God's Delays Part 2

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God's Delays

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Recap of 7/22/12 (John 11:1-6):

1.  Of the seven signs (or “sign-miracles”) recorded by John in his gospel, the climatic sign is the raising of Lazarus from the dead in John 11.  As with the other signs, Jesus’ nature, power & authority is demonstrated to prove John’s thesis that Jesus is God incarnate.  Jesus authority over matter is seen in Him changing water into wine and multiplying the meager fish and bread of a small boy to feed 5,000 plus.  His authority over sickness and disease is seen in His healing of the official’s son, healing of the man at the Pool of Bethesda, and healing of the man born blind.  His authority over nature is seen in His walking on water to the disciples on the Sea of Galilee.  His power and authority over death is seen in His raising Lazarus from the dead.  This miracle “exemplifies His power over the last and most irresistible enemy of humanity—death.”

2.  The setting for this seventh “sign-miracle” is the sickness and death of Jesus’ friend, Lazarus of Bethany, brother of Mary and Martha.  He was apparently a frequent guest in their home.  This trouble/tragedy comes upon them suddenly, not because of anything they had done.  They were not “out of God’s will” for John 11:4 makes it clear that this happened so that God might be glorified.  God will let difficulties happen to us, not because He doesn’t love us, but because He does and will test our faith and drive us to the place where we find our hope and rest in Him. 

-“Jesus permits this to happen because God will get glory in it.  We need to learn that we are not the center of the universe—nor is our home, our church, our town.  The headquarters of everything are in Heaven, and everything is running for His glory.  Nothing will come into our lives without His permission, and if He permits it, it is going to be for His glory.” (J. Vernon McGee)

3.   “When distress comes to a Christian it is dangerous to assert that the purpose is some benefit, and that the explanation is found in some future blessing.  The purposes of God are beyond our [knowledge] and suffering is an unexplained mystery; but it is absolutely certain that, for a friend of Jesus, the result of suffering will be some eternal good, some manifestation of ‘the glory of God.’” (Charles Erdman).

The Unbroken Word

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Recap of 7/15/12 (John 10:31-42):

1.  If, as Jesus says, “the Scripture cannot be broken” (i.e. it is reliable and authoritative), John 10:35, then the teaching of Scripture cannot be rejected, it is vital to the believer in the following ways:

-it is vital to producing spiritual growth (1 Peter 1:23-2:2)

-it is vital to going on to maturity (Hebrews 5:11-14)

-it is vital to living skillfully (Proverbs 2:1-6)

-it is vital for equipping us for good works that should follow salvation (Ephesians 2:8-10; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17)

-it is vital to intimately knowing Jesus Christ (John 5:39; Luke 24:25-27; 2 Peter 1:3)

-it is vital to spiritual warfare (Matthew 4:1-11; Ephesians 6:10-18)

-it is vital to true worship (John 4:19-24; Acts 17:23; Romans 11:33-12:2; Ephesians 3:20-21)

-it is vital to the doctrinal purity of the church (1 Timothy 4:1-6, 11-16; 2 Timothy 1:13,14;  4:1-4; Titus 1:9-10)

-it is vital to personal and corporate purity (Jude 3,4; Proverbs 29:18; Psalms 119:9-11)

-it is vital to proper relationships both in and out of the church (1 Corinthians 13 ; “one-another passages”)

2.  “May I say this to those of you who love the Savior?  Isn’t it about time that we Christians really got down to business with God and appreciated His love and His care and His knowledge?  To think that He calls you by name individually and personally.  He love you, cares for you, knows you, and is guaranteeing that one of these days—because you belong to His flock—you will stand in His presence conformed to the image of your Shepherd, Jesus Christ.  I say, what a Savior! What a Lord!” (Dr. Mitchell)

Eternal Life Means Eternal

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Recap of 7/1/12 (John 10:22-30):

1.  The setting for John 10:22-42 is the Feast of Dedication, today called Hanukkah or the Feast of Lights.  It was not one of the Old Testament festivals but was as one writer said: “…a minor, more recent celebration.”  It was established in 165/164 B.C. by Judas Maccabeus in honor of the rededication of the Temple which had been desecrated by Antiochus IV Epiphanes who sacrificed a pig on the altar in 168 B.C.

2.  The religious leaders once again challenge Jesus about His identity.  The issue for them was not the need of more information but rather they were unwilling to believe and were just trying to trap Him.  Concerning the nature of their unbelief, Mitchell writes: “We begin to wonder about these enemies of Christ.  With all the evidence He’s presented to them, what more do they want?  They have seen His spectacular miracles.  They have seen Him heal the sick, open the eyes of the blind, and feed the hungry.  What more do they want?  When a person is full of unbelief it doesn’t matter what you do.  They won’t accept the Savior.”  “We should…consider what this section teaches as to the moral element in faith and unbelief.  It is always a matter of the heart and will, quite as much as the mind.  Men do not believe because they do not desire to believe.  The same testimony makes true disciples and deadly enemies.” (Erdman)

3.  Jesus offers eternal life to those who put their faith in Him.  Life which is not just duration of time but is a quality of life Jesus describes as “abundant.”  It is not something that is given to believers in the future but it is their present possession.  It cannot be lost for it is secured by the Father and the Son (Romans 8:28-39).

The Shepherd, the Thief, and the Hired Hand

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Recap of 6/24/12 (John 10:1-21):

1.  In John 10, Jesus calls Himself both the gate to the sheepfold and the Good Shepherd, figures of speech to express how Jesus guides, provides for, and guards His sheep.  He doesn’t lose even one.  Because of his belief in Jesus, the man born blind of Chapter 9 is put out of the synagogue.  This prompts Jesus to characterize the Scribes and Pharisees as false shepherds, nothing but thieves and hired hands.  In contrast to them, Jesus is the Good Shepherd who cares for His sheep.  This would be comforting to future believers among the Jews who would be excommunicated because of their belief in Jesus.

2.  “Why does the Lord compare His people to sheep? They are prone to wander (Isa. 53:6) and need a shepherd to guide them. The Good Shepherd knows His sheep intimately and calls them and provides for them (Ps. 23). How wonderful to be one of His sheep..” (Warren Wiersbe)

3.  “In ancient times the sheepfold was a circular stone corral with a single narrow opening.  After the sheep were inside, the shepherd would lie down across the opening, using his own body to form the gate or ‘door’ of the sheepfold.  Nothing could enter or leave the fold without the shepherd knowing about it.  Keep that image in mind as you read Jesus’ words in 10:7.” (The Daily Walk Bible)

4.  Sheep had to be protected because there were many predators in that day.  Often the shepherd faced death to protect the sheep.  Jesus gave His life for His sheep.  His death was substitutionary, voluntary, under His authority/control, and by command of God the Father.

Seeing is Believing

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Recap of 6/17/12 (John 9:1-41):

1.  John 9 records the 6th of the 7 sign miracles John deals with in his gospel.  Each miracle is to show the divine nature and work of Jesus, each highlights some aspect of what He came to do. Concerning the healing in John chapter nine, Dr. Charles Erdman writes: “This story possesses an irresistible and unfailing charm.  A subtle humor pervades the dialogue between the Pharisees and the man who had been born blind; their ruffled dignity and exasperation, and his irritating irony, are little less than amusing, while against all stands the contrast of the majestic calm of Jesus.”

2.  Healings by Jesus, especially those of opening the eyes of the blind were very specific indications that Jesus was the predicted Messiah (see Isaiah 42:7; 29:18; 35:5). 

3.  The healing of the man born blind in John 9 was a public application or demonstration of Jesus’ words in 8:12, “I am the light of the world.”  Jesus brings light to three groups: the physically blind, the spiritual blind, and his disciples who bought into the wrong thinking of their day especially concerning the connection between personal sin and disease.  (For the Five Suffering Laws which explains the connection between sin and disease, deaths, and difficulties, see Charles Swindoll, Come Before Winter or 2/26/12 message)

4. Jesus urges His disciples to work while there is time, especially in taking His light to a blinded world (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:1-3).

5.  The healed man’s perception of Jesus changes through-out the encounter and its aftermath.  He originally sees Jesus as only a man, then a prophet, then a man of God.  Jesus challenges him to see that He is God incarnate.  In response the man places his faith in Jesus and is saved. 

Paternity Dispute Part II

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Recap of 6/10/12 (John 8:37-59):

1. Through-out this passage Jesus is trying to get the religious leaders to think beyond the physical to the spiritual. They thought their physical relationship to Abraham was enough to save them. Jesus said that they needed a spiritual relationship to him. As it was they were exhibiting the characteristics of Satan (a liar and murderer) rather than of Abraham (faith, believing God). All of humanity divides along the lines of God as Father or Satan as Father. Being religious is not the answer, a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ is. As the NIV Study Bible says, “Their deeds reveal their parentage.”


2. Jesus calls Satan a “murderer from the beginning” and a liar who “when he lies, speaks his native language” (verse 44). Because of Satan’s lie (Genesis 3:4, 13) physical and spiritual death were brought into the creation. Death in the Bible means separation; physical death is the separation of the body from the spirit; spiritual death is separation from God; eternal death is eternal separation from God. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they died spiritually and the process of physical death began in their bodies.

3. Vance Havner says of Satan: “Satan and his legions are out to disable the body, deceive the minds, and discourage the spirit. Some he devours as a roaring lion. Some he leads astray as an angel of light. Others he besets as the accuser. He attacks through morals, through the mind, through moods.” “We need not be surprised if, right on the heels of a new spiritual beginning, we are beset with double force by the devil. It is a good sign. It is evidence that we are making progress, and have aroused him. He will attack body, mind and spirit to disable, deceive, or discourage. Be not discouraged. It is a sure sign of progress. The farther you go, the more you may meet with. But greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. Your Ally has conquered your Adversary.”

Paternity Dispute

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.

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).

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).

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.”

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.

Guest Speaker: Glen Herr

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Who is Jesus?

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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)

To Whom Shall We Go?

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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)