you. It's going to secure life for you. We not put it that way, but there's a life project kind of underneath the surface that motivates, that drives, that determines. And it might be good or you know it might not be so good for others of us. And I sense that this was relevant as I was preparing this afternoon. It might be that you feel a complete lack of sort of direction life project. It might be that you're feeling a sense of hopelessness, that some of the props that I don't know maybe when we were younger, you know, seem more reliable are kind of being kicked away a little bit. And you're thinking, you know, there are some big realities here that I'm facing. There's some maybe harsh realities that I'm facing. and you're wanting to feel that sense of aliveness rekindled.

The other day someone who's probably here in the tent this evening very kindly gave me a poem by a Welshman called RS Thomas. I loved a couple of lines in in this poem. It's a poem called The Bright Field. It it's about that field where you find the treasure. The pearl of great price. It's a couple of lines that sort of ask the question, what is life? How do you find flourishing? What does it mean to be truly alive?  And the poem goes like this 

Life is not hurrying on to a receding future nor hankering after an imagined past. It is the turning aside in the present like Moses to the miracle of the lit bush, the burning bush, to a brightness that may have seemed as transitory as your youth wants. Maybe it's a brightness that you, you know, you fear has dimmed. But this brightness which is the presence of Christ himself, the poet says, is the eternity that awaits you. 

We long for life. We sometimes struggle to know just where to look. I think sometimes we go running after it in all sorts of crazy directions, but we long, don't we? For real life, for life that tastes, for that for that bright field, for life that the future can't possibly rob us of. For life that stands up to the disappointments of the past. For life in the present, for the lit bush in the present, for that brightness. And the thing is Jesus, we know, wants that for each and every one of us, too. He tells us that in John 10 in the good shepherd discourse that we looked at earlier in the week. Do you remember he says, "I've come so that you may have life and have it, do you remember? Abundantly." And that word translated abundantly, it kind of means overflowingly, you could even translate it excessively. Jesus overwhelmingly wants you and I to know life in all its fullness who wants us to know abundant life and isn't it the case that it's only one who has life in himself who is able to give that right, these life projects that you and I pursue and I don't know what it might have been for you for me in the past at one time it was career maybe for you it's relationships or family or friendships or sports even or maybe even dipping in the Atlantic. All perfectly good things in and of themselves, but they're no good as life sources, are they? They're no good as life projects. They just quite literally don't have it in them. But we can get incredibly attached to them, can't we? I mean, tape work. I'm guessing if you're still in the sort of working season of life, that you want it to be enjoyable. You want it to be fruitful for the Lord.  But it can't bear the weight of your whole life, right? Just can't stand that pressure. And that's true whether you're doing vocational ministry or you're working for the Lord in in some other setting that the work itself can't be a life source, right? You want the ministry, what you're doing for the Lord to flow out of your relationship with him, right? Or take family and friends. You want to be able to give to them, don't you? You don't want to be kind of always sort of sucking life out of them. You want the life that you receive from Christ to be flowing out to them, don't you? Jesus wants to know an abundance of life that we're receiving from him. So, I've got two headings for you this evening.

The first is works in progress. First is works in progress and the second is heart pattern. And I'll show you how those two things relate. John 15 verses 1-11. 

Jesus says “I'm the true vine and my Father is the vinekeeper or the gardener.” And the vine in the Old Testament is a way of talking about the people of God. And so when Jesus says, "I'm the true vine," he's saying the true people of God are found in me. We heard about that yesterday evening, didn't we? The vine is this - there's this one vine and branches intimately joined together, united, connected. If you've trusted Jesus for everything, if you're relating to him person to person, if you know him, then eternal life, the life of the age to come is already coursing through your veins. You know, the life of the vine is already in you and you already belong fully. You know, if you take a walk, I don't know where the nearest park is to here, but I'm hoping it's full of trees. Maybe it is. And you know, you look up at the trees and it's a green tree. It's  flourishing. It's alive. And the branches are there. The branches are not worried about not belonging in some way, about somehow not being quite up to it, right? They're where they're supposed to be. That's how Jesus sees each one of us. I am the vine. He says, you are the branches. You and I are together one. Do you remember yesterday evening when Jesus was talking about his own relationship with the father, he uses the son in the Father, the Father and the son language. It's equivalent to saying that they're one. We didn't quite say this yesterday evening, but  as believers individually and together, we are one even with Christ. It's not pushing it too far to say that. Not one in substance.  You know, when you get up in the morning, carve out some space to pray, you know, and it's you and the Lord, what's the reality? I'm one with Christ. Fellowship that close. Friendship that close. You fully belong as an alive branch permanently in the vine. And Jesus is pleased to have you there. Isn't that good? It's who we are. Isn't that good? I want us just to picture what this vine looks like. I don't know what comes to mind for you. What kind of vine do you picture when Jesus is talking about this? It occurred to me the other day that the kind of vine that I've always pictured is like a perfect looking one, right? You know, very neat, lots of grapes all over the place. This vine is a little bit different from that. You know, it's green for sure. It's flourishing. It has the life of Christ abiding in it. It's bearing lots of fruit. There's actually some bits associated with this vine that are completely brown and dead because they don't have Christ abiding in them. We're going to come to that a little bit later on. It's what Jesus is talking about in verse two and verse six. But just focus in your mind's eye for a moment on the green part of the vine, the alive part, right? And even this part is not all perfect. How do we know that? Because we're told that the Father is the vine dresser and that the Father prunes every single branch that is bearing even the smallest little sign of fruit. And so nowadays when I picture this vine, I'm not thinking perfect and totally pretty. I'm thinking wonky branches in certain directions. I'm thinking some shoots that are tender and really recent. I'm thinking some branches that are more mature, you know. I'm thinking some branches that have been there and maybe got a little bit mouldy. This is not perfect. This is a vine that is a work in progress under the loving tender care of the Father. Isn't it? Isn't that what Jesus is describing here? And every branch, he says, is in need of pruning. And why does the Father prune? He prunes because he wants every branch to flourish more. Right? Isn't that what it says? That he wants every branch to bear even more fruit- verse two. Absolutely. And by the way, the fruit here is the fruit that is only possible because we're in Christ and he is in us. His life is in us. It's it it's verse 12. This fruit Jesus says, "This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you." In other words, that you love one another with the love that you've already received from me. You see, I think when we read these verses in John 15, they can, if we read them wrong, create a sort of sense of anxiety, can't they? We can find ourselves almost sort of really introspecting about our fruit, you know, I don't know, trying to weigh it or something or count it, I don't know, but like how much is there and is it good enough? And, you know, but here's the thing. The fruit, your fruit is not for you. It's not really about you. It's what Jesus uses and creates in you for mission. That's what he's talking about here. It's what he uses to bless those around you. It's not a life source for you. That's not what it's about. It flows from the life that you already enjoy with Christ. So that's just a side point, but picture this vine. It's a vine that is a work in progress. It's flourishing. There's loads of fruit. There's different kinds of branches. Every branch in need of pruning. And so what is pruning? I don't know how many gardeners here. Maybe it's gardening that gets your heart beating actually. Why do you prune? You prune to strengthen, don't you? You prune. Is that right? I'm not much of a gardener, but I think you prune to strengthen. You prune to shape, don't you? You prune to deal with disease and stuff that isn't quite right. So, I've got a question for you. You think as a Christian, is it okay to be a work in progress? And that's not to sort of lessen sin, is it? It’s to be humble and to say, do you know I need to depend on the Lord and I need his grace every day? Is it okay to be a work in progress? Is it good to be a work in progress? And the reason I ask that is that there are only two kinds of branches here. There's dead brown branches with no fruit at all. See that in verse two? That's the kind of branch that's described there. a branch that bears no fruit at all. And there are branches in the alive part of the vine that is indwelt by Christ, by his Spirit. And they're works in progress. So, is it good to be a work in progress? It's got to be, right? And so, again, just like yesterday evening, doesn't that mean that you can breathe an immense sigh of relief? Doesn't that mean that you can look at your neighbour, I'm not suggesting you do this, although you might want to, and you go, "Hey, do you know I'm a work in progress. You're a work in progress." And that's good. The Lord's at work in us. Isn't that good? We don't need to wear masks. Therefore, we don't need to wear mask with each other. We don't need to wear masks with him. He's already chosen to make himself one with us. This is so good. This is the gospel. It is good to be a work in progress in the vine. And so Jesus says to you verse three “therefore this evening already you are clean”. Because of the gospel word from Jesus in which you've trusted already you are clean and it's really interesting that word clean in the original is very close to the word for pruned. Who are the branches here? Who are the people here who are clean? They're the people who are being pruned. The clean people are the work in progress people. And again, that's tremendously reassuring, isn't it? I tell you, it's reassuring for me. I know I'm just a work in progress. And I'm guessing you do, too. already. Jesus says, with your imperfections, with your need for pruning, with the weaknesses that still remain, already you are cleaned and fully accepted by me. So fully accepted, he says verse 9, that just as the Father has loved me, Jesus, so have I loved you. Now, you can't be loved any more than that, right? How could you possibly be loved any more than the Father eternally loves the son? That's just not possible. And so what that means is as a work in progress, the Father and the son already love you as that as much as they will do on that final day when they finally completed their work in you and glorified you. So as you sit there this evening, you can drink that in. You can know that you are as fully loved as that. Even with the weaknesses that remain, even with the struggles that remain, it's good to be a work in progress. If you're anything like me, you look back at the years that you've been walking with Jesus and you go, “you know, I can see that I'm not yet all that Jesus wants me to be. I'm not yet even all that I want me to be. I'm still being pruned. I'm still being formed into his image, into his likeness.” But I also see as I look back how very changed I am from what I would have been without his love, without knowing him. Just so fundamentally different. And I'm guessing that you would say a very similar thing. It is good to be a work in progress. It is a sign, a sure sign of the work of the Spirit in you. It is a sure sign of being united to Jesus through faith. What that means is that there's really only one thing that can prevent anyone in this tent finding the flourishing life that you ache for. And that is saying no to Jesus. That is saying no to doing life with him. It is saying no to sharing with him. It is saying no to letting him in and relating to him for real, right? I mean, as soon as you say yes to that and welcome him in, Jesus takes care of the rest. There's only one thing that can stand between you and the bright field, between you and life that lasts, between you and the life that you long for. It's making your fundamental life project, if I can put it that way. We started off talking about that, didn't we? Something other than Jesus himself. And the result of saying no is that there's no fruit at all. And verse six tells us that as a result of saying no, that person doesn't abide in Christ. He or she is not in Jesus and Jesus is not in them. And if they stay that way, Jesus says, then they're like a withered branch that eventually is thrown into the fire and burned. You see, the problem is that outside of that oneness with Christ, outside of it, there's just no life. Jesus says, doesn't he? No fruit at all. It's not a question of sort of degrees. It's either or. No fruit at all. But in him, connected to him by the Spirit with the very life of Christ indwelling you, there is fruit guaranteed. Jesus says verse 16, you didn't choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, that it should last. There's two ways. And the thing is Jesus wants us to have the assurance of knowing that we are united to him. That's why he says verse 11, “these things I've spoken to you that that my joy may be in you, that I myself may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” Jesus isn't trying to rock our confidence here. He's trying to make sure that each and every one of us has the one thing that really matters. I was really struck when Jonathan Thomas was preaching the other evening about Mary and Martha and  s John said this this word, it kind of, you know, pinged straight towards me where I was sitting. Does that ever happen to you? It kind of hit me between the eyes. And Jesus says to Martha, "Martha, why are you so troubled? Why are you so weighed down by all this stuff? You know, only one thing is needed.” Maybe there are some here this evening going, “you know there's so much to cope with. There is so much going on.  I'm just grasping after life in in all sorts of different places and it just seems to be kind of slipping through my hands.” And Jesus says to you, “there's only one thing that is needed.” And if you say yes to it, it will never ever be taken from you. It is fully secure. And that one thing is that you know me. That one thing is that you turn your face to me and you let me hear your voice and you receive me, Jesus. First heading was works in progress in the vine. That's where we want to be.

The second heading heart rhythm. To be alive biologically, you need the right heart rhythm, right? I can't remember what you call that. What do you call that trace thing? ECG. It needs to show the right rhythm, doesn't it? What kind of heart pattern is life? Because Jesus tells us that here in these verses. What kind of heart pattern is life? How do I know myself in the alive part of the vine? You see verse four, Jesus gives us a command. He urges us to do this. He says this is the most important thing. This is the one thing. This is the heart rhythm that you must have. He says verse four, I want you to be in me and I in you. I want you to abide in me and I in you. I want you to be in me and I in you for keeps. It's all about friendship with me. Jesus says verse 15, “I'm no longer going to call you servants.” You know, the servant doesn't know what his master is doing. He doesn't know what his master is about. It's just all about orders. You know, it’s kind of contractual, isn't it, between a servant and a master. Jesus is saying, "That's not what I want with you." He's saying, "Actually, that's not enough. That is not the one thing." He says, "No, I want friendship with you. I want you to know that you have said yes to intimate friendship with me. Everything that I've heard from my Father, I make known to you.” It's about that that closeness, that sharing. You can't do Christian faith without face to face with Jesus, without relating to him for real. And verse four is really interesting, isn't it? It's a command. But like, how sweet is this? I mean, the one who is, you know, the Lord of everything, the one who is love says, “I want you so close to me that I'm inviting you. I'm saying come and be in me.” The first time you hear that, don't you go, “oh my, can this be real? I mean, you know that that's obviously holy ground, right? Are you really saying that to me, Jesus? Is that really the invitation? You want me to be in you?” You’re opening your heart and your arms and your life and everything to me in that way. As a friend, you're saying, "Be in me." And you're asking me to receive you and to receive your Spirit. Whoa. That sounds incredibly close, incredibly intimate. I mean, that's pretty real. Have you heard that invitation from Christ? He says, "I want you to be in me and to dwell in you." And you say, "That's a pretty big deal, right?" Absolutely. It's the biggest deal. Not deal in that sense, but you know, it it's the biggest thing. That's why it's the only thing that you need. And it's a command. It's urgent, Jesus says. But at the same time, how sweet is that? You know, he say a little bit further down, he talks about this love between the Father and the son. Do you remember that? Christ the son and the Father, Father in him, that oneness, that eternal love. Remember that? And he says, "That's the kind of love that I want you to stand in and receive from me. Abide in my love." And there's something, you know, abide in the love of the Father, for the son. Abiding, being always for keeps, divine love. I mean, if your heart is anything like mine, I have days when I go, ‘I just can't quite wrap my head around the fact that God loves me that way.’ Do you ever feel like that? It’s not just that he kind of tolerates my presence, you know. He positively urges me into the shower of his love and says, "Stand there always. Be in my love eternally. Receive from me." That is good news, right? We can do that whatever is going on. And there is something absolutely radical about this invitation from Jesus. And it's an invitation for everyone whether or not you've said yes to it every day for the last 10 years or however long it is, or this is the first time that you've heard this invitation, Jesus says, "I want you to draw near. I want you to abide in and drink in the love of the Father for the Son in the Spirit." In other words, you get to stand on the most holy ground possible at Christ's own invitation. And so who are we to say, "Oh, I'm not sure that you know you'll really want me to do. I want you to do this. I'm commanding you to do this. Abide in my love." And you know that is a command. It's also a sweet invitation. And it’s not an invitation to do it with bits of yourself. You know, you can you either come or you don't, right? Well, what does that mean? That must mean that if I'm going to come and stand in this love of Christ and receive from him as he just, you know, pours it over me eternally. That means I have to bring everything. The second heading could actually be whole hearts. The heart rhythm that really matters is whole hearts. You know, it's your whole self. And the thing that's completely freeing about this is that you can bring everything, right? The only way to stand here, you know, if I'm going to stand here, you know, I can't send my upper body and not my lower body, right? That's going to look really odd. It's not going to work. It means that you can bring your weaknesses. It means that you can bring those parts of yourself that you know you're uncomfortable with or that you know you wouldn't tell anyone else about. It means that you can you can bring those things that you might be tempted to hide from the Lord. He says, "I want you to step the whole of yourself, the whole of your heart into my love and receive from me." Now remember, this is the love of the Father for the son, that he's getting you to bring each and every part of your life and yourself and your heart into. Isn't that immensely freeing? Absolutely nothing that we need keep hidden from him. Absolutely nothing that he doesn't want to know about. Absolutely nothing that is too  fragile for him because he holds it so tenderly. Nothing too small. Nothing too big. Nothing impossible for him. Martha, why are you so worried? Why are you so troubled? Mary has chosen just that one thing that's needed and it will never be taken from her. Abide in me and I in you. Jesus says it's a command. It's urgent. It's a sweet, sweet invitation. Abide in my love. I think I acknowledged to you yesterday evening I'm not very good in the mornings.  I managed to prove it this morning spectacularly in our sort of little team setting at Rock House because  I was so tired I kind of even slept through breakfast. So it just goes to prove the point. But I'm so bad in the morning that I really need a shower. But the thing about showers is they are massively invigorating, right? They wake you up, you know? They're pretty lifegiving. Showers are great, aren't they? And I had this sort of this this time when I was standing in the shower and God really spoke to me, you know, the water cascading over me and it suddenly clicked with me. You know, this is what God's love is like towards me. It's a cleansing, right? It's lifegiving. It's invigorating. It's energizing and it's not just like, you know, 5 at the start of the day. It's continual. We get to stand in the continual eternal shower of the Father's love. Never turns off. It's always warm. You know, it's constant. He says to you, “you're my beloved son, daughter. You're the apple of my eye. You're as much that now as you will be on the final day. Because I see the whole picture. I know what I have planned for you. I know what you're going to be like on that day. I know. I know what we're working towards together. I know you're a work in progress. It was me who started it. I'm going to finish it. You're the apple of my eye.” Jesus says to the church, "You're my bride." He is not indifferent about us. Precious to him. So precious that he went to the cross for us. He's bound his glory and his future to us. And you know, you not only get to stand in the love of the Father in that way, you get to stand just where Jesus stands in the love of the Father because you're joined to him. Where else could you be? Did you notice verses 7 and 8?  Jesus says, "If then you're someone who is in abiding in me and me in you and so my words abide in you, here's an extravagant invitation. Ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit.” You see fruit flows from the friendship. That's asking, isn't it? Asking God as a friend. It's asking as a family member. But verse 16 again, just in case we didn't get the idea, you know, Jesus says, "You didn't choose me, but I chose you. I want you. I desire that you be with me where I am and to see my glory on that final day." John 17. This is what he wants. He's not indifferent about us. He wants us with him. You didn't choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit. So, it will happen therefore, right? Because fruit flows from this fellowship with Christ as we ask for it. Whatever you ask the Father in my name. It's so extravagant. Whatever you ask the Father, he will give it to you. Do you notice here the one thing that Jesus is saying is be in me and I in you - receive before we do. Friendship before fruit. So when the pressure is really on Jesus says to you “be in me and me in you.” When fear is rising, he says to us “be in me and me in you.” When we feel swamped by our own weaknesses and just how much we're still works in progress, he says it's okay. Abide in my love. It's where you belong. Like the branches in the tree, the branches in the vine. He encourages us to pray from this place of oneness with him. Charles Spurgeon says prayer comes spontaneously. It spills out from those who abide in Jesus. He says just as certain oriental trees even without pressure shed their gums. Prayer comes spontaneously. It's the kind of prayer that the Father delights in. I think it's being with him in the son by the Spirit. Prayer comes spontaneously from those who abide in Jesus, those who are united to him just as trees even without pressure shed their gums. Prayer is the outgushing of a soul in communion with Jesus. Just as the leaves and the fruit come out of the vine branch because of its living union with the stem, so do abiders ask. ‘Would you stand with us?