Text: Jon 15:1-8
Living in the Presence of Jesus Christ
Living in the presence of Jesus Christ is the Christian’s best protection and the source of effervescent strengthening. Let’s start with the second. In John (7:38), Jesus says that those who believe in Him would have rivers of living water bubbling up within Him, that is, it signifies an endless, invigorating spiritual supply. In the previous chapter, He indicated, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst”.
In His response to the temptation by Satan, Jesus responded, “”Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4). Being in Jesus, as John puts in another passage, is “Walking in the light as He is in the light” (I John 1:7) and that light comes from the Word (Psalm 119:11).
Being in His presence as a way of living that is also the believer’s best protection. Psalm 23 reminds us that “though you walk through the shadow of death, you need fear no evil.”According to Psalm 121:7-9 the Lord guards you’re going out and your coming in.” Psalm 119:105 reminds us that “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet; hence, it shows me where I shouldgo.
Standing Professionally and Personally
Whether you read the Old Testament, the New Testament or the history of the church beyond the first century, remaining faithful, standing, has always been a challenge. But along the way, we have those who have modeled standing by living in the presence of Christ.
Standing is not about what you know.
Standing, faithfulness, is about who you know. It is not about who you worship, where you worship or when you worship, and how you worship. It is not about methodology or scientific understanding of religion. Standing is dependent upon who you know and with whom you are becoming more and more intimate. Standing is about living in the presence of God.
The have been many martyrs who illustrate this, but few account as inspiring as this one.
On 11 May 1685, Margaret Wilson and Margaret MacLauchlan drowned in the Solway Firth at Wigtown Scotland for refusing to take the oath of recanting. Growing up, Margaret Wilson (18), and her brother and sister had often had to hide from government troops because they wouldn’t go to hear the Episcopal ministers. One day, however, Margaret and her sister Agnes (13) were finally caught. Their father managed to get his younger daughter released, but he couldn’t save Margaret. She was to be drowned with an older woman, Margaret McLaughlin.
The soldiers staked them while the tide was out. The younger Margaret was tied nearer to the shore so the older woman would die first with the hope that the young Margaret recant. As the older woman was drowning, the soldiers gave Margaret another opportunity. She replied, “I see Christ wrestling there”. The soldiers than asked her to pray for the king. Her prayer was brief, “God save him if he will, for it is his salvation I desire”. But she refused to recant and diedsinging Psalm 25.
These women stood strong. Did they experience protection and the associated promises noted above? Absolutely. The entered the everlasting eternal presence of Christ experiencing 1 John 3:2.
Conclusion
Since this is the case then it is at this very point that Satan’s attack is focused. If he tempts and subsequently snares us into drifting from the presence of Jesus, then we will not stand in our personal lives and will not bear fruit in our professional lives. I have sometimes thought that if all the believers inside the Beltway would sequester themselves and spend a day meditating upon Proverbs 28:1-16 and then live it in the presence of Jesus throughout the government establishment, both the country and the church would become a different rather quickly.
Implementation
Take a read and see picture in John 14-17. John 15:1-8 is the core of the upper room discourse. Everything taught in these chapters is dependent upon grasping and implementing 1-8.
PostScript
Charlie Kirk is the latest martyr to display this for us. No, we should not turn him into an idol, but we should appreciate the inspiration he has generated that precipitated an awareness of what it looks like to live in the presence of Christ. No, you and I may not ever have the prominencethat gets us assassinated. That is not the point. But, living in the presence of our Lord everyday will empower us to touch our sphere of influence. Multiple that by the number of professing believers and once again, in God’s good providence we can “turn the world upside down (Acts 17:6)” in each of our spheres of influence.