All right.
Well, praise the Lord.
Let's just bow our hearts in for a
moment.
Father, we thank you and praise you for
your Holy Spirit.
We thank you for the multiplied grace.
We thank you for the Lord Jesus, our
wonderful Savior.
We thank you, Lord, that you're able to.
Go into the very depths of our heart,
into the very depths of our being.
And search us, Lord.
And uncover.
All that motivates us, all that.
Energizes us.
The very intense and thoughts of our heart
are laid naked and bare and open before
you.
We thank you, Lord.
We ask you, Lord, to continue the process
of putting in our hearts a hunger for
you alone.
We come before you, Lord, as needy people
this morning.
That in you alone is our hope and
our help.
Free us, Lord, and heal us from self
-sufficiency and getting strong in ourselves.
And make us to see again, Lord, that
you are the source of our life.
The source of our strength.
Please, Lord, change our hearts today.
Make us like you.
Make us like you, Lord.
Thank you, Lord.
We'll become sweet, and that which is now
sweet will become bitter.
Brothers and sisters, oftentimes we
suppose that we know what's best for us.
We desire something, and the desire of the
thing brings a sweetness to us.
A sweetness to us.
And then there's a bitterness in our taste
toward the thing that we don't want.
And oftentimes the thing that we don't want
is what we need, and the thing that
we think we want that is nice and
sweet from a distance is what we don't
need.
And therefore the saying comes to pass over
and over again, that which is now bitter
will become sweet one day, and that which
is sweet will become bitter.
God is most glorified in us when we
are most satisfied with Him.
And brothers and simples, the simple truth of
God's Word is this, until, until it is
God alone who we are after, God alone,
until it's Him, then the thing that we're
setting our heart on that has a sweetness
to us will turn bitter.
It's going to turn bitter.
The only time we can truly enjoy the
sweetness of the things that God brings in
our life is after God Himself is the
thing, the one, the person that we're really
after.
It's the only time.
And so often we spend our days and
our dreams and our hopes and our expectations
on something far off, and it's got a
sweetness to us.
Oh, if I can only get that thing.
A job, money, a relationship, a change in
your circumstances.
Oh, if my circumstances only changed, I know
that this, I know that I could come
to taste that sweetness that is far off
now.
Brothers and sisters, guess what?
The bitterness you feel now and the sweetness
that you're dreaming about and hoping for and
stretching for is going to be reversed because
that's not what we need.
We don't need a change in our circumstances.
We don't need to get hold of the
thing that we're after.
We need God.
And the bitterness.
That we taste is God's way.
Of turning our hearts to him.
So that he becomes the sweet one that
we're after.
Ask yourself this question.
What is it that you are now dreaming
about?
That puts sweetness in your mouth, sweetness in
your heart.
What is that hope?
That expectation?
Oh, now you listen.
That will turn bitter if it's not, if
it's not more of him.
You will not find what you think you're
looking for.
Let's turn our Bibles to John.
As you're turning your Bibles to the book
of John, you may turn to John chapter
14.
There's a scripture as you're turning to John
chapter 15, 14 in the book of Job.
I'm going to read that scripture now.
It's in the last chapter of the book
of Job.
Job 42.
Now this is in, this is in a
time in Job's life.
When the sweet had turned bitter and the
bitter had turned sweet.
Okay?
This is a time in Job's life after
he came under the discipline, and chastening, and
scourging, and child training of the Lord.
To get proper perspective.
Watch what Job said here.
Job 42.
This is an introduction into where we've been
the last several weeks.
In the book of John chapter 13 and
14 through John chapter 17.
But listen to this.
Then Job answered the Lord and said, I
know, that word means an intimacy resulting in
true knowledge.
An intimacy resulting in true knowledge.
Job is saying after that which is sweet
turned bitter.
And that which is bitter turned sweet.
Job is saying after he realized that the
things that he was grasping for, that he
thought would bring sweetness, turned bitter.
And the thing that was bitter turned sweet.
After that happened.
After he realized that nothing mattered in his
life.
Nothing.
Not even one thing.
Nothing mattered.
But that he would know and love God.
And find supreme satisfaction and pleasure in God
alone.
In God alone.
After that transition took place in Job's life.
This is where God brought his soul.
Notice the words here.
Then Job said, I know that you can
do everything.
Now, this is a statement that you and
I would readily confess only if it relates
to somewhere out there.
In other words, I know God you can
do anything.
You could change the direction of a nation.
You can heal brother so and so from
cancer if you want to.
Oh, I know God can do anything.
But this is not what Job was talking
about in this confession here.
Because Job already had known that God could
do anything.
But this confession is talking about a work
in Job's life where he is saying this.
God, now I know.
What Job did is he drew a circle.
And he stood inside the circle.
And he said, now I know God.
You can do anything inside this circle.
To me.
That you won.
God, I've always acknowledged your sovereign rights in
the universe.
But because of your grace.
Because of your discipline.
And because of your dealing in my life.
I now by the grace of God carry
grace.
By the grace of God, I now acknowledge
that you have sovereign rights over me.
And that as the clay, I will not
arise and say, oh God, what are you
doing to me?
Do I as the clay have the right
to tell the potter how he's going to
fashion me?
This is the heart of Christianity, brothers and
sisters.
This is the heart of the Lord's dealing
in our life.
This is what God has been after from
the beginning.
A people in whom His sovereign rights were
welcomed.
I know thou canst do everything.
And that no thought can be withholden.
To hide or make unassessable by a fortress
of height.
That's what the word hide there means.
To withhold.
I know God now that you have sovereign
rights over my life.
And that you are the boss and I
am the servant.
You are the father, I am the son.
You are the leader, I am the follower.
I know now, Lord, the consequences of choosing
my own way.
I know now, Lord, the danger of deciding
apart from you.
I know the terror and the horror and
the shame that is brought upon your name.
When I decide that I am going to
act as an arbitrary being, as a sovereign
Lord myself.
And do my own thing without seeking your
counsel.
I know now, Lord, how foolish it is
for the creature to live a life independent
of the Creator.
And I know that no thought, all the
plans, all the schemes, all the designs.
All of the purposes of the human heart.
All of them gathered up together.
None of them, Lord, can be withholden, can
be hid from you.
Truly, Job came to see the truth.
In Hebrews chapter 4, verse number 12.
For the word of God is quick and
powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.
Piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul
and spirit and of the joints and marrow.
And is a discerner of the thoughts and
intents of the heart.
Neither is there any creature that is not
manifest in his sight.
But all things are naked and open unto
the eyes of him with whom we have
to do.
Brothers and sisters, God must do a work
in our life.
So that these truths are not mere doctrinal
confessions.
That we profess before brothers and sisters in
a public arena.
Or maybe in your homes.
But these truths must become wrought deep within
us.
So that they become governing factors in our
life.
They literally govern the way we act.
The way we walk.
The way we talk.
This is what the Lord is in the
process of doing in our lives.
This is the transition between John 13 and
John 14.
As we mentioned a few weeks ago.
Before we go there, let's just finish here.
Where is God leading us?
Verse 3.
Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge?
Therefore have I uttered that I understood not
things too wonderful to me.
Which I knew not.
Job is saying.
Oh God, I spoke foolishly.
I acted foolishly.
Especially during the heat of the trial.
Especially during the heat of the test.
We act foolishly.
We speak foolishly.
We do foolishly.
We plan foolishly.
Because our knee jerk reaction in the trial
is.
I want to get out of here.
I don't like the bitterness of what I
feel.
I want the sweetness of relief.
Not realizing that it's not the trial that
is the problem.
It's what the trial is revealing inside of
us.
That's the problem.
Verse 4.
Here I beseech thee and I will speak.
I will demand of thee and declare unto
me.
I have heard of thee.
By the hearing of the ear.
But now my eye sees you.
Wherefore.
I abhor myself.
And repent.
In dust.
And ashes.
A great transition is taking place in Job's
life now.
By the transforming power of the spirit of
God and the grace of God.
Job is acknowledging there was one time.
When he heard about God in his ear.
He heard about the Lord.
He learned doctrine.
He knew about the things of God.
But because of the deep dealings of God
in his life.
Because of the severity of what Job went
through.
And the grace that was given to him.
While in the midst of it.
Suddenly something began to happen.
And Job began to change on the inside.
See, Job's circumstance never changed until Job changed.
Your circumstance is not going to change until
you change.
And if you don't change.
The circumstance might change.
But you're going to end up in the
same situation again.
Until the change on the inside takes place
that the Lord is after.
Going to John chapter 14.
We saw in John chapter 13.
Simon Peter.
Verses 36 through 38.
Simon Peter.
A man loved of God.
Loved of Christ.
Chosen of Christ.
Called of Christ.
And even anointed of Christ.
Yet, he's making his boastful claims.
Though all men forsake you, I won't.
Here is a man.
Who worked closely with Christ.
Who learned Christ's words.
But was still full of who?
Himself.
He was full of himself.
He had confidence in himself.
He was relying on the strength of himself.
And Jesus predicted in verse 38.
That Peter's boastful claim.
That though all men forsake him, he wouldn't.
Would be proven to be untrue.
That he would in fact deny his Lord
three times.
And that brings us to verse number 1
in chapter 14.
Which we see Jesus was making a transition.
He was addressing the very problem that Peter
was experiencing.
The problem was Peter was preoccupied with himself.
And Jesus starts talking about the Father's house.
And the way to the Father's house.
In chapter 13 verses 36 and 38.
Peter was a man full of himself.
He was not full of the Holy Ghost.
Because he was a man full of the
Holy Ghost.
He was filled with his own opinions about
things.
Please listen carefully.
These are the characteristics of those who are
full of themselves.
And they very well could belong to the
Lord.
They could be God's children.
Peter was one of God's children.
He was chosen of the Lord.
But he was full of himself.
These are the characteristics of being full of
yourself.
A lifestyle revolving around you.
Your own desires.
And your own interests.
Secondly, we're filled with our own opinions about
everything.
A person who is full of themselves always
wants to tell you what their opinion is.
Well, my opinion.
Well, I think.
I, I, I, I, I, me, me, me,
me.
My, my, my.
Loved of God, Peter.
Chosen of Christ, Peter.
Great future in God, Peter.
But a man who was full of himself
and had to go through a severe trial.
A severe testing.
Not because he was rejected of God.
But because he was loved by God.
Loved so much God couldn't bear the thought
of letting Peter live the rest of his
life so full of Peter.
You see, God didn't call Peter to make
Peter known.
God didn't call Peter to make, to have
Peter give his opinions about everything.
God didn't call Peter in order for Peter
to make a name for himself.
God called Peter in order to bring Peter
to an end.
In order to shut his proud for mouth.
In order to transform him.
In order to beautify him with the beauty
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's why God called Peter.
That's why God calls you and me.
It's to beautify us with Christ.
God calls us to take the fight out
of us.
So that He could put in us the
submissive, loving heart of His Son.
It's all about Jesus being revealed through His
church.
Let me tell you something brothers and sisters.
God didn't call you so you can do
your own thing.
God didn't call you so you can disperse
into your world.
Whether it's your family.
Whether it's the body of Christ.
Whether it's the believers that you're connected to.
He didn't call you so you can walk
around like a peacock.
With your feathers out.
Going around telling everybody what you think and
your opinion.
When everyone touches you, they touch you.
They're not touching the Lord.
We need to be broken.
That outer self.
That outer man.
All that pride and arrogance.
All that self will.
It needs to be broken.
It needs to be crushed.
Remember what Paul said?
We have this treasure in earthen vessels.
The earthen vessel needs to be broken.
Hence, why we go through suffering.
Hence, why God lets us go through hard
times.
Hence, why God lets our plans fail.
But all the fight that we put up
when God wants to break our outer man.
All the fight.
All the resentment.
All the complaining.
All the bitterness.
All the things that come out.
Who are you revealing?
Listen, please, carefully.
Ask God to give you an honest heart.
Who are you revealing in your family?
In your relationships?
Who are people touching when they touch you?
A gossiping tongue?
A critical heart?
A judgmental spirit not based on truth?
An arrogant attitude?
Your way's always better, right?
You ever meet those kind of people?
Where if they were doing it, they'd do
it better.
Always, always, always, they got a better plan.
A better idea.
They can do it better.
Now, if I was this, I'd do it
better than them.
One of the griefs that my boss has,
Joe.
The owner of the landscaping company that I'm
working for.
Is that he can't find help that want
to be told what to do.
He can't find help.
Every time he finds someone, delegates to them
responsibility.
Then oversees what they're doing and offers correction.
Because, you know, it is his company.
And he's the one that's been doing it
for 17, 18 years.
He said they cop an attitude.
Like, who do you think you are trying
to tell me how to do this job?
I'm only your boss and the one that's
paying you.
That's all I am.
I guess I probably shouldn't be doing that,
huh?
They cop an attitude.
He said it's so frustrating.
He said and then he's got these workers
who don't outwardly cop an attitude.
But they do inwardly.
And for the next two weeks, they have
an attitude.
Their whole personality changes.
Oh, they don't outrightly say, you know, get
off my back.
But inwardly, they're stewing.
Have you copped an attitude?
Against the very thing that God is using
to try and break your outer man.
And try and break your pride and your
self-centered living.
So that you can have a sense of
submission and brokenness before God.
Have you copped an attitude?
It might be a circumstance.
It might be a person that God's put
in your life.
And you resent it.
You're planning a way out.
Be careful.
That way out has a sweetness to it,
right?
It's going to turn bitter.
Joe said, Phil, if only I can find
guys who will work hard.
And let me tell them how I want
it done.
And them come and say, okay, Joe, no
problem.
And I hear, I hear the Lord.
I hear the Lord in His word.
And He's saying, this is what I'm looking
for.
I'm looking for children.
I'm looking for sons and daughters.
Who in the heat of the trial, instead
of saying stupid things.
And acting foolishly.
In brokenness, they'll come to God and say,
alright God.
Have your way.
I'm the clay.
You're the potter.
Okay?
So being full of ourself.
Always wanting to gush out our feelings about
a given situation.
There's a place to be transparent.
There's a place to be honest.
But you can go overboard.
And when you go overboard, it's nothing but
a sign that you're full of self.
And you need to just get a grip.
And acknowledge that whatever it is that's irritating
you, is in the hands of God.
And it's been used to expose you for
who you are.
It's been used to show you your need
for more of Jesus and less of self.
It's during those times that we need to
go to the word and say, Jesus said,
if any man follow me, let him deny
himself.
Not give place to himself.
Let him die on the cross.
Not jump off the cross.
That's the time when we need to humble
ourself and say, Oh God, make your word
true in my life.
I've been found out.
This person, this circumstance has been used in
your hand.
And now I see, Lord, the depths of
how I am self-absorbed.
Rescue me, Lord.
When we are full of ourself, like Peter
was in John 13, verses 36 and 38,
we're critical, cynical, always complaining.
Never ever is there a sense of contentment
in our life.
Never a sense of contentment in our life.
These are all signs of being full of
self.
Always wanting to correct, but never wanting to
commend.
Full of self.
Jesus corrects us, but he commends.
Well done, thou good and faithful servants.
In Revelation 2 and 3, Jesus commends the
believers regarding things that were worthy of commendation.
Then he corrected and rebuked.
Yes, of course.
Are you so full of self that you
can't commend?
Do you always feel that you can do
a better job and are better qualified than
the other person?
The Bible says to prefer your brother over
yourself.
You're always better.
What's that mean?
Full of self, not the Holy Spirit.
Can you rejoice with others in their accomplishments?
We always want to critique and correct.
Are you a fault finder?
Always finding faults.
Always finding faults with everything.
Never acknowledging the good that a person does.
Do you want to know, listen carefully, listen.
Do you want to know if you've gotten
bitter towards someone?
You've got unforgiveness in your heart.
Every time you hear the person, see the
person, hear about what the person has done,
you're cynical.
Can't see any good.
Always have to indict it.
You're blinded, uncomfortable when you hear the person's
name.
Almost like what the disciples said when they
found out that Jesus was coming out of
Nazareth.
What'd they say?
Can anything good come out of Nazareth?
You're bitter towards someone?
That's what you say.
Can anything good come out of that person's
life?
That bitterness needs to get out or else
it'll be a poison that'll destroy you and
others.
You see?
That's being full of self.
Being full of self means that you're constantly
comparing yourself with other people.
Constantly comparing yourself with other people.
Now brothers and sisters, please, don't be discouraged.
Don't be despondent when the Word of God
comes forth and you are exposed.
This is not unto condemnation.
We're in the New Covenant.
This is unto life.
As God shows us our need and our
poverty and our depravity, Christ stands in our
midst saying, I am your righteousness.
I am your covering.
I am your life.
But we can only lay hold of the
fullness of God in measure to how we
see our own depravity.
We're not going to be desperate for God
until we see how desperate we are without
God.
And oftentimes, we get quite smug and quite
comfortable in our little religious world and we
lose touch with how desperate we really need
God.
And therefore, God takes His Word and helps
us to see.
Constantly comparing ourselves with other people.
Constantly comparing ourselves.
We're full of self.
Immature.
There's Peter.
What was he doing?
Lord, though all men forsake You, I won't.
He was checking John out and James.
I bet you John's going to forsake him.
I bet James is going to forsake him.
I won't, though.
I'm better than Norman.
I'm better than Brian.
Brian's got some problems, but I don't.
Come on.
I'm better than that brother.
I could do it better than Brian.
I could do it better than Norman.
What does that mean?
You're spiritual?
That the Holy Spirit's working in your life?
That you're an example for others to follow?
No.
It means you're full of self.
Religion, yes.
But self.
One thing about self is self is a
very religious individual.
You see?
How the Lord Jesus wants to do a
deep work in our life.
You say, well, what's the answer?
What's the answer to all this?
John chapter 14.
John chapter 15.
John chapter 16.
John chapter 17.
Jesus brings us into a world in those
chapters.
It's a world.
It's a world out of self.
It's a world where things don't revolve around
me.
Things don't revolve around...
I'm not the center of the universe.
When we go into John 14-17, the
Father becomes the center of the universe.
The Son becomes the pearl of great price.
The Father's house becomes the issue.
And it's the Holy Spirit, another Comforter, will
come.
Our attention is taken from us and our
strength to the power of the Holy Spirit
and what He'll do.
The answer is an emancipation from our self
into the world of God's Word, the world
of God's house.
Oh my goodness, where He is all in
all.
If I were in charge, I could do
a much better job.
I'm sure Mike gets that from time to
time in his business.
Everybody knows better.
If I were in charge, I could do
a better job.
Rather than, brother, can I walk beside you
and help you?
How can I serve?
How can I help?
Where's that today?
It's not there.
Why?
Too full of self.
See, because self can't come down.
Self has to go up.
See, self has to go up.
Self has to exalt itself.
Self has to be the chief hog or
forget it.
What about walking together?
What can I do to help?
When was the last time you said that
instead of criticize someone?
What does that mean?
You're full of self.
What does Jesus do?
He takes off His outer garment and He
wraps it around Himself.
And what does He do?
He washes His disciples' feet.
There's a lot more to that than everybody
taking their shoes off.
I'm not opposed to that.
If people want to do that, I'd just
rather wash my wife's feet though, no one
else's.
I think that can get a little weird
when you start choosing whose feet you're going
to wash.
I get a little uncomfortable with that, although
I'm not going to criticize people who want
to wash feet.
It's probably a very humbling experience.
But you know what Jesus is saying there?
What were the feet?
The feet were the part that what?
Got dirty.
Now when Peter said, no, you're not going
to wash my feet, listen carefully, the Spirit
of God is speaking, amen brothers and sisters?
Let's take the wax out.
I saw a program last night on Idaho
potatoes.
They're incredible.
That's where all the french fries from McDonald's
comes from.
And the process of making Idaho potatoes and
growing them, it's unbelievable.
It's a real, real system.
It's a real business.
But get the potatoes out of the ears.
Listen.
The feet were the part of the body
that got dirty.
Especially in the Old Testament.
They didn't wear shoes, they wore sandals, and
everything was dirty and filthy.
And the thing that you did when you
came into someone's house is what?
Somebody was appointed to be the servant, and
they would wash your feet.
They wouldn't stand at the door and say,
get out of here you filthy person.
No, what'd they do?
They washed their feet.
And when Jesus told Peter, now Peter, I've
got to wash your feet, and Peter said,
no, Lord, you can't wash my feet.
Peter, Jesus then said, Peter, if I don't
wash your feet, you have no part with
me.
And boy, Peter's tune changed, didn't it?
Oh, Lord.
Basically what he said was, Lord, then you
washed my whole body.
But what did Peter say?
What did Jesus say?
No, that's not necessary.
Oh, what truth.
No, Peter, relax.
Relax, I don't need to wash your whole
body.
You're clean.
You're totally clean, except what?
Your feet.
So when Jesus washed his disciples' feet, and
then he said, I have set an example,
follow.
You know what he was saying?
Come on, listen.
When you see dirt on your brother's feet,
wash them.
Don't condemn them.
We got a lot of dirt inspectors in
the church.
They go up and they can see the
dirt in your life.
But instead of taking off their garments of
importance and their garments of self-righteousness and
their garments of self and their garments of
I'm better than you, bless God, and putting
on the garment of Christ and washing the
feet in love and tenderness, the body of
Christ is being destroyed today because people aren't
washing one another's feet.
When was the last time you saw dirt
on your brother's feet and instead of criticizing
them to 25 people and ruining their reputation,
you prayed and said, Father, I thank you,
Lord, because my feet are 10 times dirtier
than my brother's.
And they smell worse than his.
Do you realize that?
Do you realize your feet are dirtier than
what you see?
Have you seen dirt on my feet?
Well, yours are dirtier.
When was the last time you prayed with
tears of compassion?
Lord, how can I not remember when the
last time was you saw it and you
went and told someone and you talked against
the brother and criticized him?
Oh, you were right.
You knew what you were saying.
Brothers and sisters, these are the things that
one day are going to be revealed.
One day are going to be revealed.
It's best that we pray, oh God, change
me now.
Change me now.
Work these things in me now.
You see?
So, the feet-washing service is a nice
thing, but the meaning of it is what
Jesus was after.
And that's what grossly and greatly lacks in
the body of Christ today.
Why?
We're too full of self.
There's no self that's going to bow down
and wash someone's feet unless they get something
out of it for themselves.
Well, I'll wash Brother so-and-so's feet
because he's rich.
And maybe he'll give me some of his
money.
Self will look Christian, but self always has
an impure motive behind its energy.
This is what Peter looked like.
What were they arguing about when they were
walking with Jesus?
Who was going to be what?
The what?
Who's going to be what?
The greatest.
They were arguing.
Who's going to be the greatest?
Full of self?
When we're full of the Holy Ghost, do
we really care who's the greatest?
We see the Great One.
When religion or self dressed in religion goes
about in the Christian life, this is what
it does.
It serves expecting to receive honor from people,
expecting to receive praise and esteem and recognition
from people.
This is what Peter was doing.
This is what James' mother wanted.
Jesus, could You arrange where my son sits
next to You?
I mean, when the press takes the picture,
can my son be there so they know
he's one of Your special ones?
You know why there's so many broken relationships
in the body of Christ?
Because 99% of the service among the
body of Christ is based on conditions.
I'll serve You.
If or but.
And when they fail to meet the expectation,
what happens?
I don't have any interest in You anymore.
That's not being full of the Holy Ghost,
brothers and sisters.
Expecting to gain an advantage by serving.
So these are a little bit of the
characteristics and qualities of being full of self.
What happens when God brings us through the
transition and we're not full of self anymore?
We're full of the Holy Spirit.
Our lives begin to change.
And the words, listen please, brothers and sisters,
the words of John 14-17 suddenly become
the focus of our attention.
Being full of the Holy Ghost.
We're filled with praise and thanksgiving in all
circumstances.
Philippians 4.
In everything give thanks, for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Number two, we live in divine peace and
contentment when we're full of the Holy Ghost.
We're not grasping.
Greed and covetousness is not motivating us.
We've learned the secret of contentment.
We've learned that in whatsoever state I find
myself, therein am I content.
For the Lord has said, I will never
leave thee nor forsake thee.
Therefore, the Lord is my helper.
The Lord is my sustainer.
I get my satisfaction from the Lord, not
from plenty or from lack.
The Lord becomes my all in all.
Number three, being full of the Holy Ghost.
We are not driven after things whether they're
material or spiritual or religious.
Material or religious.
We're after God alone.
Matthew 6.
Gentiles seek after things, Jesus said.
Gentiles seek after things.
But the kingdom of God and those in
the kingdom of God, what do sons and
daughters seek after?
God.
Seek first the kingdom of God.
And number four, we live a life poured
out for others.
Laying our life down for those that have
been united to our hearts by the Holy
Spirit.
You live a life of fullness through a
life of being emptied.
Fullness comes through being emptied.
But when we're full of self, we think
fullness comes by grasping and holding.
But fullness comes by emptying.
Being emptied.
Laying my life down for the sake of
the brothers.
For the sake of the Lord's interest.
And lastly, we spend our life looking for
His appearing.
Oh God, I need You, Lord.
Okay, brothers and sisters, there's a more complete
profile of what Peter looked like in John
13.
Verses 36 through 38.
As we continue at a later time, in
John chapter 14, 15 and 16, we're going
to discover the world that God is calling
us into is a world that revolves around
Father, His house, His word, the Holy Spirit,
His ministry, what He will do, the power
He gives to enable us to obey His
word, to see Jesus, then the consequences of
being united to Christ, the branch and the
vine.
We become one with Christ.
Our life is one with Him.
We die to our self.
It's no longer about us.
And then the consequences, the world will what?
Love us?
No, the world will hate us.
The world will reject us.
The world will think they're doing a favor
by trying to destroy us.
And then that brings us to John chapter
17.
The ultimate desire of the Lord Jesus Christ
for His body.
That we might be one.
And become the fullness of His dwelling place
through which the world can see the beauty
of Jesus Christ.
So as we close, I would just want
to ask this question, OK?
What have you seen today by God's word,
God's Holy Spirit?
What have you seen today about your own
heart, your own life?
Where are you at?
Do you find yourself very much alike with
Peter?
Do you find yourself in the midst of
a great trial where everything's being turned upside
down?
Wherever you are, I encourage you, build an
altar spiritually right now where you're at.
And call upon the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
And He'll meet you.
And minister to you.
Let's bow our hearts for a moment.
Father, in the stillness of this moment, we
pray that You'll give us the capacity to
hear what You have spoken to us.
Give us meekness and humility to receive it,
Lord.
Give us grace to be changed.
Change us, Lord.
Transform us by the power of the new
covenant.
Heal us, Lord, we pray.
Spend the next few minutes now in His
presence.
Let Him minister to us.
Feel free to pray one with another.
And beseech God to change our hearts.