Live in this world like strangers!

Hello dear readers,

It is with great joy that I share with you today the sermon attached below from a remarkable man of God who has generously agreed to have his message published on this blog.

I give glory to God for this opportunity and for the life and ministry of His faithful servant.

I invite you, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to meditate on these inspired words and let God speak to you through them.

Be blessed!

In the name of Jesus Christ

Amen

SERMON

passage

John 17

Verses 2-3 / You have given him authority over all people. And he will give eternal life to all you have given him . And this is eternal life : to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent .

V9/ " I pray for them. I do not pray for the world, but for those you have given me. Yes, they are yours ."

Verses 14-17 / I gave them your word, and the world hated them. Indeed, they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world . I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I am asking you to protect them from evil. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Make them completely your own through the truth. Your word is truth.

Topic : Living as a stranger in this world

sermon

In July 2023, we fasted, and at the end of that fast, specifically on July 6, 2023, the Holy Spirit spoke to us and urged us to "live as strangers in this world, because the world is passing away." He then added that we must live like people crossing a bridge that will collapse immediately after we cross it . This particular message has been given to us several times, and today's reading is intended to help us understand the nature of this exhortation.

Here, we'll try to imagine ourselves as someone pursuing a mission. In fact, most of us have had the opportunity to travel for a specific mandate or task. We typically prepare for our trip, rent a hotel room, pack according to the length of our stay, and make sure we have everything we need to leave, get our work done, and then return without any problems. While we're there, we focus on our task. We know our stay is short and that, once our work is done, we'll be home soon.

4 elements characterize our journey/mission:

1. Being a stranger wherever we go

2. The fact that we were chosen to carry out this mission

3. The work to be done

4. The deadline for this work

1st sign : Not belonging to the place where we are

Jesus Christ is saying here: "v14 For they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but to protect them from the evil one. " This means that God's chosen ones are temporarily in a place that does not belong to them, and just like those who go on missions, they must be careful to complete the work they were sent to do and not bind themselves to anything, as they are soon to return to the Father. We use the word "sensible" here because there are some who, despite being chosen, prefer to go to the house of darkness and suffering. Therefore, Jesus is not asking the Father to take them out of the world, but to protect them from evil.

2nd character : the chosen ones

The second verse that catches our attention here is: " I pray for them. I do not pray for the world , but for those you have given me. Yes, they are yours ." “This passage further underscores the fact that despite the multitude, God has those whom he has chosen from the beginning: his people, his elect, his sheep, the flock of his pasture, those who recognize his voice and belong to him.

Matthew 22:1-10: 1 Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3 He sent his servants to call those invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants and said to them, “Tell those who are invited, ‘Look, I have prepared my banquet; my oxen and my fatlings have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.’” 5 But they ignored the invitation and went their separate ways, some to their fields, some to their work. 6 The others seized the servants, insulted them, and killed them. 7 The king was angry; he sent his troops and executed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, “The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the highways and invite people to the wedding feast, so many you find. 10 The servants went out into the highways and gathered together everyone they found, both good and bad, and the wedding was full of guests.

Jesus concludes in verse 14 with the statement, “Many are called, but few are chosen.”

It is a great privilege to know God and the one he has sent, for Jesus says: "V2-3 You have given him authority over all people. Then he will give eternal life to all those you have given him. And this is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent . "

Unfortunately, we who have been chosen, who have been given the privilege of receiving the Word, of knowing God and His Son Jesus Christ, we whose official home is not of this world, seem to be more interested in the things of the world, we run after them, we value them, we covet them, we long for them, we dawdle, we resemble travelers who now wish to take up residence in the place where they have been temporarily assigned, although they know that this place of assignment will be destroyed.

3rd sign : The work to be done

In verse 20, Jesus Christ says: "I pray not for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they all may be one: just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be one in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me."

The question we must ask ourselves today is: Did God create me only to work and limit my life to my family and those close to me? Did He ask us to live withdrawn lives, distrust everyone, and act with pride and arrogance? Did He ask us to perform good deeds from time to time to ease our conscience and then say to ourselves, "At least I did something"? » The Word of God tells us in Luke 6:33-36: " 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks do you have? So do sinners. 34 And if you lend to those who hope to receive something back, what thanks do you have? Even sinners lend to sinners so that they will receive something back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend without expecting anything. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, for he is good to the unthankful and the wicked. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "

Like Jesus Christ, we must bear fruit around us so that others will believe in Jesus through our words, our behavior, our thoughts, our exemplary behavior, our humility, our charity, etc.

4th character : time limit

Despite repeated warnings, deep down we think, "We have plenty of time." How old are we today? Most of us in this group are in the second half of our lives. Do we remember a third of everything we've done in recent years? On the contrary, we are always looking ahead, toward new goals, toward fleeting hopes that probably won't bring us eternal life. God says in Jeremiah 29, " You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. " So, if you are among the chosen ones and have so far clung to the world and its illusions, God says in 1 John 2:15, " Do not love the world or anything in the world. Whoever loves the world does not have the love of the Father in him. " 16 And the world is passing away, and its desires; but whoever does the will of God abides forever."

Divine Revelation of 30.05.2023 / “ The world is passing away, save your souls and follow the Lord ”