Scripture References: John 15:9-12; John 13; John 16; Ephesians
Sermon Notes:
Intro: Welcome! Today we explore navigating inevitable change, drawing from John 15. Jesus prepared His disciples for massive change, offering wisdom applicable to the changes we face – changes often outside our control. These moments reveal our hearts. How do we handle change well?
Key Points:
- Change is Inevitable & Revealing: Following Christ means movement and change (like a river, not a stagnant lake). Change we don't control is painful but reveals our true foundation and forces growth.
- Jesus' Preparation: Before teaching on change, Jesus demonstrated love and humility by washing the disciples' feet (John 13). He initiates, pursues, and prepares us with love, not demands.
- The Core Command: Remain in His Love (John 15:9): Jesus' primary instruction for handling change is "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love." This is the anchor. We must accept His profound, constant love for us, equal to the Father's love for Him.
- How to Remain:
- Accept His Acceptance: Truly believe and live in the reality of God's unwavering love and acceptance, rooted in His actions, not ours. Stop seeking validation elsewhere (approval, power, comfort, control).
- Obey His Commands (v. 10): Specifically, "Love each other as I have loved you" (v. 12). Obedience isn't burdensome; it keeps us in the flow of His love and leads to joy.
- The Alternative: Seeking False Loves: We often slip out of His love by seeking validation from others, categorizing people as "superior" (leading to fear) or "inferior" (leading to using them). This results in fear, anger, comparison, and exhaustion.
- God Uses 'Fires': Difficulties and uncontrollable changes ('fires') aren't meant to destroy us but to mature us, 'thickening our bark' (like the sequoia tree) so we're rooted deeply in His love and resilient.
Conclusion: True freedom and stability during life's changes come not from controlling circumstances or seeking human approval, but from actively remaining in the Father's profound, unwavering love, demonstrated by Jesus. This means consciously accepting His acceptance and choosing to love others as He loved us.
Call to Action: Examine your heart. Are you living in fear, seeking approval, or using others? Or are you resting in the Father's love? Choose today to:
- Repent of seeking false loves (performance, approval, control).
- Actively accept God's acceptance of you through Christ. Ask for a deeper revelation of His love.
- Commit to obeying His command to love others, one person at a time.
- Humble yourself and ask God to help you remain in His love, especially through change.
*Summaries and transcripts are generated using AI.
Please notify us if you find any errors.