Title: Remain
Series Title: The Way
Key Point: The life is in the abiding
Passage: John 1:35-43; 14:16-17, 25-27; 15:1-8
the Way- The first Christians were called “Followers of the Way” – Read the book of Acts.
To be an apprentice of Jesus is to arrange your life around being with him — not just believing things about him.
Three goals of apprenticeship
- Be with Jesus
- Become like Jesus
- Do what he did
Today: BE WITH JESUS - Everything starts with this.
Passage 1 · John 1:35–43
35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
37When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
39 “Come,”he replied, “and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.
40Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas”(which, when translated, is Peter).
43The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”
The original invitation: "Come and see"
Q - How does this work now? Jesus isn't physically here. We don't live in 1st-century Israel. So how do we "be with" Jesus?
A – Jesus gives the answer in John 14
Passage 2 · John 14:16–17, 25–27
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you.26But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Passage 3 · John 15:1–8
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.4Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.6If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
The Greek word menō (remain/abide/stay at home in) appears 12 times in this one short teaching in 15 verses.
Jesus is not subtle: get into God's presence and stay there.
So what does it mean REMAIN?
Abiding (menō) Remaining
Jesus' word — menō – "stay at home in me"
Jesus was offering Experience Over Explanation
KP - The life is in the abiding
"The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer. And in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees before the blessed sacrament."
— Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God
Remain, remain, remain
It’s not a lecture: You don't need more information to start.
It’s an apprenticeship: You just need to show up and stay.
Come and see and then … remain
Pray:
Closing Challenge(s):
Long Goal: Look at your life and begin to remove things that are keeping you from abiding.
This Week: Just abide – 5 minutes a day
