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Episodes
Monday Jul 10, 2023
Monday Jul 10, 2023
Monday Jul 10, 2023
The Holy Spirt, the Helper, the Comforter,
John 14:16-20, etc. July 2, 2023
I. Introduction:
A. When we are job hunting, often we are so focused on what the salary will be
that we overlook the benefit package that makes the offer much better than we
realize.
1. Many people see salvation much the same way.
a) They focus on the main salary of forgiveness now and heaven later, but
they are not plugging into all the benefits that come with it.
b) In Ephesians 3 Paul summarizes the benefit package of salvation as
being blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ
Jesus.
2. This morning I want to talk about one of those benefits, one of those
spiritual blessings
a) In my experience, this benefit has become one of the most precious and
valuable gifts to me in my relationship with Jesus Christ.
b) The indwelling Holy Spirit of God!
B. If you remember, the upper room discourse is about the truths that were
essential for Jesus’ followers and us to know during the time between when he
returned to his Father in heaven and when he comes back for us.
C. Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit two times earlier in the book but in the few
chapters of the upper room discourse, Jesus spoke about this gift six different
times.
1. We first heard about the Spirit when in chapter three Jesus was talking
with Nicodemus about salvation and letting him know that being born
again was a miracle of the Holy Spirit.
2. Then again in chapter 7 at the great feast when Jesus cried out in 7:37c-39
a) Here Jesus says the Holy Spirit is going to quench the deepest thirsts in
our life and he will dwell in our deepest part of our beings flowing like
a river of water.
b) John tells us Jesus was speaking of the Spirit whom they had not
received yet because Jesus had not yet been glorified by ascending back
to the Father.
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• Now in the upper room discourse we see Jesus repeatedly coming back to and
emphasizing this precious gift as one of the essentials truths they must not forget
after he leaves them
II. Holy Spirit
A. As I read note that Jesus is basically telling his followers that while he is gone
they will not be left as orphans but Jesus will actually come and dwell within
them by means of the Holy Spirit.
1. The Spirit is going to bring the presence, power and help of the Jesus into
their lives
2. Watch for this as I read John 14:16-20
3. Jesus is telling them that the Holy Spirit will not only be with them but in
them, dwelling within them bringing to them the very life, power and
presence of Jesus.
B. Helper is a word that is very broad and covers a bunch of different areas.
1. It means one who helps by comforting, encouraging or mediating in behalf
of someone.
2. He is the one that comes along side us to help us with whatever we need to
do God’s will in our lives
C. Note that he was with them but in the very near future, he would be in them.
Point out v17
1. That is what Jesus means when he will not leave them as orphans when he
returns to the Father but the Holy Spirit will be indwelling them, living
right in them, to be there to help them and us.
D. Note in v19 he speaks of his death and resurrection but in v20 he says it will
be in that time period after his resurrection and ascension that they will
understand that he is in the Father, they will be in Jesus and Jesus will be in
them, obviously by means of the Holy Spirit. Reread v20 and cross reference
with v17 “in” you
E. I want you to note the context both before and after this. Read v 15, 21
1. Both before and after it is talking about obedience.
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2. Now at the start of v16 the great majority, but not all of translations have
the word “and” to start the verse. This is there in the Greek and is a
connective that links the obedience of v15 with the coming of the Helper
in verse 16.
3. I think the primary way the Holy Spirit helps us is by enabling us to obey
what Jesus wants us to do.
4. Is that not why the Holy Spirit was originally promised in Ezekiel 36 –
Israel’s disobedience got them in big trouble and God promised them in
new covenant the following: Read Ezekiel 36:26-27
a) God by means of his Spirit would cause them, enable them to walk in
obedience to him and even create in their hearts a carefulness,
attentiveness, a vigilance to obey God’s Word.
F. The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, the spirit of Jesus Christ living in
them/us to help us with whatever we need to live for Jesus in these days.
• There are some other references to the Holy Spirit that come up in this discourse
that I will briefly take you to, because most of them we will come back to in
future messages in this series.
III. Other references to the Holy Spirit in upper room
A. Read 14:26 –
1. Remember there were many things in the book of John that Jesus taught
the disciples that they did not understand. The promise is the Holy Spirit
will remind them of these things and help them understand the significance
2. The Holy Spirit will be sent in Jesus’ name – that means the Holy Spirit is
coming to officially represent Jesus to us!
B. Read 15:26, 27 - the Holy Spirit will be working right along with us
witnessing about Jesus to the world as we witness to them.
C. Read 16:7 – the Holy Spirit coming to them and living in them, as their helper
is actually an advantage to them over having Jesus’ physical presence with
them.
D. John 16:8-11 – in these verses it speaks about how the Holy Spirit will
convict/convince people regarding sin – righteousness and judgment. We will
give a complete message to this
E. Read 16:12-13 – here Jesus promises the future inspiration of the rest of the
New Testament. we will give a complete message about this
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IV. Ministries of the Holy Spirit in other portions of the New Testament
A. Regeneration – makes us a new creation and puts the new life within us
B. Sealing – locks us in and guarantees our salvation until Jesus returns to
receive us to himself
C. Teaches us – he gives us the ability to understand the meaning and
significance of God’s Word
D. Leads and guides us
E. Baptizes us into Jesus – he is the one who puts us into Jesus just like we saw a
few minutes ago where you are in me and I am in you
F. Fills us – makes his presence and power known in every area of our life so
that we are living under his influence rather than the influence of our best
efforts
G. Assures us deep within that we are children of God
H. Prays for the believer
I. Gifts us supernaturally with various different gifts as expression of Jesus in
and through us to bless others
J. Sanctifies us – that means that he breaks down the control of the flesh in our
lives and fills us with more and more of the resurrected life of Jesus. That is
how we are made more like Jesus!
• I think now you can see why I think the Holy Spirit is one of the most precious
and valuable gifts Jesus has given to us in these days!
V.Application
A. Now that we know some of the ways that the Holy Spirit helps us in these
days; how do we plug into this benefit?
B. I want to say there are three ways the first is prayer
1. Hebrews 13:20-21- this is a prayer of benediction, a prayer for blessing.
Read
2. Blank check here regarding whatever we need to do God’s will!
3. Note it is the indwelling Christ who equips us with this
a) Cross reference Philippians 2:12-13
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C. The second way is faith
1. Turn and read Galatians 2:20
2. It is not I who is living my life now but Christ in me – remember – you in
me and me in you!
3. The life we live right now is a life of faith in the one who lives in me to
supernaturally express his life through me!
4. Illustrate: Jesus calls me to obey him in some specific way (not be angry or
anxious or to be forgiving and pure, etc.) we have one of two options to go
about it.
a) First, we can trust ourselves by trying very hard, setting up
accountability systems, following certain steps, being real sincere and
committed this time
b) Or we can put no trust in ourselves and rely upon the one who lives in
us to do a miracle in and through me enabling me by his life living
through me.
5. Turn and read Galatians 4:19
6. The Christian life is more about the life of Jesus being incarnated within us
than us becoming better imitators of what Jesus did.
D. The third way is to walk with the Holy Spirit in obedience. Let him lead you!
1. You cannot walk with the Spirit unless you are going in the same direction
he is going.
2. Is the Holy Spirit speaking to you about:
a) If he says, “this is the way walk in it” – then go that way!
b) If he says you are going in the wrong direction – then stop and say no
to that
c) If he says release something – then let go of it
d) If he says be still – then wait
e) If he says go – then go
E. So when Jesus went to be with his Father, he sent the Holy Spirit to live
within us forever to help us live the life God wants us to live!
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VI. Response
A. As we sing this last song, I’m going to ask you to actually pray it to the Lord
as you sing and respond as the Holy Spirit would lead you.
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
Praying in Jesus’ Name
John 14:13-14 June 25, 2023
I. Introduction:
A. Prayer has been a gift that God has given man since the beginning of time.
But in the upper room discourse Jesus introduces a dimension, an element to
prayer, that is essential for his people to navigate life between the time Jesus
returned to his Father and when Jesus comes back to receive us to himself.
1. It is a dimension of prayer that many of us do mindlessly as we repeat
words that we really do not understand what they mean.
2. It is a dimension of prayer that explains for us why so many of our prayers
go unanswered, but if we begin to practice it, we will see many more
answers to our prayers.
B. Please turn to John 14 where this new dimension to prayer is found.
1. We learned last week that the backdrop and driver to the discussion in the
upper room discourse is Jesus’ announcement that he is going to return to
the Father and later come back for them.
a) In this discourse are the essential things they needed to know while he
was gone and they were apart from him
2. Then we come to the next section of this chapter where Jesus talks to them
regarding his oneness with the Father.
a) We are not going to cover this section this morning because a few
weeks back when I introduced the book of John to us I had a complete
message about Jesus’ relationship with the Father as seen in the book of
John.
b) We learned that Jesus and the Father not only were close to one another
but that Jesus was fully equal with and one with the Father. We see the
same thing here again.
c) If you were not here, I would encourage you to go to YouTube to view
that. Even more importantly, this is not only a passage to reread but
also one to memorize and meditate on!
C. However, I am going to read this whole section this morning as a reminder to
some of the important things we learned that morning and because right at the
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end of it, Jesus speaks about this promise in prayer that we want to look at this
morning!
1. Read v4-14.
a) Note in v11-12 he speaks about if you do not believe me about what I
am saying about my oneness with the Father and that Jesus dwells in
the Father and the Father dwells in Jesus, then at least believe on
account of the works you have seen me do.
b) Then in v13-14, we see this prayer promise in this context.
D. Overview of our key passage this morning is simply this:
1. V13 is the promise; v14 restates it in summary form.
2. In v13 we see three things:
a) The content of our prayers
b) How these prayers are answered
c) And the motive to our prayers
• This morning I want to break down this promise phrase by phrase because these
twenty words are packed with millions upon millions of words worth of
meaning, application and testimonies of its truthfulness for us! Let’s start with
the …
II. Content to our prayers
A. Reread v13a – emphasizing “whatever”
B. This is an amazing promise – “whatever you ask!” Wow!
1. But to be honest with you there are many things I have asked God for that
were never answered!
2. Can any of you relate to that?
3. If Jesus said that, then why is that the case?
C. The next phrase explains for us why so many of our prayers are not answered.
1. Read 13a – emphasizing “in Jesus’ name”
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2. For most of us, we add on “in Jesus’ name” at the end of our prayers as
magical words that if we add them to our prayers then we will get what we
want.
3. But here is the reality – “in Jesus’ name” is the qualifier for whatever, it
both limits the ” whatever” and enhances what “whatever” means.
D. A name represents all of who someone is, along with their character, all they
have, their rights, privileges and authority and even their reputation.
1. To do something in someone’s name means you are doing something in
behalf of that person as their official representative.
E. Now when I connect along with limit and enhance the meaning of “whatever”
with Jesus’ name that means that I would be asking for the things that Jesus
would ask for in this situation. They are things that are in line with his
character and his agenda.
F. Let me build on that a bit more by the context and a few other places this
promise is repeated.
1. We already have seen in this passage that the context to this promise is
doing the works of Jesus.
a) So the first thing I would ask about my prayers is, are they not only
consistent with what Jesus would ask but is it to further his work and
kingdom or my own welfare?
2. Look at John 15:7 – read
a) So here, we see that the “whatever” is in the context of those whose
lives are filled with and controlled by God’s Word.
b) So I must ask are my prayers consistent with God’s Word or even are
my prayers driven by and full of God’s Word
3. Read John 15:16
a) So here, we see that the “whatever” is in the context of bearing fruit for
God, fruit that remains.
b) So I must ask, are my prayers consistent with the things that bear fruit
for God?
c) In a few weeks, we will spend a big portion of the message seeing what
bearing fruit for God means.
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4. John also wrote the book of 1 John and he addresses this same topic in 1
John 5:14-15. Read
a) Here the anything and “whatever” is limited by God’s will
5. So to be able to apply this promise and actually see answers to our prayers
we must ask things that are in accordance with the character of Jesus, the
work of Jesus, God’s Word, bearing fruit for Jesus and according to God’s
will rather than just whatever we want!
G. This has big implications for how we pray about the sick and about troubles
both our own and the troubles of those we love.
1. Have you ever considered what we ask God for at those times? – usually it
is for health and deliverance and God fixing things
2. How often have you considered how Jesus would pray for that situation – a
great practice to do before you even pray?
a) When we need healing, delivering or fixing Jesus might pray that:
(1) He might even pray that our sickness or dying would bring glory to
God rather than God would heal us.
(2) We would endure these times in faith and gratitude before God.
(3) Use these things and times to
(a) Open doors to bring the gospel to the lost or model for the
believer how Jesus would walk in these times
(b) Make them more like Jesus
(c) Teach them to rely upon his Spirit rather than themselves.
H. Praying in Jesus name is more about praying for what Jesus wants than
praying for what we want! It is praying as a representative of Jesus! It is
asking what Jesus would ask for. It’s prayers consistent with his heart for the
things that he cares about. It is praying Jesus’ heart for Jesus’ work!
• The second we see in this passage is …
III. How these prayers are answered
A. I am going to deal with the two other aspects of this verse much more quickly
than the first. Reread v13b
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B. Note here how the prayer is answered. Jesus says “and I will do it” –
1. Jesus is the one who answers our prayers; he does what we are asking for!
2. Seems so simple, clear and we say of course. But I believe that in most of
our minds and practice we
a) See our prayers as a means of God seasoning our efforts with his
blessing as we go about what we are doing rather than expecting Jesus
to do a miracle here.
b) Like our prayers result in God pouring out of a saltshaker of blessing
upon what we do.
• The final part of this verse speaks about
IV. The motive in our prayers
A. Read v13c
B. It is when the motives of our prayers are that God would be glorified that we
see this promise go into operation.
1. Remember what James 4:2-3 says
2. Two reasons we are not experiencing the presence and power of God in
our lives are because we are not asking God for things and secondly we are
asking for things for our own benefit rather than God’s glory
C. Finally, in this part of the verse we get some insight into how God is glorified.
1. Many people think God is glorified by us doing things excellently. We
should give our best of what we do out of our worship of God
2. But what brings God glory is when Jesus does something for and through
us rather than what we do for God!
3. Note how 13b and c flow together.
V. Conclusion
A. So when you put your prayer life up against this passage how does it look?
1. Are you praying for what Jesus would want or what you would want?
2. Are you looking for Jesus to actually intervene in your life and do
something or are you just hoping he will add his blessing to what you are
doing?
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3. Finally, are you asking God to do these things so he would be glorified or
so your life would be more comfortable and happy?
B. I would ask you in closing to consider something you have been praying about
for a while that is just seems God is not answering it.
1. Consider what Jesus would pray about this situation in light of his
character, his purposes, his work, his word, his will and his glory.
2. Start praying about it in that way and expect Jesus to show up and do
things that only he can do.
Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
Returning to the Father
John 13-16 June 11, 2023
- Introduction:
- Have you ever had a very serious conversation with someone because you knew that very soon things were going to change in a big way? You want to make sure you cover the right things, the most important things and you measure those words carefully.
- Kim and I had one of those conversations with each one of our daughters just about a week before they got married. For us the most important area we wanted to cover was to see if there were any unresolved hurts between them and us that we could address before they got married so they could start this new relationship fresh and free from any baggage from us.
- Well things are about to change with me and MVC in a big way, and in my last series I wanted to make sure I covered the right things, the most important things –
- Literally, for the last few years, I have been thinking about what I would say and I came up with all kinds of ideas.
- Have you ever had a very serious conversation with someone because you knew that very soon things were going to change in a big way? You want to make sure you cover the right things, the most important things and you measure those words carefully.
I am already thinking and making notes on what I would say in my very last message to this precious church family Kim and I love so much.
- Well where I landed for this final series is the upper room discourse because these were Jesus’ words to his closest followers and friends right before things were going to change in a very big way.
- I have always operated under the conviction that what God has to say in his word is always better and more powerful than my best ideas.
- So I put aside all my ideas and decided to focus upon the areas that Jesus thought were most important for his followers to hear before things were going to change with them in a big way.
- Turn to John 13 in your Bibles and let me set a little context
- Literally, Jesus knew that within fifteen hours, he would be hanging on the cross and not long after that, he would be going back to his Father. He was having his last meal, the Passover meal, with his followers and friends, the twelve disciples.
- Read John 13:1-4
- During this meal in chapter 13 we see three key things
- Judas leaving the meal to set up his betrayal of Jesus
- Jesus washing the feet of his disciples as an example of humble service to one another for them to follow
- Finally, we see Jesus giving them the new commandment of loving one another
- All of this brings me to theme of my message this morning, which was the backdrop and underlying theme of the upper room discourse, a theme that Jesus kept going back to during this time, one which the disciples did not fully understand and kept questioning Jesus about that evening.
- It is simply this
- Jesus is returning to the Father
- We already saw in verses one and three in chapter 13 that Jesus knew he was about to go back to the Father. Now he tells his followers this. Look at v33
- As I read this note that, the theme we rightly spend a lot of time on, loving one another as Jesus loved us, flew right over their heads and they had little concern regarding it in light of the news that Jesus was leaving them.
- Read v33-38
- V33- Jesus had told the Jews the same thing before and they reasoned that either he was going to flee to the dispersion among the Greeks or he is going to kill himself
- In v36 Peter wanted to know where he was going – Jesus’ response was “Where I am going you cannot follow me now but you will later!”
- V37 why can’t I follow you right now– I will even die for you if I have to – then Jesus predicted that even with all the love and commitment he would still deny him – a lesson we need to humbly consider for ourselves.
- He moves on in chapter 14 to tell them where he is going
- Read v1-4
- Simply, Jesus is going to his Father’s house to prepare a place for them and that he is going to come back again and receive them to himself so that where Jesus is, they can be with him also
- Let me quickly cross-reference Jesus final reference to this in this discourse where he makes it very clear, as to where he is going!
- Read John 16:28
- We see in this verse both the incarnation and the ascension of Jesus – Jesus coming into the world and Jesus leaving the world to be with the father.
- Turn back to John 14:3 - I believe this is referring to the rapture.
- That is the exact purpose and a great summary of the events of the rapture of the church. Read 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
- We will see later in this discourse that the purpose of the giving us the Holy Spirit is to be with us. The purpose of verses 2 & 3 is for us to be with him, which is the rapture, so that we might be with him where he is!
- But Jesus keeps coming back to this theme repeatedly. Let me show you a few other places.
- Read John 14:18
- We will see in weeks to come that the great promise of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus. indwelling us comes out of the back drop of Jesus leaving but not leaving them alone like an orphan without any help
- Read John 14:28
- Bottom line, if their greatest concern was for Jesus rather than themselves then they would be rejoicing for him because he is going back to the Father
- Read John 16:5-6
- We see that this information filled their hearts with sorrow
- Read John 16:7
- Jesus said there is an advantage to him going away – he will be sending the Holy Spirit to them.
- Read 16:17-22
- They still do not get it
- Jesus explains that his death will bring weeping, lament, grief and anguish
- But his resurrection will bring them joy and rejoicing
- Read 16:28 – where we see Jesus’ final reference to this in the discourse
- Again, we see Jesus’ incarnation into this world and his ascension out of this world.
- Read John 14:18
- The whole purpose of the upper room discourse is that Jesus is giving them final instructions before he leaves to go back to the Father.
- These instructions are essential things for them to know while they live here on earth until Jesus returns for them
- So this series is not just about Pat giving final words he wants to say before he leaves but rather words that are essential for each one of us because we are living in that time between Jesus’ ascension to heaven and his return for us.
- We already saw in verses one and three in chapter 13 that Jesus knew he was about to go back to the Father. Now he tells his followers this. Look at v33
- Communion
- It was during the Passover meal that Jesus instituted the practice we still do today, communion, a time to remember his death for us.
- Turn to Luke 22:14
- In Luke we see this same story of the last supper in the upper room from another perspective with some added details
- Read v14-18
- Want to note in particular that Jesus said he would not eat and drink the cup with them again until the kingdom of God.
- This is a practice, an ordinance that Jesus wants his followers to practice with each other at this time until he returns
- Then it will be done again with Jesus and his followers when the future kingdom comes.
- This forms our great and ultimate hope. Paul called it the blessed hope, the time when Jesus returns.
- A person who has God’s grace in operation in their heart deep within is looking forward to this time when Jesus returns.
- Titus 2:13 teaches us that looking forward to Jesus’ return is one of the graces that God works in our hearts!
- As we take communion would you remember what Jesus did for you.
- Search your heart if you are eagerly looking forward to the return of Jesus.
- If not ask God to show you what is blocking that within you and ask him to unleash his grace within you to produce it!
- Pass the elements
Tuesday Jun 06, 2023
Thursday Jun 01, 2023
Tuesday May 23, 2023
Tuesday May 16, 2023
Tuesday May 09, 2023
Tuesday May 09, 2023
Believing That You May Have Life in His Name
John 20:31 May 7, 2023 – Communion
- Introduction:
- This is the fourth week of our big bus tour in the book of John. We are going to jump off one more time at John 20:31 to look at believing so that you might have life in Jesus’ name!
- This is the desired result of writing this book and recording Jesus’ miracles so that we would believe in Jesus the Christ, the Son of God so we could have life! Read 20:30-31
- Let us just see one of many examples of this in the book of John. Turn to John 6:40 Read.
- Beholds the Son and believes in him the result is eternal life and will be raised from the dead in the future resurrection!
- Not say – beholds the church and goes regularly but says who beholds Jesus and believes in him
- Not say – beholds a particular denomination and follows their rites but says who beholds Jesus and believes in him
- Not say – beholds God’s laws and tries to keep all of them but says who beholds Jesus and believes in him
- Not say – beholds Jesus and tries to follow his example by living a good life but says who beholds Jesus and believes in him
- Now this would be an easy time for many of you to check out on this message because you will say to yourself – “I have heard this a million times, yeah, yeah, yeah we need to believe in Jesus to be saved.”
- You will hear it for the million and first time today because I want to clarify our understanding just a little bit that could make a big difference in our lives!
- Because when we pay close attention to the entire New Testament we learn that the gospel, the good news about Jesus, is not only the means by which we are saved at one point in the past, but it is also the means by which we are to walk every day with Jesus!
- Simply to be saved I have to admit/confess that I do not have enough to be pleasing to God so I have to turn from myself to Jesus (repentance) and trust in Jesus for my salvation.
- That process is the heart of the entire Christian life, remember we learned just a few weeks ago that the entire Christian life takes a miracle as it is not just hard to do and be what Jesus called us to, it is impossible
- So on a daily, moment-by-moment basis I must admit/confess that I do not have enough to do and be what God has called me to do and be; so I must turn from trying hard to Jesus (repentance) and trust Jesus to work a miracle in me!
- Another way to say that is like this - the same way in the past that we put faith in the crucified Jesus to save us from the penalty of our sins, in the present we must put faith in the resurrected Jesus to save us from the power of sin!
- Worth a repeat and a camera shot for those who do things like that!
- Often my prayer is as simple as the prayer I learned from a friend of mine “Jesus I can’t, you must.”
- Bottom line – the gospel we are saved by, is the gospel we live by! And believing is the way we respond to the gospel!
- The gospel is both simple and deep at the same time!
- It is always worth learning it even better. Jack Swider is teaching a class second hour in 102 where you can learn more about the gospel. I encourage you to go and learn.
- You will hear it for the million and first time today because I want to clarify our understanding just a little bit that could make a big difference in our lives!
- This is the fourth week of our big bus tour in the book of John. We are going to jump off one more time at John 20:31 to look at believing so that you might have life in Jesus’ name!
- So let’s start with
- What does believing mean
- Biblical believing is more than a mental or theological agreement and acceptance of something. Believing is a two sided coin
- Yes, on one side, there is a mental or theological agreement and acceptance of some truth.
- But on the other side, you must believe that to the point that you depend and rely upon what you know to be true.
- So here is the PBP definition of believing
- Being persuaded and accepting the truthfulness/reality of whom Jesus is and what he says, and what he has done/does, to the point that I rely/depend upon him and obey him for those truths I am persuaded and accepting!
- This is what biblical belief and believing is, this is what biblical trust and trusting is, this is what biblical faith is!
- Biblical believing is more than a mental or theological agreement and acceptance of something. Believing is a two sided coin
- How that definition applies to us
- I want to say this morning that believing in Jesus is the way a lost person gets life and believing in Jesus is the way a believer experiences that life on a daily and practical basis!
- And that definition is true for someone who is lost who needs to be saved from the penalty of sin and for the believer who needs to be saved from the power of sin.
- I hear many Christians who are struggling often– yeah, yeah I know that truth from the Bible already, but they continue to struggle saying “it does not work!”
- This often is the problem they have; while they know the truth – the one side of belief, they are not depending upon, relying upon and obeying what they know in that moment!
- I love what Pastor Johnson used to say, “It does not work but he does!
- Listen to the kind of faith that Abraham had, the father of all who believe. He was nearly 100 years old, his wife in her 90’s, yet barren all her life (barren does not mean she did not have any children but she was not able to have any children) yet on the other hand God promised him that he would be a father of a multitude of children.
- Read 4:19-20
- An important fine tuning to our believing – it is not just a matter of believing the promises but we must also believe in the person who made the promises
- Believing takes the promise or the truth and relies upon the person of God who made the promise or declared the truth, to do for you exactly what God said he would do!
- Let’s look at an illustration of this that I have done before but worth repeating here.
- Illustration
- Illustrate believe, faith, trust, rely for the lost using the wall over here using John 3:16
- Standing on my two legs relying upon my own ability to hold myself up
- Left leg - who I am – my personhood (good, moral, religious)
- Right leg what I do – my performance (good deeds, religious activities, even religious rites like baptism)
- Now this wall represents Jesus Christ, who he is and what he has done at the cross and in the resurrection!
- Saying faith - now believing the facts of John 3:16– (restate fact that God so loved the world that ….) but I am still standing/relying on my own two legs - believing but not relying.
- Saving faith - now I am going to shift, transfer all my trust to this wall. If this wall falls, I fall because I am no longer trusting in anything that my legs can do to hold me up! All my trust is in this wall and its ability to hold me up (all my trust is in Jesus and his death on the cross to pay for my sins and that I will not perish but have eternal life)
- Standing on my two legs relying upon my own ability to hold myself up
- Illustrate believe, faith, trust, rely for the believer using the wall over here using Galatians 2:20
- Standing on my two legs relying upon my own ability to hold myself up
- Left leg - who I am – my personhood (good, moral, religious)
- Right leg what I can do , my trying– my own abilities that come out of my humanity and human resources, systems and contacts
- Now this wall represents Jesus Christ, who he is and what he can do in and through me right now, as I trust him!
- Saying faith - now believing the facts of Galatians 2:20– (restate fact that this wall represents Jesus lives in me and when I now live by faith in him, he will miraculously live his life out through me) but I am still standing/relying on my own two legs - believing but not relying upon Jesus to work that miracle through me.
- Instead I am trusting what I can do, my trying– my own abilities that come out of my humanity and human resources, systems and contacts
- Sanctifying faith - now I am going to shift, transfer all my trust to this wall. If this wall falls, I fall because I am no longer trusting in anything that my legs can do to hold me up! All my trust is in this wall and Jesus’ ability that now as I live by faith in him, that he will miraculously live his life out through me!
- Standing on my two legs relying upon my own ability to hold myself up
- Illustrate believe, faith, trust, rely for the lost using the wall over here using John 3:16
- As we go to
- Communion
- Consider whether you are someone who does not know Jesus or if you do is your faith characterized more as saying faith or a saving/sanctifying faith
- Then consider what adjustments you may need to make to your faith.
- Then finally thank Jesus for not only dying for you in the past but for living for you in the present!
- Elements
- Consider whether you are someone who does not know Jesus or if you do is your faith characterized more as saying faith or a saving/sanctifying faith
Tuesday May 02, 2023
Tuesday May 02, 2023
Son of God
Various passages April 30, 2023
I. Introduction:
A. C.S. Lewis said in his classic book, Mere Christianity, “I am trying
here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people
often say about him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral
teacher, but I do not accept his claim to be God. That is the one
thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the
sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He
would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a
poached egg – or else he would be the devil of hell. You must
make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or
else a lunatic or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool,
you can spit at him and kill him as a demon, or you can fall at his
feet and call him Lord and God. But let none of us come away with
any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human
teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
B. For many when they hear that Jesus was the Son of God it conjures
up thoughts in their minds that are not accurate about who Jesus is.
1. For some it indicates that Jesus was a special man of God, like a
great prophet/teacher and moral man, but not God.
2. For some it indicates that Jesus was at some point not in
existence and he came into existence from God the Father as the
first one ever created thus he is not God
3. For others it indicates that Jesus was a god but an inferior god to
the Father
C. We have already seen that in John 20:31 that John indicated that he
wrote the Gospel of John so that by the miracles Jesus did people
would believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
1. Let me rephrase that in the PBP translation – if you are newer to
MVC the PBP translation is the Patrick Bernard Peglow
translation.
2. So you would believe that Jesus was the promised coming
Messiah (King and Savior), God himself!
D. This morning I want to show you that Jesus as the Son of God
means that he is actually God, fully God and fully equal with God
the Father!
1. Now I trust you are reading through the Gospel of John on your
own and watching for statements and proofs in John about Jesus
as the Son of God.
2. As you do that, you will see references to this repeatedly in
different ways!
3. And as you see these references, your view and value of Jesus
can only rise and cause you to bow down and worship him as
fully God!
E. So this morning I do not want to just start at the beginning of the
book, take you to every reference in the book, and show them to
you. Instead, I want to lay out some key ideas to help us
understand what the Son of God actually means!
• Let’s start by ….
II. What the Jews understood the Son of God to be!
A. When Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, we need to understand
what that meant in the Jewish culture and language of that time to
understand what it means to be the Son of God.
1. Once that is accomplished, we will understand why the religious
leaders were so angry and wanted to kill him when he claimed
to be the Son of God.
B. The Jewish religious leaders knew that Jesus claiming to be the Son
of God was a claim to be God himself. He is not an inferior or
lesser god but fully equal with God the Father.
1. Read John 5:17-18 – the Jews understood that when Jesus was
calling God his own father – thus his son, the Jews understood
he was making himself equal with God
2. Read John 10:30-33, 36-38
a. Note in v36 that Jesus is equating them saying he is
blaspheming in v33 by making himself out to be God with
Jesus quoting them as saying he is blaspheming because he
is the Son of God
b. Simply being God and being the Son of God are
synonymous
II. Being the Christ is equated with being God
C. In John 20:30 and another key passage we will look at in a moment
we will see that grammatically, Christ and the Son of God are
connected ideas and not separate ideas.
1. Look back at John 20:30 - it does not say believe he is the
Christ and the Son of God, but rather Christ, the Son of God.
2. If and was between them it would indicate they are two different
things we are to believe – that Jesus was the Christ and that he
was the Son of God.
3. But when it is just a comma, we see that the Son of God is
further describing or explaining whom the Christ/Messiah is.
4. So he is saying here that the Christ is the Son of God.
a. I believe that this close connection is because the Messiah or
the Christ or God’s King was foretold in the Old Testament
to be God himself.
b. Read - Zechariah 9:9-10, 14:9,16
c. Various other passages teach this as well.
d. I asked an 87 year old Jewish man who grew up going to
Hebrew School and studying the Jewish religion (who came
to Christ here at MVC – Albert Richmond – some of you
remember him) if he was taught that the Messiah Israel is
waiting for was going to be God. He said, “Absolutely!”
D. Do you remember the scene when Jesus stood on trial in front of
the whole Jewish council of teachers, elders, scribes and
priests? Turn to it in your Bibles, Matthew 26
1. Get the feel for who was there – best Bible students and
teachers in all of Israel.
2. They were seeking to find some kind of false testimony against
Jesus so they could put him to death. Jesus did not speak a
word to defend himself.
3. Finally, the high priest, Caiaphas cut through the entire chase
and got to the heart of the matter as he asked Jesus to tell him
under oath if he is the Christ, the Son of God. Listen as I read
v63-67
4. Right in front of these Bible scholars Jesus quoted two OT
passages that they were very familiar with that referred to the
Messiah not only as the King but also as God.
a. “Sitting at the right hand of power” – read Psalm 110:1-
2. Just a few days before Jesus had confounded some of
these same leaders by powerfully proving with this very
passage that the Messiah was God’s Son.
1. Read Matthew 22:41-46 shows that as the Son of God he
was God himself
b. “Coming on the clouds of heaven” – listen as I read Daniel 7
where this reference comes from and get a feel for what
made them so angry.
1. Read Daniel 7:9-10, - sitting on throne aflamed =
indestructible and river of fire coming out from before
him.
2. Read Daniel 7:13-14. – Jesus walked right up through
that river of fire = indestructible and received from the
Father what only God has.
5. You can see now why these men were so angry. They knew
exactly what Jesus was saying when he claimed to be the Son of
God. Yes, I am the Messiah, God himself.
• As you read through John you will see many
IV. Other proofs in John that Jesus was fully God
A. The signs John speaks of miracles that showed that Jesus had
supernatural power that only God has
B. His existence before creation
C. Special relationship he had with the Father -
D. He had attributes that only God has.
1. He went as far as to say if you have seen me you have seen the
Father
E. His claim to be one with God
F. He claimed to do everything that God did and he did it in the exact
same way God does it!
G. The great I am statement about his existence before Abraham.
1. A claim that made them pick up stones and seek to kill him
IV. How about you!
H. Not know Jesus – read Romans 10:9
1. Confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord
2. Lord is the title for God that indicates that he exercises ultimate
and supernatural authority over everything!
3. Where do you stand today? – either you believe he is a lunatic, a
liar or Lord
4. As C.S. Lewis said, those are the only three options you can
choose from, no other is available
5. Listen as I read v11-13 from Bible
6. Would you call upon God himself – Jesus to save you right now
…
I. Do know Jesus - listen to Philippians 2:6-7, 9-11
1. Would you today bow your knee and confess that about Jesus
not only over everything but more importantly over your life?
2. And would you walk out these doors this morning living
consistently with the confession you made about Jesus as the
one who has ultimate and supernatural authority over every are
and decision in your life?