All right, let's pray before we begin.
Father God, it is not common that we have this undivided heart
towards the Lord Jesus Christ, towards you.
We have granted this hour that we might have such a heart
to focus on you.
To enjoy your presence.
To marvel at all your doings.
Thank you, Father, for we pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
The title of the talk is Zoe for Zero,
the King of Life for the People of Lot.
I'm going to pronounce Zoe as Zoe
so that we don't confuse it with Zoe.
Zoe, one of our Bernard's girls.
Zoe is the way the Greeks would pronounce.
All right.
Last week, Rob talked about the King of Love,
and so this week I'd like to talk about the King of Life.
In chapter 14, Jesus tells his disciples about him leaving
and about sending another helper for the disciples.
And then in chapter 14, Jesus also said that he is the way,
the truth, and the life.
So in chapter 15, we are going to think about this life,
and Jesus explains how the coming of the helper would help the disciples
to know him as this life.
So the original Greek work for life here is Zoe.
Zoe means a life of abundance,
fruitfulness, and everlasting.
So the ultimate purpose of God's salvation work
is for his own glory
through the fruitful life of his own people.
And how does a person have a fruitful life?
So that is what the purpose of John is writing,
as he read in John 20, verse 31.
So he said,
But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God,
and that by believing,
you may have life.
There is Zoe in his name.
Okay.
So the book of John talks a lot about this fruitful life,
a supernatural kind of life,
Zoe.
So in his introduction in John 1, 4,
he wrote,
In him, that Jesus,
was life, that is Zoe,
and the life,
Zoe was the light of man.
John is saying that this Zoe gives us light,
helps us to see who God is,
who we are,
where we come from,
and where we are heading to,
so we know how to live.
So on this topic of life,
I think John 12, 25,
gives us the clearest understanding.
And Jesus said,
Whoever loves his life,
that's Suhey,
I don't pronounce it as psychic,
it's a Greek pronunciation,
Suhey,
whoever loves his life,
loses it,
and whoever hates his life,
Suhey,
in this world,
will keep it for Zoe.
All right.
So there's a very clear contrast to us
that when we have,
when we live in this world,
we all have this Suhey,
or the natural life.
But Jesus wants us to have
this Zoe,
eternal life.
So with just this natural life,
we are like people who live in the dark.
So we all try to live,
make a living,
but do not know the purpose of living,
and could not see the glory of living.
When we believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God,
we begin to realize that there's much more to life,
because Jesus is the Zoe.
Zoe,
without believing in him,
there's no other way to know
what Zoe is.
Chapter 15 tells us how this Zoe is developed in us,
by abiding in Jesus.
If we live without abiding in Jesus Christ,
we can do nothing.
Therefore,
the meaning of zero
in the title of this sermon,
Zoe,
for zero.
Without Christ,
we are zero.
And also Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13,
2,
And if I have prophetic powers
and understand all mysteries
and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith
as to remove mountains,
but have not love,
I am nothing.
So Paul is talking about this love
that will only come with Zoe.
So Paul is saying that
without Zoe,
we not only can do nothing,
we are nothing.
Nothing of eternal value,
nothing of meaning,
nothing of significance.
One of the marks of natural life,
Suhei,
is the need of love and joy.
So most of our resources
is to gain love and joy for ourselves.
We can think about what we do each day.
Why do we do them?
A lot of times you can think that
because we want to be loved
or to be happy.
So we abide ourselves
to different activities,
projects,
missions,
philosophies,
religions,
to try to get some love and joy.
And when we do not get enough love and joy,
we would think that our lives
are not worth living.
In verse 11,
Jesus said,
These things I have spoken to you,
that my joy may be in you,
and that your joy may be full.
So in here we see that
God has the same aim for us,
that is for us to have a joyful life.
However, there is no lasting
or true joy in our natural life.
True love and joy comes with Zoe.
So we cannot have true love and joy
without having Zoe.
And we cannot have Zoe
without also having true love and joy.
So in chapter 14,
the Lord Jesus talks about
God the Father
and God the Holy Spirit.
And now we come to the part
when he talks about
how this triune God,
God the Father,
the Son,
and the Holy Spirit
work for God's glory
through the fruitful life
of God's people.
And this fruitful life
flows to us from Jesus,
the true vine.
So this Zoe is flowing
from the true vine.
Jesus said,
I am the true vine.
True vine brings true life.
In the Old Testament,
the nation of Israel
was often referred to
as God's vineyard.
However,
God found no authentic fruit
from any of these wines
or any of the vines
in the vineyard.
In Isaiah 5,
3-4 be read,
And now,
all inhabitants
of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
judge between me
and my vineyard.
What more was there
to do for my vineyard
that I have not done in it?
When I look for it
to yield grapes,
why did it yield
wild grapes?
So,
the nation of Israel
refused to submit
to the word
of the wine dresser.
It wanted to be
independent from God.
And the Old Testament
talks a lot about
the kings of Israel.
So,
how the kings
relate,
related to God,
influence how God
would relate
to the nation.
So,
the kings are like
the vines
in the vineyard.
If the wines
are not faithful
to God,
then they won't be
producing any fruit.
So,
for example,
in 1 Kings 6,
12-13,
God told King Solomon,
If you will walk
in my statues
and obey my rules
and keep my commandments
and walk in them,
then I will establish
my work with you,
which I spoke to
David your father,
and I will dwell
among the children
of Israel
and not forsake
my people Israel.
So,
there are only
a handful of kings
who almost approach
to this
true wine
or the true king,
but none was consistent.
None loved God
consistently.
None obeyed God
consistently.
Jesus,
being the true wine,
is also the true king,
fully submitted himself
to the wine dresser.
So,
as
just now,
Gareth,
talk about Jesus
as the lamb of God
and also the vine,
you can imagine
that both of the images
give us this idea.
The lamb
and the vine,
they both need
somebody to care
for them,
to depend on
the master.
Without that,
they cannot survive
or they cannot grow
properly.
So,
the image
also tells us
that Jesus,
as the vine
or as a sheep,
is fully dependent
on the father.
And that is
the picture of
the true king
that God
was looking for
or establishing
for his people.
A king
that would not
seek glory
for themselves,
but a king
seeks glory
for God.
So,
being the branches
of this true wine,
then we can,
therefore,
enjoy God's presence
and God's cultivation.
That's like Israel
would have enjoyed
if their kings
were obedient.
Great wine
is a unique
fruit plant.
It has the potential
to produce more fruit
than any other plant.
That's why
the image of the vine
is being used.
However,
its branches
are not used
for any other purpose.
So,
a fruitless branch
is therefore
cut down
and burned.
It can't be used
for any other purpose.
So,
a great wine
needs skillful pruning
for it
to produce good fruit.
A true wine
shares the same mind
as a wine dresser
to produce good fruit.
A true wine
therefore obeys
the wine dresser
joyfully.
It's not
begrudgingly,
but joyfully,
the true wine
and the wine dresser
work together.
Another characteristic
of the true wine
is that the true wine
is active
in growing branches
that will produce
good fruit.
So,
in verse 16,
we read,
you did not choose me,
but I chose you
and appoint you
that you
should go
and bear fruit
and that your fruit
should abide
so that whatever
you ask the Father
in my name,
he might give it to you.
The kings of Israel
were busy
choosing men
and horses
to establish
their own kingdom,
their own glory.
The true king
takes initiative
and actively
chooses his people
to establish
their godly
characters
for the glory
of God.
So,
the life
of the true wine
flows through
its branches
to produce fruit
and this flow
also tells us
the work
of the Holy Spirit.
Zoya is cultivated
by the wine dresser.
So,
in verse 1,
he says,
I am the true wine
and my father
is a wine dresser.
He tells us
that both the wine
and the wine dresser
work together
to ensure
the production
of fruit
in the branches.
Israel of old
failed to produce
good fruit.
The new Israel
is not going to
repeat the same failure.
So,
in verse 2,
he says,
every branch
in me
that does not
bear fruit,
he takes away
and every branch
that does
bear fruit,
he prunes
that it might
bear more fruit.
So,
this verse
tells us
the work
of the wine dresser.
The wine dresser
is determined
to harvest
good fruit.
He's not going
to tolerate
any branch
that produce
no fruit
or he will
also prune
those branches
that produce fruit.
When I started
doing gardening,
I thought
I should leave
the fruit trees
alone for them
to develop
naturally.
But after some years,
I learned
that this is not
the case.
If we leave
those fruit trees
alone,
they don't produce
good quality
or quantity
of fruit.
So,
similarly,
God does not
stop pruning
and cutting
until we are
perfect
like Jesus Christ.
So,
verse 2
is a bit
more challenging
for us to understand.
Who are
these branches
in the vine
that do not
bear fruit?
I think
we can apply
primarily
this word,
first of all,
it can apply
to Judas
primarily
because Judas
is one of the
disciples
that Jesus
chose
but he was
going to
betray Jesus.
Secondary,
it can be
applied to
the nation
of Israel
who consider
themselves
as the chosen
people of God.
It might also
be applied
to people
who say
that they
are in
the vine
but produce
no fruit.
However,
the emphasis
of this
verse
is not
so much
about
whether
a believer
could lose
his salvation.
The emphasis
is on
the work
of the
wine dresser.
It is
saying that
the wine dresser
means business.
He would not
let any
fruitless
branch
remain in
the vine
as doing
so
affect
the
fruitfulness
of other
branches.
So,
God's
glory
is at
stake
here.
We can
think further
about
these words.
Last week
in John
14,
15,
we have
considered
the statement,
if you
love me,
you will
keep my
commandments.
Now we
come to
John 15,
2,
it seems
to be
saying that
you need
to be
fruitful,
otherwise
you will
be removed
from me.
How to
respond to
these seemingly
conditional
statements
in the
New
Testament?
How we
respond to
them is
dependent on
if we
read them
with the
mind of
Suhei,
the natural
life,
or the
mind of
Zoe,
the supernatural
life.
So,
with just
natural life,
we will
treat statements
like this,
like the
Old Testament
laws.
We will
live in
fear,
despair,
or pride.
Fear,
because
for not
we fear
that we
may not
be able
to keep
the
commandments.
Despair,
if we
have
repeated
fail,
we fail
to keep
them
repeatedly.
Pride,
when we
think that
we can
do better
than other
people.
So,
that is
the natural
life,
a natural
mind,
to treat
a statement
like this.
But if
we have
Zoe,
a supernatural
life,
a living
water,
this life
will start
to flow
within us.
We will
start to
believe and
obey God's
command joyfully.
We start
to love
actively and
sacrificially.
We want
to serve
because there
is this
living water
overflowing
from within
us.
And we
can see
that in
our church.
We can
see the
people who
just take
the initiative
to do
things,
to talk
to people
who seem
to be
sitting by
themselves,
if we
observe.
and we
can see
this thing
that's very
beautiful.
It's not
because of
compassion,
there is a
duty,
but there is
a love
that is
flowing in
God's
people.
And with
this
mind,
we have
more concern
for God's
glory than
our own
comfort or
status.
We want
God to
prune away
all our
pride,
laziness,
and
idolatry.
We start
to see
that our
happiness is
dependent on
God's
glory.
The more
God is
glorified,
the happier
we are.
So we
will not
have problem
reading verses
like John
15,
2.
We might
even want
God to
cut us
away if
we are
in any
way
diminishing
God's
glory.
We don't
say that,
God
shouldn't
say that,
but we
should agree
with God
because we
have the
mind of
God or
the life
that flows
from God.
So when
this is
always cultivated
by God
and us,
our belief
begins to
transform from
self-centered
belief to
God-centered
belief.
If you
remember in
John 2,
the last few
verses,
there are
people who
believe in
Jesus and
it says that
Jesus did
not trust
or put their
trust on
those people
because he
knows what
was in
man or
there's a
natural life
in man.
What man
was thinking
with their
natural life,
the belief
that they
had was
to gain
something for
themselves
purely.
However,
when this
new life
comes in,
we can see
the change
in the
disciples.
They don't
care about
their life.
They preach
even under
persecution.
And that
is a different
thing because
they see
things differently.
Also,
our love
begins to
be transformed
from self-centered
love to
God-centered
love.
In John
chapter 13,
we read that
Jesus loved
them and
he loved
them till
the end.
So there's
also two
different sort
of love.
Many a
time with a
natural life,
when we love,
usually we want
something for
return.
That's how we
love people.
But when we
have this joy in
us, our love
is different.
we love
just simply
because there's
love in us
to love.
And so
when we see
commands like
this, love
one another,
we do not
find it
surprising.
This is
natural.
We will do
it.
Okay.
So this joy
is manifested
by fruitfulness.
How do we
know we have
joy?
By the mark
of joy.
joy.
So one,
we have
fruit that
abides.
We come
back to
verse 16.
It says
that you
should bear
fruit and
that your
fruit should
abide.
So this
joy,
with the
fruit that
abide,
means that
our
character,
our
purpose in
the kingdom
of God
is consistent.
It's not
changing all
the time.
that is
because it's
natural,
part of us.
That's how
we live.
Number two,
that we have
the difference
of wisdom
and faith.
Back to
16 again,
it says that
whatever you
ask the
Father in
my name,
he may
give it
to you.
So that
is the
wisdom and
faith that
come into
this real
life,
that we
know what
to ask.
We ask
for things
that is
concerning with
God's
kingdom and
his glory.
And so
there's this
change in
our prayer,
in how we
pray,
because we
know God's
mind.
Number three
is that we
will have
this fruit
that edifies
or builds
up.
So in
Galatians
5,
22 to
23,
there is
the passage
that talks
about the
fruit,
what exactly
is the
fruit.
But the
fruit of
the Spirit
is love,
joy,
peace,
patience,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness,
self-control,
against such
things,
there is
no law.
So all
this is
the
virtues or
character that
in our
relationship,
how people
appreciate how
we can
build up
one another.
It's not
for our
own use,
and such.
It is how
we relate to
people,
and that
change,
how we
relate to
people when
there's such
fruit in
us.
I don't
have time
to go
very deep
on this
part,
but I
think we
can
understand
how this
difference is,
hopefully.
But how
does this
zoe replace
suhai?
That is,
how does
supernatural
life replace
our natural
life?
We do not
contribute to
our own
birth,
either naturally
or supernaturally.
However,
we do
contribute to
our maturity,
because as
we contribute,
we mature.
we take
part in
our
maturity.
If we
don't,
if we
sit back,
we will
never
mature.
So we
need to
do
something
for
maturity.
So our
supernatural
birth starts
when we
are cleansed
by the
word of
Jesus.
That is
in verse
3,
it says
already
you are
clean
because
of the
word that
has spoken
to you.
And then
we can
go to
John 5,
24.
Truly,
truly,
I say
to you,
whoever
hears my
word and
believe him
who sends
me has
eternal
life,
has this
zoe.
He does
not come
into judgment
but has
passed from
death to
life.
Okay,
so to
start with,
there has
to be this
supernatural
birth,
but after
that,
then we
start
mature.
First of
all,
there's
abiding,
that's what
we are
talking about
in this
chapter.
So can
a branch
not abide
in the
vine?
I mean,
the branch
is actually
attached to
the vine.
You can't
walk away,
sort of.
But talking
about us
is that we
can definitely
do that,
like I
can talk
with you,
but my
mind is
not there.
That's quite
common.
We can be
in church,
but our
heart is
somewhere
else.
So that
part of
it is not
abiding.
But how
can we
abide?
How can
we abide
in Jesus?
Number one
is word.
Jesus
said,
abide in
my
word.
So how
do we
abide in
Jesus'
word?
We do
so by
reading,
reading the
Bible,
reading
Christian
books,
thinking,
listening,
teaching,
singing,
applying.
I think
also teaching
is quite
important.
when I
prepare for
Bible studies,
for sermons,
I think the
one who
benefited the
most would
be myself
because when
I need to
teach other
people, I
need to
understand it
myself.
If I don't
understand,
it's hard to
teach.
But if I
don't have the
pressure to
teach others,
I'm too
lazy.
You just
don't think
deep enough.
if you
get a
chance to
teach others
one to
one in
the Bible
study group,
it's actually
very good to
help us to
abide in
the word.
And singing,
also if you
sing songs
that is
scriptural and
help us to
understand the
scripture,
that will help
us as well.
So in
Colossians 3.16,
it says,
let the word
of Christ
join you
richly,
teaching,
admonishing,
one another
in all
wisdom,
singing
psalms and
hymns and
spiritual songs
with thanksgiving
in your
hearts to
God.
So that's
abiding in
the word,
then abiding
in his
love.
Verse 9,
Jesus said,
as the
Father has
loved me,
so have
I loved
you.
Abide in
my love.
And
verse 13,
greater love
has no one
than this,
that someone
lay down
his life
for his
friends.
How do
we abide
in Jesus'
love?
That is
the thing.
Every time
in the
New Testament,
almost every
time,
when it
says that
Jesus
loved us,
he always
followed by
the fact
that he
died for
us.
Okay.
We don't
look at
the circumstances
that we
are sick,
we lost
our job,
oh,
Jesus
doesn't
love me.
The Bible
doesn't say
that.
Jesus'
love is
not
conditional,
doesn't
result in
our life
being
easier or
smooth.
The love
of Jesus
is always
related to
his death
for our
sin.
Okay,
so every
time we
remember
Jesus dying
for my
sin,
then I
know that
Jesus loved
me.
And that's
enough,
and that's
more than
enough.
And that's
how we
abide in
Jesus'
love.
Number
three is
abiding in
Christ.
Obviously,
he already
said abide
in me.
So how
do we
abide in
Christ?
We just
try to
think less
of ourselves
and think
more of
him.
If we
try,
we keep
trying to
gain love
and joy
for ourselves,
doing all
sorts of
things,
most of
the time
we will
be
disappointed.
But if we
keep our
minds,
on
Christ,
we will
have
love and
joy as
well.
We will
come with
him.
So abiding
in his
word,
his love,
and abiding
in him.
Number
two for
maturity,
for being
fruitful,
is to
have this
joyful
obedience
to his
word.
In
verses 14
to 15,
you are
my
friends,
if you
do what
I
command
to.
No
longer
do I
call you
servants,
for the
servant does
not know
what his
master is
doing,
but I
have
called you
friends,
for all
that I
have heard
from my
father,
I have
made known
to you.
if all
we have
is
suhai,
this
natural
life,
we will
obey
begrudgingly
a slave,
because this
is what we
are told
to do,
we just
do it.
But when
Zoe
comes to
us,
we could
start to
understand
Jesus as
comrades,
as friends,
and we
start to
obey
joyfully.
So I
can use
the analogy
if you
are an
employee
of a
firm,
and your
boss tells
you to do
something,
you will
do it,
because
otherwise
you won't
get paid,
but even
though you
may not
be happy,
you're not
happy to
do that,
but if
you are
also a
shareholder
of the
company,
then you
know that
whatever you
do is
going to
increase
the profit
of the
company,
then when
you do
it,
you have
a different
motivation,
the joy
in it.
The glory
of God
is more
than the
profit of
company,
much more,
and when
we can
see that,
when we
have this
joy in
us,
we will
obey,
not so
much as
slaves,
but as
friends,
we know
what Jesus
is about,
and we
obey
joyfully,
and that's
how we
contribute
to our
growth,
maturity,
and this
new life.
Lastly,
is life
going to be
easier or
harder with
joy?
If we
change from
Suhey to
joy,
would that
be easier
or difficult?
It is both
easier and
harder.
Harder because
we need to
deny our
natural self,
we take up
the cross,
and follow
Christ.
Deny our
self is
always hard.
That's when
God is
doing the
pruning,
and we
will go
through
difficulties
either from
other people
or from
our own
unfulfilled
desire.
However,
as we
go in
and follow
the Lord
Jesus Christ,
it becomes
easier because
we will find
that his
yoke is
easy and
his burden
light.
So you
need to
do that
step,
and then
you will
find and
we will
find that
this new
life is
actually much
easier than
the old
life that we
try to
live.
That is
because his
grace is
always sufficient
for us,
helping us to
be more
fruitful,
and the
Holy Spirit
helps us.
I shall
end with
two stories.
The first
story is
about
Kevin
Kevin Carter.
I'm not
sure whether
you have
seen this
picture before.
It was
very well
known,
and Kevin
got the
prestigious
prize for
it.
Kevin
became famous
after he
visited Africa
and took
many pictures
of poverty,
suffering,
and after
this picture
came out
and he
got the
prize,
a lot of
people started
to attack
him online
or on
paper.
Why did
they attack
him?
He said
that he
is heartless.
How could
he take
a picture
like this
and not
caring for
the baby
who is
suffering?
So Kevin
was very
hurt by
that.
He actually
explained not
that he
didn't care
because he
was not
allowed to
touch those
children because
they were
soldiers with
him because
of disease.
So the
government
allowed him
to take
picture and
not to
touch any
of the
subjects that
he took
picture for.
But he
said he
did chase
away that
voucher
after the
shooting.
Actually,
that child
lived for
14 more
years and
he died
of malaria
is a
boy,
not a
girl,
but they
thought it
was a
girl,
so the
title was
still called
The Voucher
and The
Little Girl.
So Kevin
committed suicide
four months
after this
picture was
taken at
age 33.
He left
a suicide
load in
his car.
He said,
I'm really,
really sorry.
The pain of
life overrides
the joy to
the point
that joy
does not
exist.
Depressed
without
phone,
money for
rents,
money for
child support,
money for
debts.
I'm haunted
by the vivid
memories of
killings and
corpses and
anger and
pain, of
starving or
wounded children,
of trigger-happy
madmen,
often police,
of killer
executioners.
I've gone to
join Ken
if I'm
that lucky.
Ken was
his friend
who committed
suicide a few
months beforehand.
Kevin was
only 33.
He wanted to
make a difference
to his life and
those who were
suffering.
But he doesn't
have the joy in
him to enjoy
the suffering.
He just
couldn't take it.
So he killed
himself by
inhaling
carbon monoside
in the car.
The next story
is about
Michael and
Amy Rittering.
Michael and
Amy Rittering,
they heard
about a poor
country in
West Africa
called
Burkina Faso.
It's a
Muslim country.
Very poor.
So they
went there
as missionaries
in 2011
and
established
churches,
ministries.
In 2013,
Burkina Faso
was considered
as one of the
countries with
fastest growing
number of
Christians.
And in
January 2016,
Michael Rittering
was gunned
down by
Muslim extremists.
He was
45 years
then.
Since then,
many Christians
and missionaries
were killed.
The last
killing happened
just two
Sundays ago.
14 people
in the church
including
children
were gunned
down by
Muslims.
Amy Rittering
is still there
running
orphanage,
women's
crisis center
and medical
clinic.
Michael's
brother,
Jeff,
and his
family also
joined in
the ministry.
Are these
people crazy?
They saw
sufferings.
They suffered
themselves.
And the
churches
there
are growing
and they
didn't
despite
the
killing
that
happens
almost
every
month.
There's
a joy
offering
from
within
them.
And this
is the
fruit of
Zoe.
Revelation
12,
11.
And they
have conquered
him by the
blood of the
lamb and
by the word
of their
testimony.
for they
love not
their
suhai
even
until
death.
We can
do nothing
glorious on
our own.
This
lamb of
God is
also the
king of
life.
We do
not need
to hold
on to
our
natural
life.
We just
need to
submit to
this king
and abide
in him.
From
Jesus'
supernatural
life,
we
flow to
us
so that
we
could
joyfully
live for
God's
glory.
Let's
pray.
Father God,
as we
think of
Christian
brothers and
sisters who
have suffered
for your
glory,
we know
that there
is this
difference in
them.
We know
that they
are more
blessed
because they
have something
greater to
live for
and to
die for.
Father,
may you
keep
pruning
us
and make
us
fruitful
for your
own glory.
Thank you,
Father, for
in Jesus' name
we pray.
Amen.