Weekend Podcast | JaxNaz Church

Surrounded by his closest friends, Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:34-35).”

If we are called to love one another as Jesus loved us, what would that look like? Jesus didn’t keep a

safe distance; he dove right into the lives of others. He came all the way to us, put on flesh, and made

his dwelling among us. He laid his life down for his friends. How do we follow his example and live out

his new command?

Surrounded by his closest friends, Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:34-35).”

If we are called to love one another as Jesus loved us, what would that look like? Jesus didn’t keep a

safe distance; he dove right into the lives of others. He came all the way to us, put on flesh, and made

his dwelling among us. He laid his life down for his friends. How do we follow his example and live out

his new command?

In 2 Kings 6, the prophet Elisha was working as a double agent for the king of Aram and the king of

Israel. When the king of Aram caught wind of this, he was enraged. He ordered an all-out blitz in

Elisha’s direction. When Elisha’s servant saw that they were surrounded, he was ready to throw in the

towel and raise the white flag. Elisha responded by assuring his servant, “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet

answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then he prayed this

prayer, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.”

The rest of this story is pretty remarkable. We see that even when evil and darkness surround us, the

awareness of God’s power and presence can change our perspective. When we are given a new

awareness of the God who will never leave us or forsake us, we are able to see our highest highs and our lowest lows in a new light.

The Apostle Paul was a driven and passionate individual. In his mind, this was his world and everyone

else was just living in it. Then he met Jesus (insert record scratch). Paul would eventually write these

words in Philippians 3, “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What

is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,

for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in

him.”

Paul was given a new drive, accompanied by new appetites and priorities. God still used his passionate

personality, gifts, and abilities to accomplish great things. He just sent him on a new trajectory to

promote a new world, the kingdom of God, and a new message, the good news of Jesus.

Throughout his letters, the Apostle Paul encourages new believers to “put on” and “clothe themselves” with a new attire. I don’t know about you, but I hate shopping for new clothes. Finding the right thing for the right price is exhausting. The good news is, the new attire that Paul writes about has already been picked out and paid for. It is just the style and feel that you’ve been looking for! You’re going to look great!

That being said, with the addition of new items to your wardrobe, some old items will have to go. That’s okay. They’re worn out, ill-fitting, and out of style. You and I don’t need them anyway.

When the prominent Pharisee, Nicodemus, secretly approached Jesus at night; he wanted to ask about

his teachings and kick the tires of Jesus’ message. Jesus cut to the chase, “Very truly I tell you, no one

can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” Nicodemus responded with, “Huh?” That’s the paraphrased version of Nicodemus’ response. What did Jesus mean by this?

In this message, we will look at the meaning and implications of the new birth and new life that Jesus

came to bring. Jesus didn’t come to make a few, minor tweaks in an attempt to make us better people. Jesus Changes Everything!