John 15.12-17

Prayer

· Our ministries would be known for loving one another

· That we would go and bear fruit that remains

· I would speak well at a fund raising banquet for the Ft Bliss Ministry tonight and people would be generous

Observations on John 15.12-17

Jesus commands us to love one another the way He loved us 12

He says there is no greater love than to lay down your life for friends 13

He tells them they are His friends if they do (obey) what He commanded 14

He doesn’t call them slaves any more 15

He says slaves have no knowledge of what a master is doing 15

He calls them friends because He has made know the Father’s words 15

Jesus says he chose them 16

He appointed them to go and bear fruit that would remain 16

He says this so that what ever we pray to the Father in His name He will give us 16

He reiterates His command to love one another 17

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© 2008, 2009 Following Jesus by Chuck Wood All Rights Reserved

We arrived in El Paso, Tx safely. We will be spending a little time with the disciples at Ft Bliss. Then on to Ft Hood Monday. Look for a new format and use for my blog starting on Monday, 5 Oct 09.

John 13.5-11

John 13.5-11

Jesus washed their feet up close 5

He did things to teach a deeper meaning 7

He was metaphorical in His teaching 7

He spoke of washing a relational act 8

His metaphor was to teach of a partial cleaning 9

He said that one of them was not “Clean” 10-11

What was Jesus’ metaphor suppose to teach? Serving? Cleansing? Forgiveness?

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John 13.1-4

John 13.1-4

Jesus is acutely aware of timing 1

He knew He was going back to the Father 1

He loved His own to the end 1

He knew that God had given Him all things 3

With this since of timing and assurance He washes the disciples feet 4

Washing the Disciples feet was a very calculated and timely act of Jesus

Are we calculated and timely in our fellowship or discipling of another?

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What Techniques Will We Use?

The Wise Master Builder (Part 25)

If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is… (1 Cor 3.12-13)

And now we come to a very tricky component of disciplemaking. Generally, what people are looking for is the “how to” of discipleship; tools, methods and techniques. But one of the problems with consumer Christianity is that the latest spiritual growth fad that promises instant spiritual growth fails to deliver. Unfortunately, after falling victim to a series of these glitzy programs people become suspect and tired (and well they should). This is not to say that we shouldn’t have a plan for disciplemaking (Heb 10.24-25). But it does mean that we need to be wary of any promise for instant spirituality. Our safest methods can be discovered by viewing the principles Jesus modeled in His life and then developing tools for our context. Once we understand the principles they will guide us to meaningful methods. We’ll continue this theme in the next chapters.

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Becoming a Student of Mankind

The Wise Master Builder (Part 24)

A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water, But a man of understanding draws it out. (Proverbs 20:5)

A modern proverb says, “We do what’s inspected, not what’s expected.” And just like other proverbs, although not absolute, it is a good general description of the human heart. Understanding the human condition and its tendencies is essential to being a Master Builder. We must study those that we plan to help and train. We intensely observe their personalities, their pasts, their dreams, and their values. To do less would only be naive and lead to some gross miscalculations in the disciplemaking process.

This is why it is so important to make appropriate application of grace and truth in a person’s life. They need both! Giving a person grace without the truth is actually a form of unintended hate. It denies the person of the knowledge and accountability needed to glorify God. Presenting truth without grace crushes the spirit under the weight of perfection and inability to ever measure up to its standard. Jesus came full of grace and truth and we’d do well to do the same. (Jn 1.14, 17)

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Who are We Working With?

The Wise Master Builder (Part 23)

… He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man. (John 2:24-25)

Spiritual transformation is more a restoration than a new building project. We are presented with the special challenges of working with both the old and the new. Jeremiah was instructed to, “pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” (Jer 1.10) There’s a bit of demolition happening in a person’s life as we simultaneously construct newness in thought and deed. This makes the builder’s job a little more complex as he multi-tasks and studies the many needs of an individual. There’s a need to prioritize the spiritual work being done in a person’s life. For example, getting them in the Word multiplies and personalizes the restoration process. As you can see, the complexities of building truth in a person’s life requires patience, endurance, and grace. The bottom line: a Master builder must know who he is working with and be able to adapt appropriately. The job may seem daunting, but the Great Master Builder is always with us (Mt 28.20).

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