Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Hey, guys. This is Naim, and you've reached the mosaic church podcast. So excited that you're part of our listening community, and I'd love for you to be even more connected. So check out our website. There's more content there, and there's more opportunities for you to get connected in our ministries and events as well. Also, love for you to share this content if this is blessed to you. I know that God wants to use you to bless other people with it, so share this podcast if you will. Lastly, would you consider supporting this ministry? This is made possible by other people's generosity, and I'd love for you to pay it forward. Join us to reclaim the message and the movement of Jesus together. So, would you consider giving to this ministry? I know that God is able to do immeasurably more through us when we come together. Thank you so much. God bless you and enjoy.
[00:00:55] How about this? Good. All right. All right. Well, so, it start off with my mic not being on, and then. No. So I walk into our tv room or whatever, and I see Ashley watching something. And not that she's not watching tv. That's not shocking. What's shocking is she's watching women's basketball, friends. She's watching the game. The game? Yes. Right? What is it? The Gamecocks, right? Yeah. Yeah. I'm like, what are you doing? She was like, I'm watching basketball. I'm like, are you serious right now? How are you doing that? It's amazing. And then. And then here's what's funny. What's funny is that I go to the gym, and they are having conversations. My gym is having conversations about the one and only who.
[00:01:44] Exactly. Caitlin Clark. And here's the conversation, by the way, I don't know what I'm gonna do with this wall. Who wants it? Anybody? Everybody. Oh, not back there. Oh, you. Oh, you sure? Hey, listen, we all know they signed the waiver, right? No, this. Okay, right here. Look at that. Oh, nice. Nice.
[00:02:04] So. So they're talking about her, but the conversation is really about, is she the goat? Is she the goat? What's the goat? Friends.
[00:02:13] Yes. Is she the goat? So then it moves on to other conversations, and people are like, yes, she is. Some people are like, no, Candice Parker is the Goat. And then they're talking about other names, all of which I don't know any of. Okay. Then it goes into conversations about coaches. The greatest, the goat of all the coaches, like, who's the best coach in the NBA? And then people throw out Phil Jackson. Anybody know Phil Jackson personally? Anybody? No. No? Okay. Okay. They're talking about them. And so I was thinking about this idea about, like, basketball players and athletes and just professional people who really kill it in their craft. Like they're masters at it. And we know of the greatest they are in so many different fields. Not just athletes, but also actors and playwriters and business leaders. I mean, these people are just over the top when it comes to how great they are in their field, but who gets the credit? I mean, yes, they put in the work because you can't get there without putting in the work. But I wonder if coaches have so much to do with it. Coaches who bring out the best. I mean, when I was watching that game at the end, I was just drawn in by the emotion of Dawn Staley, the coach, and just her conversation about how, like, how they won and no one believed in them and all that. And I just thought, man, this is pretty interesting. And surprisingly enough, like this past week, I sat down with a guy who comes here, his family comes here. He's an assistant coach at UNCC basketball. And we're just talking about the relationship with a coach and players and how if you have the right trainer, if you have the right coach, they can bring out the best in you, but if you have the bad one, they'll just bring out mediocre. And I thought, what does this have to do with Jesus? Right? Which some of you guys like. That's exactly what I'm thinking. Okay. What does this have to do with Jesus? Well, we've been talking about, why Jesus? Why not all the other options? And so I've been talking about this. These. These claims that Jesus makes that are very different from all the other religious leaders and their claims, because their claims are about a certain kind of teaching, a certain kind of way of living your life. But Jesus claims are extremely out there because he makes claims about himself. And so he calls himself the light, the way he calls himself the bread. He calls himself the resurrection and the life. He calls himself that. And he backs it up. He backs it up. And if you've been following along this, why Jesus conversation is really to empower all of us and maybe some of you, if you're really thinking through, like, why not all the other options? I just want you to know it's a different option with Jesus. It's very different. I mean, you might not want to believe it, but it's very different. Just want to be clear, because he makes these outrageous claims about himself and backs it up. And one of them today we're going to talk about is. He calls himself the true vine. True vine. So we're going to put up a scripture for you, okay? It's in John 15, and it says this. Okay, help me out. Can you do that? Can you read out loud? Okay. It says, I am the what? True vine. And my father is the gardener. So now here, Jesus is beginning to open their minds up to a relationship with a God that they don't know. And see, what I love about Jesus is that he does that. He introduces us to a God that some of us might not know. You grew up in religion. That's awesome. You grew up in a faith. I grew up in a faith. But Jesus, in the beginning of the series, if you remember, he offers us a. A church less faith, as in, like that. You have to have a faith that's beyond church and temple worship to a personal relationship with God. He offers that to us. And so when he says this, it's kind of interesting. Why is he saying it again? If you've been following along and if you haven't, you can go online and watch them. But we've been talking about how when Jesus makes these claims, he is, in fact, talking to not just a jewish crowd. He also knows that crowd is Romande, Greek. They have influences of mythology in that crowd. They've grown up with a different kind of, maybe even paganish God that even the Jews have been consumed with the Romans, because that's the culture they live in. And so when he says something like this, you know, you know something is up. So what is up? Why did he say that? Well, we got to talk about context. So this is chapter 15, verse one, but we got to go to chapter the one before that, which would be chapter 14 and chapter 14, something happens. Let me explain. So Jesus, he picks his disciples, right? He says, come, follow me. And they go, yes, yes, yes. And they all just run up and leave. And if you've ever read the New Testament, you see that these fishermen would just leave their boats and just go, what? Follow Jesus? And you're like, hey, what about. You want to call your wife? Like what? Like, hey, what about this? And what we find is just the stories. We find that these guys are. These guys are just living their life with Jesus. Like, there's no mention of their kids. There's no mention of, like, hey, who's taking who to dance?
[00:07:41] Like, no one. It's just like, okay, Peter, Mark, I mean, Luke, Matthew, John, they're all just with Jesus all the time. Here's why? Here's why. Because when Jesus said, come follow me, he wasn't doing something that's out there. No jewish rabbis would do this. See, jewish rabbis would select their disciples, and you could petition a rabbi, and if he says yes, and if he says, okay, the idea is, when you come follow me, come follow me literally means you're going to enter into, like, kind of an internship program where you leave your house and you begin to walk, follow, live with the rabbi. Like, it becomes like, have you Star wars friends? Jedi knights? Just think about this, okay? Like, you're basically. You become their disciples. You learn from them. It's that kind of relationship. Until.
[00:08:39] Until the student becomes the master. That's it. So rabbis actually did this and disciples did this. So what's happening? Well, in John 14, what happens is three years have kind of gone on, and they've done some amazing miracles. They've seen some things happen. But in John 14, Jesus starts talking, and he's saying some things they don't like. He's talking about the idea that he's going to leave, and they're like, well, that's good, because we're going with you. They're like, no, no, no, I'm going to leave. He's like, where are you going? And then he says stuff like code. He says stuff like, where I'm going, you can't go. And they're like, where is he going?
[00:09:19] What's happening? Well, Jesus was talking about him being tortured and killed, crucified on the cross, redeem humanity, and then come back from the dead, but then also leave again.
[00:09:35] And they were like, hold on. You're a rabbi. We're following you. This is how it goes. But John 14, though, Jesus starts saying, hey, I'm actually leaving. And it's good for me that I leave. So now what's happening is they've known a relationship with God through Jesus the rabbi. And so maybe you grew up with that. You grew up with a relationship with Goddesse through a pastor. He's my pastor. He's my pastor. He's my pastor. I remember the first time someone said, you're my pastor. I was like, no, bro, I'm not. I'm just naim. Like, no, you are my pastor.
[00:10:16] I'm like, okay, all right, good. You know? And I'm like, no, can I just be your friend? No, you are my pastor. Okay, got it, got it.
[00:10:26] Here. Jesus says, hey, I'm leaving. And they're freaking out. So what happens? Jesus says this. Let me read you part of what he said, so what he says is, it's in John 14. We'll put it on the screen for you. And here's what he says.
[00:10:41] He says, I'm telling you these things now while I'm still with you, because I'm not gonna be long. I'm not gonna be here. But he says, but when the father sends his advocate as my representative, that is the. Help me out. The what?
[00:10:56] Holy spirit. He will teach you everything and remind you of everything I have told you. He's like, so here's what's happening. What's happening is this relationship's changing. Okay? We're defining the relationship. We're having that conversation. It's changing. I'm leaving. I'm sending you someone. Who? The Holy Spirit. Who?
[00:11:13] See, Old Testament people, jewish people, did not have a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Have you noticed? You read the Old Testament, there's no mention of the Holy Spirit. There's angels.
[00:11:23] The Lord shows up, but no Holy Spirit. So they're like, uh, no, we don't want that. How about we just, you stay, obviously, you know, you can live forever, I think. So, like, let's just do this. He goes, no, I'm leaving. I'm going to send you someone that, and he is going to remind you about everything. And basically you're going to start having a relationship with him.
[00:11:47] And then he says, let me explain. He says, I'm leaving you with a. What's that word?
[00:11:55] Gift. I'm giving you a gift. We don't want a gift. We want you. No, I'm giving you a gift. It's actually supernatural peace in mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift that the world cannot give. That means it doesn't belong here. It cannot be manufactured. I'm giving you access to us, to a relationship that cannot be manufactured. And then he says, but don't be troubled, and don't be afraid, because they're nervous. They're like, hold on. Why are you doing this? Why are we having, why are you moving to that? Because I want you to know something. So when it comes to other faiths out there, and they're really good, you have a relationship with either their holy text or one of their prophets. You do that or their church or the culture of it. We talked about that in week one. And so you live a relationship like that. You read their text like, people have more, like some, some Christians and some denominations have more of a relationship with the Bible than actually Jesus.
[00:12:52] They'll defend the Bible more than they act like Jesus.
[00:12:57] Hmm. Yeah. Why is that? Because at some point, we humans want an actual presence. And if it's an actual book or if it's an actual practice, then that works for us. But as soon as God says, I'm gonna give you something that's so mystical, that's so full of mystery, I'm gonna give you the Holy Spirit, he's going to have a relationship with you. It changes. And here he's saying, in fact, I'm gonna leave, and it's better for me to leave. And they're like, why? Why is it good for you to leave? And he says this, which I want you to know why, Jesus, he says this. He says, if I don't leave, you're not gonna have the relationship that you could have with God.
[00:13:37] If I stay, you're gonna have a relationship with me to God. It's gonna go through me. But God wants this relationship that's so interconnected, that's actually connected to coaching and basketball.
[00:13:55] And then how does that work? Well, he says this, and then he says, let me explain. And he says, what we just read? And let me read it to you again. He says, let me explain it this way. I am the true vine, and my father is the gardener.
[00:14:13] They're like, okay, okay, okay, okay. Hold on. What are you saying? You just change?
[00:14:18] He is talking about a relationship with God.
[00:14:23] He says, I'm the true vine and my father is the Gardener. Now, if you are a Roman or a Greek in the audience, if you grew up there, lived there a little bit, you know that every time Jesus makes a claim that he is something, he is basically saying, you remember that dude that you think, is that God?
[00:14:44] I'm not like him, but I'm the real thing. So when he said, I'm the light, there was a God for that. It was the Romans. I'm the bread. There was a God for that. I'm the resurrection of life. There was a God for that. I'm the way. There was a goddess for that. So is it possible that when Jesus says, I'm the true vine, there was a what?
[00:15:05] There was a God for that, and his name was Apileos, and Apileos.
[00:15:11] I hope I'm saying it right. And Pelios was a God that was called the True vine, and he had a relationship with Dionysus. And again, this is just greek mythology. If you're interested. You love it. Look it up. But their relationship was signified with a vine. So there are statues of this guy wrapped around in a vine, and he would call himself the true vine. And so when he, Jesus says, I am the true vine, he's not saying, I'm the vine. No, the true one. Not like this God that you are familiar with, you grew up with. And my father is the gardener. He right now takes those two people in that context of greek mythology, changes them, and says, you know, of the relationship with Dionysius and Apileos. This is not that. This is me and God.
[00:16:10] But I'm adding on another person, because humans love to live in binary world and godly life loves to live in a trinitarian world. So always, there's always threes, right? God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. You are spirit, soul and body. There's always this three dynamic going on there. And so he says, here's the deal. There is a true vine. I'm it. Like I'm the trunk of this thing. Then God is the gardener. Okay? Then who are we? And then he goes on and he explains, he says, here's the deal. I'm the gardener. He cuts off every branch. Hold on. Who's the branch? Okay, okay. Who's the branch? He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit. While every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes so that it may even have more. Be more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me also. And I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain in the. Help me out. Must remain in the what? Vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
[00:17:31] Then he keeps on going. Let me just read this. He says, I am divine. You are the what? You are the what?
[00:17:39] You are the what? Branches. Right? If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit apart from me. You can't do.
[00:17:47] You can't do.
[00:17:50] If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. Now, they heard all this, and they're like, hold on now. You just brought up greek gods. You're going into this illustration of, like, a growing a vineyard and vinesen. We get that. We understand that.
[00:18:19] What are you trying to say here? What are you really trying to say here? What he's saying is this. He's saying that there is this relationship that God wants you and I to enter into, where he is the source, the trunk of power, of presence, of everything you want. You come out of him as branches. And then God becomes the gardener who begins to prune, who begins to cut away and who begins to really coach, in a sense, your life to make you more fruitful. He says the kind of relationship God wants is where you are most fruitful. God's whole plan is to take to, in fact, to bring out. To bring out the best in you, to bring out the best in you, to which the crowd is probably like, well, you know what? I think it was like? I think religion is pretty much about bringing, like, cutting away the worst in you because that's what we kind of grew up with, right? Like, God just wants to make you pure. Religion just wants to make you pure. You are bad. You stink. You are just a horrible person. And what God really would love is you would stop sinning. Oh, my gosh. You keep on going.
[00:19:40] So, God's whole plan, the gods, all these plans, are basically what, you pay homage to them or you do certain things, and the goal is to make you pure. And maybe, just maybe you heard a Christianity just like that.
[00:19:57] God wants to make you pure. That's his motivation. And here Jesus is saying, no, actually, God wants to make you productive.
[00:20:06] Like, he wants you to become the best version of yourself.
[00:20:12] Not on your own, by the way, because we all know people are trying to do that on Instagram by themselves. And you're like, okay, that was just a different filter. That's all it was. And good music. Okay? You are not living your life here. You're not living your best life.
[00:20:29] You're hoping that your Instagram feed would actually represent your life, but it doesn't.
[00:20:35] No, I'm offering you something. I'm telling you, the guy wants to have a relationship with you in which his goal is to coach you through life, to bring out the best. See, I'm convinced that anybody who is a master at their craft, who is so good at whatever, either it's public speaking or it's singing artists. I mean, directing leading organizations. They have had, and they continue to have mentors and coaches that bring out the best. There is no way the hidden potential that you and I have cannot be taken out by ourselves. You have to have someone in your life, in our lives, that brings out the best in us. And the way they do that is when Jesus says he prunes us.
[00:21:25] So, like, we. I mean, I don't have a context for, like, what pruning looks like, but I do have a context of haircuts. Anybody ever had a bad haircut? Anybody? Everybody knows someone who has a bad haircut. You're like, I know a lot of people. Okay, have you ever had this? Okay, okay. I know I'm gonna say ladies, but actually, I think it's true for everybody. Have you ever been in a chair? Like a barber's chair or whatever, or hair salon chair, and you just almost have a panic attack because of what this person is doing, right? Anybody? You were like, oh, God, I. Oh, God.
[00:22:02] Oh, no. And your mind tells you it'll grow back, but you're like, no, it takes months.
[00:22:07] No, no, no. What are you doing? I had that moment, friends. I was in a wedding. I didn't plan. I would need a haircut. I go into this random place, I'm like, it's all good. It's cheap. It's good. It should be good.
[00:22:19] I mean, sometimes cheap stuff is great. So anyways, so I'm like, I go in and I go. And she starts and I go, oh, God. I think this is the only haircut I have actually told a person. Stop.
[00:22:31] Like, just stop. I think this is the first time you've seen hair. I don't know what you're doing. I have no. I have no idea what I'm doing. And I'm in a wedding. No. Oh, no, no, just stop.
[00:22:46] And now I've experienced people, and I know I have friends who are, you know, they're like master craftsmen when it comes to hair. Like, they can cut it a certain way, that it grows a certain way. Did you know that? Yeah. You're like, yeah, yeah. $200 later. Yeah, it better. It better. Not me. I'm just saying. But they know. They know their stuff. They know what to do. See Jesus saying, hey, listen, I'm bringing up this idea of vines and growing vines, and this gardener thing is because you know that vines left to themselves, branches left to themselves to do whatever, they will just keep on bearing fruit, and they'll get top heavy sometimes. And if you don't prune them, they will eventually hit the ground. And when fruit, good fruit, good fruit, good branches stay on the ground too long, they get infected, they get diseased. And so I need to. God is the God who makes sure that you are pruned in such a way that even though you have a lot of fruit, you're not on the ground. Because even good fruit on the ground turns bad.
[00:24:04] And he says, and when it's at that point, you can't do anything but to cut it off and throw it away. Good fruit, not cared for, becomes bad fruit and withers away.
[00:24:20] So when God, right now in your life, is doing something or not doing something, and it feels like punishment.
[00:24:31] It feels like he's ignoring you. It feels like he doesn't care. He feels like he's letting something just kind of, I don't know, fall apart if he's cutting off some opportunities and some things in your life, and you're like, ah, why, though? Why? Why, though? Jesus is saying, I'm leaving. And you're gonna disciples, this three years, it's been great, but now you actually are gonna live your life.
[00:25:00] This three years was great, but now you're gonna go into the world. Now you gotta go back home, you're married, you got kids, now the life starts. And by the way, you're gonna start this movement, too.
[00:25:14] And you're gonna have so many opportunities to go to wonder, why, God? Why are you letting this happen? How could you let this happen? And then I'm not gonna be around, by the way, some of you guys are gonna get sick.
[00:25:28] And I know you walked around with me for three years.
[00:25:34] I mean, allergy season. What? Allergy season, right? You're walking with Jesus. But now it's different. I'm not here.
[00:25:43] Some of your friends are going to get sick.
[00:25:48] Some of them are going to die.
[00:25:50] Some of them are going to be praying for things to turn around. And they might note there's things going to happen in your life.
[00:25:59] And don't be afraid, though, because I'm leaving, and I'm sending you this holy spirit, and I'm introducing you to a conversation, to a relationship in which God handcrafts your life. If you allow him. He prunes it. He's in it, he's in it. He's in it. And his whole goal is not to make you pure and sinless.
[00:26:24] He's trying to make you productive.
[00:26:27] He's trying to make you productive. And he wants to make you a person who is authentic and real and happy and true and satisfied.
[00:26:41] See, friends, I don't know if you know this, but that's why Jesus is the option, because he wants to, in fact, satisfy our souls. He's not just consumed with just a sinless life and he's saying, I want to do that. He believes that you and I have potential, and the only way we're going to reach it and tap into it is that if he is allowed, he is allowed. He is what? Allowed in your life to come in and just cut away some things and cut away. Cutting is painful, but it's better to bleed a little bit than to wither away.
[00:27:25] And so maybe that is what God doing right now. That's the kind of life. And you might think, I don't know about that. Let me just keep reading what Jesus says. He says, hey, also let me let you know this. He says, this is to my father's glory. To my father's glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciple. What he's saying here is, I don't know what you've heard about God and the gods out there.
[00:27:52] Let me just tell you. When you are living life to the fullest, living out your God given potential, when you are fully alive, God is fully worshipped.
[00:28:05] What God wants to see is not you bowing your head to pay homage to him. He wants to see you running through life full of confidence and adventure and making things happen.
[00:28:19] That's when he goes, yes, yes. He's like a father who sees his kids excel and he gets so excited. That's what God is like. It's to his glory that you would bear much fruit. And then he says, he says, he says, as the father has loved me, so I have loved you so. Now remain in my love. If you could keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my father's commandments and remain in his love. I've told you this so that your joy.
[00:28:57] So that my joy may be in you and that your joy, your joy may be what?
[00:29:04] Complete. He's like, I just want you to know, this whole, this relationship that Jesus wants from you, it's to make you more happy and joyful. But if you don't remain in me, if you don't follow my commandments, if you just kind of go, I'm going to do it my way, it's not going to go good for you.
[00:29:23] You're never going to tap into the kind of person you were meant to be. But if you would just obey, if you would just remain, if you would just do this, it'll change the game for you. But Jesus doesn't stop there. He keeps on going. He keeps on going. He says, here, let me just tell you. He said, let me just tell you this, okay? Let me tell you this. Then he says, I'm gonna give you a command, okay? I'm gonna give you a command. Like, I don't give a lot of commandments. We've talked about commandments. We've broken a lot of commandments in the last three years, right? Sabbath. We healed people on Sabbath. That's a no no.
[00:29:58] We did all kinds of things. Let me just give you a command. This is the non negotiable. And he says this. Love each other as I have loved you.
[00:30:08] Just do that. Love each other as I have loved you.
[00:30:15] Not the way that you were loved before, like, love each other the way you've seen me love you the last three years.
[00:30:26] Because some of you, you come from broken homes.
[00:30:30] Peter, you always been trying to, I don't know, one up on people or just, you deal with a lot of insecurity. Beer.
[00:30:38] We know this. We've seen it. It's come out. Sometimes you just want to be the first sometimes. Because basically you were taught in your family that if you're not first, you're just, what? Last? You don't amount to anything. And, Peter, I want you to know that I don't want you to treat people the way you were treated by your mom and dad. I don't want you to speak the words that were spoken over you. But if you would, not, if you would commit to loving people the way I have loved you, not the way you've been loved, it will change everything. And you'll tap into what I'm talking about right now.
[00:31:13] And I'm sure at one point he probably stopped and said, guys, I know it's too much to understand, but I'm leaving. And this, you need to get, you need to understand that God wants this relationship with you that's intertwined in such a way, not like the greek gods, but in a different way. He wants to be in your life. And he's motivated by love. He keeps on going. He says, let me tell you this. He says, greater love has no one than this to lay down one's life for one's friend. When he says this, we're like, oh, yeah, I love that passage. Oh, yeah, that's cool, because I, I kind of talk about that with my buddy and my girl. No, he's in context. What is he saying?
[00:31:56] It's only an opening statement to something else. He says, he's saying greater love has no one, this lay down one's life for his friends. And then he explains who these friends are.
[00:32:10] And then he goes on. Right? What does he say? He says, you, you. Let me explain. You. You are my what?
[00:32:18] You are my friends.
[00:32:21] And if you do what I command, I no longer call you servants. So basically he's saying the relationship is changing.
[00:32:31] I call you friends not because you do what I tell you to do.
[00:32:36] Before it was the case, disciple rabbi.
[00:32:41] Okay. They would call him Rabboni, which is my rabbi. It was a very much a.
[00:32:48] You're the student, I'm the master. I command you. I tell you do this, you go do it. But now I'm calling you friends. Not because you did a good job obeying me. No, he keeps on going. He goes, I no longer call you servants because a servant does not. Does not what?
[00:33:09] No, not do.
[00:33:13] What's the word? No.
[00:33:16] See, servants do their master's bidding.
[00:33:19] He's saying, I'm changing it. God wants this relationship to change. It's. I don't call you friends because you do what I tell you to do.
[00:33:29] I'm calling you friends because you know the master's business.
[00:33:36] He says, instead, I have called you friends for everything I've learned from you, from my father, I have made. What's that word known to you. He's like, I just want you to know this relationship is moving away from this religion that says you do. And you're a good muslim, you're a good buddhist, you're a good Christian, you're a good da da da. He said, I'm moving you into a realm of not doing, but becoming. A realm of where you now know intimately the God of the universe. And you've allowed him in your life, and he's opened up your eyes to the potential of who you could become.
[00:34:23] He's like, friends. This whole thing is not about doing, because all the other christian, christian, even christian faiths out there, maybe even religious faiths out there, it's all about that. This is very different.
[00:34:38] I call you friends.
[00:34:41] You're no longer student and master, rabbi and disciple. You are my friends because now were equals, which is mind boggling because he's like, God, the God, the father that he's been talking about. He's like my father. Then Jesus says, the God, the true God out there, like, if you really want to know God, you need to know. I don't know what people are telling you about God. Maybe they think it's the universe. I'm telling you, there is a creator God who loves you like daughters and sons. And here's the deal. He wants an intimate relationship with you. His whole heart is not. Is not just to give you salvation and you're good. Give you redemption and you're good. Give you whatever and you're good. He is offering you something that no other religion can offer. He is offering you a friendship with God.
[00:35:40] And see, to them, they're like, oh, hold up. What? He's like, I'm leaving.
[00:35:47] So you can become God's friend.
[00:35:51] And they're like, yeah, I no longer. It's not about doing his business. It's about knowing him.
[00:35:59] It's about knowing him.
[00:36:01] And then he says, I love what he says here, because I feel like he already is. He sees the crowd, right? Going back to Peter, I'm sure Peter's like, man, this is beautiful. But you don't even know who I am, man.
[00:36:15] I mean, I still have doubts.
[00:36:18] I'm sure when I say something like this, you go, you know what? I don't know. I don't know.
[00:36:24] I don't know, man. I'll tell you what, naim. If God just knew what I did. You know what? Forget that. If God just knew what I'm doing right now, like, there is no way. Like, he'd want this relationship. There's no way. There's no way. There's no way. In fact, I don't even know. I don't even know if I'm able to allow him, because I'm so just. I don't know. Whatever. And then Jesus says this, hey, by the way, by the way, by the way, let me just tell you how it happened.
[00:36:56] You did not choose me, but I chose you.
[00:37:03] I know you've said, oh, yeah, I believe in Jesus. I'm no turning back. I'm choosing to believe. I'm choosing to. He said, now, I've always pursued you. For the longest time, from the moment you were born, I've been pursuing you because I know what you could be. And I'm committed to making you the person you were meant to be. You didn't choose me. I chose you long time ago and appointed you. So you may go. And do what?
[00:37:38] What's that word again?
[00:37:41] So you might become sinless? No.
[00:37:45] So you may bear fruit. Fruit that will last. And so that whatever you ask in my name, the father will give you. This is my command. Love each other.
[00:38:00] And he's introducing something, friends, that's mind boggling.
[00:38:04] He's introducing this ecosystem that you and I could be a part of, in which the context of that whole ecosystem, the climate, the weather, everything, all the conditions for you to grow, that whole thing is love.
[00:38:22] Like he's saying, I need you to understand the context of your life. If it is God's love, if it's God's opinion about who you are, it changes the game and it grows you up, where everything about you good, everything that you could be, will grow. If you just plant yourself in that ecosystem, if you just do that, my friend, he's saying, you will grow and become the person you were always meant to be and the person you long to be. But all you have to do is just remain in my love. Remain in my love. Love each other. Let love be the context of your life.
[00:39:06] And he's saying this before he leaves. He's saying, let me just tell you, there's only one thing that has motivated God from the beginning of time. It's not been sin.
[00:39:17] It's been love.
[00:39:22] Because it was love that caused Jesus to come down here, not because you were sinning like there's no tomorrow.
[00:39:33] Because Jesus even said, for God so loved the world. It doesn't say, for God so hated sin that he sent his son.
[00:39:45] He loved us. So I'll end.
[00:39:50] I'll end.
[00:39:51] I'll end with this challenge. What would it look like for you to surrender yourself, to truly surrender yourself to his love?
[00:40:03] Let's stand together. Can we do that?
[00:40:07] Lord? God, I thank you for this conversation. I pray God, as we enjoy each other's companies, in a little couple minutes, God as a church community, God in this moment, the next couple of moments, as we sing this last song, I pray you do something that God, that actually, I don't pray that you would do something. I pray that we would do something that we've never done before, that we let you in and allow your love to lead us and grow us and shape us.
[00:40:43] God, I pray that you would remind some of us. God, he's not punishing us. He's pruning us.
[00:40:52] He's pruning us.
[00:40:54] And God, I pray that we would have the courage to allow you in a part of our life that we've never allowed you before allow us to see God. You are a good God that wants to do great things in us.
[00:41:09] In Jesus name.
[00:41:11] Thanks for listening to this message from Mosaic Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. For more audio and video content, visit us at Mosaicchurch TV.
