This week we studied Jesus' teaching in John 8:31-59. Click here to download the sermon.
Recap of 6/3/12 (John 8:31-36):
1. “A Biblical Profile of a Disciple” (taken from Essentials of Discipleship by Francis M. Cosgrove):
-A disciple is a learner—open and teachable.
-A disciple puts Christ first in all areas of his/her life.
-A disciple is committed to a life of purity and is taking steps to separate from sin.
-A disciple has a daily devotional time and is developing in his/her prayer life.
-A disciple demonstrates a desire to learn and apply the Word of God.
-A disciple has a heart for sharing his/her faith.
-A disciple attends church regularly to worship God, to have his/her spiritual needs met, and to make a contribution to the body of believers.
-A disciple fellowships regularly with other believers, displaying love and unity.
- A disciple demonstrates a servant heart by helping others in practical ways.
-A disciple gives regularly and honors God with his/her finances.
-A disciple demonstrates the fruit of the Spirit by an attractive relationship with Christ and his /her fellow man.
2. It would be a good exercise for each believer to turn this list into questions as a test of our growth in discipleship and maturity.
Tuesday, June 05, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
The Light & the Liberator
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).
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).
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.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Who is Jesus?
Click here to download the sermon.
Recap (John 7:1-36):
1. The Jewish Feast of Tabernacles (also called the Feast of Ingathering) was one of three major festivals in Israel when all Jewish men were expected at the Temple in Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 16:16). It celebrated the harvest and also memorialized God’s provision for Israel in the desert. The people lived in booths made of branches for seven days in remembrance of that occasion.
2. Opinions about Jesus were divided. As Dr. Charles Erdman has written: “There can be but two possible judgments passed: Jesus was either a good man or an imposter; but He could not have been ‘good’ unless He was the divine Son of God, for such He claimed to be.”
3. Jesus’ teaching was: not His own but God the Father’s (vs. 16); available to those who desire God’s will (vs. 17); not based on a desire for self-glory (vs. 18); true (vs. 18).
4. The world hated Jesus (and His teaching) because He came as Light to expose the deeds of darkness (sin, wrong values, wrong gods). The world has its religions, goals, and gods which serve them, but wants nothing to do with the truth.
5. “The Pharisees spent their days meticulously keeping the rules that they had surrounded God’s laws with. They created layer upon layer to avoid even accidental sin. These good intentions had gone wrong though. They had made their own rules more important than God’s law…We can spend our lives making lists of the dos and don’ts of God’s word, but our lives would be better spent focusing on the beauty of God. If we stay far, far away from temptation, we could be sure to avoid slipping into sin, but staying as close to God as we can is a better choice. If we’re always dodging sin, we remain focused on the sins we’re running from. But if we focus on God instead, we can see where we’re going.” (NLT One Year Study Bible)
Recap (John 7:1-36):
1. The Jewish Feast of Tabernacles (also called the Feast of Ingathering) was one of three major festivals in Israel when all Jewish men were expected at the Temple in Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 16:16). It celebrated the harvest and also memorialized God’s provision for Israel in the desert. The people lived in booths made of branches for seven days in remembrance of that occasion.
2. Opinions about Jesus were divided. As Dr. Charles Erdman has written: “There can be but two possible judgments passed: Jesus was either a good man or an imposter; but He could not have been ‘good’ unless He was the divine Son of God, for such He claimed to be.”
3. Jesus’ teaching was: not His own but God the Father’s (vs. 16); available to those who desire God’s will (vs. 17); not based on a desire for self-glory (vs. 18); true (vs. 18).
4. The world hated Jesus (and His teaching) because He came as Light to expose the deeds of darkness (sin, wrong values, wrong gods). The world has its religions, goals, and gods which serve them, but wants nothing to do with the truth.
5. “The Pharisees spent their days meticulously keeping the rules that they had surrounded God’s laws with. They created layer upon layer to avoid even accidental sin. These good intentions had gone wrong though. They had made their own rules more important than God’s law…We can spend our lives making lists of the dos and don’ts of God’s word, but our lives would be better spent focusing on the beauty of God. If we stay far, far away from temptation, we could be sure to avoid slipping into sin, but staying as close to God as we can is a better choice. If we’re always dodging sin, we remain focused on the sins we’re running from. But if we focus on God instead, we can see where we’re going.” (NLT One Year Study Bible)
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
To Whom Shall We Go?
Click here to download the sermon.
Recap of 4/15/12 (John 6:35-71):
1. In John 6:1-15 Jesus feeds the 5,000+, the fourth of seven sign miracles in the Book of John. In 6:22-71 Jesus explains the spiritual meaning behind the feeding miracle (in between 6:16-21 He walks on the Sea of Galilee to His disciples in the storm) to the crowds. Jesus corrects the crowds wrong priorities, wrong opinions of the Messiah, and wrong understanding of the Old Testament. Their priority should have been spiritual life/eternal life not just food that perishes. They were seeking the physical not the spiritual. Only Jesus could satisfy their deepest needs.
2. In John 6:35 Jesus calls Himself the “Bread of Life,” the first of seven “I am” statements in the book of John. They are significant because they are a clear claim of deity on Jesus’ part based on the Old Testament incident in Exodus 3:14. Jesus identifies Himself as the Old Testament “Yahweh,” a title of deity.
3. Jesus strongly affirms the security of the believer in this passage based upon the Father’s sovereign work in salvation and the repeated assertions that those who believe in Him will ultimately conquer death and be resurrected “at the last day.” The doctrine of eternal security is taught in other places in the Book of John and throughout the New Testament in passages such as: John 10:27-3,15:16; Romans 8:28-30, 31-39; 2 Corinthians 1:21; Ephesians 1:13, 4:30; 2 Timothy 1:12; and Jude 1:24. The believer is kept secure by the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (especially the sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit).
4. Ultimately the crowd, His “disciples,” turn away from Jesus as expressed by one commentator: “His rejecting their desire to make Him their political King; His demand for personal faith; His teaching on atonement; His stress on total human inability and on salvation as a work of God—all these prove to be unpalatable for many people. They gave up being His disciples.” (Dr. Ed Blum)
Recap of 4/15/12 (John 6:35-71):
1. In John 6:1-15 Jesus feeds the 5,000+, the fourth of seven sign miracles in the Book of John. In 6:22-71 Jesus explains the spiritual meaning behind the feeding miracle (in between 6:16-21 He walks on the Sea of Galilee to His disciples in the storm) to the crowds. Jesus corrects the crowds wrong priorities, wrong opinions of the Messiah, and wrong understanding of the Old Testament. Their priority should have been spiritual life/eternal life not just food that perishes. They were seeking the physical not the spiritual. Only Jesus could satisfy their deepest needs.
2. In John 6:35 Jesus calls Himself the “Bread of Life,” the first of seven “I am” statements in the book of John. They are significant because they are a clear claim of deity on Jesus’ part based on the Old Testament incident in Exodus 3:14. Jesus identifies Himself as the Old Testament “Yahweh,” a title of deity.
3. Jesus strongly affirms the security of the believer in this passage based upon the Father’s sovereign work in salvation and the repeated assertions that those who believe in Him will ultimately conquer death and be resurrected “at the last day.” The doctrine of eternal security is taught in other places in the Book of John and throughout the New Testament in passages such as: John 10:27-3,15:16; Romans 8:28-30, 31-39; 2 Corinthians 1:21; Ephesians 1:13, 4:30; 2 Timothy 1:12; and Jude 1:24. The believer is kept secure by the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (especially the sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit).
4. Ultimately the crowd, His “disciples,” turn away from Jesus as expressed by one commentator: “His rejecting their desire to make Him their political King; His demand for personal faith; His teaching on atonement; His stress on total human inability and on salvation as a work of God—all these prove to be unpalatable for many people. They gave up being His disciples.” (Dr. Ed Blum)
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
The Road from Doubt to Faith
Click here to download the sermon.
Recap of April 8, 2012, (Luke 24:13-35):
1. The disciples were not looking for the resurrection. They didn’t understand until after Jesus was resurrected what it was that Jesus was trying to tell them (John 2:19; Mark 8:31; 9:9; 9:31). They were in effect the first skeptics. He gave them many convincing proofs that He was alive from the dead (Acts 1:1-3).
2. Two of these first skeptics were the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Jesus appears physically and bodily to them, alive from the dead, though His identity was divinely hidden from them.
3. They were downcast because, while they believed Jesus was a prophet, they had hoped that He was the Messiah who would deliver Israel from sin and from the domination of Rome. His crucifixion and death seemed to believe that.
4. Jesus showed them from the Old Testament that the Messiah had to suffer before He would enter His glory. Some Old Testament passages would include Psalms 2, 16, 22, 110; Isaiah 53.
5. The evidences for the resurrection include: the empty tomb, the presence of the guard, Jesus’ many appearances to more than 500 people, the change in Peter and others from being fearful and discouraged to being bold and triumphant, lack of any challenge on the Day of Pentecost (less than two months after the crucifixion and resurrection), the change to Sunday worship, the reliability of the gospel writers, mentions in secular historians. (see Robert J. Morgan, Beyond Reasonable Doubt).
Recap of April 8, 2012, (Luke 24:13-35):
1. The disciples were not looking for the resurrection. They didn’t understand until after Jesus was resurrected what it was that Jesus was trying to tell them (John 2:19; Mark 8:31; 9:9; 9:31). They were in effect the first skeptics. He gave them many convincing proofs that He was alive from the dead (Acts 1:1-3).
2. Two of these first skeptics were the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Jesus appears physically and bodily to them, alive from the dead, though His identity was divinely hidden from them.
3. They were downcast because, while they believed Jesus was a prophet, they had hoped that He was the Messiah who would deliver Israel from sin and from the domination of Rome. His crucifixion and death seemed to believe that.
4. Jesus showed them from the Old Testament that the Messiah had to suffer before He would enter His glory. Some Old Testament passages would include Psalms 2, 16, 22, 110; Isaiah 53.
5. The evidences for the resurrection include: the empty tomb, the presence of the guard, Jesus’ many appearances to more than 500 people, the change in Peter and others from being fearful and discouraged to being bold and triumphant, lack of any challenge on the Day of Pentecost (less than two months after the crucifixion and resurrection), the change to Sunday worship, the reliability of the gospel writers, mentions in secular historians. (see Robert J. Morgan, Beyond Reasonable Doubt).
Monday, April 02, 2012
Are You Satisfied?
Click here to download the sermon as we continue in John 6:22-40.
Recap of 4/1/12 (John 6:22-36):
1. The crowds which had been fed by Jesus the previous day in the feeding of the 5,000+ went looking for Jesus, not seeking Him for spiritual food, but for another meal. “Jesus had worked this mighty miracle as a setting for plain talk on His true mission to the world. While He had spent much time ministering to men’s bodily needs, the real purpose of His coming into the world was to save men’s souls.” (Henry H. Halley)
2. Jesus chides the people because of their lack of perception; they missed the meaning of the meal; they were seeking the physical not the spiritual. He challenged the people to get their priorities straight, to desire spiritual food which leads to eternal life, rather than physical food which would leave them hungry again.
3. Once more they missed His meaning thinking they could gain God’s favor through some kind of good work. Jesus again corrects their misconception teaching them that the only thing God requires or accepts is faith in God the Son. A person cannot gain merit (favor) with God through good works (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5)
4. Jesus Himself is the Bread of Life (the bread which is the source of life). He gives life which satisfies (real, abundant, lasting, spiritual). “Faith centers in a Person. It is not the acceptance of a creed or the performance of a ritual, but consists in the surrender of self, in devotion and trust, to a personal, present, loving Savior.” (Erdman)
Recap of 4/1/12 (John 6:22-36):
1. The crowds which had been fed by Jesus the previous day in the feeding of the 5,000+ went looking for Jesus, not seeking Him for spiritual food, but for another meal. “Jesus had worked this mighty miracle as a setting for plain talk on His true mission to the world. While He had spent much time ministering to men’s bodily needs, the real purpose of His coming into the world was to save men’s souls.” (Henry H. Halley)
2. Jesus chides the people because of their lack of perception; they missed the meaning of the meal; they were seeking the physical not the spiritual. He challenged the people to get their priorities straight, to desire spiritual food which leads to eternal life, rather than physical food which would leave them hungry again.
3. Once more they missed His meaning thinking they could gain God’s favor through some kind of good work. Jesus again corrects their misconception teaching them that the only thing God requires or accepts is faith in God the Son. A person cannot gain merit (favor) with God through good works (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5)
4. Jesus Himself is the Bread of Life (the bread which is the source of life). He gives life which satisfies (real, abundant, lasting, spiritual). “Faith centers in a Person. It is not the acceptance of a creed or the performance of a ritual, but consists in the surrender of self, in devotion and trust, to a personal, present, loving Savior.” (Erdman)
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Navigating the Rough Waters of Life
Click here to download the sermon as we continue in John 6:16-21.
A recap of the sermon from March 25, 2012 (John 6:16-21):
1. Jesus sends His disciples into a storm, He does that not so that He can learn something about us, but that we might learn something about ourselves and about Him.
2. “Most of us don’t like rough weather. We don’t like stormy lives. We don’t like affliction and sorrow. When the sea is calm and the Lord is right there with us, filling us with joy and blessing, we think it is wonderful. But our faith never grows that way. We never see His authority and power that way. It is in the storms of life, when sorrow and affliction are crashing against us, that we see God more clearly. God uses the sorrows and tests of life to sharpen us as tools He can use for His glory. The Lord often permits us to go into times of distress and affliction to keep us from something that could be infinitely worse.” (Dr. John Mitchell)
3. We learn through the experience of the disciples that:
-Obedience to Christ does not preclude obstacles in life.
-We cannot remove obstacles ourselves
-Jesus knows our difficulties
-We must trust Him
-We must persist in faith
A recap of the sermon from March 25, 2012 (John 6:16-21):
1. Jesus sends His disciples into a storm, He does that not so that He can learn something about us, but that we might learn something about ourselves and about Him.
2. “Most of us don’t like rough weather. We don’t like stormy lives. We don’t like affliction and sorrow. When the sea is calm and the Lord is right there with us, filling us with joy and blessing, we think it is wonderful. But our faith never grows that way. We never see His authority and power that way. It is in the storms of life, when sorrow and affliction are crashing against us, that we see God more clearly. God uses the sorrows and tests of life to sharpen us as tools He can use for His glory. The Lord often permits us to go into times of distress and affliction to keep us from something that could be infinitely worse.” (Dr. John Mitchell)
3. We learn through the experience of the disciples that:
-Obedience to Christ does not preclude obstacles in life.
-We cannot remove obstacles ourselves
-Jesus knows our difficulties
-We must trust Him
-We must persist in faith
Monday, March 19, 2012
The Impossible...No Problem
Click here to download the sermon as we continue in John 6:1-15.
A recap of the sermon from Sunday, March 18th (John 6:1-15):
1. God uses impossible situations in our lives to build our trust in His ability to meet our needs.
2. God uses impossible situations in our lives to help us see that our resources are not enough.
3. Jesus illustrates the “priesthood of the believer” (see 1 Peter 2:1-10). Even as Jesus involved the disciples in ministry by distributing the bread and fish through them to the people, so He expects us to be involved in meaningful ministry in the lives of others.
4. When we are faced with an overwhelming need or an “unsolvable problem,” we must:
-Realize our inadequacy
-Take our eyes off the little we have and fix our eyes on the great God we have
-Ask first, not “what do I have or can I do,” but “what can God do if I’ll trust Him”
A recap of the sermon from Sunday, March 18th (John 6:1-15):
1. God uses impossible situations in our lives to build our trust in His ability to meet our needs.
2. God uses impossible situations in our lives to help us see that our resources are not enough.
3. Jesus illustrates the “priesthood of the believer” (see 1 Peter 2:1-10). Even as Jesus involved the disciples in ministry by distributing the bread and fish through them to the people, so He expects us to be involved in meaningful ministry in the lives of others.
4. When we are faced with an overwhelming need or an “unsolvable problem,” we must:
-Realize our inadequacy
-Take our eyes off the little we have and fix our eyes on the great God we have
-Ask first, not “what do I have or can I do,” but “what can God do if I’ll trust Him”
Monday, March 12, 2012
The Sabbath and The Son, Part 3
Click here to download the sermon as we continue in John with the verses of chapter 5:16-47.
Recap of the sermon from March 11, 2012 (John 5:24-47):
1. Jesus asserts His deity following the healing of the paralytic in John 5:1-15. He claims equality with God in essential nature (vv. 16-18); in power (vv. 19-23); and in authority (vv. 24-30).
2. Jesus’ divine authority is seen in that He offers eternal life to those who put their faith in Him. They will not only never face judgment but pass from the realm of death to the realm of life (vs. 24). In addition He has the authority to call the spiritually dead to eternal life and to call the physically dead out of the tomb (as He will do with Lazarus in Ch. 11). Authority over life, death, and judgment are prerogatives of deity alone, thus Jesus is claiming to be equal with God.
3. In 5:31-47 Jesus calls upon five witnesses to the fact of His deity: John the Baptist (vv. 31-35); His own works/miracles (vs. 36); God the Father (vv. 37=38); the Scripture (vv. 39-44); and Moses (vv. 45-47).
-John the Baptist pointed the Jews to Jesus, as the Lamb of God and the Son of God.
-Jesus’ miracles showed that God the Father was at work through Him as He showed power over nature, over sickness, and over death
-God the Father affirmed the deity of Jesus at His baptism, the Transfiguration; and in the Triumphal Entry
-Repeatedly Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah, but the Jews had eyes but were blind to the truth, they didn’t lack evidence, but love for God; they exalted themselves while rejecting God.
-Moses (meaning the Pentateuch) spoke of the Redeemer God would send, the Prophet, the seed of Abraham, the Brass Serpent lifted up in the wilderness which saves from all those who looked to it in faith, the Passover, the Manna, the Offerings, the Priesthood. All of which pointed to Jesus Christ and were fulfilled in Him
Recap of the sermon from March 11, 2012 (John 5:24-47):
1. Jesus asserts His deity following the healing of the paralytic in John 5:1-15. He claims equality with God in essential nature (vv. 16-18); in power (vv. 19-23); and in authority (vv. 24-30).
2. Jesus’ divine authority is seen in that He offers eternal life to those who put their faith in Him. They will not only never face judgment but pass from the realm of death to the realm of life (vs. 24). In addition He has the authority to call the spiritually dead to eternal life and to call the physically dead out of the tomb (as He will do with Lazarus in Ch. 11). Authority over life, death, and judgment are prerogatives of deity alone, thus Jesus is claiming to be equal with God.
3. In 5:31-47 Jesus calls upon five witnesses to the fact of His deity: John the Baptist (vv. 31-35); His own works/miracles (vs. 36); God the Father (vv. 37=38); the Scripture (vv. 39-44); and Moses (vv. 45-47).
-John the Baptist pointed the Jews to Jesus, as the Lamb of God and the Son of God.
-Jesus’ miracles showed that God the Father was at work through Him as He showed power over nature, over sickness, and over death
-God the Father affirmed the deity of Jesus at His baptism, the Transfiguration; and in the Triumphal Entry
-Repeatedly Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah, but the Jews had eyes but were blind to the truth, they didn’t lack evidence, but love for God; they exalted themselves while rejecting God.
-Moses (meaning the Pentateuch) spoke of the Redeemer God would send, the Prophet, the seed of Abraham, the Brass Serpent lifted up in the wilderness which saves from all those who looked to it in faith, the Passover, the Manna, the Offerings, the Priesthood. All of which pointed to Jesus Christ and were fulfilled in Him
Monday, March 05, 2012
The Sabbath and the Son, Part 2
Click here to download the sermon as we continue in John with the verses of chapter 5:16-23.
Recap of the sermon from March 4, 2012 (John 5:16-23):
1. How does God use suffering in the lives of believers?
-Romans 5:3, suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope
-2 Corinthians 1:3,4 – as we face trials/suffering we receive comfort from God, comfort that we can use in the lives of others to help them in their suffering
-2 Thessalonians 1:3,4 – suffering increases our faith and our love, makes us perseverant
-James 1:2-4, trials test our faith and can produce perseverance and maturity
-1 Peter 1:3-7, trials prove the genuineness of our faith which brings glory to God
-Job 42:5, trials/suffering deepen our relationship with God
2. Jesus uses the occasion of the healing of the paralytic by the Pool of Bethesda to assert His deity. In John 5:16-30 He claims equality with God, and in John 5:31-47 He introduces five witnesses who verify His claim.
3. Jesus is equal to God in essential nature according to vv. 16-18. Jesus claims a unique relationship with the Father. The Jews understood that He was making Himself equal with God.
-“The Jews understood Him to declare God to be His Father in a sense in which He was not the Father of other men. This is why they said He made ‘Himself equal with God.’ The importance of this is seen in that it contains a direct claim on Jesus’ part to be equal with God, i.e., a claim of absolute Deity. The Jews so regarded His words, and Jesus took no pains to correct that impression; on the contrary, His words that follow are an argument to prove that He was God.” (Dr. Gray)
-“This passage alone is sufficient to dispel foolish notions that Jesus never claimed to be God, or cult contentions that the Son is not very God of very God.” (Dr. Unger)
4. Jesus claimed equality with God in power (vv. 19-23).
Recap of the sermon from March 4, 2012 (John 5:16-23):
1. How does God use suffering in the lives of believers?
-Romans 5:3, suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope
-2 Corinthians 1:3,4 – as we face trials/suffering we receive comfort from God, comfort that we can use in the lives of others to help them in their suffering
-2 Thessalonians 1:3,4 – suffering increases our faith and our love, makes us perseverant
-James 1:2-4, trials test our faith and can produce perseverance and maturity
-1 Peter 1:3-7, trials prove the genuineness of our faith which brings glory to God
-Job 42:5, trials/suffering deepen our relationship with God
2. Jesus uses the occasion of the healing of the paralytic by the Pool of Bethesda to assert His deity. In John 5:16-30 He claims equality with God, and in John 5:31-47 He introduces five witnesses who verify His claim.
3. Jesus is equal to God in essential nature according to vv. 16-18. Jesus claims a unique relationship with the Father. The Jews understood that He was making Himself equal with God.
-“The Jews understood Him to declare God to be His Father in a sense in which He was not the Father of other men. This is why they said He made ‘Himself equal with God.’ The importance of this is seen in that it contains a direct claim on Jesus’ part to be equal with God, i.e., a claim of absolute Deity. The Jews so regarded His words, and Jesus took no pains to correct that impression; on the contrary, His words that follow are an argument to prove that He was God.” (Dr. Gray)
-“This passage alone is sufficient to dispel foolish notions that Jesus never claimed to be God, or cult contentions that the Son is not very God of very God.” (Dr. Unger)
4. Jesus claimed equality with God in power (vv. 19-23).
Monday, February 27, 2012
The Sabbath & The Son
Click here to download the sermon as we continue in John with the verses of chapter 5:12-30.
Recap of the February 26, 2012 sermon (John 5:12-15):
(The source for the following material is the book Come Before Winter by Charles Swindoll)
The Five Suffering Laws (“These ‘laws’ will do more to help the hurting and erase their confusion than perhaps anything else they could read.”)
Law One: There are two classifications of sin. (We are sinners by nature and by practice)
1. Original sin (the inherited sin nature) (Romans 5:12)
2. Personal sins (individual acts of wrong) (Romans 3:23)
Law Two: Original sin introduced suffering, illness, and death to the human race (Romans 5:12) “In the broadest sense of the word, all sickness and suffering today are the result of original sin.”
Law Three: Sometimes there is a direct relationship between personal sins and sickness. (Psalm 32:3-5; 38:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:27-30)
Law Four: Sometimes there is no relationship between personal sins and sickness. “Some are born with afflictions—suffering before they ever reach the age of committing sins (John 9:1-3; Acts 3:1-2). Others, like Job (1:1-5), are living upright lives when suffering occurs.”
Law Five: It is not God’s will that everyone be healed in this life. Some mistakenly claim that there is healing in the atonement based upon a misinterpretation of passages like Isaiah 53:5b (“by His wounds we are healed”). But this passage is talking about spiritual healing not physical healing. It speaks of healing from transgressions and iniquities.
Recap of the February 26, 2012 sermon (John 5:12-15):
(The source for the following material is the book Come Before Winter by Charles Swindoll)
The Five Suffering Laws (“These ‘laws’ will do more to help the hurting and erase their confusion than perhaps anything else they could read.”)
Law One: There are two classifications of sin. (We are sinners by nature and by practice)
1. Original sin (the inherited sin nature) (Romans 5:12)
2. Personal sins (individual acts of wrong) (Romans 3:23)
Law Two: Original sin introduced suffering, illness, and death to the human race (Romans 5:12) “In the broadest sense of the word, all sickness and suffering today are the result of original sin.”
Law Three: Sometimes there is a direct relationship between personal sins and sickness. (Psalm 32:3-5; 38:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:27-30)
Law Four: Sometimes there is no relationship between personal sins and sickness. “Some are born with afflictions—suffering before they ever reach the age of committing sins (John 9:1-3; Acts 3:1-2). Others, like Job (1:1-5), are living upright lives when suffering occurs.”
Law Five: It is not God’s will that everyone be healed in this life. Some mistakenly claim that there is healing in the atonement based upon a misinterpretation of passages like Isaiah 53:5b (“by His wounds we are healed”). But this passage is talking about spiritual healing not physical healing. It speaks of healing from transgressions and iniquities.
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