“Jesus loved…” John 11:5- God loves us, you and me. It is true, and that is the Truth.

 And the truth is, to believe that truth, that God loves us, “... loves me”, is one of the most difficult truths to believe, receive and accept in all of scripture. But, He does, and, without our having done anything to deserve it. In fact, if anything, for the most part, we had (and have) acted in such a way as to NOT deserve it. And yet He does it, He loves us. So, we can see that there was, there is, nothing we could or can do to secure God’s love.

And we cry out “Give me something to do! You didn’t give me anything to execute!”

It is so hard to grasp, but that fact is, the “to do’s” of the Christian faith have nothing to do with being loved by God - God’s love works like this: He has “preferred” us - this IS the good news to the world: “that God so loved, or has preferred and chosen to love (agape), the world!” So, it is ours, through Jesus, to now receive that love, and once received, to abide, to rest, to be at peace in that love (agape) (AND being loved agapeo)!

● Agape - benevolence, good will, esteem, to prefer

● Agapeo - God’s loving expression, that action of agape - God to us, “I love”, wish well, take pleasure in, long for, (I choose to) esteem; then, us to God and others - having experienced that love and having that love in us by His Spirit, we love by…

○ Embracing God’s will - choosing His choices and obeying through His power

○ Actively doing what the Lord prefers, with Him - by HIs power and direction

○ Loving as defined by God - a discriminating affair involving choice and selection - us, you and me

John 14:15, 21-24; 15:1-17

STOP! WAIT! 

What if I fail? What if I struggle? What if I doubt, or don’t follow through, do not obey, or even disobey?!

REMEMBER: Jesus is in the business of keeping. So often we get caught up in fear of losing “what if…?” That is because we read such passages through the lens of our weakness, knowing well our propensity to fail, we are defeated by passages that jump out - placing them out of context emphasizing the wrong thing- and they sneer at us and seemingly mock us, as we are sure that “it is my responsibility to hold on to my salvation or else lose it…” Or, that my sin and failure is proof that I do not belong, or that God can’t possibly love me and therefore I am lost. (that’s not so - John 13:31-38; 1Cor 3:10-23) But, it is not so, Jesus wants us, won us, and is committed to keeping us til the end!

● Phil 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

● Heb 7:25 “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”

● 2Peter 2:9 “...if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials…”

● 1 John 2:1 “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”

The power of God’s love, expressed in His mercy and grace, is not only in the saving, but in the keeping! His patient waiting for and walking with us in our being slowly, step-by-step, transformation - or - being conformed into the image of Jesus. (Rom 2:4; 6:5; 8:28-30; Eph 2:8-10; 1John 3:1-2)

As obeying His commands doesn’t get us into God’s love, neither does disobeying get us out of God’s love, BUT!!...

!!...But maximizing our experiencing that love and the accompanying assurance - marked by peace and rest - in a deeper and deeper way, does take work, or, things we do, bearing the fruit of Jesus’ life in us, lived out by us

● With assurance comes

○ Peace and rest

○ Confidence

○ Desire to please the one who has loves us

○ Acting in loving obedience enabling us to

■ Grow in trust

■ Increase in faith

■ Grow in character - righteousness, or, Jesus in us, out through us, Him with us, by us

The work is then…

● To believe, and in believing… (John 6:29; 1John 3:23)

● To obey His commands - to submit, and in obeying…

○ John 14:15

■ Passively - we have been made good, therefore the goodness of Jesus’ life in us cannot help but leak out (Matt 25) because it is not

■ Actively - choosing to obey (Matt 25; Gal 5; 6)

● To persevere (Rom 5; Jam 1; 1Pet 1)

We will then bear fruit -

● the fruit of righteousness

● the character of Jesus

● Confident assurance or increased

○ faith and

○ hope and

○ love and knowledge of Him and His love

All of this is in Ephesians 3:21

2Peter 1:1-2 “Grace and peace in abundance” that’s what God wants for us, and, oddly enough, that’s what we crave!

● Knowing that God IS love

● God loves His creation

● God loves you/me

These things are true (gnosis). Period. And we can be assured of its being true.

It is another thing to experience that love, to know (epignosis) that love. And we can experience the love of God relationally - Spirit and Truth through the Spirit of Truth.

Both are important, necessary, impacting - each impacts and enhances the other (epignosis is the wooing and convincing of the heart; gnosis is the convincing and assuring of the mind)

The work of the kingdom is to believe…

● It does not take work to be loved by God.

● It does not take work to receive God’s love.

● It does not take work to be acceptable to God.

But…

● It does take work to believe (with confident assurance) in the Son of God.

● It does take work to know and experience the fullness of the love of God.

● It does take work to remain and sustain our consistently of that experiencing the fullness of the love of God.

So, we are loved by God, period. And our I love you back? Obey, to do the work, or by making every effort… to love.

Mary and Martha - with whom is it easier to identify with? Martha… why?

Mary’s is the harder work. to...

● Believe

● Linger, engage, and listen

● Rest, and this…

○ Eternally in believing and trusting faith in Jesus/ provision of life

○ Daily in believing and trusting faith in Jesus’ provision for life - effective and productive

Making every effort… Luke 13:24; Hebrews 4:11 - we say we “believe in Jesus”, but do we have faith enough to rest in Jesus? That is to truly trust that He finished the work the Father sent Him to do?

To work to believe - John - we daily enter His rest - in many regards to keep ourselves from thinking the “work” is ours - the work is in the believing and the resting. And by the way, this is not a new prayer: “I believe, but help me with my unbelief” Mark 9

To grow in faith – Colossians 2:6-10; Romans 5:1-11 - persevere

To pursue as hunting prey - 1Peter 3:11 - seek and pursue

Peace in abundance… 2Peter 1:5 - making every effort, every day, to experience the “rest” of Jesus –

God’s rest is where we

● Charge and recharge

● Recount and celebrate

● Look back and look forward

● Contemplate and dream

● Hear and are heard

● Breathe deep sighs of satisfaction and enjoyment, of wonder and amazement

● Rest, be at peace, in the knowledge and experience of being His, here now, with Him

None of this happens without - rest. And, without entering into God’s rest, there is not peace

“...and peace to those on whom His favor rests…” Luke 2:14

This, this rest, this peace, begins with God Himself - the person and nature of God. Why? If we were made in God’s image and likeness - we can trust that what is good for Him, is good for us.

God loves Himself (God; Us, and Ours) and He loves us, His neighbor, or others, as He loves Himself. We can trust that His commandments, His ways, His way of life is best and that we, having been intentionally and purposely made in His image and likeness, are designed to live that way - His way - work and rest. And resting takes faith - a growing faith. And, faith takes work and this is the work to rest in peace.

Therefore, there is work and there is rest, and in that rest, we find our peace. And that work, is the work of God, and work of God, His kingdom, and that work is to believe… as our belief is validated or affirmed our faith grows, our assurance deepens, and our peace increases - because we become more and more confident. And it is in that belief, our believing, more and more, that we rest and find our peace.

John 6:29 “Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."”

Hebrews 4:11

It is Jesus who establishes for us, peace with God through grace, by faith...

Hebrews 3:1 “ therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess… Christ (Jesus) is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are His house, if we hold on to the courage and the hope of which we boast. See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. but encourage one another daily, as long as it is today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first (Rev 2)

Having had this peace established, let us enter, daily in this rest, that our assurance would grow…

Hebrews 4:1-3a “..since the promise of entering God’s rest (still) stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we have also had the gospel preached to us (just as the Isrealites in the desert had - but the message they heard was of no value to them because those who heard did not combine it with faith)… Now we who believe enter that rest,..”

...making every effort to enter that rest now established…

Hebrews 4:9-11 “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God, for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following (the disobedient Isrealite’s) example

Heb 4 Great high priest

2Peter 1:1-11a

Finding Peace: Working to Enter Into God’s Rest

Genesis 1:26-31; 2:1-3 God’s image and likeness - God is a God of work and a God of rest, therefore, we are a people of work and we are a people of rest.

Luke 10:38-42 Mary and Martha - a heart distracted, a heart that has entered God’s place of rest, peace…

• Mary entered God’s rest

• Martha did not

We might ask ourselves “But, if entering into God's rest means to just sit and ‘do nothing’ how do we get anything get done?”.

I don’t think that’s the point - we need to understand that the key term here is not “work” but, “distracted”

Distracted from what?

Entering into God’s rest

• God is a God of rest. That time and place of rest was and is the place we attentively commune with Him - attentive, engaging, abiding.

God’s rest is where we

• Charge and recharge

• Recount and celebrate

• Look back and look forward

• Contemplate and dream

• Hear and are heard

• Breathe deep sighs of satisfaction and enjoyment, of wonder and amazement

• Rest, be at peace, in the knowledge and experience of being His, here now, with Him

None of this happens without - rest. And, without entering into God’s rest, there is no peace

“...and peace to those on whom His favor rests…” Luke 2:14

This, this rest, this peace, begins with God Himself - the person and nature of God. Why? If we were made in God’s image and likeness - we can trust that what is good for Him, is good for us.

God loves Himself (God; Us, and Ours) and He loves us, His neighbor, or others, as He loves Himself

• Matthew 22:34-40

• Eph 5

We can trust that His commandments, His ways, His way of life is best and that we, having been intentionally and purposely made in His image and likeness, are designed to live that way - His way - work and rest.

And resting takes faith - a growing faith. And, faith takes work and this is the work to rest in peace

Therefore, there is work and there is rest, and in that rest, we find our peace. And that work, is the work of God, and work of God, His kingdom, and that work is to believe… as our belief is validated or affirmed our faith grows, our assurance deepens, and our peace increases - because we become more and more confident. And it is in that belief, our believing, more and more, that we rest and find our peace.

John 6:29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

Hebrews 4:11

It is Jesus who establishes for us, peace with God through grace, by faith...

Hebrews 3:1 “ therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess… Christ (Jesus) is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are His house, if we hold on to the courage and the hope of which we boast. See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. but encourage one another daily, as long as it is today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first (Rev 2)

Having had this peace established, let us enter, daily in this rest, that our assurance would grow…

Hebrews 4:1-3a “..since the promise of entering God’s rest (still) stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we have also had the gospel preached to us (just as the Israelites in the desert had - but the message they heard was of no value to them because those who heard did not combine it with faith)… Now we who believe enter that rest,..”

...making every effort to enter that rest now established…

Hebrews 4:9-11 “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God, for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following (the disobedient Isrealite’s) example

2Peter 1:1-11a

Taken Violently, Though Given Graciously (Matt 11; Isa 40; Heb 1)

Let this not be misunderstood, the violence with which the kingdom is assailed is that of the “hungry” being “satisfied” (Matt 5:6).

Those starving for something more, thirsting for life and purpose, to be accepted by God, the Father, their Maker… These Galileans were not ignorant of the promises of God and the coming kingdom (though many of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law alluded to such). These folks had heard the prophecies, been taught the lessons, and looked and prayed for the Messiah to come just like any good Jew of the time.

They had been told though, whether explicitly or implicitly, by others or, having been treated as such, and perhaps even repeated these abuses in their own hearts and minds telling themselves that “God can’t possibly love ‘me’”, that the kingdom could not be inherited by the likes of them. They wanted to know God, to be recipients of the promise, they were hungering for the kingdom, they were thirsting for righteousness. There was a reason they went to John to hear him and be baptized (as cited by Jesus - Matt 11:7-8) and longed to know and be known by God.

Nathaniel is proof (John 1:43-50)… They had gotten glimpses, small tastes of God’s glorious intentions and had heard that AS paupers, they could never attain the kingdom and God’s love. (ironically - Matt 5:3)

Now hearing about, seeing and hearing, experiencing God’s love through Jesus these people… 

as Jews, as people (even gentiles), God’s promises were theirs, too. As Jesus spoke, to them, in their towns (not (yet) in Judea, Jerusalem, in the Temple, but in their towns and villages, their home) He was speaking to them, not at them; He was touching them, not shooing them; He, this Jesus, the Messiah(?!), was one of them, not lording over them… but, among them, being with them. This was outrageous, unimaginable, this could not be true…

“...from the John the Baptist until now…” The violent shaking of the hearts of these towns’ folks must have been incredible, astonishing, bewildering, undoing... So, this violent “taking” of the Kingdom is not an assault or a selfish grab, but an explosive release of everything penned up in the heart of the desperate and dying at their release from the bondage of fear and hopelessness of being lost, discarded, and now received, accepted, into the sure hope of the Kingdom’s King’s love and kindly welcome – by the very One that would release them.

In this Man, in this moment, in this place, among these people, the many heavenly metaphors are realized – in this coming of the Messiah:

 the kingdom initiated and inaugurated, the redeemed purchased, the adoption completed, the living temple built, the bride is born, the relationship is established (Groom and bride), the bride adorned… looking forward then to the Groom’s passionate embrace and the ushering in of the new earth, the new City, and the feast of celebration

All of this would be so in the hearts of those who heard and believed this, him, as trueand real, even if told it could not be theirs - but now, in this Jesus, IT IS! It is, by faith, their’s, and yes, ours!

Swinging wide open the doors of the kingdom…

This is not a ransacking of the Kingdom, but the long-awaited consummation of the invitation… and invitation accepted and received! (Matt 22:1-14)

The invitation is to all who would receive what God, in Christ Jesus, offers - Peace with God;

Forgiveness of sin; Eternal life - Jesus’ life now in them/us; Acceptance by their/our Father; Adoption as children; Co-heirs with Jesus, our savior, brother, King

OR - REST! Rest from our work, the work of trying… to prove, to earn, to be… acceptable

Isaiah 40 - and who is this God in whom we rest and are refreshed?

· 40:1-5 God’s loving compassion, comfort and care

· 40:6-26 God’s being able and, despite His utter grandeur, desire to love and bless mankind

· 40:27-31 God is able, willing and He is for us! “Wait in the Lord” - trust, stretch, then the tension of enduring, waiting, to be strong - endure, remain - to look eagerly - to collect and be collected, bound together, patiently tarry

Job 7:17 “What is man that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart upon him…”

Psalm 8:4 “...what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?”

Psalm 144:3 “O LORD, what is man, that You regard him, the son of man that You think of him?”

Jesus… the Father’s love, mercy, grace, and wonderful purpose – expressed by His Word, the Son - John 1; Hebrews 1

Peace established, in rhythms and seasons (Gen 1&2; Ecc 3)

Finding rest, for the soul… resting in the One in Whom we rest and from Whom we gain our strength - Matthew 11; Hebrews 4; Isaiah 40

Matthew 11 -

• Questioning in the waiting (John the Baptist in prison - Matt 4:12; 14:1-12; Mk 1:14; Luke 3:1-20)

• Violence in the taking - “We have heard it, we have seen it, this is what we want!”

• Turmoil and work, conflict and contempt in the living and learning (Isaiah 23) - “Oh, if you would only…”

• Rest for the soul - the encouragement of God’s gracious and kind, His loving, care

Isaiah 40 - and who is this God in whom we rest and are refreshed?

• God’s loving compassion, comfort, and care

• God’s being able and, despite His utter grandeur, desire to love and bless mankind

• “Wait in the Lord”

Job 7:17 “What is man that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart upon him…”

Psalm 8:4 “...what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?”

Psalm 144:3 “O LORD, what is man, that You regard him, the son of man that You think of him?”

Hebrews 4:12-16

Jesus calls us to rest in Him, ushered in by our Priest and King… (Heb 2:14-18)

Hebrews 4:8-13 - And what is its beginning, this entering God’s rest? Is it not Who (Jesus - the Word) and what He has spoken (scriptures - the words of the Word) to us as truth and that truth’s ability to give the heart assurance of its, now in Jesus, right place in and with Him - resting?

• Accomplishing God’s will (Isaiah 55:10-11; Matt 4:4; 24:35; Luke 4:4; Deut 8:3; 29:29; 2Peter 1:21)

• Establishing - salvation (Matt 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20; John 5:36-39; Eph 1:13; 2Tim 15)

• Instructing, reminding (admonishing), correcting (Psalm 119; 2Tim 3:16; James 1:22-25)

• Encouraging - strengthening (Rom 15:4; 2Tim 3:16)

• Affirming - peace and confidence (2Peter 1:5-11)

• Growing in wisdom - maturity, character, stature and equipping (Prov 1-4; 8; 2Tim 316-17)

2Tim 3:14-17 

“14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

He made us, He loves us, we are His children

God’s commitment to real relationships is so profound and I think sometimes is beyond our imagination. God’s words states that God has always been, is now, and will always be, and yet, in a moment in time, He, they, chose, to make a creature in His own image, in their own likeness. That creature, made to be like Him, was and is, the crown jewel God's glorious creation. That creature is man and woman - and was made to be the children of God, friend of His Son the King… and so He, the Son, would also, come as a child and dwell among us, and now, in us...

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love Ephesians 1:4

And knew what it would take to ensure that relationship…

Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." Genesis 1:26

And God invited man into relationship, not just creator/creation, but, governor and steward. To partner with God in the caring for all that was made, all that had life and breath - all there was…

God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Genesis 1:28

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day. Genesis 1:31

15The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 3:15-17

The trees in the garden were there to test our love, to see, did we love… and they chose, and we choose, there, who it is that they would love…

...and what is most astonishing is God's response to this, but he would how do I make a way, but that he is already planned the way...

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me… Hebrews 10:5

Before the beginning of time…

20He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 1Peter 1:20

..and He left His glory behind…

6Who, being in very nature a God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature b of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! … and came as a child, born of a virgin…

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isa 7:14

... and the creator, now, would become like the creation and make His dwelling, is Home, among them, with them, and, love them… and out of love, longing for real relationship, gave mankind, gave us the right to become - children of His Father, brothers and sisters of the King - co-heirs, with Him… (Heb 2:13; 1John 3:1,10; 5:2)

9The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:9-14

And there was nothing about Him that would attract us to Him… except His goodness, His mercy, His grace and His love… He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. Isaiah 53:2...and the relationship grows, and deepens, and furthers the reality of God’s desire to know and be known… I will be their God, and they will be my people and I will dwell with them giving them a Spirit light and life… and God would now, not merely dwell with mankind, but in mankind, making His home, not with them, but, in them…

14For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. f And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Rom 8:14-17

And to call us His friend… I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

And in all of this, we see the goodness of God, encapsulated in this body prepared before, that has nothing in its appearance to attract us to Him, but that of the twinkle in his eye that is His invitation to us, to His Grace, to love, to fellowship, invitation to us, to Him.

And it is ours to do the same. In 1Peter 3, Peter implores us to not allow our beauty to merely consist of our outward adornment, but that our beauty should be that of a quiet inner spirit, a twinkle in our eye that reflects the mercy and grace and love that we have experienced, that we know, and that we practice with one another, that now the world sees...

...that the world would not be attracted to us because of our outward adornment but that they’d be attracted to Him, through us, because they see His love expressed in His mercy and grace, and the transformation of our lives over time, as we learn to love as we have been loved, and no, bring that love in these broken attractive vessels oh, that beautifully accentuates the goodness and the beauty of our Lord and His life in us, that they made too, be attracted to him, who dwells not only among us, but in us.

Let us not weary in doing good - Gal 6

God is good… God does good… all good gifts come from God… God gives and then gives when we’ve given… (Matt 7:11; Luke 6:38; 11:13; James 1:17)

“...we do not have what we desire, because we do not ask, and even when we do ask we do not receive because our motives are wrong - we want to spend what we receive on our own pleasures…” (James 4:2-3)

We are capable of doing good because God has made us and because we were like Him - His image and likeness… and therefore, we can do good. But, we must see that doing good is not the aim, even being good, is not the aim.

When we say good, what do we mean?

● Good

● Intrinsically good

● Good throughout

● Because good is good it has little need to “be” good or “do” good because good is good and cannot help but be and do good - because (like God, who is good, and because He is good can do nothing but good, good, is just, good)

Being good is communing with Jesus, who is in us - as we are His and He is ours - we are His people...

And so...

...we who are in Jesus, are now, good… and good is what we are, and good is what we do, because we are good…

So what does it mean when what we do is not good, or the heart from which our attitude, speech and behavior come is not good? Or, in good stead?

Practicing good - is the confronting, the exposing, of our mind and heart to what is good - that is, truth - the Truth, Jesus. That He and we might work out together whatever is still in my soul - my mind and flesh - that which is not yet good, or been submitted to Him and His goodness, has not yet been infiltrated and influenced by Jesus’ Spirit (of truth - John 14:17; 15:26; Eph 5:18; 1John 5:6)

So let us do good…

Doing good, is the exercising of the good that is in me, that I am, that I might become the expression of the good He is and I am, together - being under the influence of the Holy Spirit as to bear the fruit of the Spirit, which is the righteousness, the goodness of Jesus.

● Jesus’ person

● Jesus’ ethic

● Jesus’ morals

● Jesus’ love

And all of this, in us by Him and His Spirit and the Spirit of the Father.

Galatians 5:22, 25 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law… Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Galatians 6:9-10 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Jesus, tired… (John 4:6)

Be present

Be aware

Be willing

Be able, by being prepared…

...in view of God’s mercy, in view God’s mercy - Jesus… (Rom 12:1; Heb 12:3)

Hebrews 12:3“Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart”

...be generous - giving without expecting anything in return…

But, giving what?

He took his disciples away… Tired from the journey… He sat down… We get tired. Jesus got tired. Which is a student do though, it was we are good doing good. There are times when our souls desperately need to be refreshed, and in the midst of the refreshing, we are interrupted, I need arises, we are made aware of someone’s point of need… And we rise to meet it.

We are best prepared for these moments when we have spent time with Jesus. When we have kept her eyes and view of him, and his mercy, and all that he’s offered us and Dunn and us and for us and will do through us. We must be in constant communion with him

Take a moment, and consider where we are. Are we fatigued or tired? Is the Christmas season already seem to tap at seven? We are at in essence the halfway point. We look back and feel like it’s been going on forever, we look forward and feel like it’s never going to end. And if we remain in this state, our internal talk will be something like this please just let it be done let it be over. It doesn’t have to be this way. Instead, we can take each day as it comes, And approach it with it on vigor. Present, willing, prepared and able, to meet the figures of the day for what it is and to meet the needs as they are presented. And in the meantime get glimpses of what’s to come as we accomplish each thing God has prepared in advance for us to do.

Let them see your good works | Matthew 5:16; John 15:1-17 Titus 2; 1Peter 2

Matthew 5:16 – as Jesus is formed in us and we have now become a part of Him – we are good…

“13“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

James 2:18 – the proof of this miraculous truth is our goodness and the fruit of that goodness…

“But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”

John 15:8 –and this is to God’s glory…

“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

1Peter 2:12 – this is not only an expression of God’s love, but we become a proof text to God and His goodness – as are not just doing good, but we are, good… and this, because of Him

“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone…

John 10:18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone.”

…It is the Father in me doing His work - Jesus wasn’t denying being God, neither was He saying (then) that He was not good. What Jesus was saying was “my Father and I, (and the Spirit) we are one, and the joy in what we do is that we to this - together - to love, honor, and glorify - bring joy, to the others”

John 6:57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of m

John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.

John 14:10-11 …The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

And so, it is with us…

“There is nothing good that it is me… but Jesus”; and “...It is not I who live, but Christ who lives in me…” so, what was Paul then saying? Really, the same thing Jesus was. He is not saying that we are now just hollowed out tubes in which just Jesus resides and therefore it is He and only He that is doing the work through us - what He is saying is that we, He and I, do this together. In other words, “I have cleansed you of your sin, I have filled you with my righteousness, my Self, and we do this together - Me and you, Us and you, with one another – so now, choose to join me in good and enter into my joy, peacefully!”

Romans 7:18, 24-25 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out…24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

So, as I am now in Christ and He is formed in me I can join Jesus in humbly and joyfully saying…

John 14:11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.

And just so we understand how committed to us, and goodness, and that goodness in us God is, and just how excited He is for us to partner with Him in (His) goodness - He has given us His Spirit and…

Galatians 5:22-2322But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

...the fruit of the Spirit is… goodness. As we walk with, yield to, position and posture ourselves to be influenced by the Spirit that it is us, we, in union and cooperation with the Spirit, now, more and more, bear the fruit of goodness, being and doing the good that we now are - Jesus in and through us

The joy of doing good, the peace in being good. Why joy and peace? Because we are doing what we were – Gen 1;2; Proverbs 4:18; 22:18; 24:14; Eph 2:8-10

● Originally intended to do

● With Whom we were intended to do it

Made in His image and likeness – Genesis 1 and 2

● God as One - who is intrinsically good, and all He did was good: “it is good” - Genesis 1:1-25

● God as community - mutual love, admiration, edification, glorification: “we are good, let us do good - to one another and to all we have made” – Genesis 1:26-28

● God to man - “have life and breath, work with me, reign with me - dominion - and you, as I/we, do this together” and this, is, “very good” – Genesis 1:28-31

From the beginning… God invites into the partnership of good - being good and doing good - and experience the peace and joy that comes from it

Genesis 1:26-31 “26Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, a and over all the creatures that move along the ground… 28God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground... 31God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning…”

Renewed in the attitude of the mind - word, prayer, fellowship of believers – what is good

Romans 12:2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Proverbs 2:199Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path.10For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

Maintained in the attitude of the mind - walk by the Spirit and think on these things (Gal 5)

Philippians 2:8-9 “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Practice of the renewed attitude of the mind - do to others what you would want done to you according to your need, purposefully according to their need…

Matthew 7:10-11 “11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

"Why do you call me good?" Mark 10:18

Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. Mark 10:18

Advent…

The Christmas season, for us, in our culture, begins with thanksgiving, literally, and, figuratively. And for what are we to be grateful? Good gifts, from a good and generous Father, who has bestowed upon His children, nay, all creation, a bountiful portion of His loving graces - and for this - we can, and ought to be, thankful.

Luke 11:13 “...If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

This attitude of thanksgiving, times perfectly to set our minds and hearts and spirits aright for the pinnacle of gifts, the gift from which all gifts come, the Gift before which all gifts bow - the Messiah.

This Gift is a gift of the gift Giver, prepared for in the hearts of mankind by all the gifts having been previously given which all point to this one Gift - it is why “grace”, an unmerited favor, or, gift, is how this Messiah is described, as grace is not merely the act of having been given life, but grace is Life Himself… …and all graces, good gifts, flow from Him… Jesus, from the Father, by the Spirit. The grace, the Gift OF God - Himself - to man.

John 1:14 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Eph 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith… it is the gift of God”

And this is to His delight, or, “good pleasure”. Will we be pleased?

Luke 12:32-33 “...“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been p you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give…”

Good pleasure: it seems good to one, is one's good pleasure; to think it good, choose, determine, decide;

...with the included idea of kindness accompanying the decision: to do willingly - to be ready to, wanting and (God was) pleased to give; to prefer, choose rather - we thought it good

The pleasure, as with all good things, is in the tasting, savoring the gifts, the Gift, but mostly, the Gift Giver, the Giver of gifts, and being like Him, to give. For He is good and gives good gifts and these good gifts are a reflection of His goodness.

John 2:1-11 - the wedding in Cana…

Six jars… the incompleteness, the imperfection of the Law, changed, transformed, fulfilled – the perfect fulfillment, by the wine of grace - the gift of God’s loving mercies and life – joyful and super-abundant, enough to spare and share; sufficient, and more than sufficient… inexhaustible. (Luke 1:78)

“To the Jews”, John was saying, “Jesus has come to turn the imperfections of the Law into the perfection of grace. To the Greeks he said: ‘Jesus has really come and truly to do the things you only dreamed the gods could do’”

“...whenever Jesus comes into a man’s life, there comes a new quality which is like turning water into wine.”

W. Barclay

Psalm 34:1-15 - Psalm 34:8 - taste, and see… the Lord is GOOD

Attentive… paying attention, giving attention to (Nehemiah 8:3 “listened attentively” or “the ears of all the people listened” so that they would hear AND understand. Or in our case today “the tongues of all the people tasted” and their palates savored and discerned.)

Taste - to examine by tasting; taste, small amount, almost like nibble, as to perceive or experience its quality or goodness

· And this by the senses. To taste goes beyond knowing of or about, but experiencing

· To taste means to try and linger over, to dwell upon, tasting as something with depth and complexity or richness with hints of its attributes

· In this context, God implores us to “taste, even a little bit”

· His goodness is revealed in the tasting, the “testing”, the exploring, the lingering

o You cannot taste without apprehension

o You cannot taste by gulping or swallowing whole

· This tasting develops in the taster a discerning palate teaching the taster what is actually “good”

Good - pleasant, agreeable, good; beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, fair, favor…

· Fine, glad, gracious, joyful, kindly, kindness, loving

· Pleasant - pleasing, pleasure, precious, prosper, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well-favored

That all of these statements of “good” have in it, under it and through, those principles that are above - that are good, as what makes good, good.

34:9 - of God, Himself - for He is good, kind

34:10 - lacks no good thing

34:13 - welfare, prosperity, happiness

34:15 - do good, moral good

the beast of the field, fed by God (in time, by instinct Job) cry out forlorn in hunger and when fed tears and gulps its food as mere nutrition, not so God’s children. He can use such an analogy because, though He made call creation for His enjoyment, He has made us not only for that, but also, that we would enjoy - Him.

34:13 - welfare, prosperity, happiness

34:15 - do good, moral good

Therefore … taste and see… that the Lord IS good and that...

James 1:17 all good and perfect gifts are from the good and perfect God...

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

John 2 having tasted the gift of the Giver of the Gift...

“...but you have saved the best for last…”

Lamentations 3:21-26 He is good…

“21Yet this I call to mind

and therefore I have hope:

22Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

23They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

24I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;

therefore I will wait for him.”

25The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,

to the one who seeks him;

26it is good to wait quietly

for the salvation of the Lord.

Joy of the Lord - His Purposes Accomplished

Conviction and salvation; conviction and purifying John 1:1-5,9-14; 3:16-21; Nehemiah 8:1-12 - to hear the truth of God's truth, His commands that assure us of His mercy and grace in forgiveness and salvation, love and keeping, purification and making - as with so much else, joy and experiencing joy, is a matter of perspective… God’s perspective, His eternal perspective. (Psalm 39; Isaiah 40; John 4:1-42; Luke 10:1-3, 16, - 20-21)

“The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” 1Tim 1:5

“… from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2Tim 3:16-17

Unearthing joy, mining for joy*, experiencing the joy of our salvation

“8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1Peter 1:8-9 “7Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.8Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.9Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 10Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.11Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:7-12

Joy is very often buried underneath everything this world has done to us, everything the effect of sin has done - as true joy is only found in the fulfillment of our true and real purpose - and this world, and our experiences in it, so often wars against knowing that purpose and experiencing that joy. Our purpose is only found as we discover why we were created - by whom, for whom, to whom we were created, and living that life’s joy that is in us by Spirit and Truth.

This purpose is discovered when we see God in the face of Christ, Jesus - and there, there is joy. Though the joy be there, it can sometimes feel fleeting…

Now, our experiencing that joy can be diminished by sin and its consequences - this does not mean our joy and its source are gone, but that we have often put ourselves in a position to have difficulty seeing and experiencing it - whether that be by the consequence of sin and the discipline that comes - as “no discipline is pleasant” (Heb 12:4-11) - but in the end it brings joy because when endured it produces “righteousness” which is, Christ-likeness.

Or by our perspective… Joy IS ever present and never removed - because it is the fruit of our salvation (Luke 10; 1Pet 3; Gal 5:22), yes, it is often blunted by sin and its consequences, BUT/AND ALSO, as well by the perspective our finite selves tend to have of our circumstances.

All of this is why “rejoice…” is commanded and exhorted all through the New Testament as it is - the writers of the scriptures, these letters of love, are imploring us to raise our eyes above the temporal to the eternal - knowing that that eternal perspective will shape the temporal, the now. And, vice-versa, that remaining in a temporal perspective will skew our understanding of God’s intentions and rob us of that eternal, God's perspective - the truth of what ACTUALLY is.

We’ve been created to know God, to be known by God, to enjoy God, and be enjoyed by Him (Jer 24:7; 30:22; 32:38-39; Ez 11:20; Rev 21:1-7,22-25; 22:1-5,14,17)

Therefore, joy is found in and through our sufferings, as our suffering is the mining for joy.

God knows, in order for us to truly be the expression of His glory, that which He intends us to be -the truth of who we are in Christ, we, what have been made to be, must be extracted from the lies that sin has made us. As by the truth of who and whose we are is revealed and made known, the lies are being removed and make way for the truth of who we are to emerge and be revealed. As this truth is made known we see the image of what we were by God’s first intention, having been “made in His image and likeness”*, and now are becoming in Jesus**, what we are being created to be emerges, and as it is revealed joy begins to rise - because when we are discovering who we really are in Christ, which is our purpose, we see we are becoming all that we were meant to be – like Jesus! (Rom 8:29; 1Cor 15:49; 2Cor 3:18; Phi 3:21; Col 3:10; 1Peter 1:3-9; 1John 3:2).

* ” …Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…” Gen 1:26 ** “…For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Eph 2:10

The words of God are the tools of God’s mining and purifying in the hands of the Spirit.

As we were exposed to the truths embedded in His word, all of the impediments, the adulterations, the dirt, and dross, are exposed and brought to the fore (“light” John 1:1--5; 3:21). As the process of refining commences, the truth and the Spirit work together to strip away what does not belong causing the face of the miner, the refiner, to emerge in the pure gold, the pure silver, that we were meant to be - the image of the creator begins to take shape and form. (Psalm 66:10; 1Peter 1:3-9)

Psalm 66:10 “You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver.”

NLT 1Peter 1:7 “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

God is most interested in bringing each, and all, of His children, to glory - into Him, for Him, with Him, in Him and to Him - and this, in the way that will do just that for (each of) them, as they have been made, and are known by Him. (John 17:22; Rom 8:28-30; Heb 2:10; 2Cor 3:18; Phil 3:21; 2Thes 2:14; Psalm 139; 1Cor 12) “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.18And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate a the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

Romans 5:1-5

Hebrews 12:4-13