Jesus Is The Better Way

The Art Of Abiding

This Months Devotional: The Writings of John

Text: John 1:1-18

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

When I look at Jesus, I see the better way

“If the devil can’t make you sin, he will make you busy” – Corrie Ten Boom

10 Symptoms of Hurry Sickness

(Ruthless Elimination Of Hurry, John Mark Comer)

Irritable
Hypersensitive
Restless
Workaholic
Emotionally Numb
Misaligned Priorities
Poor Self Care
Escapism
Slack in Spiritual Discipline
Isolation

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (Matthew 11:28–30, MSG).

Key text: John writes us… “For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (vs 16).

FULLNESS OF LIFE ONLY FLOWS FROM THE ONE WHO IS FULL OF LIFE

Where do you find for fulfillment in your life?

Our problem…We try to FILL our lives with UNFULLFILLING things.

Vs 16 For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift (AMP).

Fullness – complete or full measure.

This means two things for us…

a) Everything about Jesus is perfectly complete!

b) Nothing can compare to fullness of His resources.

Fulfillment only comes through Jesus.

Jesus is FULLY/PERFECTLY/COMPLETELY

the Word of God

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Vs 1)

God the Son

Vs 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

God in the Flesh

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Until we see Jesus appropriately, we will never see ourselves acurately

“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (vs 16).

EVERYTHING YOU NEED IS ALREADY PROVIDED IN THE ONE WHO CREATED EVERYTHING

“Received” – taken hold of, grasped

Our problem is we still think there is still something missing or something else we have to do.

2 Peter 1:3 (ESV)

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

Religion says keep achieving, relationship says keep receiving

John 1:16–17 (MSG)

We all live off his generous bounty,

gift after gift after gift.

We got the basics from Moses,

and then this exuberant giving and receiving,This endless knowing and understanding—

all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.

What is this generous bounty?

John lists 16 attributes of Jesus

The Word (v1)
Is God (v1)
The beginning (v2)
Means of Creation (v3)
Life (v4)
Light of Mankind (v4)
True Light (v9)
Authority (v12)
Spirit of Adoption (v12)
Word in the Flesh (v14)
Glory of God (v14)
Grace (v14)
Truth (v14)
First/Preeminent
Grace Upon Grace (v16)
Revelation of God (v18)

From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace

IMMEASURABLE GRACE FLOWS FROM THE ONE WHO IS FULL OF LIMITLESS GRACE

Grace – unmerited favor

Grace is God’s enabling power to be all Jesus is, to do all Jesus does, and become all Jesus wants

Five misconceptions of Grace…

Grace excuses sin
- Grace is not permission to sin, Grace is power over sin

Grace lowers God’s standard
- Grace doesn’t lower the standard, it enables His highest standard

Grace is a cover-up
- “We are enabled by grace to become what God is by nature”

Grace is the end of effort
- “Grace does not oppose effort, it opposes earning” – Dallas Willard

Grace is given to good people
- Grace doesn’t make good people more good, it makes godless people godly

Radical Truth: In every moment, more grace is available in place of the grace I am already experiencing

Where do we begin…

Jesus’s first two messages

“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”

(Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15)

“Come, follow me”

(Matthew 4:19, Mark 1:17, John 1:39)

Prayer:

“Lord, I am worn-out trying to live my life on my terms. I come to you to recover real life. Jesus, teach me your ways—teach me to rest in you, to walk with you and work with you. Open my eyes so that I may truly see you and open my ears so that I can fully hear you. Teach me the unforced rhythms of your grace so that I may live freely, fully and lightly.”