The In Crowd

The In Crowd. The word "in" means used to indicate inclusion. So the question is am I part of the in crowd? Let me take inventory; I don't have 22's on the Safari van, I don't have a Gouchi watch, I don't have a Pierre Cardin sweater, I have a wife who does not have a Coach purse or set of shoes, I don't even have a 52" LCD HDTV: Sharp's LC-52SB55U Full HD 1080p LCD TV provides a slim, versatile high-definition television solution with a distinctive design. The LC-52SB55U features a high-performance Advanced Super View LCD panel for high brightness, a 10,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio, low-reflection glare protection and wide viewing angles!-What is wrong with me. I don't get invited to parties with caviar and crackers, I don't get calls to meet my cronies at the country club to hit a round and the governor has not asked me to the inaugural ball, so I must conclude........ that I AM IN WITH THE IN CROWD.

Scripture
John 15:1-10
1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.

Observation
In this portion of scripture there are 9 references to me remaining in him, and 3 references to him being in me. Remember...in means to indicate inclusion. What a place be me to be. A sinner saved by grace, a man whom God is constantly shaking his head at "Warren what are you doing, you're killing me"-but covers me with the blood of the lamb and sees me through the redemption he provided, BUT YET I am included in God. Included in God. Wow. Jesus tells me that if I remain in Him, in His Vine, in His Love, in. Jesus wants me to come. If I come... I am in with the IN crowd.

Application
Remaining in him. Remaining means to continue to be as specified. Jesus died to cover the depth and depravity of my sin. When I accept that eternal gift I am in Christ. Galations 2:20 says I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. So how does. So what does it look like to have Christ in me, to have me remain in Christ, to continue in Christ? How do I remain with people around me? I talk with them, we sit down and have a cup of coffee and a scone, I share my thoughts, I listen for theirs, we laugh, I share hopes, I share disappointments; I have a working relationship with them. That relationship will continue, and continue and continue. If I approach it like this. "we said we would continue to be friends but I never call you, I'm kind of angry at you( not sure why),I never read the encouraging notes you leave for me, I won't listen to the wise counsel given that will keep me from huge mistakes and problems in my life, I don't share any of my hopes and desires, and I only complain that nothing good happens to me since we became friends." I have not continued in the relationship. So I need to remain in Christ, then I need to continue to talk with Christ, read the notes he has left for me, appreciate and love him for what he did for me(he saved me. I was going down a class 5 river with rapids all around, my head popping up and down(more down) gasping for breath and life and he threw me a life line and pulled me to shore, cleared my lungs, removed my wet clothes and provided me with new dry ones, made a fire for me for warmth, and walked me over to his cabin and had me sit in his hand made rocking chair, then gave me something warm to eat and said, "welcome in").

Prayer
Father, You have given me the path to be in with you. Thank you for that. It is nothing I have done, or can do. You established the route for me to be in you. I ask that you would take all the things away from me, that would attempt to cause me not to remain in you. Take my eyes off the things of this would that would draw me in to a 52" plasma, instead of into you; take my eyes of what my neighbor has and let them by onto you realizing what you have given me; take my heart which desires recognition and let me remain in you recognizing what you have done for me. Thank you for letting me be in the IN crowd. Only IN YOU. Amen.