Comfort in the Land of Many Tears

S: John 14

• Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me.
• I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
• Whatever you will ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it. 
• If you love me, keep my commandments. 
• I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may be with you forever: the Spirit of truth, whom the world can’t receive; for it doesn’t see him and doesn’t know him. You know him, for he lives with you, and will be in you. 
• I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me. 
• Because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 
• One who has my commandments and keeps them, that person is one who loves me. One who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him.
• Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.
  

O: We live in this “land of many tears” but Jesus is here for us. The Holy Spirit counsels us.

A: We can rest in his peace even as we love him and obey his commandments.

P: Father, thank you for your your love for us. Thank you for your assurance. Help us to not be anxious as we abide in you.

The way, the truth and the life

S: John 14

O: Jesus is the way to God. If we love, him, we should follow what he says. God will empower us via the Holy Spirit. We can rejoice in him.

A: Keep Jesus' commandments.

P: Let me heed the Holy Spirit and keep your commandments. In Jesus' name, amen.

 God sent his son, they called him Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Because he lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because he lives, all fear is gone,
Because I know he holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because he lives!

Serving the Servant King

S: John 13

O: Jesus demonstrated servant leadership. Knowing Judas would soon betray him, he took the part of a slave and washed the disciples’ feet. Verse 10 makes it clear, this included Judas’ feet!

Based on what Jesus said in verses 14-15, some churches made this a regular practice — in fact, the Pope does this every year. Simon Peter, whose bravado would be shown false soon, himself learned this servant leadership.

Servant leadership goes against our natural human nature when we come into positions of leadership. That's why there have been so many leaders who have violated this. Yet, this is what Jesus calls us to.

A: We need to stay humble when we’re put in positions of leadership.

P: Lord, make me like you, please make me like you.
You are a servant; make me one, too.
O Lord, I am willing, do what you must do
To make me like you, Lord, please make me like you.

Rise up!

S: John 11

O: “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.”

“Lazarus, come out!”

“Free him, and let him go.”

Yet the chief priests and Pharisees failed to see the miracle but instead sought to kill Jesus!

A: Jesus brings us to life! And calls us to come out! Will we heed his call or will we reject it?

We are faced with many challenges and sometimes we don't understand the reasons. Just like Martha said, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.” It didn’t make sense to her that Jesus would wait till after it was “too late” to show up. Yet, God had a good reason: “I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe.”

So let us believe, and rise up!

P: Father, I believe. Help me in my unbelief. May I never be like the religious leaders who miss the whole thing and tried to kill Jesus instead. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

He knows, He cares

S: John 10:9-18

⁹ I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. ¹¹ I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them. ¹³ The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn’t care for the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own; ¹⁵ even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd. ¹⁷ Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father.”

O: Jesus knows our troubles and he cares. He is our good shepherd. He lays his life down for us.

A: As we go through the difficulties in life, we can trust God cares for us.

P: Father, as we go through these difficulties, though we are tempted to feel there’s no solution, there’s no way out, we know you always keep your promises. You know our struggles and you care. And you were wililng to lay down your life for us. O Lord, I believe. Help me in my unbelief. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Dia Mengerti, Dia Peduli
(He knows, He cares)

English translation of the song:

Verse 1
Sometimes we feel
There is no open way
No more time
It’s too late

Verse 2
God never lies
He always keeps His promises
For those who believe
Miracles are real

Chorus 1
He understands, He cares
About the problems that are happening
He understands, He cares
About the problems we are facing

Chorus 2
But one thing He asks
Is that we believe
Until the miracle becomes real

Lessons from the man born blind

S: John 9

O: Bad things are not always someone's fault.

The blind man’s parents were scared of the Pharisees’ decree and said, “He is of age. Ask him.”

The blind man was convinced Jesus was of God because of the miracle, but the Pharisees had already declared him a sinner because of their prejudice against his not fitting their preconceived notions.

A: I have to be careful when things don’t fit my theology. Don’t put God in a box.

P: Father, give me the wisdom to change my mind when it’s correct to do so, but not be blown by every wind of doctrine. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

As the blind man was sitting there by the way,
He cried to Jesus for mercy that day.
Jesus commanded and gave him his sight.
As he followed Jesus, I'm sure he cried,
 
 
"Jesus passed by my way,
And He made me whole that day!
Just a sinner was I, but then Jesus passed by,
And, Oh! What a change in my life
Since Jesus passed by!"
 
 
And just like that blind man, I wondered along
In the darkness of sin I was always alone.
But one day I met Him, and He made things right!
And, Oh! What a difference when Jesus passed by!

Jesus: before Abraham came into existence, I AM

S: 

John 8:1-11 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Now very early in the morning, he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him. He sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery. Having set her in the middle, they told him, “Teacher, we found this woman in adultery, in the very act. Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. What then do you say about her?” They said this testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of.

But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger.

They, when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last. Jesus was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle. Jesus, standing up, saw her and said, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?”

She said, “No one, Lord.”

Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more.”

John 8:54-59 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is our God. You have not known him, but I know him. If I said, ‘I don’t know him,’ I would be like you, a liar. But I know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it, and was glad.”

The Jews therefore said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old! Have you seen Abraham?”

Jesus said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM.”

Therefore they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus was hidden, and went out of the temple, having gone through the middle of them, and so passed by.

O:

The Jews knew exactly what Jesus was saying when he said, “I AM.” They knew from Exodus 3:14 who the I AM was - YHWH, God. In the context of that culture then, it was a clear claim.

Jesus is God. He claimed it and he proved it by His miracles.

A:

Jesus is our example — loving the sinner while not condoning sin. God does not desire the death of sinners, but their repentance. Once we have come to Him, we need to live as children of God and follow Him. So we have to go and sin no more.

P:

Father, thank you for sending your son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. I want to stay away from sin and obey you. In Jesus’ name, amen.