You can find these kinds of interactions all throughout the gospels. But, fast forward to John 18 and the scene where Jesus is getting arrested. Jesus asks a very practical question – but I think it may be the questions he’s been asking the whole time he was on earth. It’s a big crescendo type moment. He asks them, “Who is it you want?” Who is it you want?

Isn’t that the same question He’s been asking all through His ministry. Everyone who comes to him wants something. Every one of them expects something. But what if Jesus doesn’t match your expectations? What if Jesus isn’t who you want Him to be?

What about you? Who do you want God to be? Do you want God to be some big grandpa in the sky who gives you hard candies while he tells you stories? Is that who He is? Do you want God to be your buddy who always thinks the best of you? Or, do you want God to be … angry, wrathful, authoritative? Do you want him to be the punisher of evil?

Who do you want Jesus to be? Do you want the cool, calm, laid-back kind of hippie Jesus on the beach, hanging out? Do you like the “friend of sinners” Jesus, the one who’s the opposer of institutions? Do you want Jesus to be a teacher, maybe a sage, the wise guy who’s got all the answers?

What if Jesus isn’t who you think He is? What if Jesus doesn’t match your expectations?

Jesus said, “REMAIN in me … APART from me you can do nothing.” This statement is for those who are in Jesus, and it’s also for those who have never followed him. If you’ve never made a decision to follow Jesus, you need to get connected. It’s time to make dead things come alive. It’s time to get grafted into the family of God.

But this is mainly a strong warning to the church. Jesus said these words to his followers. You need to know that if you’ve made a decision to follow Jesus sometime in the past, you have to stay connected.

Go back to the disciples … did they fail? Maybe they failed in the moment … but not in the long term. The reason we know their names … the reason the church exists today … the reason the name of Jesus is known in every corner of the earth … is because these men didn’t leave the room. It was awkward; it was uncomfortable. And no doubt, following Jesus brought lots of awkwardness for the rest of their lives. Beyond awkward. We can say hard, difficult, conflict-laced moments for the rest of their lives.

But they remained, and they didn’t back down. They stayed connected to the true vine, and it changed the world.

And later in life, much later in life, Peter writes some words about a terribly awkward moment. Peter says seeing Jesus after walking away from him is the ultimate in awkward – it far surpasses awkward. He says it would be better if you’d never known Jesus to begin with. Peter who disowned Jesus – Peter who disconnected – is the same Peter leading the church and warning followers not to walk away. He knows the pain and awkwardness.

Church – remain. It’s a word that can only be used for those who are connected. Jesus said this to his followers. He says it to his inner circle of eleven, as one of them has wandered off into the night to betray him. Church, remain and abide — stay connected.

"There are 2 great commandments, guys: #2: Love your neighbors as much as you love yourself. Love your families, your neighbors, your friends, your colleagues, even your enemies as much as you love yourself. … That’s hard. But that’s #2. #1 is this: Love God with all your heart … all of it, with all your soul … all of it, with all your mind … all of it. He’s first, guys. Honoring . God . comes . first.

Guys, people love a cause. It’s cool to have causes … noble causes, selfless causes. And, one of the great causes is to help the poor. Clean water, healthy food, a safe place to live, decent medical care. Those are great causes! Worthy causes! But some of those people who are close to me don’t care about connecting the poor with God. What’s wrong with them! What’s wrong with that!

Guys, we want to be a church family known for our generosity, our compassion, our genuine love for people. But beyond any of that, we want to be a church family that connects those we love with Jesus and drags them to heaven with us. I hope you individually will be known for your generosity, your compassion, your genuine love for people. But beyond that, I hope you want to be a person who is trying to connect those you love with Jesus and drag them to heaven with you."

"I think we live in a "truth desert." We live in a world where thoughts like "What's true for you may not be true for me" exist. We live in a world where thoughts like "I'm just living out my truth" — that's a normal thought. Truth — real truth … absolute truth — is becoming more and more scarce. And our world is living off of processed truth, unhealthy truth — truth without nutrition or value. Truth that won't actually sustain. It may satisfy your hunger for a time, but it won't give you what you're looking for.

In a world that we live in today where truth has become far more limited, where truth is much harder to find, here's a big statement that's going to ruffle some feathers: Your truth doesn't matter if it doesn't match Jesus’ truth. Your truth isn't important if it isn't Jesus’ truth. You can press your opinion; you can have an idea; you can lean in to what you say is true for you; but if it doesn't match His truth, then it's like living off of processed and unhealthy options. It's going to satisfy you for a little bit, but it's going to bring health issues in the future; it isn't going to accomplish what you want in the long term."

Do you want to get well? It wasn’t just a question for the man – but also for the religious folks.

Church, we've got to repent. That word repent, it's a big church word. It just means changing your mind into alignment with Jesus. Repentance is basically saying, "Jesus, you’re always right. I want to think like you do so that it will lead me to live like you do."

Repentance is a part of becoming a Jesus follower. We’ve mentioned that the last couple of weeks. Repentance is part of the process of becoming a Jesus Follower, just like belief, confession, and baptism. But we don’t just repent one time in life. It’s not a one-time event. As a Jesus follower, every time we identify a place where we are in conflict with Jesus, we acknowledge that we are wrong and we begin working on being right. So, we repent.

If you're guilty of judging people who are coming into a relationship with Jesus … if you see yourself as a gatekeeper to Jesus … if you place more emphasis on church behavior than you do a relationship with Jesus, I'm calling you to repent. Make it right. We had better seek compassion in the same way that Jesus did.

And, if we're unwilling, then don’t be surprised when Jesus doesn’t have much compassion for you.

"There are different ways of saying “again” in Greek. The one here is kind of odd. If you were to check it out in your Bible you’d probably see a little note next to the word “again.” If you go to the margin it will explain the note. It will tell you that the word “again” can also mean “from above.” “You must be born again.” Or, “You must be born from above.” One words, two definitions. And both work. Every one us was birthed once … physically. But you are not just a physical creature. We’re kind of like “hybrids” – both physical and spiritual. And for us to be what we were meant to be, a spiritual birth … a “born again,” a “born from above,” is required, too. Our Creator must re-create, Jesus says. … So … have you been “born again … from above”?" Stephen Pattison, Lead Minister

"This is the big idea. Jesus invited. He didn't force. He didn't power people into following Him. He didn't beg people to believe in Him. He didn't perform people into accepting Him. It’s true that he taught with authority. It’s true that Jesus wowed with His miracles and His signs. And it’s true that there were times when Jesus attracted large crowds.

But … for the person — for the individual who would come face-to-face with Jesus – they were offered an invitation.

Jesus offers us an invitation to participate, to experience, to learn, and to follow. He offers us an invitation into a relationship with Him, and it matches the pattern that God had set from the very beginning." Ben Webb, Associate Minister

"So... till death do us part: perseverance, endurance, faithfulness. That’s what I preached 25 years ago. And it was solid stuff, I think. But we need to go deeper. Because it’s missing, I think, maybe the most important part. Because... what if perseverance isn’t measured just by time? What if endurance and faithfulness aren’t measured just by time?" Stephen "Doc" Pattison, Lead Minister

"James says the proud are in competition with God. Have you ever felt like God is against you? Do you ever feel like your marriage isn’t getting any better? Maybe, just maybe, you have an issue. Maybe you need to be broken of your pride.

James says the humble are on God’s team. Do you want God to come back into your marriage? Do you want God to bring healing? Invite Him back... with humility. Don’t try to manipulate Him into giving you what you want. Just approach Him with humility." Ben Webb, Associate Minister

"If you step into the Bible, you’ll find the word gentle in several places. If you look at the Greek language, something more robust reveals itself. The Greek word for gentleness is pra - ooh - tayce. Historically, this word originally described the space existing between having a hot temper … and having no temper at all. I think this definition gets at something our usual understanding of gentleness misses. Gentleness only exists when there’s an opportunity not to be gentle — when harshness is an equally available option. To be kind or tender or mild-mannered is gentleness … IF you have the ability to NOT be kind or NOT be tender or NOT be mild-mannered.

So, what I’m saying is this: the foundation of gentleness is actually power. It’s authority. It’s the ability to use force — but choosing to restrain … to be gentle.

A gentleman is someone with strength – someone who could do harm – but instead treats people with gentleness and kindness. Let me show you how this plays out in our lives." Ben Webb, Associate Minister