Extraordinary

Invite His Presence into the ordinary things of life and He will glorify them with the shine of Heaven. People will realize that you are indeed one who belongs to Jesus, because he's chosen you from out of all of the rest in the world.


Scripture: John 15:16

Transcript

Alright, thank you very much. And hello again, dear radio friends, how in the world are you? Doing alright? Hey, I’m glad to be back with you, what a joy. [laughter] I tell you, I enjoy being with you, by way of radio, and sharing the Word of God, just great. And thank you for being there. If you weren’t there, it just wouldn’t be worthwhile, so thank you. We’re looking at John 15, talking about the fruits of abiding in Christ, there’s fruit-bearing, there’s answered prayer, there’s divine love shed abroad in your heart, there’s obedience that’s required, there’s joy that’s greater than circumstances, and there’s permanence of fruit. And then we came to the consideration of some of the things Jesus said He had done, “I have called you friends.” And he said, “I’ve made known to you what I heard from my Father.” And then, he said, “I’ve chosen you out of the world, that’s the reason the world resents you.” Let me just say a word to some of you who work in heathen places where you can’t come to work singing, “Holy, holy, holy.”, at the top of your voice, but you can be a Christian, and you are, bless your heart, living for Christ everyday, I know that.

The thing that bothers you, and it hurts deeply, I’ve been there, I know. The thing that hurts deeply is that people resent you because of what you are. And they’ll pick on you in a family where you’re the only Christian, they’ll pick on you for little things, “You left the cap off that toothpaste. What kind of a Christian is that?” [chuckle] Little things. They’ll pick on you. And in the office or the shop, they’ll pick on you or if they’re gathered around the water cooler, and somebody has told a dirty story, and they’re laughing, and they see you coming, all of a sudden, they’ll get quiet, and the group will break up, leaving you severely alone. Oh, that hurts to be included out, doesn’t it? Well, number one, expect it. Jesus said, “Marvel not if the world hates you for it hated me before it hated you.” There is an implied offense that is felt by the unsaved whenever a person who has given himself to Christ and is filled with the spirit of God comes around. Paul calls it, “The offense of the cross.” And I think if it were to be verbalized, you could hear one of these talk show hosts saying, as I heard the other day, “Do you mean to say to me that if I don’t trust Jesus I’m going to hell?”

With that defiant tone, “How dare you tell me I’m not as good as you.” Well, of course, that isn’t the point, you maybe better than I, but you’re not good enough for God. See, that’s the problem. And that’s why we need to be saved, isn’t it? “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” And you may miss the train by three seconds, and I may missed it by one minute, but we both missed it. You see what I mean? So there is an unspoken offense there that you may just as well expect. Don’t react against it, just keep on shining, and loving Jesus, and loving people, and He wins the battle. “If I be lifted up.”, said, “He will draw all men unto me.” I’ve had people say, “Cook, I don’t agree with you, but I respect what you stand for.” “He’s chosen you.”, he said, “Out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” Don’t be upset when you sense resentment on the part of unsaved people just because you’re Christian. Just make sure that your life is consistent. Peter said, “If any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed.” But he says in his epistle, Peter says, “See to it that you don’t suffer as an evil-doer.” If you get out of the line, if you break the law, or if you injure someone else’s feelings, or if you’re guilty of sharp practice, or if your life doesn’t add up and you’re inconsistent. Well, don’t be surprised then, if you get some flak.

Don’t be surprised that people resent you because you’re Christian. You can rejoice on that. Do you see the difference? “I’ve chosen you.”, he said, “Out of the world.” There’s a difference in your life whether or not you know it. People know it. They’ll sense the fact that you belong to Jesus. How do you keep that Heavenly shine on your life, it’s very simple. Pray your way through the day, pray about every contact. Somebody comes to the door, whisper a prayer, “Lord, make me a blessing.” Telephone rings, before you answer it, “Lord, help me whoever it is on the end of the wire.” Letter comes in the mail, “Lord, before I open the letter you prepare me.” A decision looms before you, shall I sell this property or not, shall I buy that or the other, shall I sign this contract, whisper a prayer, “Lord Jesus, guide me.” You invite His presence into the ordinaries of life and He glorifies them with the shine of Heaven. Did you get that? You invite His presence into the ordinary things of life and He glorifies them with the shine of Heaven. People will realize that you are indeed, one who belongs to Jesus, because He’s chosen you, from out of all of the rest in the world.

Then he said, “I ordained you.” And we were talking about that a moment ago, ordination, in this sense, means setting apart for a special work. Now, what is that special work? Here again, you got the little Greek purpose word “hina”. “In order that you should go out, and fruit should bear, and that fruit should remain.” What does He mean? Well, I think it’s pretty plain for us there. I had to learn this back in the years when I was in the pastorate. Now, I believe in calling. In the 18 years I was in the pastorate, I made about a 1000 calls a year, 3 times a day, go tell somebody about Jesus. I believe that a home-going pastor, makes a church-going people. So I did that and if I were to go into the pastorate again, I would immediately take up that procedure. “Go out, see people, tell them about Jesus.” And so, see them then coming to confess Christ in your church services. But I also believe in getting people, your congregation, busy, in door-to-door calling, we’ve always done that, as well.

Well, a good many years ago, I set up a program, in one church where we would invite people to come directly from work to church, have a little potluck supper there that the ladies might have gotten ready. And then we would pair off into pairs and go on out and I had the cards, the calling cards, the contact cards, the names and addresses, some were Sunday school absentees, some were visitors who had just come once and then not shown up again, some were people who were ill and needed to be called on, but I had them all there and the thing was well enough organized to work. So I would give them a little word from the Word and pray earnestly for them, and then send them forth, and I’d go sit in my study and wait for them to come back. Well, this was fine, except that week-by-week the number of people who were participating seemed to drop off. And I couldn’t understand, because I was doing my best and the thing was well planned, I couldn’t understand, why it was working that way. And it dawned on me, maybe I better get out with them. [chuckle] You’d think I would have seen that, wouldn’t you? Well, it takes me a while sometimes. [chuckle] So it dawned on me, maybe I better get out with them and I began to go out with the people. And you know, the interest picked up again. Simple, get on out where people are with the Gospel.

That makes the difference. Get on out where people are, with the Gospel. You do the action, God does the miracle. “That ye should go.” That’s something you have to do. “Bear fruit.” That’s something He does, within you. Isn’t that a precious truth? You get going for God today, just obey what He tells you, just obey what He tells you, just speak when He nudges you by his blessed indwelling Holy Spirit. Just do the things He tells you to do, He will take care of the fruit bearing, and the outcome of your life will not simply be effort, but it will be miracle. See the difference between God’s touch and ours is, we deal in effort, He deals in miracle. And so when you dare to obey God, it’s not just your human effort any longer. It’s the Holy Spirit of God making fruitfulness, the miracle of fruit bearing through your life. One of the biographies of DL Moody used the phrase, “My human best filled with His Spirit.” Nice phrase and it has a good deal of meaning in it, doesn’t it? “My human best filled with His Spirit.” That I believe, is what God has for each one of us if we’ll yield to Him and obey Him. Well, then he says, “And that your fruit should remain. Bring forth fruit, your fruit.” That is the results of your life will remain, I talked about that the last time we got together.

Then he says, “In order that… ” Now, it’s still part of the purpose. He said, “I set you aside for a special purpose.” What? To get going. Two, to bear fruit. Three, to have permanent results from your life, and four, included in that divine purpose is answered prayer. “That what so you should ask of the Father, He may give it to you.” He said, “I’ve given you a special job, a special relationship, and a special privilege of having answered prayer because you’re asking according to the will of God.” Today, as you pray, I like to get down on my knees when I pray, don’t you? Today, as you pray, ask the Father to reveal His purpose to you. Promise Him you’re gonna obey as He guides you. And then claim by faith, His blessed promise, that as you’re in the purposes of God, and yielded to the Spirit of God, and doing the will of God, you’re gonna get answers to your prayers, “Delight thyself in the Lord and He shall give thee.”, says the Psalmist. “The desire of thine heart.” Well, these are some of the things that linger in the Word. Next time we get together, we’ll go on in John 15, and then on into the 16th chapter. And I trust you’ve been blessed by all of this, bless your heart. I know, I have. I’m so glad Jesus picked me out. And I’m so glad that He can do something in my life. And I’m so glad to be part of the eternal purpose of God. Hallelujah. Aren’t you?

Dear Father, thank you for choosing us, thank you for loving us, thank you for saving us, thank you for Jesus. In His name, I pray. Amen.

Till I meet you once again by way of radio, walk with the King today and be a blessing!



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