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Good morning. Please stand. I'll be reading from John chapter 7, beginning in verse 33, and I'll read through 46. John chapter 7, verse 33. Therefore Jesus said, for a little while longer I am with you, and then I go to him who sent me. You will seek me and will not find me, and where I am, you cannot come.

The Jews then said to one another, Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? He is not intending to go to the dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he? What is this statement that he said, You will seek me and will not find me, and where I am, you cannot come?

Now, on the last day of the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture said, from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. But this he spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive.

For the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. Some of the people, therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, this certainly is the prophet. Others were saying, this is the Christ. Still, others were saying, Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is he?

Has not the scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David was? So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them wanted to seize him, but no one laid hands on him. The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to him, Why did you not bring him?

And the officers answered, Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we bow before you today, recognizing as you sent your Son into the world, Father, he brought about great division. Father, though he brought peace between you and those who would believe in him, yet he caused a division, a division between those who would not receive him and those who did.

Father, it is your word that sanctifies us. It's the person and work of Jesus Christ that has redeemed us, sanctified us, and set us apart for your work, for your glory. And so, Father, it's a joy and a privilege to be able to gather today. Father, we Would agree with the officers that failed to arrest your son.

Never has a man spoken the way this man has spoken. And we have believed, and that is why we are gathered here. And we gather for the purpose of confessing our sins to you, asking for forgiveness. We gather today for the purpose of worshiping you, expressing our thankfulness, our gratitude.

We gather to recognize one another and to serve one another and to be reminded of the needs of all the people in this room and all the people that are connected to this church, Father, that we would be a people, a kingdom of priests, serving you, serving each other for your glory and for your honor.

So what a privilege it is, Father. May you be pleased as we gather. May you bring about that in our hearts and lives and corporate life together, that which would please you most. So we are reliant upon your Spirit to come and to do this work, for it must be from you in order to glorify you.

And that is what we depend on and ask. And thank you in advance for the affirmative answer in Jesus' name. Amen. Good morning. Once again, good morning. Please turn in your Bibles to John chapter 21. I'm going to read to you verses 24 and 25. And as you're turning there, I want to speak to you today.

There are some of you here that are very blessed. If you are in Christ, you are very blessed. If you're in Christ, you are more secure than you ever imagined. You are more blessed than you could ever fathom. And as we walk through this text and message I have laid before us today, I want you to have a teachable heart.

Because it is John in his gospel, he answers one of the very basic questions of life. Who am I? Who am I? Who are you? And I want to suggest to you that you, if you are in Christ, you are secure, you are blessed. And if this truth that I'm about to communicate to you will take hold in your heart, if you will let it teach you, it will bid your anxious thoughts, your depression, your discontentment, and all of your anxieties.

And everything else away. There is a truth here that cleanses us from all of that. And so I encourage you this morning to have a teachable heart. John chapter 21, verse 24. This is the disciple who was testifying to these things and wrote these things. And we know that his testimony is true.

And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which, if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written. And one of my most memorable times at seminary was a Greek class that was called Gladiator Greek.

It was a large amount, it was basically a year of Greek in seven weeks, and it was very intense. And there was this guy that came from New Zealand and he brought his wife. It was the first time to be in seminary, and he wanted his wife to take the classes with him.

And the very first class, big mistake, was he put her into Gladiator Greek and expected her to do all of the homework. And it was, I think, probably the most academically challenging thing that I've ever went through in my years at school, and they've been many. But that was very challenging.

But what was funny was his wife's name was Barbie. And Barbie was one of the best Greek students in the whole class. And I remember grading her papers, and she just nailed it. And she was, no, number one, it was an all-men's seminary. And second, none of the men's wives would actually do the homework, which she did.

And the pastor, I mean, the professor was so impressed that he stopped calling this man by his name and started calling him the husband of Barbie. And so, for the rest of his career, and even to this day, he is referred to as the husband of Barbie. You see, sometimes when a person is accomplished, others who are in relationship with that person are known by their relationship with him.

Or her. In this case, I remember another instance where there was this professor, very well known, very well-respected. Until his daughter started winning the Olympic golds. And his name was Dr. Felix. And his daughter was named Allison. He was a professor there. And so it wasn't long when he was known as, guess what?

The father of Allison Felix. And that's how people knew him after that point. Well, I want to talk to you about the greatest figure in human history, and there's no doubt that that is Jesus Christ. Whether you are friend or foe, you recognize that he is the most significant individual in human history.

And if you study just a little bit of the New Testament, you understand that there is no disciple greater than that of John the Apostle. He was part of Christ's inner, inner circle. He's the one to whom Jesus gave charge of his mother. Take care of my mother, John.

It was John the Apostle that the Holy Spirit entrusted the final words of Scripture. As certainly there is no one greater of the apostles than John. And then when you put that into relationship with the greatest Figure in human history, you think about how significant John the Apostle is.

And we live in this world of name-droppers. We like to sometimes name, did you know the governor called me up the other day because he wanted to know my opinion on, you know, this? Let me tell you something. The president of the university wanted to call me into his, and I know we are good about name-droppers, name-dropping because we want to be associated with great names.

Well, in a world of titles that distinguish earthly superiors from its rank and file masses, you think about it, names and rank-and-file masses, where all of us are. How would you feel if heaven bestowed upon you the same designation as that of John the Apostle? Think about that.

The very same title that was given to John the Apostle, if heaven saw you and said, you are going to have this same title, wouldn't that make you feel significant? John is one of the most, if not other than Jesus himself, he's one of the most significant persons in human history.

And I want to submit to you that the title that we run across in John's gospel is the very same title that is given to every Christian who is truly in him. You know, one of the most peculiar details about John's gospel is the way he referred to himself.

He never referred to himself as John, he never called himself by his name. Remember last time, or recently, we looked at the unteachable disciple, Judas, and his heart went from bad to worse. We looked at his wedding to Satan in John 13, and the one who witnessed this satanic union was John, the apostle, the apostle, the apostle.

He made that apostle. We know that he was a teachable disciple, and his heart went from bad to good. Judas's heart went from bad to worse. And here's a teachable disciple whose heart goes from bad to good. You know how he referred to himself? Read about it in John 13:23, first time.

They're reclining on Jesus' bosom, one of the disciples whom Jesus loved. Literally, the title. That John gave himself under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit was: I am a disciple whom Jesus loves. A disciple whom Jesus is loving. That's how he refers to himself throughout his gospel. It's here we understand who we are and who you are if you are in Christ.

And if you will let this truth sink in, it will transform you as it did John. But this progression in John's identity took place over time, it just didn't happen overnight. You remember, he was initially called a son of thunder, a son of thunder. In Mark chapter 3, verse 17, Jesus gives them the name, James and John, brothers, the name Boanerges, which means sons of thunder.

That speaks of his, certainly of a fiery temperament. You see that in Luke 9:54, when James and John were ready to call down fire upon those who didn't welcome Jesus. But not only did they have a fiery temperament, or did John have a fiery temperament, he was also weighted down with many worldly ambitions.

And this is evident in Mark chapter 10, verse 13. 35, James and John come up to Jesus and say, We want you to do something for us. And Jesus says, Okay, what is it? What do you want? Grant that we may sit, both of us, one on your right and one on your left when you come in your glory.

This is John the Apostle, son of thunder, fiery temperament, worldly ambition. That characterizes a whole lot of people in this world, doesn't it? Fiery temperament, worldly ambition. But John went from being a son of thunder to a disciple whom Jesus loved. And he went and became completely satisfied.

This silenced his fiery temperament and rerouted his earthly pursuits, transformed him. He refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. Literal translation, if you can plumb the depths of it, you can say all of this, like he was a disciple whom Jesus was loving, was cherishing, a disciple whom Jesus holds in the highest esteem.

How would you like to see yourself as that? A disciple. Whom Jesus is treasuring. A disciple whom Jesus is delighting in greatly. That's gospel identity. That's what the gospel is telling us. And John's progression from going from a son of thunder to a disciple whom Jesus loved was the fact that he was taught by Jesus.

He received Jesus. He let Jesus' words sink in. He understood that Jesus was the highest. He understood that Jesus was the advocate, all-wise, good. He learned from Jesus. He learned who he was on that level. He also learned that he was actively and intensely being loved by Jesus.

And he found his identity in Christ's love. Lost His name. Just like a bride loses her name in the traditional wedding to her husband, wraps her identity up in his. So Jesus wrapped his, I mean, so John wrapped his whole identity up in this one thought, simply being one who is actively being loved by Jesus Christ.

He lost himself in Christ. This is a picture of one soul who is sad. You see, Judas saw Jesus as a means to a greater end, but Judas never gave up his worldly ambition. John, on the other hand, saw that the affections of Jesus as the greatest end in life.

To have the affections of Jesus is greater than all the success, all the accolades, and all the pursuits of this entire human existence. And you think about it, how wise of a treasure that is, the affections of Jesus. Because when all is said and done, we must stand before him, all of us.

All authority belongs to him, all resources belong to him. Your personal destiny and my personal destiny are in his hands. He has it all. All the marbles, everything. And the parameters of your well-being and my well-being are entirely up to him. How you will spend eternity is entirely up to him.

And so you see, this makes his loving affections towards me. And you are greatest treasure. Because this life's going to be over. We've figured that out. It goes over pretty quick. But then we're going to stand before the One who holds everything and our entire future. And yet, John discovered His kind intentions, His kind affections are toward all who believe in Him.

Not just John the Apostle, but for all who are in Him. If you are in Him, you are secure. You know why? Because you belong to Him. And let me tell you, He is King. He is Lord. He is more than just King. He is more than Lord.

He is a new paradigm for humanity. And if you are in Him, no one can touch you without going through Him. Because you belong to Him. So I'm looking around this room and I'm looking at some people that are incredibly blessed because no one can harm you, no one can touch you unless they get permission from Christ.

And He intensely loves His people. Let this truth. Transform you as it did John. And the beauty of the gospel is: this love is freely given, it cannot be earned. It isn't the result of a lifelong pursuit. Finally, I get the affections of Christ. No, the affections of Christ are necessary for the foundation of life for you to even begin to live life pleasing to him.

He must give it. And that's the good news of the gospel. This is what he came to give: the absolute over-the-top favor of God Almighty disposed to his people. You see, John knew he was loved by Jesus, and he knew he was loved by Jesus, even though he knew he was still a work in progress.

And so, John's whole identity of himself is tied up in being loved by Jesus. All other elements of his life are irrelevant. And so it is with you. Are you a disciple whom Jesus loves? Do you believe the gospel is a more basic question? Sometimes we think, yeah, okay, I know Jesus, the gospel is for other people.

I know he loves people, and we cerebralize that, but have you really taken that in to understand that this includes you? All other details about life are irrelevant to this one lofty title of being a disciple whom Jesus loves. Freely given in the gospel. And so, regardless of who we are or where you are at today, you can be a disciple whom Jesus loves.

And John wrote his whole gospel so that you would be. So I want to take our time this morning and look at how John came to see himself as a disciple loved by Jesus so that you will too. First of all, as we looked already, this gospel identity, John's gospel identity, in verse 24, it comes from a true witness.

This truth about gospel identity comes from a true witness. Verse 24, John 21, this is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. John wrote, true, it's truthful, reliable, dependable. His testimony is something that is free from error, something you can build your life upon.

It is true. What I'm saying to you about this gospel identity. And defining who you are, if you are in Christ, is comes from a true witness, trustworthy. And we, the whole apostolic community, know that his testimony is true. John took great pains to make sure that you had a true record of the events of Christ.

So listen and be taught by John the Apostle. So, second, John is not only a true witness, he's a very selective witness. Look at verse 25. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which, if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.

I don't think John's speaking in terms of hyperbole here. Jesus is the Creator God. John came to understand Him as Creator God, the one who has Lord over the seas, unlike the Greek pantheon, Poseidon, or others. He met the one who truly had authority over the seas. He understood the one who had authority over the abundance of the earth.

It was not the fertility gods of any of the Greek pantheon or any. The ancient pantheon of deities that have come and gone and still around. He understood him to be truly God, creator. And so, if all the things that Jesus had written down as creator, God, written in detail, yeah, I suppose that there wouldn't be a place to house.

But also, even if one were to write all that Jesus did during his ministry years on earth, the volumes would be staggering, and all the impacts that his words and teaching and all that it touched would be staggering. But one of the tremendous perplexities that I think must have been in John's mind when he was writing the gospel is what do you leave out?

I struggle with that one, just writing a sermon. What do you leave out? It's not so much what do I include, it's as much as I've got so much, as many of you know. That's why sometimes it's hard to get out of here as early as I would like, because I'm always taking great pains to leave out something.

And even after eight years in the writings of John, I feel like we have left so much out. But just think about John writing about the most significant individual in human history, God Himself, and writing. About and figuring out what to leave out. But it's what John does, and what I want to do with our time, remaining time, is I want you to see this big picture of John's gospel and how these truths transformed him from a son of thunder into a satisfied witness to Christ.

Instead of a man with worldly ambitions, fiery temperament, and worldly ambitions, I want you to see that the record we have of John's gospel comes from someone who's satisfied in him, a satisfied witness. He was a true witness, very selective in what he wrote, but one who is deeply satisfied in knowing Jesus Christ.

And through his gospel, he invites all of us into the same kind of relationship with Jesus Christ that he had. This was the good news: to be loved and to know you are loved by Jesus Christ and find your whole identity wrapped up in that. Well, John heard Jesus' invitation.

I read it earlier in John 7:37. Now, on the last day, The great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture said, from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.

So think about this. He who believes in me speaks of an inflow. From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. So there's an inflow and there's an outflow. The inflow is taking in the reality of Jesus Christ, taking in the reality of his life, his ministry, his promise, and the reality of his affections upon his people.

It's the most important thing about you. Are you really in Christ? That's the inflow. If you really take it in, what transformed this fisherman? What transformed John? It was this inflow of understanding who Christ was, his promises, his ministry, and his affections. And that outflow speaks of an outflow in John 7:30.

From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. When you take in this reality, who he is, who Jesus Christ is, and who you are, and the importance of your life to heaven and to him, all of a sudden this transformation. The very way that you look.

You don't have those earthly ambitions, or certainly not when you're taking in this truth. There is no more room because there isn't anything higher than heaven's affections to this degree. And so there is an outflow that comes. From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. Life will flow out, a quality of living that is in relationship with God Almighty.

Truly alive to God. That's what Jesus is. If anyone is thirsty, if any one of you wants this kind of life, you come to me and I will give it. Well, John took Jesus up on his invitation. First, he believed in the person of Jesus. Yes, this one truly is Lord of over, he's Lord, and all these other pantheon of deities are just make-believers.

He really is the one who controls the heavens, the earth, and he's even Lord over life, creator, redeemer, God in human flesh. So he came to understand that. And when you understand who is, he is currently seated at the right hand of the Father. He is coming again in glory.

And it's comforting. To know when the right person is in power or control over an entity, whether that be a business or whether that be a nation or the world. Same is true, it's just a matter of time before that influence from the top permeates the whole. And John came to understand who really is the one behind the scenes and the one who is Lord over all.

So John understood first who Jesus was, and it scared him. When he saw Jesus calm the seas, calm the waters, he's like, oh, who's this that I'm in the boat with? So he discovered who Jesus was, but then second, he came to understand just how much he was loved by Jesus.

And these are the two realities that you need to take in: who Jesus is and the reality of his incredible love for you. The magnificent one of heaven loves us to the profoundest level. Take that truth in. It will change your fiery temperament, it will change your worldly ambitions.

It will calm your anxieties. It will give you a contentment beyond understanding. But these are the truths that transformed John, and they will transform you if you will believe it. Think about what happens in the Gospel of John and how he grows in this identity, self-awareness, and can answer that question: Who am I?

Who am I? I am a disciple whom Jesus loves. I am a disciple whom Jesus cherishes. I am a disciple whom Jesus highly treasures. I am a disciple whom Jesus' attention is upon. How did he come to that? Well, think about the dark world that God stepped into.

He sent his Son. The first major theme in John is this idea of truth. Truth. Pilate's the one who asks the question: What is truth? What is truth? And Jesus gives that answer. And John 17:17, he says, Your word is truth. And the metaphor used for truth is light.

So you think about God coming into a dark world. What does he do? He speaks in. To it. He communicates the truth. And that light comes into the world. What is truth? Well, very simply, it's seeing things as the way they really are. Philosophically, truth is reality from God's perspective.

The problem is, many of us live in a world where we have a perspective on life. We believe lies, and we have a very different perspective on reality. But truth is reality from God's perspective, who He is. And truth, because of what it is, truth proceeds from the Father.

We cannot know God's perspective on things, on life, unless He tells us. And so that's what He does. He does it through the Inscripturated Word, He does it through the Incarnate Word. Your Word is truth. And in the Gospel of John, what truth does is it illumines, ah, that's the way it really is.

It draws people. Ah, I can understand. So truth has a drawing effect. Truth has an awakening effect. Aha, I see it and I desire it. Truth has a freeing. Purpose, a freeing effect. Ah, that's the way it is. Oh, that's how God see God is in control. Yet, God is merciful.

God is gracious. God has made a way for my sin to be justly taken care of. Ah, that's the way it is. And truth frees, but truth also sanctifies. All of this is evident in John's gospel. It's that truth that sets people apart. It's believing this truth. And this is what sanctifies all of humanity.

Do you really believe the truth of the gospel? This is what will separate you from those who don't. This is what separates humanity: those who believe the good news and those who do not. Because if you don't allow truth, if you don't believe truth, you will never be sanctified by the truth, and you'll live in your own reality or your perception of reality instead of God's definition of reality.

Another major theme in John's Gospel is belief, faith. Truth has come into the world. What are we to do? Believe in it. John 1:12 says this, but As many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in his name.

Those who believe. Those who take in that truth. God sends his truth into the world, his self-disclosure, revealing himself, his perspective on life, and everything that he speaks about. When you take that in, that is what you're to do. That is what God, that's what transforms. And the metaphors used for taking in truth in John's gospel.

Receiving. That's the idea. Receiving. As you would a gift, receiving, taking in. The idea of hearing. Metaphor is used to talk about belief and faith. What is it? It's hearing. It is taking in something through the ear. That's the metaphor. Seeing. It's taking something in through the eyes or eating and drinking, taking in something through the mouth.

It's a metaphor. Coming into the light. All of this is about what faith is. It's coming into the light. How do you come into the light? You receive the light. You drink it in. You see it. You hear it. And you receive it. You let it go in.

Your inner being, you don't just ascend to it in the mind, you take it in through the heart. Fidusha, there's a difference between a census and fiducia. Census is, oh, yeah, I can assent to that. Fidusha, I trust in that, I take that in deeply, and that's the kind of faith here.

You see, belief is the spiritual action of the soul taking in God's revealed truth. That's what faith is. He has spoken it, he has given it. Take it in. That's what faith does. You see, faith is not what one has. We often think of faith as a noun.

Faith isn't so much what one has, but what one does with the truth. That's what faith is. It's the action, what you are doing with the truth. Are you taking it in? Do you really believe that this title, being a disciple whom Jesus loved, same title given to John, is given to anybody who will come and put their faith and trust in Christ?

Do you believe you? I'm not asking you, do you believe that somebody else is loved like the Apostle John? I'm asking you, do you believe that heaven loves you with the same intensity? That's the question. Are you merely ascending or are you letting that? Truth comes in and define who you are.

John did, and that's why he wrote his gospel, and so that you and I would too. So, God sends his truth into the world, and there are those who will meet that truth by taking it in, who will receive that truth. And those that do, new life is born.

John 6:47, Jesus says, Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. Not the one, it doesn't say he who believes will have eternal life someday. It's a current possession. If you believe this truth now, you believe the gospel now, you already have eternal life.

You have crossed out of the realm of death and spiritual alienation from God, and you have entered into the realm of eternal life. You never will be separated from Him again. Eternal life is more than just a duration of days, it's about a quality of kind of living, eternal, that eternal kind of life that never dies, never is separated from God again.

Though we will still physically die, the scripture is very plain that those who believe have eternal life now. They're already in union with him. They are in Christ. That's why they are secure. John 10, 10, Jesus says, I came that they may have life and have it abundantly, even now in this world and the age to come.

John 17, 3, Jesus said, This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent. You see, those who receive the truth, they share God's perspective. And to share God's perspective, to see things as God sees them, is to know him.

To know God's perspective on things is to know God. And to know that perspective is to have life with him, to be in union with him, to have fellowship with him. That's the kind of life that he came to give. And how freeing it is when you see yourself as the way God sees you.

And I mean, look, if you are outside of Christ, the way he sees you is that you are condemned already in your sin. If you have to pay for your sins, you never will. Make it into his presence. But the good news of the gospel, he has made a way for your sin to be covered and dealt with because he loves you.

So there's a kind of living that comes from knowing God. And so the metaphor that John uses is that of a fruitful branch abiding in a vine and it produces fruit. That's what life is. It's about being connected to the fruitful vine of humanity, the new paradigm, the one that lives in union with God instead of one that has a fiery temperament and a worldly ambition, but one that seeks and treasures and delights in the affections that God freely gives His creation.

And they have life with Him. So those who receive the truth are connected to the source of truth, and therefore they experience the life-giving effects of that truth. Another major theme in John's gospel is peace. Notice there's a progression here. God comes into a darkened world. He speaks.

Those who receive that truth are transformed. They are given life. And then peace. It's word for. Shalom, but peace. Peace. He settles the soul. That's where it begins. Look at John 16:33. These things I have spoken to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage.

I have overcome the world. And so will his followers. And we'll look at that in another session. But notice he uses the word tribulation in John 16, 33. That speaks of that inner conflict, tribulation, inner conflict, inner anxiousness. Peace. These things I have spoken to you so that you will not have this inner conflict, anxiousness.

Speaks about an anxiousness that you think about anxiousness that may arise out of the past. You think about a soul that is anxious before the Lord. It could be over sins, past, past failures, past loss, soul that is anxious over things past, things future, fears. I think we have it, we dream up the worst-case scenarios.

I think we're pretty good at masters at that. I think looking ahead and just coming up with the worst-case scenarios, anxiousness. Or maybe even in the presence, we experience an anxiousness. Or an inner conflict, a restlessness of maybe our standing with God, or maybe being more significant, or whatever, conflict in the present with people and others or those around.

But peace, the peace he gives, speaks of an inner contentment. That's what he gives. Not longing for more. And this was John. And this understanding that he is the disciple whom Jesus loves puts him, puts his soul at peace, perfect peace. Listen to John 16, 27. For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came forth from the Father.

John 14, 27, peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives, do I give you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 6, 35, Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He who comes to be will not hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst.

This picture of peace speaks of soundness, completeness, wholeness. It's the idea of a calm after a storm. It's the idea of a stable mountain. It's also the idea of perfect fruit-bearing conditions. But then there's another truth. Those who take in the truth through faith, they have life. Their soul is put at perfect peace, and then they begin to love.

John 15, 13 says this: Greater love has no one than this, than one lay down his life for his friends. The idea, laying down your life is one of layaway. You get that idea of laying away a gift or something, layaway, putting away something, putting aside that you're putting aside your life for the well-being of your friends.

And that's what Jesus speaks about here. And then in John 13, 34, he says, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another even as I have loved you. Now that's love. How do you do that? Well, on a human level, that's sacrificial devotion to one another.

On the God level, that's sacrificial devotion to God's glory, not your own ambitions, because he is worthy. But really, who can love like this? Who can really love like Christ? Only those who know they are already loved like this. There's no way we can love like Christ unless you know that you are already loved like this.

You see, you've been freed to love, you've been supplied to love, you have been endowed to die to yourself in the service of others and obedience to God. That's the paradigm of humanity. Jesus is more than just a king. So worldly ambitions find no place in that paradigm.

It's all about pleasing Christ. And it begins with knowing we are pleasing to the Father through Christ and in Christ. So that's where we're to find our life. What are you to do? Gospel makes it very clear we are to find our life in laying aside our life.

That's our new paradigm for living. Finding our life in Putting aside. You see, you're not called to get, grab, stuff, and use people, but to give, to bless, to fill others, and to serve. That's what we're, that's the paradigm of living. And that's what love is about. One more theme element in John's gospel, and that is that concept of glory.

John 1:14, John writes, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. What was Jesus' glory? It was His ability to manifest the Father. That's what His glory was. That's what His glory is the idea of the tabernacle, the temple radiance.

You remember the tabernacle, the Shekinah glory? You could tell God's presence was there because of the Shekinah glory. Well, that's the metaphor for glory. But Jesus exhibited the glory of God. And so to behold Him, you were seeing, and this is what. John is saying that we looked at him, we looked upon him, we got to know him, we touched, we saw, and we know that he exhibited the glory of God.

He was the manifestation of God. In fact, in John chapter 2, 11, you remember when he had turned the water into wine, that miracle at Cana. It says, this was the beginning of his signs that Jesus did, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. And he goes throughout the gospel in life, manifesting his glory.

In other words, he was doing the things that only God can do. The only explicable reason for seeing what Christ could do was to say, this is God. What he is doing is something only God can do. And so he became this light, this window to the Father.

So to see him was to see the Father. And this is what John puts together. But then he makes this staggering statement in John 17, verse 22. As Jesus is praying, listen to what Jesus says to the Father. The glory which you have given me, I have. Given to them, think about that for a moment.

The glory, that ability to manifest, to do the things that only God can do, I have already given to them. Not I will give it to them. I have. Now, think about where the disciples are at this moment. They're about to be beaten, scattered, some deny, and yet here is Christ praying before the Father in John 17, saying, The glory which you gave me, I have given to them.

John 17, 22. You see, what is glory? Glory is the ability to manifest God. That's what it is. In John's gospel, glory is about the ability to manifest God. Now, we're not the Son of God. We're not going to be able to part waters and do all that kind of stuff.

But what can we do? We can do the things that God calls us to do, and in so doing, manifest God. And that's what glory. He has given his glory, his ability to manifest our heavenly Father through relationship with Jesus Christ and in obedience. To him and radiate God.

And then this gives him the reason for living. You see how God comes into a dark world, he speaks truth. Even your dark world, maybe you don't know him today, but this is what he did. He comes into the dark world and he speaks truth. And you're called to believe in that truth.

And those who do believe in that truth come alive to him. They're drawn, they're awakened, they're illumined, and they come alive to God. And then there is a soul peace, a soul put in a state of shalom, perfect peace. And out of that soul that is satisfied, then the ability to begin to love, lay down your life for the good of others emerges.

You see a progression here. And that's when a person then can truly live for the glory of God instead of their fiery temperaments and worldly pursuits. Now John has been transformed. He believed the truth. He took it in. This brought him to life. It set his soul at peace.

And then he began to give his life away. It freed him to give his life away and so put God on display, living for his glory instead of the worldly ambitions that. He had once, as a son of thunder, was so familiar with. That's how Christ called John out of the world and so transformed him.

So, who are you? Are you a disciple whom Jesus loved? John was written by a true witness. Things I have told to you today are true. The things that I told you were also selected because John selected him. And they were communicated from one who totally believes and has been transformed.

John was a satisfied witness. He went from a son of thunder, a hot-headed, driven man, interested in worldly pursuits, to a peaceful, satisfied soul who was driven by putting away his life for the good of others and for the glory of God. Now, can you imagine having the same title as John the Apostle?

If you believe the gospel, then you already have. Find your identity in Christ. Are you content in being a disciple whom Jesus loves? If you need more, you've got problems. Oh, yes, Lord, I know I'm loved by Christ, but I really would like a job. I really need that job.

Or I really need this person's approval. Or I really have to have this circumstance worked out. I know I have all of that stuff, but Lord, I'm ain't. Do you see what's happened? It's like you've given the highest in heaven, the highest degree, has loved you, and now you're saying, that's great, God, but I need just a little bit more.

Do you see the problem with that? You see, you haven't really, you've merely assented to the truth. If this truth doesn't transform you, so you can call me the husband of Nancy. But more importantly, I'd like for you to see me as a disciple whom Jesus loves. And that's how I'd like for you to see each other who are in Christ.

And if you are not, then ask him. Become a disciple whom Jesus loves. Become a follower of him and know that you are loved. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you. You for these truths and your word. May they transform us and shape us. May we leave here assured all of those who are in you, let us leave here assured today of the gospel message that we are people whom the highest in heaven loves, treasures, values, esteems, is mindful of.

Help us to live for your glory and not our ambitions. In Christ's name, amen.