This week we studied Jesus' teaching in John 8:12-30. Click here to download the sermon.
Recap of 5/27/12 (John 8:12-30):
1. In the second of seven “I am” statements in the Book of John, Jesus calls Himself “the Light of the world.” The “I am” statements are meant to establish His identity as God; a reference to Exodus 3:14 where Jehovah identifies Himself to Moses as “I am,” the self-existent One who is God. Each statement also shows His ability to meet all of the needs of the human condition.
2. Jesus made this statement concerning Himself at the Feast of Tabernacles. Dr. Ed Blum writes: “A major feature of the Feast of Tabernacles was the lighting of giant lamps in the women’s court in the temple. The wicks were made from the priests’ worn=out garments. The light illuminated the temple area and the people gathered to sing praises and dance. The light reminded the Jewish people of how God was with them in their wanderings in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud which turned to fire at night (Num. 9:15-23).
3. “Jesus professed to be not only the inexhaustible source of spiritual nourishment, but also the genuine light by which truth and falsehood could be distinguished and by which direction could be established.” (Dr. Merrill C. Tenney).
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Rules for Casting Stones
This week we picked back up in our study of John. We studied Jesus' teaching in John 7:53-8:11. Click here to download the sermon.
Recap of 5/20/12 (John 7:53-8:11):
1. In an attempt to trap Jesus, the religious leaders brought a woman to Jesus who was caught in the act of adultery. The Law of Moses prescribed death for both a man and woman guilty of adultery. However, only the woman was brought before Jesus leading some to believe this was a set-up on the part of the religious leaders, an attempt to bring Jesus into conflict with either the Law, the Romans, or the people. It didn’t work because Jesus in His answer both upheld the Law and prevented them from acting.
2. There is much speculation about what Jesus wrote in the dirt. Some believe He wrote the text of Jeremiah 17:13: “O LORD the Hope of Israel, all who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away from You will be written in the dust, because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water,” as a rebuke to these religious leaders.
3. The crowd melted away, starting with the older ones. “Only two remained the sinner and the Friend of Sinners. Jesus could have cast the stone for He was sinless; but He was more concerned with the rehabilitation of the sinner than with seeing that the Law was meticulously satisfied.” (Harrison)
4. Some have wrongly concluded from this passage that we have no right to judge another believer for their sin, after all we are not perfect. They also site Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” As Dr. Louis Barbieri points out: “This passage does not teach that judgments should never be made; Matthew 7:5 does speak of removing the speck from you brother’s eye. The Lord’s point was that a person should not be habitually critical or condemnatory of a speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye when he has a plank in his own eye. Such action is hypocritical. Though judgment is sometimes needed, those making the distinctions must first be certain of their own lives.” The key is Galatians 6:1ff, confronting the one who has fallen with a spirit of humility and sense of our own sinfulness with a view toward restoring them to usefulness to God. Lastly we are to be concerned with dealing with sin in the church, but leave sin outside the church to God’s judgment (1 Corinthians 5).
Recap of 5/20/12 (John 7:53-8:11):
1. In an attempt to trap Jesus, the religious leaders brought a woman to Jesus who was caught in the act of adultery. The Law of Moses prescribed death for both a man and woman guilty of adultery. However, only the woman was brought before Jesus leading some to believe this was a set-up on the part of the religious leaders, an attempt to bring Jesus into conflict with either the Law, the Romans, or the people. It didn’t work because Jesus in His answer both upheld the Law and prevented them from acting.
2. There is much speculation about what Jesus wrote in the dirt. Some believe He wrote the text of Jeremiah 17:13: “O LORD the Hope of Israel, all who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away from You will be written in the dust, because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water,” as a rebuke to these religious leaders.
3. The crowd melted away, starting with the older ones. “Only two remained the sinner and the Friend of Sinners. Jesus could have cast the stone for He was sinless; but He was more concerned with the rehabilitation of the sinner than with seeing that the Law was meticulously satisfied.” (Harrison)
4. Some have wrongly concluded from this passage that we have no right to judge another believer for their sin, after all we are not perfect. They also site Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” As Dr. Louis Barbieri points out: “This passage does not teach that judgments should never be made; Matthew 7:5 does speak of removing the speck from you brother’s eye. The Lord’s point was that a person should not be habitually critical or condemnatory of a speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye when he has a plank in his own eye. Such action is hypocritical. Though judgment is sometimes needed, those making the distinctions must first be certain of their own lives.” The key is Galatians 6:1ff, confronting the one who has fallen with a spirit of humility and sense of our own sinfulness with a view toward restoring them to usefulness to God. Lastly we are to be concerned with dealing with sin in the church, but leave sin outside the church to God’s judgment (1 Corinthians 5).
Monday, May 14, 2012
Hannah: A Study in Faith & Courage
We paused our sermon series on John for a special Mother's Day message. Enjoy listening to the story of Hannah from 1 Samuel 1:1-28. Click here to download the sermon.
Recap of 5/13/12 (I Samuel 1:1-28):
1. Hannah is one of the great women of faith in the Scripture. She endured what to her was a hopeless, impossible situation (her childlessness). It left her downhearted (vs. 7), miserable (vs. 11), deeply troubled (vs. 15), and grief stricken (vs. 16). Despite that she responds to her situation with faith, prayer, and confidence in the Lord. As Warren Wiersbe points out: “Out of this kind of sorrow and disappointment, God often builds great faith and sends special blessings,” and “Hannah certainly exemplifies a godly mother, for she put God first, she believed in prayer, she kept her vows, and she gave God all the glory.”
2. Writer David Hocking describes hopeless situations as follows: “they always appear to be greater than we can handle by ourselves; the fear and anxiety in our hearts seem to be greater than we can bear; they cause us to question God and His promises; and they seem to be the major obstacle to personal happiness.” He offers two maxims: “Never doubt God’s power to change your situation (Exodus 14:11-12, 30-31); and “Never doubt God’s care in your situation (Matthew 6:25-34). He suggests the following course of action in hopeless situations: 1) “Put your faith in God’s plan and control of all things” Genesis 42:36; 50:18-21; 2) “Understand that God has a specific purpose for your situation” Philippians 1:12-14; 3) “Depend upon God and what He can do, and relax” Ephesians 3:20; and 4) Give praise and thanks to God for all that He is and has done and is going to do in your situation” 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Philippians 4:6-8.
3. “There are life situations that appear to be absolutely without hope. Sometimes our own actions put us in such dungeons; sometimes the actions of others are responsible. But however we get there, there is no getting out. And then God rescues us: from Egypt, from Babylon, from Calvary, from sin, from death.”
Recap of 5/13/12 (I Samuel 1:1-28):
1. Hannah is one of the great women of faith in the Scripture. She endured what to her was a hopeless, impossible situation (her childlessness). It left her downhearted (vs. 7), miserable (vs. 11), deeply troubled (vs. 15), and grief stricken (vs. 16). Despite that she responds to her situation with faith, prayer, and confidence in the Lord. As Warren Wiersbe points out: “Out of this kind of sorrow and disappointment, God often builds great faith and sends special blessings,” and “Hannah certainly exemplifies a godly mother, for she put God first, she believed in prayer, she kept her vows, and she gave God all the glory.”
2. Writer David Hocking describes hopeless situations as follows: “they always appear to be greater than we can handle by ourselves; the fear and anxiety in our hearts seem to be greater than we can bear; they cause us to question God and His promises; and they seem to be the major obstacle to personal happiness.” He offers two maxims: “Never doubt God’s power to change your situation (Exodus 14:11-12, 30-31); and “Never doubt God’s care in your situation (Matthew 6:25-34). He suggests the following course of action in hopeless situations: 1) “Put your faith in God’s plan and control of all things” Genesis 42:36; 50:18-21; 2) “Understand that God has a specific purpose for your situation” Philippians 1:12-14; 3) “Depend upon God and what He can do, and relax” Ephesians 3:20; and 4) Give praise and thanks to God for all that He is and has done and is going to do in your situation” 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Philippians 4:6-8.
3. “There are life situations that appear to be absolutely without hope. Sometimes our own actions put us in such dungeons; sometimes the actions of others are responsible. But however we get there, there is no getting out. And then God rescues us: from Egypt, from Babylon, from Calvary, from sin, from death.”
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Messiah or Deceiver?
Enjoy the message from Pastor Joe as he continues to teach from the Gospel of John. Click here to download the sermon.
A recap of 5/6/12 (John 7:25-52):
1. Jesus claimed to know God and to be the revealer of God. His city was Heaven and His father was God the Father. General revelation (revelation that there is a God and revelation of His power and majesty, Psalm 19; Romans 1:18-20) is limited and cannot save. Jesus (as well as the Bible) is God’s special revelation. Through Jesus God can be known. J. Dwight Pentecost writes: “He could reveal the Father to them if they would listen.”
2. Dr. John Mitchell has written: “If Jesus is not from heaven, if His message is not from heaven, if He is not God incarnate, then we have no actual revelation of God, nor can we ever know God. You can point to creation if you want to, but you don’t know God through creation. You only see His handiwork. You see the demonstration of His power. You see the revelation of His Godhead, that there is a God.”
3. Jesus urges them to respond to Him in faith while they could. Only those who believe in Him will be saved. They must respond now while they have breath. Dr. Charles Erdman warns: “People reject Jesus on trivial grounds or on superficial reasoning. Is it not only ‘a little while’ that we have opportunity to accept Him; is the time not fleeting, and will there possibly be regrets and remorse, when He has gone, and the day is done, and we no longer have opportunity to receive Him and follow Him.”
4. Jesus offers “living water” to the people, water which is a continual source of satisfaction within the one who believes in Him, a satisfying, abundant life. The Holy Spirit (Who would not be given until Jesus had been glorified, that is, crucified, buried, resurrected and ascended, John 14:16,17; 16:7) would be the source of this life and this satisfaction. The Holy Spirit would bear a special relationship to saints of the church age. This water would well up in the believer and overflow to the people around them.
A recap of 5/6/12 (John 7:25-52):
1. Jesus claimed to know God and to be the revealer of God. His city was Heaven and His father was God the Father. General revelation (revelation that there is a God and revelation of His power and majesty, Psalm 19; Romans 1:18-20) is limited and cannot save. Jesus (as well as the Bible) is God’s special revelation. Through Jesus God can be known. J. Dwight Pentecost writes: “He could reveal the Father to them if they would listen.”
2. Dr. John Mitchell has written: “If Jesus is not from heaven, if His message is not from heaven, if He is not God incarnate, then we have no actual revelation of God, nor can we ever know God. You can point to creation if you want to, but you don’t know God through creation. You only see His handiwork. You see the demonstration of His power. You see the revelation of His Godhead, that there is a God.”
3. Jesus urges them to respond to Him in faith while they could. Only those who believe in Him will be saved. They must respond now while they have breath. Dr. Charles Erdman warns: “People reject Jesus on trivial grounds or on superficial reasoning. Is it not only ‘a little while’ that we have opportunity to accept Him; is the time not fleeting, and will there possibly be regrets and remorse, when He has gone, and the day is done, and we no longer have opportunity to receive Him and follow Him.”
4. Jesus offers “living water” to the people, water which is a continual source of satisfaction within the one who believes in Him, a satisfying, abundant life. The Holy Spirit (Who would not be given until Jesus had been glorified, that is, crucified, buried, resurrected and ascended, John 14:16,17; 16:7) would be the source of this life and this satisfaction. The Holy Spirit would bear a special relationship to saints of the church age. This water would well up in the believer and overflow to the people around them.
Wednesday, May 02, 2012
Guest Speaker: Glen Herr
Enjoy the message from our special guest speaker!
Click here to download the sermon.
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