John

It isn’t an easy truth, but Jesus tells his followers that if they follow him, the world will hate them. Whether this is the physical persecution that so many across the world suffer, or the taunts and disrespect that so many Christians live with in Western culture, Jesus’ words ring true. In this talk, Sam walks through the stories of many believers who have suffered rejection and persecution for the name of Christ, and reminds us of the fruit that Jesus bears in his followers, working to soften even the hardest hearts to God.

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If we think about the fruit that we try to bear for Christ, it can often feel sparse, or even rotten. But Christ promises that if we abide in him, he will bear much fruit in us–fruit that will last. If we have faith in Christ, we are growing out of his vine of life. In this talk, Sam walks us through through some of the fruit that Christ promises to bear in us: a prayerful dependence on God, a deep love for one another, and the fruit of disciple-making. A very encouraging night!

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Before he departed from his disciples, Jesus promised to give them another advocate, the Holy Spirit. Jesus had been an advocate for his disciples, walking alongside them and speaking truth on their behalf. But Jesus promised that the Spirit would dwell in the disciples, advocating to their hearts, and teaching them all things. In this talk, Mitch draws out what the work of the Holy Spirit is, and what it means for us to have him dwelling in our hearts and advocating for us today.

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Noticing his disciples’ anxiety about his departure, Jesus says to them “let not your hearts be troubled.” Jesus then gives them reasons not to worry: primarily, a home for them in God. In this talk Mitch explores how Jesus took on the burden of homelessness, and of alienation from God, to give believers a home. The talk also explores some practical ways to work through worry as a child of God.

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As Jesus revealed the disciple who would betray him, he left the remaining twelve with a new command: love one another. While they were with Jesus, people could see that they were his followers, because they followed him everywhere. But after Jesus was readying to depart, he gave this new instruction, which would allow the world to know that they followed Jesus: their intimate, sacrificial love for each other. In this talk, Mitch challenges Village to be a church that is known for this, to be known for its love and care for one another.

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As we start our series in the second half of John, we hear these words: “Now… Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father.” From chapter 13, time slows, and Jesus looks forward to his death, resurrection and return to the Father. In this first talk, Mitch takes us through the significance of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet, and what it means for Jesus to command us to do likewise. Jesus has given us the honour of spiritually nourishing one another, and pointing our Christian family back to our washing in Christ.

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The hour has now come. The Messiah resolutely sets his face toward his own death. In our last talk in our “John: Unveiled” series, where do we find the hearts of God’s historic people? And what does it mean for the Son of God to walk toward his own death? John 12 has a little bit of something for everyone as we work out what it means to be a disciple of Jesus who follows their saviour into death.

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Grief. Loss. Mourning. Suffering. We can’t live in this world without experiencing the tragedies of life. In this talk, we look at the new narrative Jesus gives us in the face of death. He is the resurrection. He is the life that faces death. But he’s also the life that faces death and weeps. And as such, he’s an example to us all that we do not grieve without hope, but neither do we hold to our hope without grieving.

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