Jesus Unfiltered - Week 5 - St. Peter - Pastor Tim Glende
Jesus Unfiltered
Week 5 - St Peter
Pastor Tim Glende
Okay, welcome to Jesus unfiltered week number five, If you haven't been here through weeks, one through four, we've unpacked three of these. Jesus different I am statement sections of scripture for different. I am statements that he made unfiltered truths, from being the bread of life to be in the light of the world to being the Good Shepherd, the ultimate Shepherd and him being the gate. And over the next few weeks are going to actually turn to Jesus last night before he died and two final. I am statements that he made, which is the sitting in stage that I want you to put yourself in.
Like, literally Jesus less than 24 hours before he breathed his last as the opportunity of a lifetime to speak to the people, perhaps closer to him than anyone else.
Maybe a few others were uncertain, but these are the people that Jesus hung with ruled, with spent time with invested in and loved. And he knew what was about to happen and he knew ultimately where he was going and he knew he wouldn't be with them much longer.
So that was you. What would you say? Like, literally if you knew that in 12-18 hours from right now, this moment you are going to breathe your last. You're going to no longer live
And you're surrounded by the people that you love or maybe you aren't and you reach out to them. Who would it be? And what would you say?
Like what words would you choose? What things would you focus in on in your conversations?
My guess is you probably wouldn't be as unfiltered as Jesus, Moses. Like if it was me and I wanted to spend some time in those last few moments, sharing word, Sharing encouragement to my wife. For my kids, I'm guessing it probably wouldn't go unfiltered and go back to how bad my kids were at certain points in their life and how they may be. The car way too many times, or how they disobeyed me over and over again. I probably would be unfiltered, even though it be true, right? Horrible kids. How could you've done all those things to me all those many years ago?
Probably went on the same with my wife. If I had a final few moments of words and things I could share with her, I don't think I could go there. It's all the areas where, maybe I thought she missed the mark, and she wasn't such a perfect wife and perfect mom. Well, she's pretty high up there on the list. I know she might be watching a day so I'm on it. I probably would choose those words with great intent and my guard, some of that, right? I definitely know. One thing I would do, I want to impart something, share something with them, to encourage them in the relationship with God. Like I'm no longer going to be here and I want you to be there.
And that's what Jesus literally chose to do with some of his final words. And that's why I want you to see today. And then next week as we unpack these final two, I am statements of Jesus I want you to know their context and their setting.
Like last ones we're going to do the other one next week. Jesus literally with his disciples with those closest to him. He's no longer with the crowd like all the other I am statements so far have been addressed with the in a public setting with Pharisees religious leaders other people. But not these ones, these were spoken directly to believers to followers to his disciples, the ones who are going to lead the church going forward.
Jesus words are some of the most important. Perhaps, in powerful words, those men would have ever heard because their lives are about to be forever changed.
And so as we hear them, as we listen to them, I pray that you take them to heart, like the things Jesus spoke to them. We're not just meant for them, but for you, and for me,
In John chapter 15 is one of those sections of scripture that Jesus definitely is unfiltered. But for good reason, So let's dig into it. Let's unpack it. And in order for you to see it in context, I want to read all the verses for you at once verses 1 through 9. And as I'm reading, I want you to notice two things about this I am statement his last 11 spoken on Maundy Thursday I want you to look for. I keep on the main message, the thing, Jesus trying to hammer home. Like you know when someone says the same thing over and over and over, and over times to like, eight times are going. Again it must be important. What does Jesus want his disciples, want you and me still today, to remember, cling to and hold on to
I just look for what is that word? What is that? That main message of Jesus. But what's different about this one than the other ones that you've heard so far. So those two things in mind. Let's listen to Jesus. Unfiltered Jesus said, I am the True Vine and my father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me, that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes. So it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the Word I have spoken to you. Remain 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? 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. If 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. If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
Ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. This is to my Father's glory that you bear much fruit showing yourselves to be my disciples as the father has loved me. So have I loved you? Now. Remain in my love.
Like, if I put this in front of you, on the bullets and you could see all the words I'm guessing you would catch it. Just like, when we read it, I tried to emphasize it. I mean, Jesus unfiltered the night before he died, you know, it was talking to men who've heard him talk over and over and over again, and yet eight times in the English and Five times in the Greek but the understanding is it was translated accordingly up on the screen. Jesus hammers home this keyword this key truth remained Remain. Remain in me remain. Just like I remain in you Jesus, the True Vine. Can't be taken away, won't disappear, but with her because that's what the Divine, the true one is all about Jesus calls. You and me tells us to remain just as he promises. He'll do the same in time remain.
Through the Greek word, meno, remain, means to abide to stay to be in a place. Like some of you who are a little older, maybe had a grandparent or you've heard the phrase, the old English phrase are happy abode. Like the place where you live is your implode, that's literally what the word meno means to make your Dwelling Place. Jesus literally look at his disciples in the eyes and he knows that they're going to go from City to city. They're not going to stay in Jerusalem. They're going to go into all the world. He's not telling them to remain in Jerusalem. He's not telling them to go and remain in Rome. He's literally telling them, telling them to remain in him a person.
As the vine he says, I need you & want you? I'm calling you out to do just that, abide. Stay being placed right here. Reside in me.
That's really unfiltered truth. Number one, just wants to leave. No question about it. It's really a Maundy Thursday non-negotiable for the disciples and for you. And me remaining is a must Remaining is a must.
I want you to have that in mind. I want you to see that as we're going to pack that in just a little bit. That Jesus hammered it time and time again, came back to it. Multiple times in this section. It's a non-negotiable, it's needed. It's a must and along side of that. The other question I asked you was what's different about this one than the other ones. Jesus said, I am the bread of life and you are the yeast. Nope. Did say that like there's no you, in the bread of life conversation, it's just him. When Jesus says, I am the light of the world, he doesn't say, and you are my moons. Nope. Doesn't go there. And when Jesus says, I am the gate, he doesn't say you're the grease. That makes the hinge work a little bit better. No, there's no you in any of those others. It's all high. It's all Jesus. But if you caught it in this one, it's very This statement is not just an eye thing, but it also is a you thing.
Which is an important thing.
And when you hear me say that, I want to make sure that you understand what I'm saying and what I'm not saying, I'm Not equating Jesus. And the True Vine and you are the branches and as equal. Okay, like one definitely matters. Way more than the other one is definitely far more important than the other and the eye is far more important than the, you got it. Good. I think we all can accept that and what that means, as we unpack this for just a second, I'm going to say something because I Think Jesus is saying it, there's an eye, and a you, there's a part of the youth that is required to do. But here's what I'm not saying about that, You have nothing to do with being connected to the Vine. God, did that? That's the Holy Spirit, who did that? Like Point number one, understand that.
Like the fact that you are a branch is all God's doing power. The Holy Spirit may be in the waters of baptism, maybe through the word of God, shared with you by someone else. That's all God. No, you second thing as the branch. You might produce some amazing, beautiful fruit, you get no credit for that. God gets all the credit for that too. Like as great as you are and as loving, as you are to your spouse or as kind as you are to your neighbor, as you first, as you've been living over the last several months, in your relationships. God pause that Holy Spirit. Did that the fruit that you produce? You might want to pat yourself on the back, but God gets the glory for that. They said those things understand this, when it comes to remaining, there is a part that involves you God has called us to Faith. God has brought us to Faith. God is the one who strengthens our faith, and God is the one who produces fruits of faith and that you and I have a choice.
That is a part of remaining.
And that's why I Think Jesus hammered this home and wanted you an I to know that it's a must Why it's a must and how we do it. But I want you to hear in Jesus’ words as we go on. And here's why number one to it being a must remember. Jesus said you can't do this without me. I kind of emphasized that John 15 verse 4. Outside of being connected to Jesus. You cannot bear any fruit. It's essential. It's a must, it's not negotiable. If we do as we do he will do what he promises. He does. Like that can't change, which I think is why we have to go to this place first about why remaining is a must We're filming your blanks. Here it is. I'll just give it to you. Straight forward remaining is hard.
Remaining is hard.
I think Jesus went there on this night because he knew where Judas was on his way to His disciples. At some point in the vine. And at some point he stopped remaining.
Like the words of Jesus got Trump by the thoughts of his brain and the greed of his heart. And instead of remaining he chose a different path.
And I have to have. At least, I believe I have reason to think that as Jesus saying this to the eleven and Judas was no longer there that he had Judas on his mind.
See, you've done everything and anything to reinforce the truth of who he was and what he came to do and how he wanted it for all but Judas. Chose a different Road and didn't remain.
See, Jesus knows it's hard and that not everyone will do it. He knows that temptation will cause some people to succumb and sadly when they do, they'll kill. Despair and run in the wrong direction. He doesn't want that for you. Like none of us can remain perfectly. So when we fall, he just wants us to understand and know the truth of God's word and be more like Peter. Who no doubt, Jesus also had on his mind that night.
Like Peter, the one who had said, “Never do it, I'll never betray you. I'll never deny you and then did. Because instead of remaining in Jesus and rely on his strength, he relied on Peter, The Rock and his strength and pride and fell.
Remaining is hard because temptation is real, remaining is hard and Jesus knew that was in the future of the disciples. The persecution they would face.
Like, would you remain? If the Romans arrested you, put you in jail. Would you remain bold and proud to declare the name of Jesus or would you cower and recant. For meaning is hard in a world where persecution is real, where Christian faith is challenged. Where we sometimes choose the crowd versus the cross. For me it is hard.
Even as a Christian who knows God's Word. Here's God's Word and follows through with God's Word because you know what God does is you hear his word and you follow through on his word and you come back to his word. He slowly but surely through his Word and his commands and the things he calls you to do. He does the tough work of cutting away the imperfections.
So it is also really hard about remaining, like God says it. Remember Jesus' own words. I'm the True Vine and my father is the gardener. He cuts off the branches that bear no fruit, but branches that do bear fruit, Christian ones, who remain. He prunes. Like I don't think any of you would prune your rose bushes or trees or the other things that you work on in your garden. If every time you did the bushes, the trees and the branches yelled in pain.
It hurts. It's done for a reasonable. If you cut away the bad, something have to cut away. The thing that's over growing and too much for the rest of it to handle, so that it can produce more fruit. Better fruit. Like, those of you are real gardeners, don't let me touch a single thing in your garden because I will not just prune. I will be whack it all the way because I want nothing growing. Just getting those. You got really good at you, prune it like the rose bush that you prune and you planted, it comes back and comes back and comes back and comes back. And it's like a beautiful masterpiece. Now, I want you to be a beautiful Masterpiece, but it doesn't come without pain. Like his pruning is cleansing the things that he works on you through his word are hard like sacrificing self like putting others first like submitting to God's word saying no to the crowd carrying across. Like those things are not easy, they're hard and, my friends, Jesus unfiltered, Jesus knew that. And yet he knew in the midst of even saying that, That this next truth was real and valid.
This hard and remaining is a must .
Because he understood that remaining matters. Why? If you catch it, the back and forth with all the remaining that Jesus said, with all the fruit that Jesus talked about, For that you don't much like to hear is about the fire.
Like Jesus said, remaining matters because for you and for me, it's either fruit now and for eternity or fired.
Like if you're not remaining in the vine, if you are not connected to Jesus, When you breathed your last breath, if you are disconnected. Like like Judas. What God does at the End of Time, cut you off, throws you into the fire. If you're not remaining in Jesus for eternity, you will not be connected to Jesus.
Like Jesus understood the night before he died. His disciples needed to understand that remaining matters. It's a matter of life and death spiritually, eternally fruit, or fire.
I think is the crazy tension and struggle. That most of you are here because some of you are new, be Christians and you're probably going. Oh my goodness. This is scary. But if you've been a Christian for all, you know, this But I think I'm going to challenge you to think what Jesus had on his heart.
Was that the on-again off-again faith that so many people have? Is so deadly and dangerous.
Like to believe that you can remain at certain times, but take your Jesus hat off at other times where it could lead. I think part of Judas,
Felt like that. And look where it got on.
Maybe in your life of Faith right now. You think you're remaining, but you're not. The cute is on the outside. The disciples didn't see it, right? They said, oh, he's going off to buy some groceries and Jesus knew? No, he is going off to the sell his soul. Like Judas. Look good on the outside, like a healthy Branch. But on the inside, he was dead and withering.
I can maybe just maybe. You're putting on a good show right now and you're not remaining.
Like, you showed up today because Your wife made you or your kids asked you. Or you know, Pastor Jim's going to be sending a text message if you don't check in and show up because we care about you. I want you to wrestle long and hard, Jesus unfiltered in the faces of his disciples made the bold declaration, it matters because it's a matter of life and death for you. Like this is not Pastor, Tim making this up to scare you. This is Jesus being on filtering on us. Remember, again, he said, if you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that's thrown away and withers, such branches, are picked up and thrown into the fire and burned. Okay, you people in Wisconsin, love to cut back your trees and like to cut some of them down and stockpile them in a big burn pile. And go have a party around it that we call those things. Fun in Wisconsin. That's not fun.
And Jesus Takes your eternity, very seriously.
Remain in me.
So are you remaining? Maybe right now you're struggling, and you're saying I'm on again, off again sometimes Pastor Tim. I am to you. That's the beautiful thing about the True Vine, and the gardener I just like Peter when when he fell in failed, he he didn't run into stare but he ran back because he knew what the true vine spiritually promises to give his nourishment forgiveness for sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. The word prune literally means to cleanse because of Jesus, the True Vine because we're connected to him. We get the life-giving forgiveness and cleansing that only he can offer go forward, knowing that you are forgiven that you are loved by God. The fruity Longstreet.
Peace and hope in eternal life, because He offers that and alone can give that remaining matters because it's a matter of life and death of Jesus. The True Vine is the life Giver. Which is why I want to remember this last remaining from Jesus perspective is so worth it. But he said these words, he reminds of these words that wherever whatever no matter what comes up, a Believer who remains in him. Here's the how do these final words? No, go back to the passage of, there you go. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you you want to know how to remain. Be a person? A Believer, a follower who's in the word be in the means of Grace, celebrate, your baptism every day. Later today in a few minutes, receive the Lord's supper with with great joy. Because you know what? You're actually being connected to the living true, buying of Jesus is very body and blood for the Forgiveness of your sins like remaining. It is so worth it because of what we get and what he gives and all that. It means not just right here right now but for eternity remain in me and my words remain in you when you do that, no matter where
No matter what's going on, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you because a Believer who's remaining in Jesus, who's digging into His promises, who knows his teaching will have request that line up with the word of God and you know what, she's us. Will when you make requests that line up with his word for more, Hope For Peace for wisdom more, joy, he'll do it, he'll bring it. He will never fail. The True, Vine will give you the nourishment, you need. This is to my father's Glory. It's so worth every meaning because you know what happens when we remain when fruit is produced, God gets praised by others to Jesus. They ask questions like to God be the glory. It shows us to be his disciples and the greatest of all is the last one is the father has Loved Me. Jesus knew the love of the father. Do you said I love you. And because the father loves me and I love you,
The amazing love of God. The love of the father. Had that sent the love of Jesus. That went the love of the Holy Spirit. Who brought you to know the amazing love of God. And when you read 1st Corinthians 13, it's not just about marriage, it is about relationships. And that says these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest is love. You know why the greatest is love because when it comes to God, his love, never fails. It won't fail. Now it won't fail tomorrow and it won't fail. Eternity, it will bring you home. Remaining, my friends, is so, so worth it. Which is why, when I give you this action step. Jesus the night before he died used his last words. I think in a way that I would want to use mine, Least, I hope I would .
Like if I knew I was going to die tomorrow, I think the things I would want to say to my wife and my kids and my grandkids, Would be. Remain in Jesus. I know where I'm going and And I want you to be there too.
He's the only way that that can happen.
For me and him, you can do nothing.
And I think I would definitely talk to them in that last hour. Like if they was my last hour, the thing I'd want you my friends to know is that the one who laid down his life for his friends for you, and for me, would want you to live out this truth and apply this take away. Jesus said, remaining is a must 1:51 and remaining rooted for you. And for me as a must, Like the must for your home. You won't have a stronger, Family Life devotional life. Come to the Solid Ground presentation by Pastor Bill, you will not be disappointed. If you want, have stronger roots and you're wondering how to get them right now. Monday, through Sunday, 7 days a week. Our private group on Facebook, Church Online. Helps you stay rooted, encourages you in it, check it out. Sign up today, you won't be disappointed. If you're looking for a reading plan, we produce one, three times a year. Remain rooted in Jesus read through. Is a word. You will not be disappointed. You will get more hope or Joy or peace. Your family will be blessed, remaining rooted, it matters and it is a must
And I want that for you, my church family.
This Jesus wants that for you because you're a part of this.
And the Apostle Paul got it. He got the branch part. Like the vine is the be all the end all it's it's the only reason we have hope and life and nourishment but he said to the branches, here's where you're involved. Continue to live your lives in him, you've been rooted and receive Jesus. From God, you didn't get you had nothing to do with being connected but continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him. Strengthened in the faith as you were taught. Remaining is a must and it is hard, but it matters. And Jesus wants you to remain. Which is why I would encourage you to remain rooted. May God bless you as you are and we as a church bless you in any way we can. Like before he died, that's what he said.
For you and for me, people that he loves. Because he wants us to be with him, that's great.
