The Humble Messenger

,

Believe

The Humble Messenger

(John 1:19-28)

 

INTRODUCTION

Psychologist Milton Rokeach wrote a book called The Three Christs of Ypsilanti. He described his attempts to treat three patients at a psychiatric hospital in Ypsilanti, Michigan, who suffered from delusions of grandeur. Each believed he was unique among humankind; he had been called to save the world; he was the messiah. They displayed full-blown cases of grandiosity, in its pure form.

 

Rokeach found it difficult to break through, to help the patients accept the truth about their identity. So he decided to put the three into a little community to see if rubbing against people who also claimed to be the messiah might dent their delusion—a kind of messianic, 12-step recovery group.

 

This led to some interesting conversations. One would claim, "I'm the messiah, the Son of God. I was sent here to save the earth."

 

"How do you know?" Rokeach would ask.

 

"God told me."

 

One of the other patients would counter, "I never told you any such thing."

 

Every once in a while, one got a glimmer of reality—never deep or for long, so deeply ingrained was the messiah complex. But what progress Rokeach made was pretty much made by putting them together.

 

John Ortberg, "Leader's Insight: Curing Grandiosity (Part Two)," LeadershipJournal.net (1-29-07)

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2007/may/2050707.html].

 

Most of us don’t struggle with a God/Messiah complex, but we can sometimes think too highly of ourselves.

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Working for others

        • We see in Colossians 3:18-25, rules for Christian households

        • Colossians 3:22-24, Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. ​​ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. ​​ It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

        • When I work for others, I try to do my very best

          • I worked for two ministries prior to becoming a pastor

          • While working with those ministries, I always tried to do my best to make my boss look good

          • I never felt like I needed praise or acknowledgement for working hard, because I found joy in making my boss look good

          • I also knew that I wasn’t really serving my boss, but the Lord

          • That perspective changes everything in the work environment

        • It was never about me, but rather about the Lord and my boss

 

  • WE

    • Recognizing who we are serving

        • There are times in our work environment when we really enjoy working for our boss

        • There are other times when we wish our boss was someone else

        • During the difficult times, we have to remember that we are really working for the Lord and not for men

        • We have to come to the realization that it’s not about us, but about the Lord

 

John the evangelist continues to share about John the Baptist. ​​ In John 1:19-34 we see the testimony of John the Baptist. ​​ He first expresses his testimony in a negative way (vv. 19-28) and then shares it in a positive way (vv. 29-34). ​​ We will be looking at the negative way today. ​​ Now this negative testimony is not bad, but rather it’s John the Baptist denying the assumptions of the religious leaders from Jerusalem. ​​ John the Baptist was letting them know that his testimony was not about him, but someone else. ​​ He wants us to understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – Our testimony is not about me, but about He (Jesus).

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (John 1:19-28)

    • Three Assumptions (vv. 19-21)

        • The questioners

          • John the Baptist had obviously gotten the attention of the religious leaders, which is why they sent a delegation to question him

            • They were the religious leaders for the people of Israel, but now a large number of their people were following John and being baptized by him

            • They needed to know why

            • “The very fact that emissaries from the Jerusalem authorities show up on John’s doorstep serves as a show of power and as a signal that the authorities will not tolerate in the long run a ministry that runs counter to their own purposes.” ​​ [Köstenberger, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, John, 59]

          • The Jews of Jerusalem sent a group to question John the Baptist

            • This was probably the Sanhedrin

            • Jon Courson likens them to our Supreme Court [Jon Courson’s Application Commentary, New Testament, 439]

            • They were the highest religious ruling group in Judaism

          • Priests and Levites

            • The priests were responsible for serving in the Temple

            • The Levites were responsible for assisting the priests in their service

            • Both groups handled the ritual purification that took place in the Temple, so they would be the best candidates to question John about his practice of baptizing individuals

        • The priests and Levites came to John to ask him who he was

          • Because John was baptizing individuals, the religious leaders had a preconceived idea of what time period was approaching – the eschaton (end times)

          • Since they thought they knew what time period was approaching, it narrowed their view of who John might be

          • So, they had three assumptions, based on their study of Scripture and understanding of end times

            • 1st assumption – the Christ

              • Now, John the evangelist doesn’t record the actual question that the priests and Levites ask

              • But, from John the Baptist’s answer we know the question was whether or not he was the Christ

                • The Greek word for Christ means “anointed One”

                • The Hebrew word for Messiah means “anointed One”

                • So, we see that the religious leaders are asking John the Baptist if he is the promised Messiah, their deliverer

                • In the 1st Century there was great expectation and anticipation of the Messiah’s arrival

                • Jesus’ miraculous birth, the announcement of the angel to the shepherds, the shepherds testimony, and the Wiseman’s appearance a couple of years later, helped to feed this expectation and anticipation of the coming Messiah

                • It wouldn’t have been out of place for the priests and Levites to ask this question of John

              • We see John the Baptist’s response

                • He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely

                  • Within Christianity, when we hear the word “confess” we normally think about confessing our sins, but that is not the intent of John’s confession here

                  • “‘Confessed’ does not refer to confession of sins but to maintaining one’s allegiance to Jesus Christ in the face of hostile interrogation, and this is what John is doing here implicitly.” ​​ [Michaels, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, The Gospel of John, 96]

                  • We can learn a lot from John’s example here

                  • When faced with those who deny the deity of Christ, the existence of God, the validity of Scripture, etc., we have to maintain our allegiance to Jesus and confess Him to the world

                  • PRINCIPLE – We should never fail to confess Christ.

                  • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Speak up and confess my allegiance to Christ when others question and deny Jesus as Lord.

                • He told them that he was not the Christ, the Messiah

                • He wasn’t about to claim this name for himself

              • Our testimony is not about me, but about He (Jesus)

              • After John denies being the Christ, they move on to the next end time figure

            • 2nd assumption – Elijah

              • If he was not the Christ, then perhaps he was Elijah

              • This tells us that the religious leaders knew prophecy

                • Malachi 3:1, “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. ​​ Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.

                • Malachi 4:5-6, “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. ​​ He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

                • The religious leaders were taking the words of the prophet Malachi, literally – Elijah would return in person

                  • They held to this belief because they knew the history about Elijah from the Scriptures

                  • They had learned that Elijah never died, but was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11)

                  • So, when they read Malachi’s prophecy about Elijah preparing the way for the Lord, they understood it in a literal sense

                • Jesus explained that John the Baptist fulfilled the prophecy concerning Elijah

                  • Matthew 11:12-14, From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. ​​ For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. ​​ And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.

                  • Matthew 17:10-13, The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” ​​ Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. ​​ But I tell, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. ​​ In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” ​​ Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

                • An angel prophesied to Zechariah (John’s father) about him prior to his birth

                  • The angel was telling Zechariah all that his son would accomplish

                  • Luke 1:17, “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

                • John certainly fulfilled the prophecies from Malachi and the angel of the Lord – he was making the way ready for the Messiah

              • Perhaps John the Baptist even resembled Elijah

                • Mark 1:6, John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

                • 2 Kings 1:8, They replied, “He was a man with a garment of hair and with a leather belt around his waist.” ​​ The king said, “That was Elijah the Tishbite.”

                • So, John’s wardrobe resembled that of Elijah

                • It wouldn’t have been a stretch for the religious leaders to make this connection and then misunderstand and misinterpret prophecy

              • John foils their second assumption, by telling them that he is not Elijah

            • 3rd assumption – the Prophet

              • This assumption is again steeped in Jewish history and the promise of Moses found in Deuteronomy 18:15-19

              • Deuteronomy 18:15, 18-19, The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. ​​ You must listen to him . . . I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. ​​ If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.

              • John’s answer to their third assumption is, “No.”

              • He was not the Prophet that Moses promised

        • Perhaps the priests and the Levites were baffled at this point, because John denied all three of their assumptions about who he was

    • Who are you? (vv. 22-23)

        • The priests and Levites know they can’t return empty handed to the Sanhedrin (Jews of Jerusalem)

          • They finally ask John to explain to them who he was

          • Have you ever struggled with remembering someone’s name when you’re trying to tell another person who you saw?

            • The other person starts throwing out names and you have to say “No” to everyone of their guesses

            • The person’s name you’re trying to think of is right on the tip of your brain, but having to respond “No” to the guesses distracts you from pulling the person’s name out of your brain

            • That can be so frustrating

            • I wonder if John the Baptist was getting exasperated with the priests and Levites

            • Perhaps he was thinking, “just let me tell you who I am!”

          • I find it fascinating, but not surprising, that John uses the words of the prophet Isaiah to answer their final question

        • John quotes the prophet Isaiah

          • Remember, the religious leader’s assumptions were all based on Old Testament prophecies about the Christ, Elijah, and the Prophet

          • John hits them with more Old Testament prophecy, which they probably already knew

            • John is not the Christ, but is rather a voice

              • The messenger is not as important as the message

              • “Though Jesus is the Word, the Baptist is ‘a voice’ directing his audience to Jesus.” ​​ [Köstenberger, 62]

              • Our testimony is not about me, but about He (Jesus)

              • PRINCIPLE – Disciples of Christ should always point people to Jesus.

                • Our personal testimony is the most powerful tool we have in sharing the Gospel, because no one can deny what happened to us

                • Now, in sharing our testimony we have to be careful that it doesn’t become about us

                • Greg Laurie in his book Tell Someone gives some great guidelines about sharing our testimony, especially concerning our past life of sin and rebellion against God

                  • Don’t glorify or exaggerate your past [pg. 85]

                  • Don’t boast about your work, boast in His [pg. 86]

                  • It’s not about you; it’s about Him! [pg. 87]

                  • “Our story is the bridge, not the destination. ​​ The point of sharing your story is so you can tell His story: ​​ His love for humanity, His death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead.” ​​ [pg. 87]

              • We are simply the voice, the messenger, pointing people to Jesus

              • What we see next is a change in location of punctuation from the words of the prophet in the book of Isaiah to the words of John the Baptist in the Gospel of John

            • Straight paths

              • In the desert

                • Isaiah 40:3, A voice on one calling: ​​ “In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.”

                • The Israelites were being released from captivity during Isaiah’s day

                • They would be returning to the Promised Land

                • “In the original context, the Old Testament prophet is calling for a (metaphorical) improvement in the road system of the desert to the east, a levelling of hills and valleys and a straightening of the curves, to accommodate the return of the covenant people from exile.” ​​ [Carson, Pillar New Testament Commentary, The Gospel According to John, 144]

              • In our lives

                • Here in the Gospel of John, we see that John the Baptist is the voice in the desert

                • His message, as the voice, is to make straight the way for the Lord

                • “‘Make the Lord’s path straight’ conveys the image of ‘preparing a roadway by clearing away the obstacles’ (Morris 1995: ​​ 121). ​​ The task of witnessing to Jesus today is similar: ​​ clearing away obstacles that may keep people from coming to Jesus, the most glaring being their sin and need of repentance.” ​​ [Köstenberger, 62-63]

                • “We might liken it to constructing an interstate highway or autobahn for Christ in our lives.” ​​ [Borchert, The New American Commentary, John 1-11, 131]

            • John the Baptist was calling people to repentance and pointing them to Jesus Christ

        • Even after John explains who he is, the priests and Levites are still stuck on the fact that he is not the Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet

    • Authority questioned (vv. 24-28)

        • Some Pharisees question John about why he is baptizing

          • If he’s not one of the eschatological figures they assumed him to be, then why is he baptizing people?

          • Baptism in the 1st Century was not a foreign concept

            • It was considered a form of ritual cleansing or purification

            • In the Jewish cultural it was reserved for Gentiles who converted to Judaism

            • Baptism was a way for Gentiles to be prepared for the final judgement, therefore, the Jews thinking John was the Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet

            • The Jews obviously didn’t need to be baptized, because they were God’s chosen people (a misconception)

            • So, when John begins baptizing fellow Jews, it obviously creates a red flag in the religious leader’s minds

            • They need answers!

          • We see John’s response

        • John’s response

          • He baptizes with water

            • “Water baptism for John’s disciples was a ritual act of cleansing demonstrating repentance and anticipation of the Messiah.” ​​ [Gangel, Holman New Testament Commentary, John, 14]

            • What they didn’t realize is that Jesus was already there

            • I’m getting ahead of myself, we’ll talk about that next week

          • We see the humility of John

            • What the religious leaders are really saying to John the Baptist, in this final question is, “Who do you think you are and by whose authority are you baptizing, our fellow Jews?”

            • John could have thrown down his credentials at that point, but he doesn’t

            • “If I had been John, I would have probably said something like, ‘I’ll tell you who I am: ​​ I’m the last of the Old Testament prophets. ​​ My birth was declared to my father by an angel. ​​ The Holy Spirit empowered me for this mission when I was still in the womb. ​​ The Son of God called me the greatest man ever to walk the face of the earth [Matt 11:11]. ​​ That’s who I am! ​​ Who are you?’” ​​ [Carter and Wredberg, Christ-Centered Exposition: ​​ Exalting Jesus in John, 30]

            • But John knows that his role is to become less, so that Jesus might become greater (John 3:30)

            • PRINCIPLE – Followers of Jesus should be characterized by humility.

              • John says that he is not even worthy to untie the leather straps that hold Jesus’ sandals on

                • In the 1st Century, the disciples of a Rabbi were to obediently do anything that was asked of them, except washing their feet

                • This task was reserved for the servant or slave (the lowest position in the culture)

                • John’s humility places him below a servant or slave

                • He again points to Jesus as the One who comes after him – the Messiah

              • Our testimony is not about me, but about He (Jesus).

                • Think for a moment about your testimony

                • Would you say that it is more about the glorification of your past and boasting about the things you’ve sacrificed?

                • Are there changes you need to make when sharing your testimony, so that your story is simply the bridge to telling God’s story of salvation through Jesus Christ?

                • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Review my testimony to make sure that it focuses more on Jesus and less on me.

                • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Take time this week to write out my testimony, so I’m ready to share it with my family, friends, and coworkers.

          • John the evangelist shares one more important note

        • Geographical note

          • The location of where John was baptizing disciples for Jesus was in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan

          • This distinguishes it from Bethany in Judea where Lazarus, Mary, and Martha lived (that location was near Jerusalem on the other side of the Mount of Olives

          • The actual location is lost to us, perhaps because it was not a highly populated area in Galilee

 

  • YOU

    • We should never fail to confess Christ

    • We should be characterized by humility when sharing our testimony

 

  • WE

    • People need us to confess Christ, because the world’s message seems to drown out the message of the Gospel

    • We need to get our story out of the way, so God’s story can be seen clearly

 

CONCLUSION

"If you work hard, good things will happen . . . to someone else."

 

So goes the motto of the All-Joes Team. Each year USA Today honors overlooked and often unappreciated football players by naming them to what the newspaper calls its All-Joes Team. Now in its tenth year, the All-Joes award celebrates men who sacrifice their egos for the good of their team.

 

For all their hard work, these grunts receive little glory. "You have to know your role," says William Henderson, fullback for Green Bay's Ahman Green. "I'm there to create a cavity for Ahman to get through and to protect the quarterback from bodily harm." Guess who gets the accolades when Green runs for 1000 yards? "People don't respect the position," says Henderson.

 

But teammates notice. Fullback Mack Strong blocks for Seattle's Ricky Watters, and Watters depends on him. "Mack does all the dirty work in the run game. He does everything. I mean, if the goal posts fell, I wouldn't be surprised to see him go over there and hold them up."

 

As a result of being named to the All-Joe team, some players have gone on to further glory. Previous All-Joes have made it to the Pro Bowl, including Washington defensive end Marco Coleman, New York Jets receiver Wayne Chrebet, and Seattle offensive tackle Walter Jones.

 

We as Christians need to work for someone else's glory too. Our role is to diminish so that Jesus may increase. If we make this our goal, Jesus will make sure our efforts won't go unnoticed.

 

Steve Gertz, Wheaton, Illinois; source: Larry Weisman, "All-Joes honor fullbacks for dirty job well done," USA Today (12-16-02)

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2002/january/13476.html].

11

 

/by

I’ve Been There, And I’ll Always Be There For You

Believe

I’ve Been There, And I’ll Always Be There For You

(John 1:14-18)

 

INTRODUCTION

Learning different languages.

 

BODY

 

BIG IDEA – Our God wants to know and be known by us.

 

QUESTION – Why would God become one of us?

 

  • GOD (John 1:14-18)

    • Experience (v. 14)

        • God’s experience of humanity

          • John 4:6-7; 11:33, 35

          • Exodus 25:8-9; 40:34

        • Humanity’s experience of God

    • Example (vv. 15-17)

        • Of how to navigate this life He gave us

    • Explanation

        • Of God and His character

        • Who is He?

          • What matters to Him?

          • Galatians 3:13-14

 

CONCLUSION

God became man, so He could die for us. ​​ As deity He couldn’t die. ​​ As a human He could die for us.

2

 

/by

We’ll Leave The Light On For You

,

Believe

We’ll Leave The Light On For You.

(John 1:6-13)

 

INTRODUCTION

Motel 6 Radio Ads (stop after “‘Recycled Words’ 30 sec.” at 2:14)

 

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cVRMGEL5GY&t=198s].

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Always pray and not give up

        • During my devotions on Thursday God used Luke 18:1-8 to encourage me about praying and continuing to pray about several items

        • Luke 18:1, Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

        • I don’t know about you, but there can be times in my life when I stop praying about certain things because it seems as though God is not answering

        • I had two prayer requests just like that and through my devotions, I have started praying for those two requests again

        • I also added some additional requests to my list of things that I need to continue to pray about

        • One of those prayer requests was for salvation for a particular individual

 

  • WE

    • Praying for salvation for family and friends

        • Are there individuals in your sphere of influence (family, friends, or coworkers) that you used to pray for about salvation, but you’ve stopped?

        • I want to encourage you to begin praying for them again

        • It’s important that we pray and not give up

 

John introduces us to his first witness concerning the Light (Jesus). ​​ This individual was not the light, but testified about the light. ​​ He did his job very well. ​​ He never gave up telling others about the Light. ​​ What John wants us to do is follow the example of this first witness. ​​ He wants us to . . .

 

BIG IDEA – Leave the Light on for the lost.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (John 1:6-13)

    • The Witness (vv. 6-9)

        • The witness identified (v. 6)

          • John, the evangelist, summarizes John the Baptist’s life in one sentence

          • Luke gives a more thorough description of John the Baptist’s birth and ministry in Luke 1

            • John’s conception is miraculous

            • His name means “the Lord is gracious”

            • John the Baptist was a relative of Jesus

            • We know he was to be set apart, before he was even born

          • We see that the message that John the Baptist was bringing was not something he made up on his own

            • His message came from God, because he came from God

            • “John did not design the message; he was sent on a mission by God to deliver it.” ​​ [Carter and Wredberg, Christ-Centered Exposition: ​​ Exalting Jesus in John, 16]

            • “The phrase ‘sent from God’ is reminiscent of the OT description of a prophet whose role was to function as a spokesperson for God (e.g., 2 Chron. 24:19; 25:15; Jer. 7:25; 25:4; 28:9; 35:15; 44:4; Ezek. 2:3).” ​​ [Köstenberger, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, John, 32]

              • We shouldn’t dismiss or marginalize the significance of that idea too quickly

              • Remember that from the end of the Old Testament (Malachi) to the beginning of the New Testament was a 400 year period when the Israelites did not hear from God

              • Now, as John the Baptist arrives on the scene we see a phrase that was used for God’s prophets in the OT being used once again

              • John the Baptist is God’s messenger, His witness, His spokesperson

          • Once John, the evangelist, identifies the witness, he immediately explains what his purpose and goal was

        • The purpose and goal of the witness (v. 7-8)

          • Purpose – to testify about the light

            • John the Baptist was not the light, but he was a witness to the light

            • A witness does not direct attention to themselves, but rather tells what they know and have heard about a situation or person

            • “When the sun is shining in all its beauty, who are the ones unconscious of the fact? ​​ Who need to be told it is shining? ​​ The blind! ​​ How tragic, then, when we read that God sent John to ‘bear witness of the light.’ ​​ How pathetic that there should be any need for this! ​​ How solemn the statement that men have to be told ‘the light’ is now in their midst. ​​ What a revelation of man’s fallen condition. (John, 26) ​​ [A. W. Pink cited by Carter and Wredberg, 16]

            • God had given John wisdom about Himself and the Messiah, so he could tell what he heard and knew

            • John was simply pointing others to Jesus

            • We’ll see this in John 1:35 when we get there

          • Goal – so that all men might believe

            • His purpose was to be a witness that testified about the light

            • The goal of his witness and testimony was that, through him, all men might believe

              • When it mentions men here it’s in a general sense, meaning men and women (all of humanity)

              • Here is the first use of the word “believe” in John’s Gospel

              • John the Baptist is directing his disciples, and all others who are listening to him, to believe that Jesus is the Messiah

              • What John the Baptist wants is not just head knowledge about Jesus, but an “active, relational trust in Jesus Christ.” ​​ [Köstenberger, 34]

              • We’ll see how he expresses this in the coming weeks

          • PRINCIPLE – God’s desire for His people is that they witness about Jesus.

            • Have you turned off the Light of the Gospel in your life?

              • Perhaps you’ve given up on that family member, friend, or coworker

              • Maybe you’ve never shared your testimony with anyone before, which means you’ve never turned on the Light of the Gospel – your family, friends, and coworkers may not even know you are a Christian

              • Whether you’ve turned off the Light of the Gospel in your life or never turned it on, today is the day to turn on the Light of the Gospel and leave it on for the lost

            • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Be a witness for Jesus Christ on a daily basis.

          • There is a transition that takes place between verse 8 and verse 9, from talking about the witness to talking about the light

        • The light was coming (v. 9)

          • The true light

            • “True” means, “real” or “genuine” ​​ [Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary: ​​ The Gospel According to John, 122]

            • I’m reminded of the movie The Truman Show starring Jim Carrey

              • He’s an insurance salesman who lives in what seems to be a perfect community

              • Everything runs like clockwork

              • He eventually realizes that his whole life is actually a reality TV show

              • The producers are controlling everything that happens in his life, including the sunrise and sunset

              • The sky is not real, but actually projections

              • The sun and moon are not real, but rather computer generated

              • He’s not experiencing true light, but manufactured light

            • What sets Christianity apart from all other religions and cults is what they believe about Jesus Christ (who He was and is, and what He came to earth to accomplish)

              • All other religions and cults will paint Jesus as a good teacher, a wise rabbi, another prophet, etc.

              • They are simply pointing to an imitation and not the real Light

              • John 8:12, When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. ​​ Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

              • While John the Baptist is pointing to Jesus, Jesus is pointing to God

            • Jesus, as the Light, is available to every person

              • Jesus is God’s perfect plan to deal with humanity’s sin (we’ll unwrap this in verses 12 and 13)

              • Everyone is invited to follow Him

              • No one is excluded from the invitation

              • As we’ll see, though, not everyone accepts the invitation

            • John explains next that Jesus’ coming was foretold

          • Was coming into the world

            • The way this verse has been translated leads us to understand that Jesus’ coming was foretold

            • We see, throughout the Old Testament, that many of the prophets foretold Jesus’ coming

        • John, the evangelist, doesn’t waste time, but skims over the 400 years of silence from the Old Testament to the New Testament and states that Jesus was in the world

    • The Light (vv. 10-13)

        • Not recognized by the world (v. 10)

          • In the world

            • What the Gospel writer is expressing here is that Jesus didn’t just pop in to the world for a quick visit

            • He became flesh and made His dwelling among humanity (John 1:14)

            • Jesus lived on the earth for 33 years, before He gave His life on the cross for all of humanity’s sin

          • Creator of the world

            • He created the world together with God

            • The world that is being referred to here are human beings and not vegetation, water, wind, animals, etc.

            • “In other words, Jesus came into this world, and all of creation acknowledged Him. ​​ The winds obeyed Him. ​​ The water supported Him. ​​ The rocks were ready to cry out to Him. ​​ But there was one segment of creation that received Him not: ​​ man.” ​​ [Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary, New Testament, 437]

          • Rejection of God and Jesus

            • What we see is the sinful nature at work

            • The Greek word for “recognize” is better translated as “know”

              • In our culture we define “know” as head knowledge – facts, statistics, etc.

              • In the Greek, the word actually means “more than intellectual knowledge, but rather ‘to be in right relation’” ​​ [Rogers & Rogers, The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament, 176]

            • We don’t want to be in a right relationship with God as our Creator, but rather we want to rebel against Him and go our own way (we willfully turn away from God)

            • Carter and Wredberg explain it well [Carter and Wredberg, 16]

              • “Jesus made our eyes, yet we refused to see his glory.”

              • “Jesus made our ears, yet we refused to listen to his words.”

              • “Jesus made our heads, yet we refused to bow before him.”

          • “Christmas is not about the living God coming to tell us everything's alright. John's gospel isn't about Jesus speaking the truth and everyone saying: ‘Of course! Why didn't we realize it before?’ It is about God shining his clear, bright torch into the darkness of our world, our lives, our hearts, our imaginations—and the darkness not comprehending it. It's about God, God as a little child, speaking words of truth, and nobody knowing what he's talking about.”

            N. T. Wright, "What Is This Word?" ChristianityToday.com             (12-21-06).

            [https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2007/november/christmasabouthumanity.html]

          • John takes it a step further and narrows the focus to a specific people group

        • Not received by the Jews (v. 11)

          • His own

            • This is a reference to the Jewish nation

            • They were God’s chosen people, with the responsibility of showing all other nations what being in a relationship with God was supposed to look like

            • We see through the prophets that the Israelites had been at this for quite a while

              • Isaiah 65:2-3, All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations – a people who continually provoke me to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick.

              • Jeremiah 7:25-26, From the time your forefathers left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets. ​​ But they did not listen to me or pay attention. ​​ They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their forefathers.

            • Paul was passionate about the Gospel of Jesus Christ

              • As he began his ministry, we initially find him going to the synagogues first to share the Gospel with his own people, the Jews

              • When they kicked him out of the synagogue, he would begin teaching the Gentiles

              • He desperately tried to reach the Jews with the Gospel, and yet, suffered heartache when rejected

              • Romans 9:1-4a, I speak the truth in Christ – I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit – I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. ​​ For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel.

              • We should have that same conviction about our own people

            • The Jews did not receive Jesus as their Messiah

          • They didn’t receive Him

            • Easter has just passed and we know from Holy Week that Jesus was rejected by the Jews

            • The religious leaders stirred the people up to demand that Pilot release Barabbas instead of Jesus

            • We also know that the religious leaders encouraged the people to cry out, “Crucify Him! ​​ Crucify Him!”

          • While most Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah, we know that some received Him (Nicodemus & Joseph of Arimathea), which is what John explains in verses 12-13

        • God’s initiative (vv. 12-13)

          • All

            • This takes us back to verse 9 where Jesus, as the Light, is available for every person

            • Everyone is given the same opportunity to receive and believe in the name of Jesus Christ

            • It’s a personal decision that each person has to make individually

            • When we receive Jesus and believe in His name we are saying several things

              • I am a sinner, I know I’ve done wrong things (Rom. 3:23; 6:23)

              • I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, was buried, and came alive again in 3 days to take my punishment for sin (1 Cor. 15:3-4)

              • I repent of my sins, turn to Jesus as the master of my life

            • When we genuinely communicate those things to God, He promises us that we have the right to become His children

            • PRINCIPLE – God will allow anyone to be His child when they receive Jesus and believe in His name.

          • Children of God

            • Perhaps you are ready to make that decision today

              • You may be ready to receive Jesus and believe in His name

              • It’s not unusual for people to make an intellectual decision without a genuine desire to be in a right relationship with God – maybe you’re ready for the decision to move from your head to your heart

              • Today may be the day that you claim the right to become a child of God

              • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Receive Jesus and believe in His name, so I can become a child of God.

            • If we are children of God then one day we will live with Him where He’s at – Heaven!

          • Born of God

            • “We can only be saved through the direct intervention of God.” ​​ [Carter and Wredberg, 18]

            • As human beings we try gain God’s acceptance in three ways

              • Heritage or race (natural descent)

                • “Descent” in the Greek is literally “bloods”

                • It’s the idea of a bloodline or family line

                • This was something that the Jews thought would get them into heaven and a right relationship with God

                • If they descended from Abraham, then they were good, no worries

                • Sometimes we look at our heritage and see godly parents, grandparents, and great grandparents and can think that we are good with God – Christianity is my heritage

                • Some have even thought that because there were pastors in their family line that they somehow were “in” with God without making a personal decision to receive Jesus and believe in His name

              • Sincerity or human comparisons (human decision)

                • This certainly has the idea of passion between a husband and wife in coming together to procreate

                • “The phrase ‘of human decision’ renders the literal ‘will of flesh,’ whereby ‘flesh’ does not denote what is sinful (as it does so often in Paul’s writings), but merely relates to what is natural as opposed to what is supernatural.” ​​ [Köstenberger, 40]

              • Effort or human calculations (husband’s will)

                • This refers to the OT implication of male headship/leadership in the home

                • More specifically about men taking the lead in sexual intercourse, resulting in procreation

            • All three of those ways will not result in a person being in a right relationship with God

              • God is the One who took the initiative in providing salvation through His Son, Jesus

              • Through Jesus death, burial, and resurrection, He made a way for us to become His child

 

  • YOU

    • Leave the Light on for the lost

        • If you’ve turned the Light of the Gospel off in your life, it’s time to turn it back on

        • If you’ve never turned the Light of the Gospel on in your life, it’s time to turn it on

    • Children of God

        • You can turn on the Light of the Gospel in your life for the first time today by receiving Jesus and believing in His name

        • One of the first steps for a new Christian is to tell others what Jesus has done for them – that’s being a witness

 

  • WE

    • We are called to be witnesses about Jesus Christ to those in our sphere of influence who are lost

    • Jesus commanded His disciples and us to Pursue, Grow, and Multiply Disciples

CONCLUSION

“Patrick Henry once said, ‘The most cherished possession I wish I could leave you is my faith in Jesus Christ, for with Him and nothing else you can be happy, but without Him and with all else, you’ll never be happy’ (cited in Detzler, p. 39).” ​​ [Gangel, Holman New Testament Commentary, John, 13].

 

While we cannot leave our faith with our family, friends, and coworkers, we can certainly leave the Light of the Gospel on for them. ​​ We can share the Light of the world with them.

10

 

/by

Believe

, ,

Believe

Believe

(John 1:1-5)

 

INTRODUCTION

“Many years ago, a doting groom penned a love letter to his bride. Stationed at a California military base thousands of miles away from his wife, James Bracy's link to the lovely woman waiting for him to come home were their love letters.

 

But this letter didn't get delivered. Somehow it was lost, lodged between two walls in Fort Ord's mailroom in San Francisco. The letter was lost in the shadows, with its romantic affections of a youthful marriage, sealed with a kiss.

 

A half century later, James and Sallie Bracy had just finished celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and were relaxing in the living room when ‘Once in a While,’ their song, began to play on the radio. Sallie remembered affectionately the 1950s song and how she used to get calls and letters from the man who owned her heart. They joked together knowing there would be no letter or phone call this time because James was at her side.

 

Meanwhile, a construction crew was dismantling the old post office at Fort Ord, and they discovered a long-forgotten letter from a young army corporal. The crew turned the letter over to Bob Spadoni, the postmaster in nearby Monterey. Spadoni began the process of delivering that letter, tracking down the Bracys through post office records and phone books.

 

Just a few days after hearing their song, the letter, dated January 28, 1955, was delivered to Sallie Bracy. The letter sent her heart aflutter, tears welled, and she again became a love-struck 22-year-old. ‘It meant a lot to me then,’ said Sallie. ‘It means even more now.’

 

Many years ago God wrote his love letter to us. It's waiting to be delivered, to be opened at just the right time. It meant a lot then, and it means even more now.”

 

Drew Zahn, assistant editor, Leadership Journal; source: "After 46 years lost in post office, love letter finally arrives," Jefferson City News Tribune (4-25-01)

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2001/july/13144.html].

BODY

  • ME

    • Separated over the summer

        • Judy and I met in college our freshman year

        • I lived in Alabama and she lived in Ohio, so when summer hit, we knew we were going to be apart

        • That first summer we wrote letters to each

        • I can’t remember if we started it the first summer or the second summer apart

          • In addition to writing letters we also made cassette tape recordings

          • We would talk about all kinds of things and of course express our love for each other

          • After listening to each other’s recording, we would start our message right after the ending of the previous message

          • We still have those recordings stored somewhere

          • We also have the letters we sent to each other

        • Those are precious letters and memories for us

    • Salvation

        • Judy and I have both understood and accepted God’s love letter to us

        • We know the truths of the Gospel and have opened our lives to allow Jesus to come in

        • We love to read and reread God’s Word – we also love to study His Word

 

  • WE

    • Love Letters

        • Perhaps you have love letters stored away some where

        • Maybe it’s not love letters, but certain items that you cherish because they came from your spouse when you were dating

    • Salvation

        • Our prayer is that you cherish God’s Word at least with the same measure, but hopefully even more than those items from your spouse

        • We hope that your desire is to read and study God’s Word (His love letter to you)

 

When people ask me where they should begin to read the Bible, I inevitably point them to the Gospel of John. ​​ The reason I do this is because it gives a great overview of Jesus and who He was and is. ​​ John does something that none of the other Gospel writers do. ​​ He throws down an important theological truth that His readers need to embrace in order to understand the rest of his gospel. ​​ John wants everyone to know and understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – God and Jesus are One! ​​ (Jesus is God!)

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (John 1:1-5)

    • Background

        • Author

          • There seems to be a lot of discussion about who the author is, but most believe it was John the apostle of Jesus Christ

            • He was the son of Zebedee and the brother of James

            • Together, James and John were known as the “Sons of Thunder”

          • John was writing to both new Christians and non-Christians

            • He wrote to Jews and Gentiles

            • This is important, because the other Gospel writers seemed to be writing to specific groups

            • “Matthew wrote with his fellow Jews in mind . . . Mark wrote for the busy Romans . . . Luke wrote his Gospel for the Greeks.” ​​ [Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, 284]

        • Date written

          • A.D. 85-90

          • John was writing after the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, but before his exile to Patmos

        • Structure of the Gospel of John

          • Prologue (John 1:1-18)

          • The Book of Signs (John 1-12)

            • John the Baptist (1:19-51)

            • The Institutions of Judaism (2:1-4:54)

            • The Festivals of Judaism (5:1-10:39)

            • Lazarus & Jesus’ Anointing (11:1-12:8)

            • Jesus’ Final Plea in Jerusalem (12:9-50)

          • The Book of Glory (John 13-20)

            • Footwashing (13:1-32)

            • Jesus’ Farewell Discourse (13:31-16:33)

            • Jesus’ Final Prayer (17)

            • The Passion Story (18-20)

          • Epilogue (John 21)

        • Purpose/Theme

          • John does us a favor and tells us exactly why he wrote his Gospel

          • John 20:30-31, Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ​​ But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

          • Theme for the Gospel of John is BELIEVE!

            • The word “believe” is found 58 times in John’s Gospel (NIV translation)

            • The thing that John wants us to believe is that God and Jesus are One! ​​ That Jesus is God!

            • That belief sets the stage for the rest of the Gospel and the Bible as a whole

            • My prayer is that through the study of John, we will come to understand and believe, without a shadow of doubt, that Jesus is God!

        • John immediately begins to establish that truth as he opens his Gospel message

    • Who is Jesus? (vv. 1-3)

        • PRINCIPLE/TRUTH – Jesus is eternal

          • In the beginning

            • When you hear the words, “in the beginning,” what comes to mind?

              • The very first verse of the Bible in Genesis 1:1 usually comes to mind

              • Genesis 1:1, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

              • It’s not by chance that John is connecting his Gospel to creation

            • “Each of the four Gospels begins, appropriately enough, with a reference to some kind of beginning. ​​ Mark’s heading is ‘Beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ’ (Mk 1:1). ​​ Matthew opens with ‘an account of the origin of Jesus Christ’ (Mt 1:1). ​​ Luke acknowledges the traditions of ‘those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word’ (Lk 1:2). ​​ John’s ‘beginning’ (archē) is the earliest of all, for the vocabulary of John’s preamble is decisively shaped by the opening verses of Genesis.” ​​ [Michaels, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, 46]

            • I like how D. A. Carson puts it in the words of John, “Mark has told you about the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry; I want to show you that the starting point of the gospel can be traced farther back than that, before the beginning of the entire universe.” ​​ [Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, The Gospel According to John, 114]

          • From this we understand and know that Jesus is eternal – He has always been and will always be

          • Word

            • The Word is Jesus

              • Notice that each time “Word” is used it is capitalized

              • That’s a reference to a person, which is Jesus Christ

            • Was the Word

              • This speaks of Jesus’ preexistence

              • Rev. 22:13, I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

              • Some religions of the world try to marginalize and minimize the truth that Jesus is eternal, by saying that He was the first created being, a good man, a wise rabbi, or another prophet from God

                • What that does is strip Jesus of His divinity and deity, therefore He cannot be our Savior

                • This opens the door to universalism (all roads lead to heaven, we all worship the same God, everyone will eventually be saved) and syncretism (combining different forms of belief or practice, taking the “best practices or beliefs” of every religion and molding it into one)

              • John is laying the foundation for the truth that Jesus is God, and removing any doubt that Jesus is anything but eternal

              • So, it stands to reason that if Jesus was around at the beginning, He was either with God or is God

              • What we see next is John insisting on both and not one or the other

        • PRINCIPLE/TRUTH – Jesus is God

          • We continue then with the concept of Jesus being the Word

            • Word was with God

              • John takes it a step further by saying that Jesus was with God

              • A literal translation of the Greek would be, the Word was toward God

                • It is the idea of active face-to-face relationship [Köstenberger, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, John, 27 and Gangel, Holman New Testament Commentary, John, 9]

                • It is not something passive

                • They are working together as companions in the creative process

                  • Another understanding of the Greek word for “with” is accompaniment

                  • We’re familiar with that word when it comes to music

                  • The person playing the piano while someone else is singing is called an accompanist (coming alongside, working together, in an active relationship with the singer)

              • John explains that Jesus was in an active relationship with God at the very beginning of time, but we also know, from Scripture, that Jesus is God

            • Word was God

              • Some religions of the world misuse the original Greek to try to say that it should be translated as, the Word was a god

                • I don’t want us to get bogged down with the nuisances of ancient Greek

                • Just understand that those who have translated it as, the Word was God, have done so correctly

              • God and Jesus are One! ​​ (Jesus is God!)

          • “Jesus shares his nature and being with God – ‘the Word was God.’ ​​ He is of the same character and quality as God (v. 1). ​​ Everything that can be said about God can be said about Jesus Christ.” ​​ [Carter, Wredberg, Christ-Centered Exposition: ​​ Exalting Jesus in John, 11]

          • We see then this simple statement in verse 2 that Jesus was with God in the beginning

            • It’s really a restatement of what John has just said

            • Jesus is God and therefore He is eternal and preexistent

          • Kenneth Gangel shares this story – “During the years I pastored my first church, my wife spent some time each week tutoring a young girl who had fallen behind in her reading at school. ​​ Since Linda was from a Christian family, part of the reading centered in Bible story books. ​​ One day Linda asked a penetrating question about the pictures she found in those books: ​​ ‘How do I tell the difference between Jesus and God? ​​ They both look alike to me.’ ​​ The artists, of course, had included all pictures of Jesus since God the Father is Spirit and cannot be shown by anything but symbols such as light or sound. ​​ But Linda had learned that Jesus was God, so she kept looking for pictures of both of them throughout her books. ​​ A natural mistake, and one which reinforces John’s point throughout this book and especially the early verses of this first chapter.” ​​ [Gangel, 8]

          • Linda understood that God and Jesus are One! ​​ (Jesus is God!)

          • We see a third principle then as John continues to explain who Jesus is

        • PRINCIPLE/TRUTH – Jesus is Creator

          • “Divine being gives way to divine action, starting with the creation of the world.” ​​ [Michaels, 51]

          • First, John states this truth in a positive way

            • The “him” refers back to the “Word,” meaning Jesus

            • What John is saying is that through the preexistent Jesus, all things were made

            • He then strengthens this truth by restating it in a negative way

          • Then he restates the truth in a negative way

            • When John says that without Jesus nothing was made, we know he’s not referring to Himself and God, because they have always been

            • He is referring to the universe and everything in our world

              • All we have to do is look at the Genesis account of creation to see all that God and Jesus created in this world

              • It includes the water, sky, land, vegetation, animals, and human beings

              • They continue their creative activities as new human beings are born

            • There is a change in the verb tense from the beginning of verse 3 to the end of verse 3

              • We see the verb tense change from were made to was made

              • D. A. Carson says this signals a change “from the act of creation to the state of creation.” ​​ [Carson, 118]

              • Wiersbe clarifies the transition to the state of creation by sharing that, “was made,” is in the perfect tense, which identifies it as a completed action [Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament, Vol. 1, 284]

              • The initial creation of the world is a completed action

          • We see other Biblical writers expressing Jesus’ involvement in creation

            • Colossians 1:16-17, For by him all things were created: ​​ things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. ​​ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

            • Hebrews 1:1-2, In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

            • Revelation 3:14, “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ​​ These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.”

        • We’ve discovered the truths of who Jesus is (eternal, God, and creator), now John shares the truth of why He came

    • Why Jesus came? (vv. 4-5)

        • “What are the essentials for human life? ​​ There are at least four: ​​ light (if the sun went out, everything would die), air, water, and food.” ​​ [Wiersbe, 285]

          • Scripture shows us that Jesus is all four of those

          • John 8:12, When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. ​​ Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

          • Through the Holy Spirit we have the “breath of life” and the Water of life

            • John 3:8, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. ​​ You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. ​​ So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

            • John 20:22, And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

            • John 4:10, 13-14, Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” . . . Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. ​​ Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

          • John 6:35, Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. ​​ He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

        • Life

          • The opposite of life is death

            • When someone dies there is a separation that takes place – a separating of the soul from the body

            • “If physical death is the separation of the soul from the body, then spiritual death is a separation of the soul from God.” ​​ [Carter/Wredberg, 12]

              • This is what Paul means when he says, for the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23)

              • What we earn or deserve for our sinful nature is to be eternally separated from God

              • This is serious, because we are all born with a “want-to” to sin (Rom. 3:23) – no one is exempt from being born a sinner

            • Those who live apart from Jesus Christ are spiritually dead

              • Ephesians 2:1-3, As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ​​ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. ​​ Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

              • If we die while living apart from Jesus Christ, then our eternal home will be hell – eternal separation from God

            • That’s not the will of God for humanity

              • He loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3)

              • His desire is that everyone repents of their sins and turns to Him for salvation

              • 2 Peter 3:8-10, But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: ​​ With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. ​​ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. ​​ He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

              • Matthew 18:14, In the same way our Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

            • God’s plan to deal with our sin

              • God sent Jesus from heaven to earth to be the perfect sacrifice for sin (Rom. 5:8)

              • Jesus willingly died on the cross to take our punishment for sin

              • This was all foretold by the prophets of old as Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

            • While all of us will experience the separation of our soul from our body (unless Jesus returns before we die), none of us has to experience the separation of our soul from God

          • How can we experience spiritual life?

            • Jesus explained it to Martha after Lazarus’s death

            • John 11:25, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. ​​ He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. ​​ Do you believe this?”

            • You need to ask yourself that question today

              • Do you believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life?

              • Do you believe that Jesus offers you eternal life?

              • Do you believe that, through Jesus’ perfect sacrifice on the cross, you will not experience the separation of your soul from God?

              • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life and receive God’s gift of eternal life.

          • The life that Jesus offers us is what gives us hope

        • Light

          • Prior to Jesus’ arrival on earth we see the prophet Isaiah’s words, The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned (Isaiah 9:2)

          • Darkness and light are not opposites, rather darkness is simply the absence of light

          • As we saw in John 8:12, Jesus is the Light of the world

          • John uses light as another way to explain salvation

          • “Light” is in the present tense

            • It means that it’s a continual action

            • It can be translated as, And the light keeps on shining in the darkness . . .

            • This brings continued hope for us as followers of Jesus

            • It’s not too late for our family and friends, because Jesus light is continuing to shine in their darkness

            • He has not given up on them, but continues to offer salvation to anyone who believes that He is the resurrection and the life

          • The verb translated “understood” can also be translated as “overcome”

            • Burge explains the double meaning this way, “to grasp with the mind and so to comprehend; and to grasp with the hand and so to overcome or destroy.” ​​ [Burge, The NIV Application Commentary, John, 56]

            • John is saying that the darkness could not comprehend or overcome the light

            • While “light” was in the present tense meaning a continual action, “overcome” is in a tense that means a completed action

            • “The darkness has done everything is could: ​​ it schemed and plotted, but it ran out of ideas.” ​​ [Carter/Wredberg, 14]

            • 2 Timothy 1:9b-10, This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

 

  • YOU

    • Embrace the truth

        • John explains a foundational theological truth that we need to embrace in order to understand the rest of his Gospel

        • God and Jesus are One! ​​ (Jesus is God!)

          • We have seen today that Jesus is eternal – He was with God at the beginning

          • We have also learned that Jesus is God

          • Finally, we saw that Jesus is also creator

        • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Embrace the truth that God and Jesus are One!

    • Believe in Jesus

        • We also learned why Jesus came to earth

        • It was to drive out the darkness of sin that Satan had covered the earth with

        • He came to bring us life and light

 

  • WE

    • Our responsibility as followers of Jesus Christ is to share the truth about God and Jesus being One and the hope found in Jesus as Life and Light

    • That is our mission as the church: ​​ Pursue, Grow, and Multiple Disciples for Jesus Christ

CONCLUSION

“An atheist and a Christian were engaged in an intense public debate. On the blackboard behind the podium the atheist printed in large capital letters, ‘GOD IS NOWHERE.’ When the Christian rose to offer his rebuttal, he rubbed out the W at the beginning of where and added that letter to the preceding word no. Then the statement read, ‘GOD IS NOW HERE.’”

 

Vernon Grounds, Radical Commitment. Christianity Today, Vol. 30, no. 7.

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1996/june/163.html].

12

 

/by

The Star: A Journey to Christmas

, , , , ,

Christmas Eve

The Star: ​​ A Journey to Christmas

 

INTRODUCTION

Welcome and Merry Christmas! ​​ Tomorrow is the big day, just in case anyone has forgotten that or your children have neglected to remind you since getting out of school for Christmas break. ​​ I’m excited that you’ve joined us this evening as we prepare for one of the greatest days all year. ​​ Tomorrow marks the culmination of a journey we’ve been taking together over the past four weeks. ​​ The four weeks leading up to Christmas are called Advent, which means “coming.” ​​ We’ve been learning about Jesus’ coming that very first Christmas. ​​ We have also been talking about His second coming, which will complete God’s ultimate work of redemption. ​​ We’ve used the star as our guiding light toward Jesus. ​​ This same star guided those wise seekers toward Jesus long ago.

 

How many of you love a good story. ​​ Si Robertson explains in his book, Si-Cology 1: ​​ Tales and Wisdom from Duck Dynasty’s Favorite Uncle, he was taught never to lie. ​​ He says that he never lied, but the Robertson’s are good storytellers.

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Tradition

        • Growing up, my family had an Advent time after dinner every evening

        • My father made an advent wreath that had a place for a daily candle

        • There were the three purple and one pink candle for each Sunday, but we had white candles for the other days of the week

        • My father has written several daily Advent devotionals

    • Stories

        • Judy’s family has some pretty humorous stories that they’ve told multiple years, which I why I know them now

          • These stories are so funny that we’ll all start laughing and can’t stop

          • Judy’s Grandpa and Grandma Young would come to their house on Christmas Day to celebrate with them

            • One Christmas morning as they were driving down the country road to her house, they saw something on the road

            • Once they arrived, Judy’s Grandma told them that they saw something on the road and thought that Santa had dropped a package

            • The item on the road was a dead squirrel

            • Don’t ask me why that story is so funny, but it is

          • Another Christmas story from Judy’s family was about one of the dogs

            • Marvin was a mutt and he would do some pretty funny things

            • He would walk into a room, pass gas, and then walk out like he was disgusted

            • One Christmas morning, the family got up to find that Marvin had added something special to Judy’s father’s gift – a long, brown, log (poop!)

            • Again, when that story is told we all begin laughing and can’t stop

        • Electronic Rugby game

          • I don’t remember how the story got started, but one year leading up to Christmas my father kept telling me that I was going to get an electronic rugby game

          • This would have been in the 1970’s and some electronic games were already being produced (the old red football and basketball games)

          • I played soccer on an intramural team and baseball in the summer, but I had never played rugby

          • As Christmas morning arrived I opened all my gifts, but never got the electronic rugby game

          • They probably didn’t make an electronic rugby game

          • I wish I could remember what I got that Christmas, but all I remember was what I didn’t get

 

  • WE

    • Family stories

        • Perhaps each person here tonight has family stories that will be told tomorrow

        • It’s stories that have been told multiple times, but they make us laugh until we cry

        • We tell of God’s goodness and healing

    • Hunting and fishing stories

        • Those who hunt and fish can tell some pretty wild stories

        • They talk about the huge buck that got away, as they gather in the evening at the hunting cabin

        • They also tell the big fish stories without having any proof that the story is true

    • Black Friday shopping stories

        • Perhaps some of you ladies have some great stories of success while Black Friday shopping

        • You had your strategy all planned out for who was going to which stores and what they were supposed to get

        • Maybe you were standing in line and were the last person to get a particular item before the store ran out

 

Throughout the world, stories have been the means of preserving history, passing along beliefs and values, inspiring, entertaining, and motivating us. ​​ Stories move us. ​​ Shared stories connect us and link us to each other. ​​ They bring meaning to our lives and help make sense of our experiences. ​​ Good stories are messy, full of conflict, suspenseful and moving. ​​ They are filled with victory and defeat, struggle and triumph, fear and courage, conflict and love. ​​ They draw us into bigger and broader story lines and they make us curious about the storyteller.

 

As we think about stories, I’d like us to imagine that we’re outside, somewhere wild and open, maybe a mountaintop, maybe a sweeping meadow set against a flowing stream or rolling hillside. ​​ It’s a clear night long, long ago. ​​ We’re back at the very beginning. ​​ This is creation, and into the inky darkness above suddenly God is flinging stars into the sky. ​​ Where there was only darkness, now there is gleaming, glittering light.

 

The Creator knows each one of these lights. ​​ He knows which ones we’ll be able to see as human beings. ​​ He knows how long they will last before burning out. ​​ He also knows about one special star.

 

This star would pierce the darkness with a unique purpose. ​​ It would serve as a herald and a celestial marker. ​​ It would signal the birth of Christ, the coming of the long-promised Messiah, come to earth at last to change the course of eternity forever.

 

This star guided wise men. ​​ It lit the night for shepherds. ​​ It signaled the way of Immanuel, God with us. ​​ It announced the arrival of the bright Morning Star whose light shines brightest, calling us to see Him, drawing us to Himself to seek and find Him.

 

God’s story is ongoing. ​​ The Christmas story spans all of history from creation to Jesus born in Bethlehem to us gathered here tonight. ​​ It will continue into the future as we wait for Jesus’ return.

 

Tonight as we complete our journey to Christmas, we will be look at each of the four elements of the story. ​​ These are the four gifts that Jesus brought to us when He came from heaven to earth that Christmas. ​​ We will be lighting each Advent candle on our wreath as we talk about the four elements of hope, love, joy, and peace. ​​ We’ll also light the center candle, which is the Christ candle.

 

  • GOD

    • HOPE

        • We began Advent with a journey of hope

        • Through many years and centuries of history, hope burned for a Savior

          • The Israelites had waited for the Messiah to come

          • God had been silent for 400 years

          • They were anticipating His coming, but they didn’t know when He would arrive

          • I’m sure as they waited there were times of great hope and times when they struggled to understand why God was waiting

        • But hope was fulfilled

          • Christ has come!

          • God’s promise to send a Savior was fulfilled with Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection

          • Jesus is our ongoing source of hope

        • We also live in the future hope of Jesus’ second coming

          • His second coming will complete the story of redemption

          • The story is not over yet

          • When darkness rages and deepens around us, we can hold onto hope that Christ will complete His ultimate work

        • Application

          • Not everyone is currently hopeful

          • You might be feeling like you’re hanging on by the last threads of hope

          • You may be struggling with financial stresses, relational dysfunctions, memories of loss, or commercialized expectations

          • 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Therefore do not lose heart. ​​ Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ​​ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ​​ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. ​​ For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (NIV)

          • The great news is that Jesus brings hope in the dark times of life

    • LOVE

        • The second week we went on a journey of love

        • This journey also spans eternity, because God is love

        • Love is part of God’s nature – it’s one of His many attributes

          • His love fueled creation

          • Love drove God to make a way to restore the relationship between Him and humanity

          • God demonstrated His love for us by sending Jesus from heaven to earth (Rom. 5:8)

        • God’s love fuels our relationship with Him – it is through His love in us that we are able to love others as He does

        • We look forward to the future when God’s love story is complete

        • Application

          • We saw on this journey that God has a lasting, conquering, and overflowing love

          • 1 John 4:9-11, 16, This is how God showed his love among us: ​​ He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ​​ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ​​ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another . . . And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

          • We are able to love others because God first loved us

    • JOY

        • Our third journey was a journey of joy

        • Jesus’ birth was a joyful event

        • Luke 2:9-12, An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ​​ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. ​​ I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ​​ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. ​​ This will be a sign to you: ​​ You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

        • The good news of great joy was that Jesus, the Savior of the world, was born

        • The joy for us today is that the same message of good news is for us today – Jesus offers His salvation to us

        • While we still live in a world where joy and pain coexist, God’s promise is that our joy will be made complete in the future when Jesus comes again

        • Application

          • You may not be experiencing joy today

          • Instead you are experiencing fear (health, finances, relationships, employment, education, spiritual, government, society, etc.)

          • Those concerns may be stripping you of joy – they may be consuming your waking hours and keeping you awake at night

          • Through Jesus Christ, we can have joy in life’s journey

          • Peter told us our walk of faith with Jesus brings us a sense of joy

          • 1 Peter 1:8-9, Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

    • PEACE

        • We looked at the journey of peace this morning

        • Peace can be so elusive in our world, our families, and our own minds

        • Yet we see God’s peace throughout the story line of eternity

        • Jesus came in the past as the Prince of Peace – that is what we’re celebrating at Christmas

        • Jesus’ peace remains today through the gift of the Holy Spirit

        • When Jesus returns the second time, we will experience perfect and complete peace – ultimate peace for the world

        • Application

          • Peace may be alluding you today because of pain, struggles, anxiety, and stress

          • You may appear to be at peace outwardly, but inwardly you are a mess

          • Jesus’ life was filled with hardship

          • He knew that His disciples and us would experience hardship also

          • So, He gave them and us the gift of peace

          • John 14:27, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. ​​ I do not give to you as the world gives. ​​ Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

          • Philippians 4:6-7, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ​​ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

          • God’ presence provides peace

 

  • YOU

    • Throughout this journey to Christmas we have learned some very important things about Jesus:

        • Our greatest HOPE in the darkest times of life comes from having a relationship with Jesus

          • 1 John 1:5-7, This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: ​​ God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ​​ If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. ​​ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

        • The greatest LOVE we’ll ever feel is the love Jesus expressed when He died on the cross to take our punishment for sin

          • John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

        • The greatest JOY we’ll every experience comes from knowing that Jesus willingly came to save us from our sins

          • John 3:17, For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

        • We can have PEACE with God by believing in Jesus by faith

          • Romans 5:1, Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

    • Relationship with Jesus

        • Before we can have a relationship with Jesus, we have to recognize and admit our need (I am a sinner)

          • Everyone is born with a desire to have their own way

          • We reject God and His authority in our lives

          • Romans 3:23 tells us that we have all sinned

          • Romans 6:23 tells us that there is a consequence for rejecting God and it is to be separated from Him

        • We have to be willing to reject or turn from sin (repent)

        • We must believe that Jesus died for us on the cross and came alive again in three days

        • Through prayer, we have to invite Jesus Christ to come in and control our lives through the Holy Spirit

    • Perhaps you are ready to experience the hope, love, joy, and peace that is a result of being in a relationship with Jesus Christ

        • Repeat this prayer after me

        • Dear God, I have been rejecting You and Your authority in my life. ​​ I have chosen sin over a relationship with you. ​​ I am ready and willing to reject sin, turn away from it, and begin to follow You. ​​ I believe that Jesus died, was buried, and came alive again to take my punishment for sin. ​​ I choose to be at peace with You today and to be saved from my sins. ​​ I accept Your eternal life. ​​ In Jesus’ name. ​​ Amen.

​​ 

CONCLUSION

We have lit all of the Advent candles. ​​ We have completed the journey to Christmas. ​​ It’s time for us to let our light shine. ​​ As a visual representation of that, Pastor Marc Webb and our Elder Laurin Fleming will be lighting their candles from the Christ candle in the Advent wreath. ​​ They will be coming down the center aisle and lighting the first person’s candle. ​​ That first person will then allow the next person in the row to light their candle. ​​ Continue to pass the light down the aisle until all of the candles have been lit. ​​ Once all of the candles are lit, we will close our service by singing “Silent Night.”

8

 

/by

The Star: A Journey of Peace

, , , , ,

4th Sunday of Advent

The Star: ​​ A Journey of Peace

(Mark 4:35-41; Isaiah 9:6; John 14:27)

 

INTRODUCTION

VIDEO – Peace Bumper video

 

This is the final Sunday of Advent. ​​ What an amazing season it has been as we’ve journeyed together toward Christmas. ​​ We’ve learned together that the word Advent is a version of a Latin term meaning “coming.” ​​ The Israelites were waiting for the coming of the Messiah. ​​ It was a highly anticipated event. ​​ There was great expectation. ​​ Each Israelite family had hoped that their baby boy would be the Messiah. ​​ Their expectation was that the Messiah would bring peace, but it wasn’t the kind of peace they were hoping for.

 

We hear celebrities, politicians, some adults, and especially children talk about wanting world peace. ​​ As followers of Jesus Christ, we are waiting for the second coming of Jesus when true peace will be established. ​​ We wait with hope for the new heaven and the new earth, where the wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a child will lead them (Isaiah 11:6). ​​ As we wait for Jesus’ second coming and the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, we continue on our faith journey that will include hope, love, joy, and peace.

 

Perhaps one of the greatest stories of peace is the story behind the song “It Is Well with My Soul.”

 

[Show VIDEO – It Is Well With My Soul: ​​ The Story Behind the Hymn – Horatio Spafford (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvq3pYsHidA)]

 

Peace is a lot like joy, it can be experienced even when there is turmoil and chaos, hardship, trouble, violence, and fear. ​​ As the hymn so beautifully captures, this journey of peace is not immune from those things. ​​ In fact, they are central to the story. ​​ On this journey, we learn that peace is not the absence of trouble but rather the presence of God.

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Minimally high blood sugar and blood pressure

        • It wasn’t long after moving from Ohio to Missouri that I went to the doctor for a regular physical

        • The bloodwork caused the doctor to order a glucose tolerance test

        • Those are always fun, aren’t they, especially for someone who hates needles

        • The test revealed that I had minimally high blood sugar

        • I was also struggling with minimally high blood pressure numbers

        • The doctor asked me all the questions they normally ask to determine if there was anything I should stop doing

          • Do you smoke? ​​ (No)

          • Do you drink alcohol? (No)

          • Do you take drugs? (No)

        • The doctor then asked me a couple of other questions

          • Do you exercise regularly? (No)

          • Are you under any stress? (YES!)

            • We had just moved to Missouri not long before the appointment

            • We had bought our first home

            • I started a new job at the Headquarters of Child Evangelism Fellowship

            • Judy had had a miscarriage before we moved to Missouri and now she was expecting Levi

        • The doctor’s response was, “Well, there’s nothing I can tell you to stop doing, but I would encourage you to start exercising every day.”

    • Daily exercise

        • I started riding a stationary bike in our basement

        • I started out slow and eventually was riding between 20-30 minutes a day

        • I lost a little bit of weight, I didn’t need to lose much back then

        • The cardio-vascular work out was good for my heart

        • We started eating a low sugar diet also

    • Peace in the middle of trouble

        • Exercise was a part of what I started doing, but I also started praying

        • Prayer is what motivated me to continue to exercise and it helped to bring me peace

        • I knew that everything was going to be alright, because God was with me

 

  • WE

    • What pain are you facing this season?

    • What struggles are weighing you down?

    • What anxiety and stress are stirring up chaos in your spirit?

    • Those pressures and problems can be both external and internal

        • We often take the external pressures and problems and internalize them

          • When we internalize those pressures and problems we begin to experience health problems

          • It’s our body’s way of telling us that something isn’t right

          • Stomach ulcers are a sign that our body is producing too much acid

          • High blood pressure can be an indication that stress is present

          • Headaches and muscle aches can be an indicator that our bodies are tense

          • Insomnia can be a result of our brains trying to process the problems and pressures we are experiencing

    • Are you willing to open your heart to God’s peace even in the midst of your struggles?

 

Through this journey of peace, today, we can be assured that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – God’s presence provides peace.

 

Let’s pray

 

This journey of peace is certainly an appropriate journey for our world today. ​​ Just as the ancient Roman world must have felt during that first Christmas, our world seems full of violence and warfare and uncertainty. ​​ And the pressures of our daily lives barrage us at an unparalleled pace. ​​ Ours is a world in desperate need of peace! ​​ But it is a world where the Prince of Peace has walked and understood. ​​ He has come, and He is present. ​​ His peace is available to us today.

 

  • GOD

    • Peace in the Midst (Mark 4:35-41)

        • The first Christmas

          • We sing about that first Christmas night being a silent night where everything was calm and bright

          • I’m not sure that’s exactly what the characters in the Christmas story were experiencing

            • The city of Bethlehem was hustling and bustling with an influx of those who were from the line of David

            • The city was filled to beyond capacity with people from all over the region

            • These travelers were tired, dirty, and probably testy

            • Everyone was trying to find a place to stay and perhaps food to eat

            • Mary and Joseph were perhaps anxious, nervous, and stressed as Mary went through her first delivery

            • It was shortly after giving birth that the shepherds began to arrive

          • King Herod

            • Sometime during Jesus’ first two years of life, the Magi arrived in Jerusalem

            • They questioned King Herod about the whereabouts of the baby who had been born king of the Jews

            • Matthew tells us that King Herod was disturbed and all Jerusalem with him (Matthew 2:3)

            • The news of Jesus’ birth did not bring peace to King Herod and since the King was disturbed, so were his subjects

            • King Herod ordered that all the boys, two years of age and younger, living in Bethlehem and the surrounding vicinity, were to be killed (Matthew 2:16)

            • Imagine the chaos King Herod’s order created in Bethlehem and the surrounding villages

            • The parents of two year old boys and younger were not experiencing peace

          • Application

            • Can you relate to the chaos that those who were part of the first Christmas were experiencing?

              • Perhaps you’re going to be traveling or have already traveled to be here this morning and you understand the exhaustion, frustration, and testiness that the travelers in the 1st Century felt

              • Maybe you’re experiencing the interruptions of a quiet family time together as others come to see you

              • Some of you may be experiencing the birth of a child or the loss of a loved one during this Christmas season, so you understand the exhaustion and emotions involved in both of those scenarios

            • Our journey of peace this season is not one separated from the realities of life but a journey of peace in the midst of life with all its noise and chaos

            • VIDEO – “The Rain Keeps Falling Andrew Peterson Lyrics” ​​ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn8cbI9jFGc]

              • The lyrics contain a long and honest confession of so many struggles

              • Notice that interjected into and over the lyrics are the words of Jesus, “Peace. ​​ Be still.”

              • We can have peace in the midst of life in a fallen world with God’s presence in our lives

              • The words that Jesus spoke are found in Mark 4:35-41

        • Jesus calming the storm

          • Read Mark 4:35-41

          • The disciples were in a situation where they felt helpless

          • They were afraid!

          • Jesus was sleeping peacefully in the stern of the boat – the storm did not bother Him

          • After the disciples woke Him up, He immediately rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet, Be still!” (most translations have “Peace, Be still!”

          • Jesus asked His disciples why they were so afraid

            • His second question concerned their faith in Him

            • The disciples should have known by this point that Jesus was all-powerful

            • His power, from God, extended to all of creation

            • God’s presence was with Jesus, so Jesus’ presence provides peace

          • Application

            • Jesus’ presence in our lives provides peace also

            • We don’t have to be fear when pain, struggles, anxiety, and stress stir up chaos in our spirit

            • We can have faith in Jesus who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and sovereign

            • Perhaps you need to express that faith today

            • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Trust by faith in the peace that Jesus’ presence can bring during the pain, struggles, anxiety, and stress I am currently experiencing.

              • I’ve found that Jesus’ peace can be found in reading God’s Word the Bible

              • It can also be found in praying – that’s us talking to God

              • God talking to us requires us to sit quietly and patiently before Him – we can experience peace in those moments as well

              • Some people have a specific place where they go to find peace from the chaos of their lives

        • Jesus brings peace right into the center of our hurt and frantic striving

        • He brings power to cease the noise, calm the storm, and overwhelm our hearts with His restorative sense of perfect peace

        • He is indeed the Prince of Peace

    • Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)

        • Isaiah 9:6, For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. ​​ And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

          • Peace is not just a feeling or a state of being

          • Peace is a person

          • Jesus is the Prince of Peace

          • By sending His Son, God sent peace into the world

            • Paul tells the Ephesian Gentiles that before they came to faith in Christ, they were separate from Christ

              • Ephesians 2:12, remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.

              • That is the condition of every person who is born – we are separated from God and Christ and we have no hope

              • Sin is what separates us from God and Christ

              • Sin is the rejection of God and His authority in our lives

              • We become our own boss/authority

              • God’s Word tells us that when we reject Him and become our own boss, that there is a consequence for that – for the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23)

            • When we reject God and His plans and way we are really at war with Him

              • Perhaps you’ve experienced that in the past or are experiencing that right now

              • You know that God is pursuing you, because He puts people in your life who talk to you about Him

              • Your reaction towards them is harsh and unkind, not because you don’t like them but because you’re at war with God – you’re not at peace with God

              • Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty talks about his life in his book Happy, Happy, Happy

                • He thought he was happy, but he was busy “romping, stomping, and ripping with [his] drinking buddies”

                • He owned a honky-tonk bar at this point in his life

                • His sister decided that Phil needed to hear about Jesus, so she brought her pastor, Bill Smith, with her to the bar

                • This was Phil’s reaction, “‘You some kind of preacher?’ ​​ I immediately asked him. ​​ When Smith told me he was, I added, ‘You ever been drunk?’ ​​ ‘Yes, I used to drink a few beers,’ he told me. ​​ ‘Well, what’s the difference between you and me?’ ​​ I asked him. ​​ ‘You’ been drunk, and I’m getting drunk right now. ​​ There ain’t a dime’s worth of difference between you and me, Jack. ​​ You ain’t putting any Bible on me. ​​ That’s the way I was born.’” [Robertson, Happy, Happy, Happy, 79]

            • God made a way for us to reconciled to Him – to have peace with Him

              • It is through the Prince of Peace – Jesus!

              • Ephesians 2:14-18, For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. ​​ His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ​​ He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ​​ For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

                • In this passage, Paul is talking to both Jews and Gentiles

                • He was explaining that through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, all people could now be reconciled to God – it wasn’t just for the Jews anymore

                • Jesus’ sacrifice brought peace between the Jews and the Gentiles

                • It also brought peace between God and humanity

                • Romans 5:1, Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

                  • There is nothing we can do on our own to deal with our sin problem

                  • There is nothing we can do on our own to deal with our rejection of God

                  • God in His infinite wisdom, justice, and love provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him – to have peace with Him

                  • It is through faith in what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross

                  • Justified can be defined as “just as if I have never sinned”

                  • That is how God sees us when we admit we are sinners, repent of our sins, and trust in Jesus by faith

              • Perhaps you’re ready to be reconciled to God today – to be at peace with God

                • You’re ready to end the war with God

                • You’re ready to accept God’s authority in your life instead of rejecting it

                • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Recognize Jesus as the Prince of Peace, admit I am a sinner, repent of my sins, and have peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

        • Peace with God does not guarantee freedom from pain, struggles, anxiety, and stress

          • We are human and still fallible

          • We still make mistakes and fail to trust God in every area of our lives

          • Mary’s example

            • In the midst of all that was happening that first Christmas, we are told that Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19)

            • On the surface, Mary’s life did not become more peaceful

            • If anything, things got crazier with the announcement of her miraculous pregnancy and the birth of a new baby

            • But Mary was learning to trust the One who was in control

          • When we can surrender control – stop worrying, stop planning, stop striving – to the Prince of Peace, we can find rest in Him

            • The inner and outer chaos, anxiety, noise, and busyness of life may not change, but we can experience peace because we trust the One in control

            • Where do you need to surrender and enter the journey of peace this season?

            • I want to encourage you to pause and embrace the words of the Psalmist, Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10)

            • The same things I mentioned earlier about how to find Jesus’ peace also apply to being still, and knowing that God is God (reading God’s Word, spending time in prayer, and repeating Scripture)

            • This can happen in the morning before your day begins, throughout your day as needed, and before going to bed

        • While we can experience peace through Jesus Christ, we also realize that the world around us may still be experiencing pain, struggles, anxiety, and stress

    • Peace for the World (John 14:27)

        • All we have to do is look at the news coverage to realize that our world is not at peace

          • Countries are at war (Our young people are concerned about what North Korea is capable of doing right now – they’re concerned that they have the ability to launch an attack on the eastern part of the United States)

          • Refugees are far from home

          • Our neighbors are hurting

          • There is violence in our schools

          • Church leadership teams are discussing strategies to provide a safe and secure environment for their parishioners to worship in

          • There is anger in our families

        • While Jesus brought peace to the earth when He came the first time, it is not a perfect or complete peace

          • We live in the tension between the already and not yet

          • We know that Jesus has won the battle over sin and death, but the manifestation of that victory is still to be revealed when Jesus comes again

          • In the interim, we are encouraged to draw close to God and to rely on Him for His peace

          • God’s presence provides peace

          • Philippians 4:6-7, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ​​ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

            • God’s peace doesn’t make sense to us as humans

            • It’s beyond our understanding sometimes

            • Have you or someone you’ve known experienced that kind of peace?

              • Perhaps they’ve gotten news about their health that is concerning, but instead of worrying about it they immediately began to pray and while they should be stressed, they’re at peace

              • When someone losses their job or is just struggling financially, yet they’re not anxious about the situation, but are trusting God, it doesn’t make sense – that’s the peace of God that transcends our understanding

            • Our natural inclination is to worry, fret, and complain instead of turning to God in prayer, waiting on Him, and experiencing His peace

              • So often we come to God asking Him to change our circumstances or those around us

              • Sometimes God answers our prayer by changing our circumstances or those around us

              • More often, He uses the difficult circumstances to change us – He wants us to be transformed and to grow in our faith

              • He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and sovereign

              • He knows what’s best for us

              • He will not give us more than we are able to bear, without providing a way of escape

              • Perhaps you’re feeling anxious, right now, about a particular circumstance in your life

              • Now is the time to turn to God in prayer and present your petitions to Him with thanksgiving

              • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Turn to God in prayer with thanksgiving about the circumstance I’m feeling anxious about.

          • Jesus gave His disciples a promise that is still relevant for us today

            • He promised them the gift of peace

            • John 14:27, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. ​​ I do not give to you as the world gives. ​​ Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

            • We can claim that promise for ourselves

            • We don’t have to be afraid, because we serve a God who is in control of everything

            • Whatever is causing you pain, struggle, anxiety, and stress now, in the end, Jesus’ peace will overcome it

            • His peace will sustain us through our difficulties, which may be great but are also momentary (2 Cor. 4:17)

 

  • YOU

    • You can trust by faith in the peace that Jesus’ presence can bring during the pain, struggles, anxiety, and stress that you’re currently experiencing

    • You can recognize that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, admit you are a sinner, repent of your sins, and have peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ

    • You can turn to God in prayer with thanksgiving about the circumstances you’re feeling anxious about

 

God’s presence provides peace.

 ​​ ​​​​ 

CONCLUSION

VIDEO – “Advent_2_-_Peace_English_Version”

11

 

/by