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Overwhelmed or Overcoming? John 15:9-17
True Christianity often appears overwhelmed at the precise moment that it is actually overcoming. This was Jesus’ story. To the naked eye, Jesus had been completely overwhelmed. But, to the eyes of faith, He was the one hanging there saying, “forgive them Father” while, the ones that looked like they had overcome were crying, “Crucify Him”; “Save yourself!” and “wagging their heads”.
I. It’s always been this way in the church.
Stephen was the first Christian martyr. The bible tells us that he was full of faith and of the Holy Spirit and that he was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Out of jealousy, a group of men rose up to challenge Stephen about what he was teaching. When they couldn’t succeed in their challenge, they tried something else. So they had some shady people accuse him of blasphemy. That got the whole court of the scribes and Pharisees involved...but Stephen wouldn’t back down. He would not back down from proclaiming that Jesus was indeed the Christ...the Messiah. So the mob grabbed him, and took him out and stoned him. And as they were stoning him, Steven cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!”. And then he died. And the thing that we need to recognize here is that in the same way that Christ cried out from the cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do”, Stephen died saying, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”. Stephen had been transformed. At the precise moment when it looked as if Stephen had been completely overwhelmed, he had actually overcome.
The history of Christianity is full of stories like these, right up to the present day. Just when churches are shrinking; heretics are everywhere; people are rejecting Christ and the gospel and censorship is increasing on all sides...it appears sometimes that we’re really being overwhelmed. And yet, here we are. There are still those who are overcoming. There are still those that have been transformed by faith; whose hope remains on that which we cannot see.
II. The Faith that overcomes is certain of what it hopes for and it’s confident of that which it does not see.
In what you just heard about Elijah. It appeared to Elijah that he was all alone. The threats of Jezebel were real. The death of the other prophets was real. But then the world of the Lord came to Elijah and effectively said, “Elijah...you’re not alone! Don’t limit your faith by restricting it to what you can see. Behold, not only am I with you, but behold, I have reserved for myself 7000 that have not bowed the knee to Ba’al”. Behind the scenes, invisible to the human eye, God had kept for Himself 7000 people...people of faith. People who, out of the hope that springs from faith in a God who lives, remained confident in the One who keeps Israel, and did not bow their knee...no matter how great the pressure, to Ba’al. These people had been transformed, holding fast to that which they could not see...7000 of them! They had faith in their God, by whose hand their enemies would all be overcome.
In the same way, God promises His church of the later days that there will be a remnant. These will be a people that He has reserved for Himself – a people completely sustained by grace. They will have abided in His love and they will be a people that have been transformed by the gracious act of having been chosen...of having been called Jesus’ friends...and of having been born from above and given a living faith. It is these who, no matter how overwhelmed they may have appeared at times in their life, who will overcome.
III. This promise is now for you.
As the baptized of Christ, you have been chosen. As the bible says, “You have been sealed with that circumcision made without hands”. “Abide in my love”, Christ says. Mine is the love that laid down its life for you. Mine is the love that calls you, “friends”. Mine is the love in which you can abide all day, every day, in no matter what it is that you turn your hand to do and overcome. Mine is the love in which you might even lay down your life for my friends.
The Epistle reading pointed out an interesting thing today. Listen to what the Apostle John teaches: “Everyone that believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of Him”. Do you know what that means? It means that the brothers and sisters of Christ are called to lay down their lives for each other! They are compelled to love one another as they have been loved. It’s in this that you know those that have overcome.
The scriptures use a number of words to describe the fellowship or the love among the believers. One of them is “κοινωνία”. You may have neighbors and secular friends and even estranged family members that you acknowledge and reach out too out of various degrees of love. Sometimes you do it because it’s the right thing to do. Other times you do it out of genuine affection. But if you’re loving as Christ has loved, you do it because you want them to know the love that you love. You want them to have what the brothers and sisters of Christ have: you want them to have “κοινωνία”. They do not have κοινωνία, and you don’t have κοινωνίαwith them...at least not if you’re abiding in Christ’s love. That’s why you have things you “just don’t talk about”. That’s why they sometimes storm out of the room and refuse to listen. That’s why they think nothing about not gathering together.
Κοινωνίαis a participation and a sharing. As Paul writes in Philippians 2, “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Κοινωνίαis a communion, a fellowship, a close relationship.The true church is aΚοινωνίαbecause everyone that loves the Father also loves whoever has been born of Him. People that have a κοινωνία-type of relationship have laid down their old lives for those that Jesus has called His friends. They have overcome.
IV. This is what it means to Abide in Christ’s love and it’s what it means to overcome.
Christ says, “Abide in my love”. “I have laid down my life for you”. “Yes, your sins are forgiven. Yes, today you will be with me in paradise. Yes, I am forever your advocate”. But He also says, “keep my commandments”...in other words, love one another as I have loved you. Lay down your life for my friends. And Christ knowingly says this to a people...you and me...who are often overwhelmed with the cares of this life...the old, worldly desires...and the many ways that sin controls the world.
So first, this word comes to you as a word of law: Are you abiding in His love? Do you love everyone born of God? Would anyone know that you love the Father by the way you love the brothers? Or, is there another life that you’re still trying to save? He who saves his life will lose it and he who loses his life for my sake and for the sake of the gospel (Jesus says) will find it. Repent and abide in the love of God!
Conclusion: We’ve all got things that can easily get in the way of our abiding in Christ. Some of these things can leave you sort of “overwhelmed because they’re things you can’t escape. You have to work. You’re not feeling well or until Mom gets better, you’re going to have to spend your weekends an hour away. But then, there are other things...things that detract from the κοινωνία. Paul warns us about these things: “Be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds”. Be transformed and overcome by the Word of Christ which says: “Abide in my love. A man has no greater love than this, than that he lay down his life for his friends. I have called you friends because you know what I am doing. I have given my life for you becauseIhave chosen to love you. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I choseto lay down my life for you. Abide in my love. I have overcome the world and I promise you that just like my Son, just like Stephen and just like all the Saints...that precisely at the point at which you seem to have been completely overwhelmed, I will remember you, and I will raise you up on the last day. In Me, you have victory. In Me you overcome. IJN+