What Do You Believe?
John #5 1:35-42
June 28th 2009
Pastor Ben Fleming
I just began to learn how to use Facebook. I got connected with Pastor Greg and Nancy Langley in San Bernardino. He was my senior pastor during seminary. Nancy recommended a fantastic book for us “A Symphony in the Dark” – it is a story similar to the one our Ben and Becky are going through. I thought Facebook was the new thing to follow people but I went to Twitter and it advertizes itself as staying connected with quick answers to the question “what are you doing?” People follow people all the time. I catch myself reading anything about this guy (PHOTO) Tiger Woods – I want to know how he is doing coming back from his knee surgery (BLANK) I like to read anything about what how this guy is doing? (PHOTO) Lance Armstrong??? Did you know he is going to ride in the Tour De France after having a broken collar bone? I admire his bicycle riding but despise his inability to be committed to marriage. (BLANK) (PHOTO) It is best to follow someone worth following and I have yet to go wrong following the writings and teaching of John Piper. His character matches what he writes and preaches. (BLANK)
Some people follow movie stars, some people follow music groups. There is something that is in us that causes us to follow. People will follow religious figures --- (PHOTO) Joel Olsten --- (PHOTO) Joyce Myers --- we follow who we like and who makes us feel good about ourselves regardless of what they teach or how they live. (BLANK)
Turn in your bibles back to the gospel of John. Today we are going to start reading from verse 35 in chapter one. Why would someone follow Jesus? Why are you following Jesus? What does it take to follow Jesus? If you remember two weeks ago the religious leaders came from Jerusalem to the Jordan river to see for themselves what was all this talk about. Do you remember where that is in relation to Jerusalem? (MAP) (BLANK) If you would go over to the Jordan River today – (PHOTO) you would see a tourist spot where you could get baptized and say that you were baptized in the same place as Jesus was. (BLANK) I believe that this photo shows what it perhaps looked like (PHOTO). Now just imagine that you are standing along those banks. You are there for a few days and then John the Baptist comes again and you are following John the Baptist and he stops and he sees someone and points and says again the words “Look, the Lamb of God” – you turn around and take off and follow Him. (BLANK) You ought to have found the text by now – PLEASE STAND AS WE READ GOD’S WORD
John 1:35 - 43 35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour. 40Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter£).
Let us pray:
What was it that caused these men to follow Jesus? Was it just because their leader John the Baptist said “Look the Lamb of God” or did they see something in him???? Notice that they did not say anything to Jesus ------- they did not run up to him and ask him to do anything for them – they did not even touch him thinking they would get healed from something. They just followed him. Take out your outline and instead of examining these two disciples of John the Baptist I want you to examine with me what was it about Jesus that caused men to follow him? Why are you?
Why would anyone follow Jesus?
1. Jesus draws men. (Vs. 37 - 38) “When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.” Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “Where are you staying?”
From verse 40 we know that these two men were Andrew and John. They were not disciples of Jesus but disciples of John the Baptist. John the Baptist said, – “Look the Lamb of God.” When John said this – they followed Jesus. The bible does not say if they are right next to him or if they were following at a distance – but the bible does say what Jesus did – he turned and spoke to them – “what do you want?” He was not annoyed with them ---- it was not a sarcastic question. Jesus simply met them half way. Jesus made it easier for them – you might say “he opened the door so they might come in”. Jesus Christ has the highest treasure that any man can seek. He does not hide it from man – he does not make it difficult for man to find and possess.
In the book of Acts Paul put it this way in (17:27) God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ There is an important spiritual principle that each of us must understand:
(slide) GOD ALWAYS TAKES THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS MAN
When a human begins to long for and takes steps to seek out God – it is God who causes that longing and seeking --- He does not leave us to ourselves to search and search until we think we have found Him – NO -------- God comes to man. Saint Augustine wrote, “we could not even begin to seek for God unless He had already found us.” Does that not agree with Paul’s words in Romans 3 “there is no one who one who seeks God.” The Jews did not like what Jesus was saying and look on your outline how Jesus responds to them:John 6:43 - 44 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.” God draws those who are His to Him. It is like this photo (PHOTO) – in the old days you went to a well to draw water. You would let a bucket down to the water below and then bring up the water – it was called drawing water. (BLANK) The Greek word that is translated to draw means to compel by irresistible authority. When God draws a person to him --- he does so with irresistible authority. Most of you remember that I used to guide white water rafts. (PHOTO) I mostly did it down the New River in West Virginia – there was one rapid called Iron Ring Falls --- it was a 12 foot waterfall but on the left side of the river was a shoot that you had to hit or you would go over the falls. I remember time and time again as the captain yelling out draw left draw left draw left – you picked up your paddle and reached out and drew the water to the side of the raft to pull the raft to the left. (BLANK) In both examples I gave you ----- man is doing the drawing ------in the bible ---- in God’s economy ---- it is God who does the drawing.
Notice how Jesus responds to these two men: “What are you looking for?” He does not say whom are you looking for – but what are you looking for? They called him teacher and then asked him where he was staying. During the time of Christ men were looking for many things. Some were looking for power – some were looking for position – kind of the same thing today ----- you had the scribes – the Pharisees and the Saducees. But maybe these men were simply looking for forgiveness and light at the end of the road in their lives. Regardless of what they were looking for we know that Jesus already knew their hearts and their desires. THINK ABOUT IT WITH ME………..
Would it not be a good practice to ask ourselves what are we looking for? What is my aim and what is my goal in life? What are you really trying to get out life? People are looking for many things:
* Security Most people want a position in life where they will have plenty of money and material security to take the worry out life. Movie stars and professional athletes and politicians have that security but we read of how many of them are lost and failures.
* Career Some are looking for a career and direction in what they are going to do in life. Most people want to use their talents in the best way possible. It is amazing how many people you read about that find a career but continue to wander – changing career after career
* Peace Some are searching for peace within themselves. They try all sorts of avenues to find that peace but real peace can only come through knowing Jesus Christ. John and Andrew asked Jesus where He was staying. They had already been staying somewhere else – so we know they were not simply searching for a place to spend the night. #1 Jesus draws men.
2. Jesus commands men. (Vs. 39) “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” “So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.” They asked Jesus where he was staying and Jesus commands the men to come and see for themselves. So they go with Jesus to the place where He was staying. The tenth hour was 4 pm in the afternoon - so that also means that most likely Jesus provided a place for them to sleep that night – the bible says they spent the day with him – 24 hours. They were too far from his hometown – the bible does not tell us some things. It does not tell us if he fed them dinner. His culture would have dictated it. Can you imagine the conversation that night and the next morning with Jesus they might have had that the bible does not tell us? We know that the apostle John was the one writing this because no one else could have known that it was 4 pm in the afternoon when Jesus commanded them to come. Jesus not only drew these two men – but He commanded them to come to Him ---- come to my home --- come to the place where I am staying and spend time with me. There must have been much more people surrounding Jesus but he speaks to these two men and tells them to come.
Later in John – Jesus explains this: John 6:65 “He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.” That still troubles the free will independent man today. But to the masses look what Jesus says in chapter 7….. on your outline: John 7:37 “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” So the call to come to Jesus is a wide spread call. Whoever believes in Him – from Jesus streams of living water flow…….. Now we know that not all come and not all respond to the command of Jesus. In this past year I have come to the conclusion that I firmly believe that there will me more children in heaven than adults. The call to come to Jesus is heard and obeyed by more children than adults. Listen to the words of Jesus in Luke 18…. Luke 18:16 “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ----------- what does it take to come to Jesus? Do I have to have my act together? Do I come to Jesus just like I am? Do I come to Jesus now or do I put it off? Or to the believer……. Do I come to Jesus just one time? Look on your outline at what Jesus said in
Matthew 11:28 - 30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jesus says to come weary and burdened. Come as your are. Come with your addictions. Come with your anger – come with your cussing – come with your lust – come with your fears. He says take your yoke off and put His on – His yoke is easy and His burden is light. So --- John and Andrew came to Jesus just like they were --- they came to Jesus with their sin ---- they came to Jesus with their burdens ---- their worries and their pain. Maybe this why children have an easier time coming to Christ - they come without pride. They are not afraid to come just like they are. One of the reasons you come back to church every Sunday and why you open the bible and read God’s Word is a continual action of obedience in the life of a believer to come to Jesus. Coming to Jesus is a daily event for the follower of Christ. Jesus draws men……. #2 Jesus commands men and
3. Jesus changes men (Vs.42) “ And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter.) In New Testament times most people had two names – Greek was the universal language, and most people had a name in their own native tongue by which they were known by their friends and family – my family in West Virginia calls me Benny. Well Peter was the his Greek name and Cephas was his name in Aramaic which means rock.
In the Old Testament – a change of name indicated a changed relationship with God. In Genesis 32 Jacob became Israel and in Genesis 17, Abram became Abraham. When a person began a new relationship with God – it was as if life began all over again and that person became new so a new name was needed. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul wrote, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” A better way of saying that is if you are in Christ – you have a new life and that old life is passing away and a new life is emerging. You cannot be in Christ and not see changes in your life. You cannot be in Christ and not experience new attitudes and new actions in your life. Paul wrote to the church at Roman – be transformed by the renewing of your mind. When your mind is being renewed – it changes how you think --- it changes how you react to people. Jesus changes men and women. Jesus changes boys and girls. Jesus changes old men and old women.
The great thing about this event between Peter – John – Andrew and Jesus is that it tells us how Jesus looks at us. He does not only see you for who you are --- he sees you and me for who we can become. He just does not just see us how we actually are --- he sees the possibilities in us. Jesus looked at Peter and saw a dirty – uneducated smelly fisherman – but he also saw him for who he could become if he fully gave his life to him.
Story: Someone once came to Michelangelo chipping away with his chisel at huge shapeless piece of rock. He asked him what he was doing. Michel responded, “I am releasing the angel imprisoned in this marble.”………… Jesus is the one who sees you and can release the hidden potential in your life. Would you let him today? What are the changes that Jesus is wanting to do in you? Philippians tells us “He who began a good work in you will complete until the day of Christ Jesus.” Are you willing to cooperate with Jesus as he chisels away at you?
Let us pray: Draw – Command – Change
To the Christian – what changes in your life does God want to make?
To the non believer – “Do not delay in trusting Christ. Do not entertain a hope that it will ever be easier to truth Jesus than it is now. Do not think that you will ever be in a state for coming to him than you are in now. The best state for washing is to be filthy; the best state in all the world to obtain help from a doctor is to be terribly sick; the best state for asking for alms is to be a begger. Do not try to patch up those rags nor to improve your character, nor to make yourself better before you come to Christ. Come in all your poverty and vileness, come just as your are and say to him My Lord and My God.”
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Father's Day
Fathers Day
June 21, 2009
Pastor Ben Fleming
This message today is for fathers and mothers, it is for grandfathers and grandmothers, for single men, and single women. It comes as a result of reading Voddie Baucham’s book “What He Must Be… if he wants to marry my daughter”, and it comes as a result of my thoughts about the suffering and grief my son Benjamin has gone through and continues to go through, and it comes as I ponder my own father. I am taking a week off from the gospel of John – we will come back to it next week. Being a godly father is tough. Building boys into men is tough. Being a girl and knowing what kind of a guy you want to marry is tough – and many godly girls wonder where are they? Most moms and dads hope that their girls are going to find the right guy and live happily ever after. Most parents close their eyes real hard and hope that the stars will align and the right man will come along. Most girls believe that it is more painful to wait for the right guy than it is to take a risk.
Fathers – these attitudes are a mistake. The bible is very clear and has spoken about who our daughters should look for. What can we do as a church family to make a difference in our community and in our families when it comes to fathering and building future families that bring glory to God especially in building godly men for godly women?
Fathering is serious business in God’s eyes. Look at the top of your outline at the words Moses writes down for us. Exodus 20:5-6 “I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands who love me and keep my commandments.” God says that he visits the sins of the fathers against their children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Him. So, on this fathers day – I want to challenge every man in this room. What kind of a father are you and what kind of a father do you want to be? Fathering never stops. I speak to my 84 year old father at least 3 times a week. I want to hear from him. I want him to know what is going on in my life and the lives of his grandchildren.
The bible is full of scripture for fathers. Deut 6 tells fathers to impress the commandments of God upon their children. The commands of God do not get impressed upon your kids by bringing them to Sunday School and youth group alone --- they need dad teaching them the command of God and talking about them to them. The word impress means that an impression is left behind. Dave Moore makes and sells a commemorative coin to the postal employees to raise money for a charity. The impression in the coin was not just hap hazard – it took some planning and some time. To impress upon our children takes involvement in and lots of time. Ephesians 6:4 commands fathers to bring their children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. I see the discipline and instruction in the younger years and if you do that you also get the opportunity to do it when they are older. My son is 27 and I am still instructing him – especially during this time of suffering and grief that he and his wife are going through.
On November 26,2006 my son was standing beside me and his bride to be stood in front of me with her father. I asked the question, “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?” Well I knew that my son had asked Joe Wicks for permission to marry his daughter. Joe said, her mother and I. What did Joe mean when he said that? I am praying that I will be asked that question twice in my life as a father. Is that question just a traditional American wedding question? It is not…. It is biblical.
Jeremiah 29:6 says “Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage.” Fathers do indeed give away their daughters. So when a father does that – does he care who he is giving his daughter to? What does he know about the guy?
When he says “her mother and I” – he is saying, “I have evaluated and appraised this man and I trust him with the most precious thing in the world, my little girl.” Most fathers would not even know how to evaluate a young guy and most dads are not engaged in raising their sons to be evaluated by another father.
What does a daughter look for? Is it only the spark and the looks? Does the bible speak as to what a girl should look for and does the bible speak as to what a mom and dad should be training and growing a young man to become? Yes it does!!!!!!!!! I am going to briefly go through some Non – negotiables that daughters must be looking for and fathers and mothers must be building in the lives of young men. These ideas have formulated with me from reading Voddie Baucham. It is a father’s responsibility to teach his daughters these non negotiables and to encourage her not to settle for less. He does not have to be perfect – you will never find a young man who has these all together – but you tell me why – should godly young women have to settle for less? MANY FILL IN THE BLANKS
1. A young man must be a genuine follower of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 6:14 “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what does righteousness and wickedness have in common?” Many young men will think they are a Christian with their lips but deny Him with their life. It is rare to hear a young man engage in a meaningful discussion about his conversion to Christ – most often we will hear such things as “I accepted Him into my life” – “I have been a Christian all my life” or “I responded to an altar call.” You do not find these ideas in the bible. Let me give you three biblical indicators of a genuine believer in Christ.
* A true believer is regenerate. That means he is born again. It means that he has experienced a subjective change in his soul that has been brought about by the grace of God. John 1:13 told us that rebirth was the work of God. So – ask his pastor if he believes this and has regeneration happened in the young mans life. Not only should the young lady find this out – the father must.
* A true believer is repentant. A man cannot claim being a Christian and he has not repented and he is not continuing to repent. It is at the core of what it means to be a believer. Jesus said in Matthew 3:2 “Repent of the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The apostle Paul said, “bear fruit in keeping with repentance” and in other places you will read, “bear fruit.” You do not have to be a Christian for a long time to repent. We have seen it happen in 4 lives this past year in our church family. 3rd indicator
* A true believer is reformed. What I mean by that is that he can identify and talk about changes in his life. He can see real spiritual fruit in his life and he knows what it is. The best description of this is found in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come.” So Fathers – does your son know what it means to be a true believer in Christ? Does your daughter??? Do you??? Think about it: Why would a loving father gladly say in response to the preacher when he is asked – “Who gives this woman to be married to this man”? Her mother and I. Why would a father give his daughter gladly away to a false believer in Christ? 2nd non - negotiable
2. A young man must be committed to biblical headship. This is the area of leadership. Fathers, are we teaching our sons to be leaders? Do we ourselves know what it means to be a biblical leader of our families? Biblical headship is found right in the beginning of the bible Genesis 2:18 “Then the Lord God said, “it is not good for a man to be alone; I will make a suitable helper fit for him.” Not only is it essential for a young man to know and identify leadership it is essential for a young girl to as well. We not only have to teach our boys leadership we have to teach our girls submission. Voddie Baucham is talking her about loving leadership. You can see loving leadership in a home and you can see the absence of it. I believe a rebellious wife is a result of a husband who has not lovingly lead her. Sons grow up seeing that and end up having no idea men of how to be a godly leader. It does not matter if a young man does not have a father who models biblical leadership – young man who want to --- ought to be able to find it in his church family. We men must create and model a climate of loving spiritual leadership in our church. Boys will follow other boys who are leaders – the question is what kind of a leader do you want your boy to follow? Girls – who is the guy following that you are attracted to? Does he have relationships with older godly men??
3. A young man must welcome children. Comment about our society… Ps. 127:3 – 5a (ESV) “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with children”. This is what the bible says about children. Children are a blessing. Our culture says that children are a blight – if you have lots of children you are cursed. The question is not can this young man make children but the question is this, “is this young man desiring and willing to learn how to be a father? 4th non negotiable
4. A young man must become a suitable priest. I am telling fathers what their sons must become and I am telling young ladies what to look for in a man – but men these same non negotiable points we must be. God has called us to be priests. It does not matter if you are in your 50’s with no kids at home. Simply – a priest is an intercessor. He is one who prays. 1 Timothy 2:8 “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hand in prayer, without anger and disputing.” Paul says to Timothy in the church there must be men who pray – they not only pray publically but privately. Do men know how to pray? Do men get involved in prayer? Does a young man pray? Most men do not pray and young men do not pray. Fathers – do we pray? Do we pray with our wives? Do our children hear us pray? Do our children here us only pray after our wives say – “honey aren’t you going to pray?”
My son did not learn how to pray by going to a prayer school or a prayer group – he learn how to pray from his dad. He learned how to pray when he heard his dad faithfully pray out loud with him almost every day. Every wife – every young godly lady wants a guy who prays. Now… I think I pray as a father and I have taught my son to pray but in preparing this message I read 2 Timothy 1:3 – Paul writes to Timothy – “I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayer night and day.” I have to conclude that I do not pray for my family enough. I do not pray with my wife enough. I do not pray with my children enough. Men – I tell you to pray – and I know that is kind of guilt trip – because I know you do not pray enough – here is what I would say to you guys – you can try and come to our men’s prayer – 6 am – not convient for some and some of us are not early risers --- you can come at 9 am on the first Sunday of every month to pray together --- you can pray with us on Wed nights --- but there is one thing you can do --- begin to pray with your family – let your family hear your words out loud --- you have no family to pray with and to learn how to pray – then pray with your church family. What do you pray????
Philippians 1:9 -10 “And this is my prayer: I pray that __________ love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.” I have prayed that prayer and the next one in Colossians for my family for 20 years.
Colossians 1:9 -10 “For this reason, since the day we heard about _________, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. We pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” I do not think there is an excuse for a believer not to pray and say they do not know what to pray. The most powerful prayers you can pray are the Word of God itself. So – do our men know how to pray? Do they pray with others? Are they becoming priests?? Start right now with your boys ----
5th non negotiable
5. A young man must become a prophet. Regardless of what you think a prophet is – in the New Testament a prophet is one who simply teaches or knows God’s Word. Most of the men in here have heard verse 25 but not verse 26 Ephesians 5:25 -26 “Husbands, love your wives, but as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word.” How does a man love His wife? By washing her with the Word of God. How can he do that when he does not know it? How can he do that when he does not read it?
2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” When does a young man start to become a man of the word of God? Listen fathers – our sons are watching us. My son told me that the #1 thing he remembered growing up was that he saw me reading my bible. He did not remember what I said to him. He did not remember Sunday School – going to camp – but he remembered seeing me read my bible. What is important to us as fathers becomes what is important to our sons. Listen young ladies --- you want to know what a guy is like who you are attracted to – you want to know if he is learning to be a prophet ---- ask him for his bible and go through it and see how used it is. Does he know what the habit of regular devotions is all about? Does he know where to find the Ten Commandments in the bible? Does he know where the gospel message is found? Guys ---- you do not have dad who teaches you and trains you ---many guys do not-------- but you have a church family of men who can train you and teach you to become a priest if you just make it a priority in your life. Fathers --- I am not talking about some class or some formal book you buy to make your kids prophets --- the Word of God is not that rigid. Psalm 78:4-8 gives us fathers a picture…” We will not hide the teachings from our children, but we will tell the next generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they might set their hope in God.”
6. A young man must be a protector. Most fathers know that they must teach their sons to be a protector of women. 1 Peter 3:7 calls a woman a weaker vessel. That is in no way a put down it simply says that she is physically weaker – so a how does a young man learn to become a protector? He must develop personal strength – wisdom and courage. How can you detect this in a man? How can you see if a man is a protector? Big muscles? Tatoos? Three area dads that you must target in your own life and in the life of your son. Ladies --- look for these three keys.
* He must be a man of personal holiness. A young man who lacks a commitment to pursuing a holy life will also lack a commitment to protect a wife. A young man who cares nothing about what he sees and where he goes will care even less once he gets a woman.
* He must be a man of true gentleness. Gentleness guys does not mean being timid. Gentleness is strength under control. A gentle guy when he gets married will protect her by not dealing harshly with her. Ladies, ask yourself, how does this guy treat those around him who are weak? 3rd key to a protector is
* He must be a man of great resolve. A man of resolve is one who runs the race to the end. He is one who completes the challenge. He does not give up – He does not avoid and make excuses – He runs the race to the end. He does what he knows he has to do. You see this already in young guys who complete their homework and work hard helping in any way that they can. He is not a guy who is content to cruise – in his personal life – his spiritual life and in his relationships with others. A protector is a young man of personal holiness – true gentleness and great resolve. Dad’s are you modeling that for your boys? Ladies – do you really know what to look for in a guy who claims to be a protector?
7. A young man must be a provider. Few men would argue that it is not their role to provide for their families. The bible tells us in 1 Timothy 5:8 “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
What does that mean? What does it mean to be a provider for your family? What does it mean in a young man?
* We must teach our boys a work ethic – biblical manhood is always characterized by a willingness to work. My dad must have found out that I stole the model car from Ben Franklin because as a 10 year old – he taught me how to mow lawns and thus began my drive to become the best lawn mowing boy in the community. I must have mowed more lawns than anyone – out east – lawns are big and my dad did not own a riding mower. When I was 17 I bought my truck – a slant 6 Dodge – paid cash for it. The bible makes no room for lazy men. In Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” You can identify a slacker real easy. If a boy is a slacker as a teenager he is going have a hard time in his 20’s. Father’s why would you ever think of giving your daughter away to a guy who has a poor work ethic??
* We must teach our boys to have a plan. Fathers, this starts when our kids are small. We teach them the value of money. We teach them to budget. We teach them to save and pay cash. How can a young man provide when he himself knows and has no skill in managing money? He could have a minimum wage job – he does not have to make 6 figures. If a guy is a provider he is master of money and money is not master of him. Many young men walk into marriage with not even the basic understanding of what the word provision means. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines provide as === to procure before hand, to get, to collect or make ready for future use. Listen: “If you hear a guy say – “well cross that bridge when we get to it.” ---- run ----- credit is not the answer. Failure to plan is planning to fail. Fathers – we teach our children. We teach them when they are young. We are not loving by providing everything they ask for. We are not loving when they do not see a work ethic in our own lives and when we do not impart it to them.
Closing:
I realize on this Father’s Day this is an enormous challenge we have ahead of us. But – I know that men love challenges. Fathers it is a challenge to train our boys. It is a challenge to examine our own lives and see how we men are doing in these non negotiables. I know God is full of grace and patience with us – but He commands us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Let’s have a healthy fear when it comes to the family. Girls – I challenge you to wait for God’s best and trust Him for His timing.
Prayer: Pray for the fathers --- Pray for the young ladies
June 21, 2009
Pastor Ben Fleming
This message today is for fathers and mothers, it is for grandfathers and grandmothers, for single men, and single women. It comes as a result of reading Voddie Baucham’s book “What He Must Be… if he wants to marry my daughter”, and it comes as a result of my thoughts about the suffering and grief my son Benjamin has gone through and continues to go through, and it comes as I ponder my own father. I am taking a week off from the gospel of John – we will come back to it next week. Being a godly father is tough. Building boys into men is tough. Being a girl and knowing what kind of a guy you want to marry is tough – and many godly girls wonder where are they? Most moms and dads hope that their girls are going to find the right guy and live happily ever after. Most parents close their eyes real hard and hope that the stars will align and the right man will come along. Most girls believe that it is more painful to wait for the right guy than it is to take a risk.
Fathers – these attitudes are a mistake. The bible is very clear and has spoken about who our daughters should look for. What can we do as a church family to make a difference in our community and in our families when it comes to fathering and building future families that bring glory to God especially in building godly men for godly women?
Fathering is serious business in God’s eyes. Look at the top of your outline at the words Moses writes down for us. Exodus 20:5-6 “I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands who love me and keep my commandments.” God says that he visits the sins of the fathers against their children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Him. So, on this fathers day – I want to challenge every man in this room. What kind of a father are you and what kind of a father do you want to be? Fathering never stops. I speak to my 84 year old father at least 3 times a week. I want to hear from him. I want him to know what is going on in my life and the lives of his grandchildren.
The bible is full of scripture for fathers. Deut 6 tells fathers to impress the commandments of God upon their children. The commands of God do not get impressed upon your kids by bringing them to Sunday School and youth group alone --- they need dad teaching them the command of God and talking about them to them. The word impress means that an impression is left behind. Dave Moore makes and sells a commemorative coin to the postal employees to raise money for a charity. The impression in the coin was not just hap hazard – it took some planning and some time. To impress upon our children takes involvement in and lots of time. Ephesians 6:4 commands fathers to bring their children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. I see the discipline and instruction in the younger years and if you do that you also get the opportunity to do it when they are older. My son is 27 and I am still instructing him – especially during this time of suffering and grief that he and his wife are going through.
On November 26,2006 my son was standing beside me and his bride to be stood in front of me with her father. I asked the question, “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?” Well I knew that my son had asked Joe Wicks for permission to marry his daughter. Joe said, her mother and I. What did Joe mean when he said that? I am praying that I will be asked that question twice in my life as a father. Is that question just a traditional American wedding question? It is not…. It is biblical.
Jeremiah 29:6 says “Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage.” Fathers do indeed give away their daughters. So when a father does that – does he care who he is giving his daughter to? What does he know about the guy?
When he says “her mother and I” – he is saying, “I have evaluated and appraised this man and I trust him with the most precious thing in the world, my little girl.” Most fathers would not even know how to evaluate a young guy and most dads are not engaged in raising their sons to be evaluated by another father.
What does a daughter look for? Is it only the spark and the looks? Does the bible speak as to what a girl should look for and does the bible speak as to what a mom and dad should be training and growing a young man to become? Yes it does!!!!!!!!! I am going to briefly go through some Non – negotiables that daughters must be looking for and fathers and mothers must be building in the lives of young men. These ideas have formulated with me from reading Voddie Baucham. It is a father’s responsibility to teach his daughters these non negotiables and to encourage her not to settle for less. He does not have to be perfect – you will never find a young man who has these all together – but you tell me why – should godly young women have to settle for less? MANY FILL IN THE BLANKS
1. A young man must be a genuine follower of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 6:14 “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what does righteousness and wickedness have in common?” Many young men will think they are a Christian with their lips but deny Him with their life. It is rare to hear a young man engage in a meaningful discussion about his conversion to Christ – most often we will hear such things as “I accepted Him into my life” – “I have been a Christian all my life” or “I responded to an altar call.” You do not find these ideas in the bible. Let me give you three biblical indicators of a genuine believer in Christ.
* A true believer is regenerate. That means he is born again. It means that he has experienced a subjective change in his soul that has been brought about by the grace of God. John 1:13 told us that rebirth was the work of God. So – ask his pastor if he believes this and has regeneration happened in the young mans life. Not only should the young lady find this out – the father must.
* A true believer is repentant. A man cannot claim being a Christian and he has not repented and he is not continuing to repent. It is at the core of what it means to be a believer. Jesus said in Matthew 3:2 “Repent of the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The apostle Paul said, “bear fruit in keeping with repentance” and in other places you will read, “bear fruit.” You do not have to be a Christian for a long time to repent. We have seen it happen in 4 lives this past year in our church family. 3rd indicator
* A true believer is reformed. What I mean by that is that he can identify and talk about changes in his life. He can see real spiritual fruit in his life and he knows what it is. The best description of this is found in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come.” So Fathers – does your son know what it means to be a true believer in Christ? Does your daughter??? Do you??? Think about it: Why would a loving father gladly say in response to the preacher when he is asked – “Who gives this woman to be married to this man”? Her mother and I. Why would a father give his daughter gladly away to a false believer in Christ? 2nd non - negotiable
2. A young man must be committed to biblical headship. This is the area of leadership. Fathers, are we teaching our sons to be leaders? Do we ourselves know what it means to be a biblical leader of our families? Biblical headship is found right in the beginning of the bible Genesis 2:18 “Then the Lord God said, “it is not good for a man to be alone; I will make a suitable helper fit for him.” Not only is it essential for a young man to know and identify leadership it is essential for a young girl to as well. We not only have to teach our boys leadership we have to teach our girls submission. Voddie Baucham is talking her about loving leadership. You can see loving leadership in a home and you can see the absence of it. I believe a rebellious wife is a result of a husband who has not lovingly lead her. Sons grow up seeing that and end up having no idea men of how to be a godly leader. It does not matter if a young man does not have a father who models biblical leadership – young man who want to --- ought to be able to find it in his church family. We men must create and model a climate of loving spiritual leadership in our church. Boys will follow other boys who are leaders – the question is what kind of a leader do you want your boy to follow? Girls – who is the guy following that you are attracted to? Does he have relationships with older godly men??
3. A young man must welcome children. Comment about our society… Ps. 127:3 – 5a (ESV) “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with children”. This is what the bible says about children. Children are a blessing. Our culture says that children are a blight – if you have lots of children you are cursed. The question is not can this young man make children but the question is this, “is this young man desiring and willing to learn how to be a father? 4th non negotiable
4. A young man must become a suitable priest. I am telling fathers what their sons must become and I am telling young ladies what to look for in a man – but men these same non negotiable points we must be. God has called us to be priests. It does not matter if you are in your 50’s with no kids at home. Simply – a priest is an intercessor. He is one who prays. 1 Timothy 2:8 “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hand in prayer, without anger and disputing.” Paul says to Timothy in the church there must be men who pray – they not only pray publically but privately. Do men know how to pray? Do men get involved in prayer? Does a young man pray? Most men do not pray and young men do not pray. Fathers – do we pray? Do we pray with our wives? Do our children hear us pray? Do our children here us only pray after our wives say – “honey aren’t you going to pray?”
My son did not learn how to pray by going to a prayer school or a prayer group – he learn how to pray from his dad. He learned how to pray when he heard his dad faithfully pray out loud with him almost every day. Every wife – every young godly lady wants a guy who prays. Now… I think I pray as a father and I have taught my son to pray but in preparing this message I read 2 Timothy 1:3 – Paul writes to Timothy – “I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayer night and day.” I have to conclude that I do not pray for my family enough. I do not pray with my wife enough. I do not pray with my children enough. Men – I tell you to pray – and I know that is kind of guilt trip – because I know you do not pray enough – here is what I would say to you guys – you can try and come to our men’s prayer – 6 am – not convient for some and some of us are not early risers --- you can come at 9 am on the first Sunday of every month to pray together --- you can pray with us on Wed nights --- but there is one thing you can do --- begin to pray with your family – let your family hear your words out loud --- you have no family to pray with and to learn how to pray – then pray with your church family. What do you pray????
Philippians 1:9 -10 “And this is my prayer: I pray that __________ love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.” I have prayed that prayer and the next one in Colossians for my family for 20 years.
Colossians 1:9 -10 “For this reason, since the day we heard about _________, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. We pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” I do not think there is an excuse for a believer not to pray and say they do not know what to pray. The most powerful prayers you can pray are the Word of God itself. So – do our men know how to pray? Do they pray with others? Are they becoming priests?? Start right now with your boys ----
5th non negotiable
5. A young man must become a prophet. Regardless of what you think a prophet is – in the New Testament a prophet is one who simply teaches or knows God’s Word. Most of the men in here have heard verse 25 but not verse 26 Ephesians 5:25 -26 “Husbands, love your wives, but as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word.” How does a man love His wife? By washing her with the Word of God. How can he do that when he does not know it? How can he do that when he does not read it?
2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” When does a young man start to become a man of the word of God? Listen fathers – our sons are watching us. My son told me that the #1 thing he remembered growing up was that he saw me reading my bible. He did not remember what I said to him. He did not remember Sunday School – going to camp – but he remembered seeing me read my bible. What is important to us as fathers becomes what is important to our sons. Listen young ladies --- you want to know what a guy is like who you are attracted to – you want to know if he is learning to be a prophet ---- ask him for his bible and go through it and see how used it is. Does he know what the habit of regular devotions is all about? Does he know where to find the Ten Commandments in the bible? Does he know where the gospel message is found? Guys ---- you do not have dad who teaches you and trains you ---many guys do not-------- but you have a church family of men who can train you and teach you to become a priest if you just make it a priority in your life. Fathers --- I am not talking about some class or some formal book you buy to make your kids prophets --- the Word of God is not that rigid. Psalm 78:4-8 gives us fathers a picture…” We will not hide the teachings from our children, but we will tell the next generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they might set their hope in God.”
6. A young man must be a protector. Most fathers know that they must teach their sons to be a protector of women. 1 Peter 3:7 calls a woman a weaker vessel. That is in no way a put down it simply says that she is physically weaker – so a how does a young man learn to become a protector? He must develop personal strength – wisdom and courage. How can you detect this in a man? How can you see if a man is a protector? Big muscles? Tatoos? Three area dads that you must target in your own life and in the life of your son. Ladies --- look for these three keys.
* He must be a man of personal holiness. A young man who lacks a commitment to pursuing a holy life will also lack a commitment to protect a wife. A young man who cares nothing about what he sees and where he goes will care even less once he gets a woman.
* He must be a man of true gentleness. Gentleness guys does not mean being timid. Gentleness is strength under control. A gentle guy when he gets married will protect her by not dealing harshly with her. Ladies, ask yourself, how does this guy treat those around him who are weak? 3rd key to a protector is
* He must be a man of great resolve. A man of resolve is one who runs the race to the end. He is one who completes the challenge. He does not give up – He does not avoid and make excuses – He runs the race to the end. He does what he knows he has to do. You see this already in young guys who complete their homework and work hard helping in any way that they can. He is not a guy who is content to cruise – in his personal life – his spiritual life and in his relationships with others. A protector is a young man of personal holiness – true gentleness and great resolve. Dad’s are you modeling that for your boys? Ladies – do you really know what to look for in a guy who claims to be a protector?
7. A young man must be a provider. Few men would argue that it is not their role to provide for their families. The bible tells us in 1 Timothy 5:8 “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
What does that mean? What does it mean to be a provider for your family? What does it mean in a young man?
* We must teach our boys a work ethic – biblical manhood is always characterized by a willingness to work. My dad must have found out that I stole the model car from Ben Franklin because as a 10 year old – he taught me how to mow lawns and thus began my drive to become the best lawn mowing boy in the community. I must have mowed more lawns than anyone – out east – lawns are big and my dad did not own a riding mower. When I was 17 I bought my truck – a slant 6 Dodge – paid cash for it. The bible makes no room for lazy men. In Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” You can identify a slacker real easy. If a boy is a slacker as a teenager he is going have a hard time in his 20’s. Father’s why would you ever think of giving your daughter away to a guy who has a poor work ethic??
* We must teach our boys to have a plan. Fathers, this starts when our kids are small. We teach them the value of money. We teach them to budget. We teach them to save and pay cash. How can a young man provide when he himself knows and has no skill in managing money? He could have a minimum wage job – he does not have to make 6 figures. If a guy is a provider he is master of money and money is not master of him. Many young men walk into marriage with not even the basic understanding of what the word provision means. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines provide as === to procure before hand, to get, to collect or make ready for future use. Listen: “If you hear a guy say – “well cross that bridge when we get to it.” ---- run ----- credit is not the answer. Failure to plan is planning to fail. Fathers – we teach our children. We teach them when they are young. We are not loving by providing everything they ask for. We are not loving when they do not see a work ethic in our own lives and when we do not impart it to them.
Closing:
I realize on this Father’s Day this is an enormous challenge we have ahead of us. But – I know that men love challenges. Fathers it is a challenge to train our boys. It is a challenge to examine our own lives and see how we men are doing in these non negotiables. I know God is full of grace and patience with us – but He commands us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Let’s have a healthy fear when it comes to the family. Girls – I challenge you to wait for God’s best and trust Him for His timing.
Prayer: Pray for the fathers --- Pray for the young ladies
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Father's Day Message
Fathers Day
June 21, 2009
Pastor Ben Fleming
This message today is for fathers and mothers, it is for grandfathers and grandmothers, for single men, and single women. It comes as a result of reading Voddie Baucham’s book “What He Must Be… if he wants to marry my daughter”, and it comes as a result of my thoughts about the suffering and grief my son Benjamin has gone through and continues to go through, and it comes as I ponder my own father. I am taking a week off from the gospel of John – we will come back to it next week. Being a godly father is tough. Building boys into men is tough. Being a girl and knowing what kind of a guy you want to marry is tough – and many godly girls wonder where are they? Most moms and dads hope that their girls are going to find the right guy and live happily ever after. Most parents close their eyes real hard and hope that the stars will align and the right man will come along. Most girls believe that it is more painful to wait for the right guy than it is to take a risk.
Fathers – these attitudes are a mistake. The bible is very clear and has spoken about who our daughters should look for. What can we do as a church family to make a difference in our community and in our families when it comes to fathering and building future families that bring glory to God especially in building godly men for godly women?
Fathering is serious business in God’s eyes. Look at the top of your outline at the words Moses writes down for us. Exodus 20:5-6 “I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands who love me and keep my commandments.” God says that he visits the sins of the fathers against their children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Him. So, on this fathers day – I want to challenge every man in this room. What kind of a father are you and what kind of a father do you want to be? Fathering never stops. I speak to my 84 year old father at least 3 times a week. I want to hear from him. I want him to know what is going on in my life and the lives of his grandchildren.
The bible is full of scripture for fathers. Deut 6 tells fathers to impress the commandments of God upon their children. The commands of God do not get impressed upon your kids by bringing them to Sunday School and youth group alone --- they need dad teaching them the command of God and talking about them to them. The word impress means that an impression is left behind. Dave Moore makes and sells a commemorative coin to the postal employees to raise money for a charity. The impression in the coin was not just hap hazard – it took some planning and some time. To impress upon our children takes involvement in and lots of time. Ephesians 6:4 commands fathers to bring their children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. I see the discipline and instruction in the younger years and if you do that you also get the opportunity to do it when they are older. My son is 27 and I am still instructing him – especially during this time of suffering and grief that he and his wife are going through.
On November 26,2006 my son was standing beside me and his bride to be stood in front of me with her father. I asked the question, “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?” Well I knew that my son had asked Joe Wicks for permission to marry his daughter. Joe said, her mother and I. What did Joe mean when he said that? I am praying that I will be asked that question twice in my life as a father. Is that question just a traditional American wedding question? It is not…. It is biblical.
Jeremiah 29:6 says “Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage.” Fathers do indeed give away their daughters. So when a father does that – does he care who he is giving his daughter to? What does he know about the guy?
When he says “her mother and I” – he is saying, “I have evaluated and appraised this man and I trust him with the most precious thing in the world, my little girl.” Most fathers would not even know how to evaluate a young guy and most dads are not engaged in raising their sons to be evaluated by another father.
What does a daughter look for? Is it only the spark and the looks? Does the bible speak as to what a girl should look for and does the bible speak as to what a mom and dad should be training and growing a young man to become? Yes it does!!!!!!!!! I am going to briefly go through some Non – negotiables that daughters must be looking for and fathers and mothers must be building in the lives of young men. These ideas have formulated with me from reading Voddie Baucham. It is a father’s responsibility to teach his daughters these non negotiables and to encourage her not to settle for less. He does not have to be perfect – you will never find a young man who has these all together – but you tell me why – should godly young women have to settle for less? MANY FILL IN THE BLANKS
1. A young man must be a genuine follower of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 6:14 “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what does righteousness and wickedness have in common?” Many young men will think they are a Christian with their lips but deny Him with their life. It is rare to hear a young man engage in a meaningful discussion about his conversion to Christ – most often we will hear such things as “I accepted Him into my life” – “I have been a Christian all my life” or “I responded to an altar call.” You do not find these ideas in the bible. Let me give you three biblical indicators of a genuine believer in Christ.
* A true believer is regenerate. That means he is born again. It means that he has experienced a subjective change in his soul that has been brought about by the grace of God. John 1:13 told us that rebirth was the work of God. So – ask his pastor if he believes this and has regeneration happened in the young mans life. Not only should the young lady find this out – the father must.
* A true believer is repentant. A man cannot claim being a Christian and he has not repented and he is not continuing to repent. It is at the core of what it means to be a believer. Jesus said in Matthew 3:2 “Repent of the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The apostle Paul said, “bear fruit in keeping with repentance” and in other places you will read, “bear fruit.” You do not have to be a Christian for a long time to repent. We have seen it happen in 4 lives this past year in our church family. 3rd indicator
* A true believer is reformed. What I mean by that is that he can identify and talk about changes in his life. He can see real spiritual fruit in his life and he knows what it is. The best description of this is found in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come.” So Fathers – does your son know what it means to be a true believer in Christ? Does your daughter??? Do you??? Think about it: Why would a loving father gladly say in response to the preacher when he is asked – “Who gives this woman to be married to this man”? Her mother and I. Why would a father give his daughter gladly away to a false believer in Christ? 2nd non - negotiable
2. A young man must be committed to biblical headship. This is the area of leadership. Fathers, are we teaching our sons to be leaders? Do we ourselves know what it means to be a biblical leader of our families? Biblical headship is found right in the beginning of the bible Genesis 2:18 “Then the Lord God said, “it is not good for a man to be alone; I will make a suitable helper fit for him.” Not only is it essential for a young man to know and identify leadership it is essential for a young girl to as well. We not only have to teach our boys leadership we have to teach our girls submission. Voddie Baucham is talking her about loving leadership. You can see loving leadership in a home and you can see the absence of it. I believe a rebellious wife is a result of a husband who has not lovingly lead her. Sons grow up seeing that and end up having no idea men of how to be a godly leader. It does not matter if a young man does not have a father who models biblical leadership – young man who want to --- ought to be able to find it in his church family. We men must create and model a climate of loving spiritual leadership in our church. Boys will follow other boys who are leaders – the question is what kind of a leader do you want your boy to follow? Girls – who is the guy following that you are attracted to? Does he have relationships with older godly men??
3. A young man must welcome children. Comment about our society… Ps. 127:3 – 5a (ESV) “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with children”. This is what the bible says about children. Children are a blessing. Our culture says that children are a blight – if you have lots of children you are cursed. The question is not can this young man make children but the question is this, “is this young man desiring and willing to learn how to be a father? 4th non negotiable
4. A young man must become a suitable priest. I am telling fathers what their sons must become and I am telling young ladies what to look for in a man – but men these same non negotiable points we must be. God has called us to be priests. It does not matter if you are in your 50’s with no kids at home. Simply – a priest is an intercessor. He is one who prays. 1 Timothy 2:8 “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hand in prayer, without anger and disputing.” Paul says to Timothy in the church there must be men who pray – they not only pray publically but privately. Do men know how to pray? Do men get involved in prayer? Does a young man pray? Most men do not pray and young men do not pray. Fathers – do we pray? Do we pray with our wives? Do our children hear us pray? Do our children here us only pray after our wives say – “honey aren’t you going to pray?”
My son did not learn how to pray by going to a prayer school or a prayer group – he learn how to pray from his dad. He learned how to pray when he heard his dad faithfully pray out loud with him almost every day. Every wife – every young godly lady wants a guy who prays. Now… I think I pray as a father and I have taught my son to pray but in preparing this message I read 2 Timothy 1:3 – Paul writes to Timothy – “I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayer night and day.” I have to conclude that I do not pray for my family enough. I do not pray with my wife enough. I do not pray with my children enough. Men – I tell you to pray – and I know that is kind of guilt trip – because I know you do not pray enough – here is what I would say to you guys – you can try and come to our men’s prayer – 6 am – not convient for some and some of us are not early risers --- you can come at 9 am on the first Sunday of every month to pray together --- you can pray with us on Wed nights --- but there is one thing you can do --- begin to pray with your family – let your family hear your words out loud --- you have no family to pray with and to learn how to pray – then pray with your church family. What do you pray????
Philippians 1:9 -10 “And this is my prayer: I pray that __________ love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.” I have prayed that prayer and the next one in Colossians for my family for 20 years.
Colossians 1:9 -10 “For this reason, since the day we heard about _________, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. We pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” I do not think there is an excuse for a believer not to pray and say they do not know what to pray. The most powerful prayers you can pray are the Word of God itself. So – do our men know how to pray? Do they pray with others? Are they becoming priests?? Start right now with your boys ----
5th non negotiable
5. A young man must become a prophet. Regardless of what you think a prophet is – in the New Testament a prophet is one who simply teaches or knows God’s Word. Most of the men in here have heard verse 25 but not verse 26 Ephesians 5:25 -26 “Husbands, love your wives, but as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word.” How does a man love His wife? By washing her with the Word of God. How can he do that when he does not know it? How can he do that when he does not read it?
2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” When does a young man start to become a man of the word of God? Listen fathers – our sons are watching us. My son told me that the #1 thing he remembered growing up was that he saw me reading my bible. He did not remember what I said to him. He did not remember Sunday School – going to camp – but he remembered seeing me read my bible. What is important to us as fathers becomes what is important to our sons. Listen young ladies --- you want to know what a guy is like who you are attracted to – you want to know if he is learning to be a prophet ---- ask him for his bible and go through it and see how used it is. Does he know what the habit of regular devotions is all about? Does he know where to find the Ten Commandments in the bible? Does he know where the gospel message is found? Guys ---- you do not have dad who teaches you and trains you ---many guys do not-------- but you have a church family of men who can train you and teach you to become a priest if you just make it a priority in your life. Fathers --- I am not talking about some class or some formal book you buy to make your kids prophets --- the Word of God is not that rigid. Psalm 78:4-8 gives us fathers a picture…” We will not hide the teachings from our children, but we will tell the next generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they might set their hope in God.”
6. A young man must be a protector. Most fathers know that they must teach their sons to be a protector of women. 1 Peter 3:7 calls a woman a weaker vessel. That is in no way a put down it simply says that she is physically weaker – so a how does a young man learn to become a protector? He must develop personal strength – wisdom and courage. How can you detect this in a man? How can you see if a man is a protector? Big muscles? Tatoos? Three area dads that you must target in your own life and in the life of your son. Ladies --- look for these three keys.
* He must be a man of personal holiness. A young man who lacks a commitment to pursuing a holy life will also lack a commitment to protect a wife. A young man who cares nothing about what he sees and where he goes will care even less once he gets a woman.
* He must be a man of true gentleness. Gentleness guys does not mean being timid. Gentleness is strength under control. A gentle guy when he gets married will protect her by not dealing harshly with her. Ladies, ask yourself, how does this guy treat those around him who are weak? 3rd key to a protector is
* He must be a man of great resolve. A man of resolve is one who runs the race to the end. He is one who completes the challenge. He does not give up – He does not avoid and make excuses – He runs the race to the end. He does what he knows he has to do. You see this already in young guys who complete their homework and work hard helping in any way that they can. He is not a guy who is content to cruise – in his personal life – his spiritual life and in his relationships with others. A protector is a young man of personal holiness – true gentleness and great resolve. Dad’s are you modeling that for your boys? Ladies – do you really know what to look for in a guy who claims to be a protector?
7. A young man must be a provider. Few men would argue that it is not their role to provide for their families. The bible tells us in 1 Timothy 5:8 “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
What does that mean? What does it mean to be a provider for your family? What does it mean in a young man?
* We must teach our boys a work ethic – biblical manhood is always characterized by a willingness to work. My dad must have found out that I stole the model car from Ben Franklin because as a 10 year old – he taught me how to mow lawns and thus began my drive to become the best lawn mowing boy in the community. I must have mowed more lawns than anyone – out east – lawns are big and my dad did not own a riding mower. When I was 17 I bought my truck – a slant 6 Dodge – paid cash for it. The bible makes no room for lazy men. In Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” You can identify a slacker real easy. If a boy is a slacker as a teenager he is going have a hard time in his 20’s. Father’s why would you ever think of giving your daughter away to a guy who has a poor work ethic??
* We must teach our boys to have a plan. Fathers, this starts when our kids are small. We teach them the value of money. We teach them to budget. We teach them to save and pay cash. How can a young man provide when he himself knows and has no skill in managing money? He could have a minimum wage job – he does not have to make 6 figures. If a guy is a provider he is master of money and money is not master of him. Many young men walk into marriage with not even the basic understanding of what the word provision means. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines provide as === to procure before hand, to get, to collect or make ready for future use. Listen: “If you hear a guy say – “well cross that bridge when we get to it.” ---- run ----- credit is not the answer. Failure to plan is planning to fail. Fathers – we teach our children. We teach them when they are young. We are not loving by providing everything they ask for. We are not loving when they do not see a work ethic in our own lives and when we do not impart it to them.
Closing:
I realize on this Father’s Day this is an enormous challenge we have ahead of us. But – I know that men love challenges. Fathers it is a challenge to train our boys. It is a challenge to examine our own lives and see how we men are doing in these non negotiables. I know God is full of grace and patience with us – but He commands us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Let’s have a healthy fear when it comes to the family. Girls – I challenge you to wait for God’s best and trust Him for His timing.
Prayer: Pray for the fathers --- Pray for the young ladies
June 21, 2009
Pastor Ben Fleming
This message today is for fathers and mothers, it is for grandfathers and grandmothers, for single men, and single women. It comes as a result of reading Voddie Baucham’s book “What He Must Be… if he wants to marry my daughter”, and it comes as a result of my thoughts about the suffering and grief my son Benjamin has gone through and continues to go through, and it comes as I ponder my own father. I am taking a week off from the gospel of John – we will come back to it next week. Being a godly father is tough. Building boys into men is tough. Being a girl and knowing what kind of a guy you want to marry is tough – and many godly girls wonder where are they? Most moms and dads hope that their girls are going to find the right guy and live happily ever after. Most parents close their eyes real hard and hope that the stars will align and the right man will come along. Most girls believe that it is more painful to wait for the right guy than it is to take a risk.
Fathers – these attitudes are a mistake. The bible is very clear and has spoken about who our daughters should look for. What can we do as a church family to make a difference in our community and in our families when it comes to fathering and building future families that bring glory to God especially in building godly men for godly women?
Fathering is serious business in God’s eyes. Look at the top of your outline at the words Moses writes down for us. Exodus 20:5-6 “I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands who love me and keep my commandments.” God says that he visits the sins of the fathers against their children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Him. So, on this fathers day – I want to challenge every man in this room. What kind of a father are you and what kind of a father do you want to be? Fathering never stops. I speak to my 84 year old father at least 3 times a week. I want to hear from him. I want him to know what is going on in my life and the lives of his grandchildren.
The bible is full of scripture for fathers. Deut 6 tells fathers to impress the commandments of God upon their children. The commands of God do not get impressed upon your kids by bringing them to Sunday School and youth group alone --- they need dad teaching them the command of God and talking about them to them. The word impress means that an impression is left behind. Dave Moore makes and sells a commemorative coin to the postal employees to raise money for a charity. The impression in the coin was not just hap hazard – it took some planning and some time. To impress upon our children takes involvement in and lots of time. Ephesians 6:4 commands fathers to bring their children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. I see the discipline and instruction in the younger years and if you do that you also get the opportunity to do it when they are older. My son is 27 and I am still instructing him – especially during this time of suffering and grief that he and his wife are going through.
On November 26,2006 my son was standing beside me and his bride to be stood in front of me with her father. I asked the question, “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?” Well I knew that my son had asked Joe Wicks for permission to marry his daughter. Joe said, her mother and I. What did Joe mean when he said that? I am praying that I will be asked that question twice in my life as a father. Is that question just a traditional American wedding question? It is not…. It is biblical.
Jeremiah 29:6 says “Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage.” Fathers do indeed give away their daughters. So when a father does that – does he care who he is giving his daughter to? What does he know about the guy?
When he says “her mother and I” – he is saying, “I have evaluated and appraised this man and I trust him with the most precious thing in the world, my little girl.” Most fathers would not even know how to evaluate a young guy and most dads are not engaged in raising their sons to be evaluated by another father.
What does a daughter look for? Is it only the spark and the looks? Does the bible speak as to what a girl should look for and does the bible speak as to what a mom and dad should be training and growing a young man to become? Yes it does!!!!!!!!! I am going to briefly go through some Non – negotiables that daughters must be looking for and fathers and mothers must be building in the lives of young men. These ideas have formulated with me from reading Voddie Baucham. It is a father’s responsibility to teach his daughters these non negotiables and to encourage her not to settle for less. He does not have to be perfect – you will never find a young man who has these all together – but you tell me why – should godly young women have to settle for less? MANY FILL IN THE BLANKS
1. A young man must be a genuine follower of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 6:14 “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what does righteousness and wickedness have in common?” Many young men will think they are a Christian with their lips but deny Him with their life. It is rare to hear a young man engage in a meaningful discussion about his conversion to Christ – most often we will hear such things as “I accepted Him into my life” – “I have been a Christian all my life” or “I responded to an altar call.” You do not find these ideas in the bible. Let me give you three biblical indicators of a genuine believer in Christ.
* A true believer is regenerate. That means he is born again. It means that he has experienced a subjective change in his soul that has been brought about by the grace of God. John 1:13 told us that rebirth was the work of God. So – ask his pastor if he believes this and has regeneration happened in the young mans life. Not only should the young lady find this out – the father must.
* A true believer is repentant. A man cannot claim being a Christian and he has not repented and he is not continuing to repent. It is at the core of what it means to be a believer. Jesus said in Matthew 3:2 “Repent of the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The apostle Paul said, “bear fruit in keeping with repentance” and in other places you will read, “bear fruit.” You do not have to be a Christian for a long time to repent. We have seen it happen in 4 lives this past year in our church family. 3rd indicator
* A true believer is reformed. What I mean by that is that he can identify and talk about changes in his life. He can see real spiritual fruit in his life and he knows what it is. The best description of this is found in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come.” So Fathers – does your son know what it means to be a true believer in Christ? Does your daughter??? Do you??? Think about it: Why would a loving father gladly say in response to the preacher when he is asked – “Who gives this woman to be married to this man”? Her mother and I. Why would a father give his daughter gladly away to a false believer in Christ? 2nd non - negotiable
2. A young man must be committed to biblical headship. This is the area of leadership. Fathers, are we teaching our sons to be leaders? Do we ourselves know what it means to be a biblical leader of our families? Biblical headship is found right in the beginning of the bible Genesis 2:18 “Then the Lord God said, “it is not good for a man to be alone; I will make a suitable helper fit for him.” Not only is it essential for a young man to know and identify leadership it is essential for a young girl to as well. We not only have to teach our boys leadership we have to teach our girls submission. Voddie Baucham is talking her about loving leadership. You can see loving leadership in a home and you can see the absence of it. I believe a rebellious wife is a result of a husband who has not lovingly lead her. Sons grow up seeing that and end up having no idea men of how to be a godly leader. It does not matter if a young man does not have a father who models biblical leadership – young man who want to --- ought to be able to find it in his church family. We men must create and model a climate of loving spiritual leadership in our church. Boys will follow other boys who are leaders – the question is what kind of a leader do you want your boy to follow? Girls – who is the guy following that you are attracted to? Does he have relationships with older godly men??
3. A young man must welcome children. Comment about our society… Ps. 127:3 – 5a (ESV) “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with children”. This is what the bible says about children. Children are a blessing. Our culture says that children are a blight – if you have lots of children you are cursed. The question is not can this young man make children but the question is this, “is this young man desiring and willing to learn how to be a father? 4th non negotiable
4. A young man must become a suitable priest. I am telling fathers what their sons must become and I am telling young ladies what to look for in a man – but men these same non negotiable points we must be. God has called us to be priests. It does not matter if you are in your 50’s with no kids at home. Simply – a priest is an intercessor. He is one who prays. 1 Timothy 2:8 “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hand in prayer, without anger and disputing.” Paul says to Timothy in the church there must be men who pray – they not only pray publically but privately. Do men know how to pray? Do men get involved in prayer? Does a young man pray? Most men do not pray and young men do not pray. Fathers – do we pray? Do we pray with our wives? Do our children hear us pray? Do our children here us only pray after our wives say – “honey aren’t you going to pray?”
My son did not learn how to pray by going to a prayer school or a prayer group – he learn how to pray from his dad. He learned how to pray when he heard his dad faithfully pray out loud with him almost every day. Every wife – every young godly lady wants a guy who prays. Now… I think I pray as a father and I have taught my son to pray but in preparing this message I read 2 Timothy 1:3 – Paul writes to Timothy – “I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayer night and day.” I have to conclude that I do not pray for my family enough. I do not pray with my wife enough. I do not pray with my children enough. Men – I tell you to pray – and I know that is kind of guilt trip – because I know you do not pray enough – here is what I would say to you guys – you can try and come to our men’s prayer – 6 am – not convient for some and some of us are not early risers --- you can come at 9 am on the first Sunday of every month to pray together --- you can pray with us on Wed nights --- but there is one thing you can do --- begin to pray with your family – let your family hear your words out loud --- you have no family to pray with and to learn how to pray – then pray with your church family. What do you pray????
Philippians 1:9 -10 “And this is my prayer: I pray that __________ love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.” I have prayed that prayer and the next one in Colossians for my family for 20 years.
Colossians 1:9 -10 “For this reason, since the day we heard about _________, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. We pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” I do not think there is an excuse for a believer not to pray and say they do not know what to pray. The most powerful prayers you can pray are the Word of God itself. So – do our men know how to pray? Do they pray with others? Are they becoming priests?? Start right now with your boys ----
5th non negotiable
5. A young man must become a prophet. Regardless of what you think a prophet is – in the New Testament a prophet is one who simply teaches or knows God’s Word. Most of the men in here have heard verse 25 but not verse 26 Ephesians 5:25 -26 “Husbands, love your wives, but as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word.” How does a man love His wife? By washing her with the Word of God. How can he do that when he does not know it? How can he do that when he does not read it?
2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” When does a young man start to become a man of the word of God? Listen fathers – our sons are watching us. My son told me that the #1 thing he remembered growing up was that he saw me reading my bible. He did not remember what I said to him. He did not remember Sunday School – going to camp – but he remembered seeing me read my bible. What is important to us as fathers becomes what is important to our sons. Listen young ladies --- you want to know what a guy is like who you are attracted to – you want to know if he is learning to be a prophet ---- ask him for his bible and go through it and see how used it is. Does he know what the habit of regular devotions is all about? Does he know where to find the Ten Commandments in the bible? Does he know where the gospel message is found? Guys ---- you do not have dad who teaches you and trains you ---many guys do not-------- but you have a church family of men who can train you and teach you to become a priest if you just make it a priority in your life. Fathers --- I am not talking about some class or some formal book you buy to make your kids prophets --- the Word of God is not that rigid. Psalm 78:4-8 gives us fathers a picture…” We will not hide the teachings from our children, but we will tell the next generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they might set their hope in God.”
6. A young man must be a protector. Most fathers know that they must teach their sons to be a protector of women. 1 Peter 3:7 calls a woman a weaker vessel. That is in no way a put down it simply says that she is physically weaker – so a how does a young man learn to become a protector? He must develop personal strength – wisdom and courage. How can you detect this in a man? How can you see if a man is a protector? Big muscles? Tatoos? Three area dads that you must target in your own life and in the life of your son. Ladies --- look for these three keys.
* He must be a man of personal holiness. A young man who lacks a commitment to pursuing a holy life will also lack a commitment to protect a wife. A young man who cares nothing about what he sees and where he goes will care even less once he gets a woman.
* He must be a man of true gentleness. Gentleness guys does not mean being timid. Gentleness is strength under control. A gentle guy when he gets married will protect her by not dealing harshly with her. Ladies, ask yourself, how does this guy treat those around him who are weak? 3rd key to a protector is
* He must be a man of great resolve. A man of resolve is one who runs the race to the end. He is one who completes the challenge. He does not give up – He does not avoid and make excuses – He runs the race to the end. He does what he knows he has to do. You see this already in young guys who complete their homework and work hard helping in any way that they can. He is not a guy who is content to cruise – in his personal life – his spiritual life and in his relationships with others. A protector is a young man of personal holiness – true gentleness and great resolve. Dad’s are you modeling that for your boys? Ladies – do you really know what to look for in a guy who claims to be a protector?
7. A young man must be a provider. Few men would argue that it is not their role to provide for their families. The bible tells us in 1 Timothy 5:8 “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
What does that mean? What does it mean to be a provider for your family? What does it mean in a young man?
* We must teach our boys a work ethic – biblical manhood is always characterized by a willingness to work. My dad must have found out that I stole the model car from Ben Franklin because as a 10 year old – he taught me how to mow lawns and thus began my drive to become the best lawn mowing boy in the community. I must have mowed more lawns than anyone – out east – lawns are big and my dad did not own a riding mower. When I was 17 I bought my truck – a slant 6 Dodge – paid cash for it. The bible makes no room for lazy men. In Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” You can identify a slacker real easy. If a boy is a slacker as a teenager he is going have a hard time in his 20’s. Father’s why would you ever think of giving your daughter away to a guy who has a poor work ethic??
* We must teach our boys to have a plan. Fathers, this starts when our kids are small. We teach them the value of money. We teach them to budget. We teach them to save and pay cash. How can a young man provide when he himself knows and has no skill in managing money? He could have a minimum wage job – he does not have to make 6 figures. If a guy is a provider he is master of money and money is not master of him. Many young men walk into marriage with not even the basic understanding of what the word provision means. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines provide as === to procure before hand, to get, to collect or make ready for future use. Listen: “If you hear a guy say – “well cross that bridge when we get to it.” ---- run ----- credit is not the answer. Failure to plan is planning to fail. Fathers – we teach our children. We teach them when they are young. We are not loving by providing everything they ask for. We are not loving when they do not see a work ethic in our own lives and when we do not impart it to them.
Closing:
I realize on this Father’s Day this is an enormous challenge we have ahead of us. But – I know that men love challenges. Fathers it is a challenge to train our boys. It is a challenge to examine our own lives and see how we men are doing in these non negotiables. I know God is full of grace and patience with us – but He commands us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Let’s have a healthy fear when it comes to the family. Girls – I challenge you to wait for God’s best and trust Him for His timing.
Prayer: Pray for the fathers --- Pray for the young ladies
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
John #4
“What Do You Believe?”
John #4 1:19 – 34
Pastor Ben Fleming
June 14, 2009
Turn in your bible to John 1. My friend Mitch Duckworth had got a model car for his 10th birthday. I wanted one too – so I got on my bike and rode down to Ben Franklin Five and Dime Store. I walked in and went right to where the model cars were and pick one up and made a bee line for the door – Mr Hensley almost caught me before I got on my bike – I rode away from the store as quickly as I could and went down to the Ohio river and stopped --- I was shaking and felt like the weight of the world was coming down upon me – I was a thief – I prayed to God and said – “Please forgive me--- If no one finds out I would not steal again.” No one had to teach me to sin – it was not Mitch’s fault – I did it – it was all me. And I dealt with it by trying to bargain with God.
(PHOTO) When Martin Luther was a monk, he felt sorry about all the bad sins he did. These sinsbothered him so much, because Martin Luther thought that God was mad at him and would punish him. So Martin Luther tried to do good things in order to be forgiven. He worked hard and prayed. He slept on the floor and beat himself up hoping God would feel sorry for him and take his sins away. Then one day he read in the Bible that God forgives sins because Jesus died on the cross.
John #4 1:19 – 34
Pastor Ben Fleming
June 14, 2009
Turn in your bible to John 1. My friend Mitch Duckworth had got a model car for his 10th birthday. I wanted one too – so I got on my bike and rode down to Ben Franklin Five and Dime Store. I walked in and went right to where the model cars were and pick one up and made a bee line for the door – Mr Hensley almost caught me before I got on my bike – I rode away from the store as quickly as I could and went down to the Ohio river and stopped --- I was shaking and felt like the weight of the world was coming down upon me – I was a thief – I prayed to God and said – “Please forgive me--- If no one finds out I would not steal again.” No one had to teach me to sin – it was not Mitch’s fault – I did it – it was all me. And I dealt with it by trying to bargain with God.
(PHOTO) When Martin Luther was a monk, he felt sorry about all the bad sins he did. These sinsbothered him so much, because Martin Luther thought that God was mad at him and would punish him. So Martin Luther tried to do good things in order to be forgiven. He worked hard and prayed. He slept on the floor and beat himself up hoping God would feel sorry for him and take his sins away. Then one day he read in the Bible that God forgives sins because Jesus died on the cross.
It does not matter if you are a monk or 10 year old little boy – every body wants to do something with the sins in their life. Everybody wants to get rid of them. Some people drink and try and numb the pain from the guilt. Some people try and ignore them and their heart grows cold and apathetic to their sin – some blame other people – its not my fault for the things I do – and some try and fix it with spiritual teaching that tells them to look for the answers within themselves. John the Baptist said in our text today – “Behold – the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
Please stand as we read John 1:19 - 31 19Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Christ.£” 21They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ “£ 24Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26“I baptize with£ water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” 28This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” ----------
The apostle John again records the testimony of John the Baptist. The Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to question him. (MAP) (Vs. 28) says that it happened on the other side of the Jordan River in the town of Bethany. So the priests and Levites had to walk a distance to see John the Baptist --- obviously, word had spread back to Jerusalem and the Temple about John the Baptist – the religious leaders had heard about his preaching and baptizing. (BLANK) They asked him who he was and he confessed to them --- “no I am not the Christ.” --- the name Christ is a greek word which means the Messiah. Every Jew and every priest were looking for the coming Messiah – the Messiah would be the savior of man. Every Jew knew that God had promised a Messiah. Every Jew knew they were walking in darkness and were looking for the light of God.
Isaiah 9:2 “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Those were words given by God to Isaiah 600 years before Jesus. John knew those words and every Jew did too. The priests and the Levites wanted to know who he was. John assured them he was not the Christ. And then they asked him – (PHOTO) Are you Elijah? Remember Elijah called down fire from heaven on the prophets of baal. (BLANK) Based on the words in the last book of Malachi about Elijah – the Jews were expecting Elijah to return from the dead in bodily form before the Messiah was to establish His earthly kingdom. Even today at a Passover Meal – the Jews will leave an empty seat for Elijah. Well John answered them “I am not” – he knew what they meant…. but in John there was a sense that he was a type of Elijah as a prophet challenging the people to repent. The third question they asked him was are you The Prophet? They were referring to the prophecy given by Moses in Deut 18:15”The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers.” And John the Baptist boldly says NO. And they finally say -------- well then who in the world are you?
John tells them “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, Make straight the way of the Lord.” Clearly John says – I am not the one – I am calling you to get ready – get ready for the coming of the Messiah is near.” …… These guys would not listen to him and they wanted to know why he baptized. John tells them “I baptize you with water – but among you stands one you do not know – he comes after me and I am not worthy even to untie his sandals.” Can you just picture it --- Jesus is perhaps standing in the crowd – John says this --- and then John sees the spirit come down upon this man who is walking towards him and a dove rests on the mans shoulder. John would not have know what that meant unless the Holy Spirit had not previously spoken to him and told him what to look for. This narrative account is interesting but the words I want us to take home today are in verse 29. “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” What does that mean? What does it mean to you? Do you understand why your sins need to be taken away?
The Lamb of God Who Takes Away The Sin Of The World ---- look with me at several points………..
1. A sacrificial lamb was familiar to the Jewish people. All through the history of Israel – the people knew that they were separated from God because of their sin and that sin could only be removed by a blood sacrifice. The Jews still today have Yom Kippur or the day of atonement. It is actually 10 Days of Repentance where a Jew tries to amend his behavior and seek forgiveness for wrongs done against God and against his fellow man .The evening and day of Yom Kippur are set aside for public and private petitions and confessions of guilt . If you participate in the 10 days - At the end -- one considers one's self fogiven by God.
Hebrews 9:22 “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
The Jewish people knew that forgiveness of sin could only be granted by God when a substitute died as a sacrifice. They were correct in that. When God is sinned against – He cannot forgive without a payment for the breaking of the law. If God did not require that sin be paid for then He would cease to be God --- He would cease to be just and loving God. The people hearing John’s words knew of the Abraham’s confidence that God would provide a lamb to offer in place of his son Issac. They knew that a lamb was sacrificed at the Passover when the death angel passed over the Jewish nation and they knew the prophecy in Isaiah 53:7 “he will be like a lamb that is lead to slaughter.” The Jewish people could not understand this----- they thought that God would send them a Messiah who would be a prophet – a King and a conquerer – someone who would ride into Jerusalem with a sword and wipe away all the Romans but God Almighty sent them a lamb.
Is that not much like today?........ “We think God is loving and God is God when He does what we expect and demand what we want and yet He sends us what He knows that we need.”
You may think you know what you need and what you need to do. But God has His plan. He says in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope.” John is telling the people that the future and the hope they need is only found in the sacrificial lamb of Jesus Christ – their Messiah. This picture of a an animal taking the sins of people was not knew to the Jews.
Leviticus 16:21-22 ““When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert.” ---- the problem was this had to be done again and again --- confession of sin could only be done by a priest and when the temple was established they brought animals to the altar to be killed and blood poured out on the altar to cover sins. In God’s economy --- covering sin against Him required the taking of a life. 2nd point…….
2. All people have sinned against God and need forgiveness from God. It does not matter who you are and it does not matter what you have done or what has been done to you --- you need forgiveness from your sins. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death…..the payment for your sin and for my sin is death --- spiritual separation from God. “ Romans 3:23 “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” When you fall short of the glory of God --- you have sinned. When you and I fail to measure up to the standards and life that Jesus Christ walked on this earth we have sinned against the living God and we deserve death and nothing less.
Photo: To sin – means that you have missed the mark. God is the one who determines what the mark is. When you do not hit the bullseye every time --- all throughout your life – you miss the mark. The glory of God is hitting the mark every time.
Seems hard to comprehend. There are so so many good people out there. There are many good people doing so many good things and yet they have nothing to do with God. Why in the world did John say and assume that there had to be a need for someone to take away the sins of the world?
Please stand as we read John 1:19 - 31 19Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Christ.£” 21They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ “£ 24Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26“I baptize with£ water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” 28This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” ----------
The apostle John again records the testimony of John the Baptist. The Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to question him. (MAP) (Vs. 28) says that it happened on the other side of the Jordan River in the town of Bethany. So the priests and Levites had to walk a distance to see John the Baptist --- obviously, word had spread back to Jerusalem and the Temple about John the Baptist – the religious leaders had heard about his preaching and baptizing. (BLANK) They asked him who he was and he confessed to them --- “no I am not the Christ.” --- the name Christ is a greek word which means the Messiah. Every Jew and every priest were looking for the coming Messiah – the Messiah would be the savior of man. Every Jew knew that God had promised a Messiah. Every Jew knew they were walking in darkness and were looking for the light of God.
Isaiah 9:2 “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Those were words given by God to Isaiah 600 years before Jesus. John knew those words and every Jew did too. The priests and the Levites wanted to know who he was. John assured them he was not the Christ. And then they asked him – (PHOTO) Are you Elijah? Remember Elijah called down fire from heaven on the prophets of baal. (BLANK) Based on the words in the last book of Malachi about Elijah – the Jews were expecting Elijah to return from the dead in bodily form before the Messiah was to establish His earthly kingdom. Even today at a Passover Meal – the Jews will leave an empty seat for Elijah. Well John answered them “I am not” – he knew what they meant…. but in John there was a sense that he was a type of Elijah as a prophet challenging the people to repent. The third question they asked him was are you The Prophet? They were referring to the prophecy given by Moses in Deut 18:15”The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers.” And John the Baptist boldly says NO. And they finally say -------- well then who in the world are you?
John tells them “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, Make straight the way of the Lord.” Clearly John says – I am not the one – I am calling you to get ready – get ready for the coming of the Messiah is near.” …… These guys would not listen to him and they wanted to know why he baptized. John tells them “I baptize you with water – but among you stands one you do not know – he comes after me and I am not worthy even to untie his sandals.” Can you just picture it --- Jesus is perhaps standing in the crowd – John says this --- and then John sees the spirit come down upon this man who is walking towards him and a dove rests on the mans shoulder. John would not have know what that meant unless the Holy Spirit had not previously spoken to him and told him what to look for. This narrative account is interesting but the words I want us to take home today are in verse 29. “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” What does that mean? What does it mean to you? Do you understand why your sins need to be taken away?
The Lamb of God Who Takes Away The Sin Of The World ---- look with me at several points………..
1. A sacrificial lamb was familiar to the Jewish people. All through the history of Israel – the people knew that they were separated from God because of their sin and that sin could only be removed by a blood sacrifice. The Jews still today have Yom Kippur or the day of atonement. It is actually 10 Days of Repentance where a Jew tries to amend his behavior and seek forgiveness for wrongs done against God and against his fellow man .The evening and day of Yom Kippur are set aside for public and private petitions and confessions of guilt . If you participate in the 10 days - At the end -- one considers one's self fogiven by God.
Hebrews 9:22 “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
The Jewish people knew that forgiveness of sin could only be granted by God when a substitute died as a sacrifice. They were correct in that. When God is sinned against – He cannot forgive without a payment for the breaking of the law. If God did not require that sin be paid for then He would cease to be God --- He would cease to be just and loving God. The people hearing John’s words knew of the Abraham’s confidence that God would provide a lamb to offer in place of his son Issac. They knew that a lamb was sacrificed at the Passover when the death angel passed over the Jewish nation and they knew the prophecy in Isaiah 53:7 “he will be like a lamb that is lead to slaughter.” The Jewish people could not understand this----- they thought that God would send them a Messiah who would be a prophet – a King and a conquerer – someone who would ride into Jerusalem with a sword and wipe away all the Romans but God Almighty sent them a lamb.
Is that not much like today?........ “We think God is loving and God is God when He does what we expect and demand what we want and yet He sends us what He knows that we need.”
You may think you know what you need and what you need to do. But God has His plan. He says in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope.” John is telling the people that the future and the hope they need is only found in the sacrificial lamb of Jesus Christ – their Messiah. This picture of a an animal taking the sins of people was not knew to the Jews.
Leviticus 16:21-22 ““When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert.” ---- the problem was this had to be done again and again --- confession of sin could only be done by a priest and when the temple was established they brought animals to the altar to be killed and blood poured out on the altar to cover sins. In God’s economy --- covering sin against Him required the taking of a life. 2nd point…….
2. All people have sinned against God and need forgiveness from God. It does not matter who you are and it does not matter what you have done or what has been done to you --- you need forgiveness from your sins. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death…..the payment for your sin and for my sin is death --- spiritual separation from God. “ Romans 3:23 “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” When you fall short of the glory of God --- you have sinned. When you and I fail to measure up to the standards and life that Jesus Christ walked on this earth we have sinned against the living God and we deserve death and nothing less.
Photo: To sin – means that you have missed the mark. God is the one who determines what the mark is. When you do not hit the bullseye every time --- all throughout your life – you miss the mark. The glory of God is hitting the mark every time.
Seems hard to comprehend. There are so so many good people out there. There are many good people doing so many good things and yet they have nothing to do with God. Why in the world did John say and assume that there had to be a need for someone to take away the sins of the world?
Why does a good person need their sins to be taken away? Think about it. How much goodness is necessary to cover up and have God overlook that part of a person that is not good? Or who gives us the standard of what is good? Let me try and answer that by looking at Romans 3 --- would you turn there??????? Verses 11 -12. and then I want to read you 10 points from a very famous message – by Jonathan Edwards. Wait for people to find it………..
Romans 3:11 -12 (ESV) “There is none righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” Paul is writing about man – in verse 9 he makes the point saying there is no difference between a Jew or a Greek. In God’s eyes – all men are the same. Not one man does good --- all men are worthless and all have turned from God – no one seeks God and no one understands God. Look what John wrote about what Jesus said about man..John 2:24 (ESV) “But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.”
So our second point is that all people are sinners and need forgiveness from God. Jonathan Edwards wrote this about that and called it Sinners in the hands of an angry God. It might shock some of you….
Please listen to his 10 points……
1. There is no want of power in God to cast wicked men into hell at any moment in time.
2. The wicked deserve to be cast into hell: so that divine justice never stands in the way, it makes no objection against God using his power at any moment to destroy them.
3. Sinners are already under a sentence of condemnation to hell.
4. Sinners are now the objects of that very same anger and wrath of God that is expressed in the torments of hell: and the reason why they do not go down to hell at each moment, is not because God, in whose power they are, is not then very angry with them; as he is with many of those miserable creatures that he is now tormenting in hell, and do there feel and bear the fierceness of his wrath.
5. Satan stands ready to fall upon sinners and seize them as his own, at what moment God shall permit him.
6. There are in the souls of wicked men those hellish principles reigning, that would presently kindle and flame out into hellfire, if it were not for God's restraints.
7. It is no security to wicked men for one moment, that there are no visible means of death at hand.
8. Natural men's efforts and care to preserve their own lives, or the care of others to preserve them, do not secure them a moment .
9. All wicked men's plans and schemes they use to escape hell, while they continue to reject Christ, and so remain wicked men, don't secure them from hell for one moment.
10. God has laid himself under no obligation by any promise to keep any natural man out of hell one moment.
Demonstration: Hand cuffs --- call Tiegan up and cuff him…. You need to believe in the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Place your faith in him. Ask God to help you believe.
An un forgiven sinner is handcuffed to sin. Whoever believes – the cuffs are opened – sin no longer has power over that person – they have forgiveness from God and Jesus Christ the Lamb has broken the curse of sin. John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” ------ so – if you have not believed – then the wrath of God remains on you --- the 10 points of Edwards message are absolutely true. 3rd point………….
3. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for all men’s sins but not all people will be forgiven. So – when John said – “Look the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” does that mean that all peoples sins have been taken away and all people will go to heaven? Absolutely not. That is false teaching and the bible in no way supports it. But it is true that the death – the slaughter of Jesus --- his blood was sufficient to cover the sins of all mankind. The bible clearly states that only people who believe in the Lamb of God and receive Him are forgiven. When a sinner comes to God and places their faith in the sacrifice of Christ --- they are made clean before God. It is as if the are just as perfect as Christ is perfect. The bible says they are justified. Paul put that clearly in Romans 5
Romans 5:9 - 10 “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! “ Someone who does not believe --- is still God’s enemy. They are still chained to sin. They are lost --- they do not have any understanding and they are perishing. Jesus Christ was the perfect sacrifice BUT not all men are forgiven.
Application:
1. What sin in your life do you need victory over? You believe – the handcuffs have been opened but you keep putting them back together? Job prayed to God to keep his eyes from looking on a woman with lust. Men --- do you care how you look on a woman? Men – lets be leaders in our nation when it comes to glorifying God by putting to death lust in our lives. Let’s be honest about pornography. Let’s become legalistic about the movies that we see and refuse to allow our eyes to look on women with lust. Let’s teach our boys – lets be honest with our struggle against sin.
Paul said in Ephesians 4:29 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
Application:
1. What sin in your life do you need victory over? You believe – the handcuffs have been opened but you keep putting them back together? Job prayed to God to keep his eyes from looking on a woman with lust. Men --- do you care how you look on a woman? Men – lets be leaders in our nation when it comes to glorifying God by putting to death lust in our lives. Let’s be honest about pornography. Let’s become legalistic about the movies that we see and refuse to allow our eyes to look on women with lust. Let’s teach our boys – lets be honest with our struggle against sin.
Paul said in Ephesians 4:29 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
What area of your speech is not glorifying to God? Sins of the mouth are so easy to justify and overlook. Sins of the mouth deceive us. Sins of the mouth hurt other people. Sins of the mouth hinder the work of God.
Paul said to Christians at Colossae 3:12 “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Who in your life do you need to go to and ask forgiveness or give forgiveness to? Can you honestly say that you have done everything and anything to restore a relationship with someone?
2. Take the step of believing today. Ask God to unlock the chains of sin in your life. Tell God that you believe – ask Him to help you in your unbelief. I want to lead you in a prayer to help you do that.
Let us pray: Pastor John Piper writes – if you desire to respond to God then turn from the deceitful promises of sin. Call on Jesus to save you from guilt and punishment and bondage. The bible says,
“all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Would you pray….. Jesus I call on you to save me from guilt --- save me from the punishment for my sin ---- save me from bondage – thank you for hearing my prayer. In Jesus name ---amen ------------ IF YOU PRAYED THAT PRAYER AND THAT IS THE DESIRE OF YOUR HEART I HAVE A PAPER FOR YOU CALLED SIX BIBLICAL TRUTHS – DID YOU KNOW GOD COMMANDS YOU TO SEEK YOUR HAPPINESS --- ITS FREE PLEASE TAKE IT AND READ IT --- I WILL GIVE YOU ONE.
John #3
What Does It Mean to Believe?
John chap. 1:14 -18
Pastor Ben Fleming
June 7, 2009
Turn in your bible to the gospel of John. We have found John writing to us with the express purpose so that people would believe that Jesus is the Christ and that by believing in Him they would have life in His name. John started his letter by saying that Jesus is the Word. He is the living Word. Jesus was in the beginning with God which makes Him creator like God and He Himself is God. We are going to see John say that again in verse 18 in perhaps the clearest words. John writes also that Jesus is the Light and in Him is the light of men. Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness does not understand it. Hundreds of years before the prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 6:9 “Go to this people and say, You will be ever hearing but never understanding: you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.” The prophet was writing about the Jewish people. This is why when Jesus came to His own – they did not receive Him and they still have not received Him.
In Romans 3:10 Paul also tells us that not just the Jewish people but all people do not have understanding – “There is no one righteous, not even one who understands, no one who seeks God.” It is only God who gives a person understanding. It is only God who gives a person the right to become a child of God. God gives them understanding and God gives them belief. It is only God who shines the Light of Christ within someone’s blind heart.
Last week we studied that people have three responses to the Light of Jesus Christ. First – we found that they can believe the witness of John the Baptist and be a witness for Christ themselves. They can be portable lights of Christ. And the second response is that people can reject Christ and we know that many many do and then the third response is people can believe and receive Jesus Christ as their savior. John closes this prologue or introduction to his gospel by again focusing on the fact that God the Father – God Almighty came down to the earth in the form of a human being. Jesus Christ was fully God. He was fully God the Son and yet while he was on this earth he was fully a man. He got tired. He hit his thumb with a hammer. He got hungry. He had to sleep. Jesus the incarnate God had emotions. He was just like you and He knows exactly what it is like to be human because Jesus Christ was fully a human and fully God. That is called the incarnation. Write the word in on the blank at the top of your outline. This is what John’s opening statement of verse 14 means. “The Word became flesh”. So stand with me as we read verses 1 -18 one last time. READ…… John tells us that the incarnation had three affects.
The Affects of the Incarnation
1. The incarnation brought grace and truth. (vs.14) “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John says that the Word became flesh. What was infinite became finite. What was invisible became visible. God now had skin on. God the creator entered time and he did so in the person of Jesus Christ His Son………Many find this FACT beyond human reason and cannot and will not believe it. It does not matter to them that there are over a hundred prophecies about it and Jesus fulfilled everyone of them. It does not matter to them one bit that 500 people were witnesses to the death and resurrection of Christ. John says that he – the Christ dwelt among us. He wrote that because the Jewish people would have understood it to mean to live in a tent. Jesus Christ was like all men and at that time most Jewish people lived in tents. He dwelt among us.
The bible emphasizes again and again that Jesus was human flesh. Philppians 2:7 “since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil.”
So –when Jesus cut his finger it bled red just like yours. Hebrews 2:14 “He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” To be the propitiation for the sins of the people --- Jesus Christ could not have paid the price for man’s sins without becoming a human.
John could not have said, “behold the Lamb of God.” During His time on this earth – John says that Jesus manifested the glory of God. You are going to see that word glory again and again in the gospel of John. Jesus demonstrated and lived out the glory of God. In what Jesus did you see God. For example: John 2:11 Jesus turned water into wine and revealed his glory. John 7:18 1“He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” He raised Lazarus from the dead showing God’s glory and He rose again from the dead – showing the glory of God. Amazingly – in John 11:40 Jesus says “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God.” When someone believes --- when someone comes to Christ – you see the glory of God. What a person is saved - there is the glory of God. Do you remember in the Old Testament when it spoke of the Shechinah glory - - that word means “that which dwells”. God was present in the shechina glory – you especially read about that when He was giving The Ten Commandments to Moses. So – Jesus demonstrated and lived out the glory of God in his life and because of that “it is possible and expected and it is the plan of God that God’s children in the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit can reflect the glory of God.
Where you go – what you do – what you say can reflect the glory of God. You and I are a portable lamp of the glory of God in their lives. Jesus said this about that fact……………
John 14:12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” It brings God glory when you pray --- it brings God glory for Jesus to answer your prayers – it brings God glory when you and I exercise our faith.
John now says that this Jesus who came from the Father is full of grace and truth. Jesus is full of grace and truth. What is grace and what is truth? We all want grace but is it not hard to have someone tell you the truth? We want others to tell us the truth but we do not want someone to tell us the truth about ourselves. I get accused by some believers of being all truth and no grace. And then I imagine there are those who think I am all grace and just a push over or nieve. Think with me:
Grace has two ideas. It always has the idea of something completely undeserved. It has the idea of something that we could never earn or achieve for ourselves. The fact that God came to this earth in human flesh to live and die for men is not something that humanity deserved. Jesus Christ was the full expression of God’s grace. Grace and truth are the two attributes that are closely related to salvation. Salvation comes to a person by believing in the truth of the gospel and one receives the ability to believe by saving grace. Most of you know what Paul wrote in Ephesians on that”
OUTLINE
Ephesians 2:8 - 9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” God gives the grace to believe in the truth of Jesus – it is a gift. You cannot work for the gift – you cannot be good enough to deserve the gift – you cannot get rid of enough sin to be acceptable to receive the gift – it is all given by the grace of God. Jesus Christ is the full expression of that grace. A vague belief in God apart from the truth about Christ will not result in your salvation. In John 8:24 Jesus warned “unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins”. Those who think they are worshipping God, but are ignorant of or reject the fullness of the New Testament teaching about Christ are deceived. Many are: there are not many roads to heaven. Jesus is not Satan’s brother. Jesus was not a spiritual force and he was not married to Mary Magdalene. Grace is undeserved and unearned.
The second meaning of grace has the idea of beauty. In Greek it means charm. So when John says in Jesus is grace – he is saying that in Jesus is the loveliness of God. When you confront Jesus you confront the beauty of God. If you truly know God you have to know Jesus. You cannot possess any relationship with God without knowing Jesus – Jesus beams God. The more you know Jesus the more you reflect in your life the beauty of God. Jesus shows us God. In John 17:3 he writes: Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.”
Knowing Jesus Christ allows you to encounter the fullness of the beauty of God. There is no one in here who thinks eternal life is not beautiful. Jesus Christ is the fullness of what grace is and what it means. And then John says Jesus is truth. You are going to John use this word truth again and again in his gospel. So Jesus is grace and He is truth. What does that mean? Jesus is truth
#1 Jesus is the embodiment of truth. There is no darkness in him. There are no lies in him. There is no deceit in him. Everything in Jesus is right. There is no deceit in Jesus. There is no fear in Jesus. We question lies but we do not question truth. Truth always demands a response. John 14:6 “ I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me”
#2 Jesus is the communicator of truth. If you known Him and walk in Him you will find truth. He told Pilate that his purpose was to come into the world to witness to the truth. You cannot experience the grace of God without the truth of God. Jesus communicates that truth. Example: Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
#3 Jesus left us His Spirit when he left this world to guide us into the truth. He did not just leave us a book – the written Word - but He gave us His Spirit to bring alive and teach us the truth from that book. To the teenagers…. Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
This is why many have read the bible and it makes no sense to them and means nothing to them in life not one bit – they do not the Holy Spirit or they are a believer who is grieving the Holy Spirit.
# 4 The truth of Jesus is what makes a person free. When a child is told the truth from its parent – there is an absence of fear. When someone is walking in lies – they are in turmoil – they are in bondage. The truth of Jesus makes a person free in their relationship with God. When they do not know or they are not experiencing the truth of God in their lives – they are living in separated from God. They are haunted in their minds. You know exactly what I am referring to. Some of you have experienced that and some of you are experiencing it right now. So – the incarnation brought us grace and truth.
2. The incarnation was witnessed by many.
(vs.15-16) “John testifies concerning him, He cries out, saying, “this was He of whom I said, He comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me. From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.” The apostle John says that John the Baptist testifies concerning Jesus --- John the Baptist was a witness to Christ but at the John was writing his gospel ----- John the Baptist was dead but there were many still around who were following John the Baptist – they were kind of a cult. John the Baptist said in verse 15 “he who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” John the Baptist knew that Jesus was God in the flesh. He would not have said – “from the fullness of his grace we have received one blessing after another.” If you know Jesus --- If you know the grace of Jesus in your life – you know his saving grace and you continue to receive God’s grace in your life day after day after day. Everyone receives grace from God ---non believer and believer. God does not bring His wrath down upon non believers right now --- grace --- God pours the rain out on the righteous and the unrighteous. God pours the sun out on all people. God’s common grace. An farmer who does not believe in Jesus sees his crops grow the same as a farmer who believers in Jesus.
But it is not until you come to a face to face encounter with God through His Son Jesus do you begin to see Jesus – hear Him – know Him and walk with him and experience saving grace. It is only the saving grace of God that brings salvation to a person. The incarnation of Jesus Christ was witnessed by many. The incarnation brought grace and truth and #3
3. The incarnation impacted mankind. (17-18) “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” The impact of Christ coming to earth as a man and paying the price for man’s sin and offering salvation freely is monumental. The law was given through Moses ---- no body was ever saved by keeping the law. Nobody every kept the law perfectly. Paul says in Romans 7 – What shall we say then is the law sin? May it never be. The law is holy – right and good. What does the law do? Romans 3:20 “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.” The law does not save a man. Going to church – taking communion – doing the religious acts – does not save a man --- the law makes you conscious of sin. Though shall not kill --- no one in here has killed someone but Jesus said if you have anger in your heart against someone you have done the same thing as kill them. Jesus did not do away with the law – He came to complete the law and fulfill the law. Do not commit adultery says the law --- Jesus said if anyone looks on a women with lust they have committed adultery. If you come to Jesus you come to grace and truth. He is grace and He is truth.
We all want grace. We want grace from God and we want others to give us grace. How many times have you said or heard someone say – “just give me some grace”. They want you to overlook what they did or what they did not do. John says – Jesus is grace and He gives grace – “for by His grace you are saved” – you either reject that or you either receive it and place your faith in what He did.
Grace also comes with truth. You can have real grace and watered down truth. Grace and truth are realized through Jesus Christ. But we do not want truth – truth points the finger at us. When we get truth most of the time we feel judged. When someone says – just give me some grace they are wanting you to overlook the truth of what they did or did not do. There are not thinking about obedience. When you do not over look it you are accused of being judgmental. I have wrestled with this a lot this week and I have some Personal thoughts on grace and truth and I pray that they are godly biblical ones and they provoke to think.
1. You may know truth, believe it, uphold it, demand it and insists upon it but without grace it may have no impact on another person unless it is wrapped in grace. That grace will have the picture of beauty like Christ which demonstrates itself through kindness – but that Christ like kindness never waters down the truth.
2. Grace is often thought of as love – love – love and truth is said to be judgment and judgment is evil within the church and outside the church. But truth often hurts. Truth calls for sacrifice. Truth calls for humility. Truth calls for submission. Truth calls for obedience.
3. Does one err on the side of grace or on the side of truth? Generally, if I err on the side of truth, darkness will run away but if I err on the side of grace does that bring darkness to the truth? Sometimes it does and many times it does not. Comment.
4. Grace says I forgive you and truth says bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Grace ceases to be grace when there is no change in the life of the person.
5. Grace says I forgive you 7 x 7 but truth says, “Let’s work on some accountability.”
6. Grace says “I’ll be patient” but truth says the fruit of the spirit is patience.”
7. Grace is not free and it can be demanded by no one. Grace cost Jesus Christ His very life and to demand that you deserve to be shown grace by God and by God’s people is arrogance.
Let us pray:
John chap. 1:14 -18
Pastor Ben Fleming
June 7, 2009
Turn in your bible to the gospel of John. We have found John writing to us with the express purpose so that people would believe that Jesus is the Christ and that by believing in Him they would have life in His name. John started his letter by saying that Jesus is the Word. He is the living Word. Jesus was in the beginning with God which makes Him creator like God and He Himself is God. We are going to see John say that again in verse 18 in perhaps the clearest words. John writes also that Jesus is the Light and in Him is the light of men. Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness does not understand it. Hundreds of years before the prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 6:9 “Go to this people and say, You will be ever hearing but never understanding: you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.” The prophet was writing about the Jewish people. This is why when Jesus came to His own – they did not receive Him and they still have not received Him.
In Romans 3:10 Paul also tells us that not just the Jewish people but all people do not have understanding – “There is no one righteous, not even one who understands, no one who seeks God.” It is only God who gives a person understanding. It is only God who gives a person the right to become a child of God. God gives them understanding and God gives them belief. It is only God who shines the Light of Christ within someone’s blind heart.
Last week we studied that people have three responses to the Light of Jesus Christ. First – we found that they can believe the witness of John the Baptist and be a witness for Christ themselves. They can be portable lights of Christ. And the second response is that people can reject Christ and we know that many many do and then the third response is people can believe and receive Jesus Christ as their savior. John closes this prologue or introduction to his gospel by again focusing on the fact that God the Father – God Almighty came down to the earth in the form of a human being. Jesus Christ was fully God. He was fully God the Son and yet while he was on this earth he was fully a man. He got tired. He hit his thumb with a hammer. He got hungry. He had to sleep. Jesus the incarnate God had emotions. He was just like you and He knows exactly what it is like to be human because Jesus Christ was fully a human and fully God. That is called the incarnation. Write the word in on the blank at the top of your outline. This is what John’s opening statement of verse 14 means. “The Word became flesh”. So stand with me as we read verses 1 -18 one last time. READ…… John tells us that the incarnation had three affects.
The Affects of the Incarnation
1. The incarnation brought grace and truth. (vs.14) “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John says that the Word became flesh. What was infinite became finite. What was invisible became visible. God now had skin on. God the creator entered time and he did so in the person of Jesus Christ His Son………Many find this FACT beyond human reason and cannot and will not believe it. It does not matter to them that there are over a hundred prophecies about it and Jesus fulfilled everyone of them. It does not matter to them one bit that 500 people were witnesses to the death and resurrection of Christ. John says that he – the Christ dwelt among us. He wrote that because the Jewish people would have understood it to mean to live in a tent. Jesus Christ was like all men and at that time most Jewish people lived in tents. He dwelt among us.
The bible emphasizes again and again that Jesus was human flesh. Philppians 2:7 “since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil.”
So –when Jesus cut his finger it bled red just like yours. Hebrews 2:14 “He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” To be the propitiation for the sins of the people --- Jesus Christ could not have paid the price for man’s sins without becoming a human.
John could not have said, “behold the Lamb of God.” During His time on this earth – John says that Jesus manifested the glory of God. You are going to see that word glory again and again in the gospel of John. Jesus demonstrated and lived out the glory of God. In what Jesus did you see God. For example: John 2:11 Jesus turned water into wine and revealed his glory. John 7:18 1“He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” He raised Lazarus from the dead showing God’s glory and He rose again from the dead – showing the glory of God. Amazingly – in John 11:40 Jesus says “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God.” When someone believes --- when someone comes to Christ – you see the glory of God. What a person is saved - there is the glory of God. Do you remember in the Old Testament when it spoke of the Shechinah glory - - that word means “that which dwells”. God was present in the shechina glory – you especially read about that when He was giving The Ten Commandments to Moses. So – Jesus demonstrated and lived out the glory of God in his life and because of that “it is possible and expected and it is the plan of God that God’s children in the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit can reflect the glory of God.
Where you go – what you do – what you say can reflect the glory of God. You and I are a portable lamp of the glory of God in their lives. Jesus said this about that fact……………
John 14:12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” It brings God glory when you pray --- it brings God glory for Jesus to answer your prayers – it brings God glory when you and I exercise our faith.
John now says that this Jesus who came from the Father is full of grace and truth. Jesus is full of grace and truth. What is grace and what is truth? We all want grace but is it not hard to have someone tell you the truth? We want others to tell us the truth but we do not want someone to tell us the truth about ourselves. I get accused by some believers of being all truth and no grace. And then I imagine there are those who think I am all grace and just a push over or nieve. Think with me:
Grace has two ideas. It always has the idea of something completely undeserved. It has the idea of something that we could never earn or achieve for ourselves. The fact that God came to this earth in human flesh to live and die for men is not something that humanity deserved. Jesus Christ was the full expression of God’s grace. Grace and truth are the two attributes that are closely related to salvation. Salvation comes to a person by believing in the truth of the gospel and one receives the ability to believe by saving grace. Most of you know what Paul wrote in Ephesians on that”
OUTLINE
Ephesians 2:8 - 9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” God gives the grace to believe in the truth of Jesus – it is a gift. You cannot work for the gift – you cannot be good enough to deserve the gift – you cannot get rid of enough sin to be acceptable to receive the gift – it is all given by the grace of God. Jesus Christ is the full expression of that grace. A vague belief in God apart from the truth about Christ will not result in your salvation. In John 8:24 Jesus warned “unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins”. Those who think they are worshipping God, but are ignorant of or reject the fullness of the New Testament teaching about Christ are deceived. Many are: there are not many roads to heaven. Jesus is not Satan’s brother. Jesus was not a spiritual force and he was not married to Mary Magdalene. Grace is undeserved and unearned.
The second meaning of grace has the idea of beauty. In Greek it means charm. So when John says in Jesus is grace – he is saying that in Jesus is the loveliness of God. When you confront Jesus you confront the beauty of God. If you truly know God you have to know Jesus. You cannot possess any relationship with God without knowing Jesus – Jesus beams God. The more you know Jesus the more you reflect in your life the beauty of God. Jesus shows us God. In John 17:3 he writes: Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.”
Knowing Jesus Christ allows you to encounter the fullness of the beauty of God. There is no one in here who thinks eternal life is not beautiful. Jesus Christ is the fullness of what grace is and what it means. And then John says Jesus is truth. You are going to John use this word truth again and again in his gospel. So Jesus is grace and He is truth. What does that mean? Jesus is truth
#1 Jesus is the embodiment of truth. There is no darkness in him. There are no lies in him. There is no deceit in him. Everything in Jesus is right. There is no deceit in Jesus. There is no fear in Jesus. We question lies but we do not question truth. Truth always demands a response. John 14:6 “ I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me”
#2 Jesus is the communicator of truth. If you known Him and walk in Him you will find truth. He told Pilate that his purpose was to come into the world to witness to the truth. You cannot experience the grace of God without the truth of God. Jesus communicates that truth. Example: Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
#3 Jesus left us His Spirit when he left this world to guide us into the truth. He did not just leave us a book – the written Word - but He gave us His Spirit to bring alive and teach us the truth from that book. To the teenagers…. Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
This is why many have read the bible and it makes no sense to them and means nothing to them in life not one bit – they do not the Holy Spirit or they are a believer who is grieving the Holy Spirit.
# 4 The truth of Jesus is what makes a person free. When a child is told the truth from its parent – there is an absence of fear. When someone is walking in lies – they are in turmoil – they are in bondage. The truth of Jesus makes a person free in their relationship with God. When they do not know or they are not experiencing the truth of God in their lives – they are living in separated from God. They are haunted in their minds. You know exactly what I am referring to. Some of you have experienced that and some of you are experiencing it right now. So – the incarnation brought us grace and truth.
2. The incarnation was witnessed by many.
(vs.15-16) “John testifies concerning him, He cries out, saying, “this was He of whom I said, He comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me. From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.” The apostle John says that John the Baptist testifies concerning Jesus --- John the Baptist was a witness to Christ but at the John was writing his gospel ----- John the Baptist was dead but there were many still around who were following John the Baptist – they were kind of a cult. John the Baptist said in verse 15 “he who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” John the Baptist knew that Jesus was God in the flesh. He would not have said – “from the fullness of his grace we have received one blessing after another.” If you know Jesus --- If you know the grace of Jesus in your life – you know his saving grace and you continue to receive God’s grace in your life day after day after day. Everyone receives grace from God ---non believer and believer. God does not bring His wrath down upon non believers right now --- grace --- God pours the rain out on the righteous and the unrighteous. God pours the sun out on all people. God’s common grace. An farmer who does not believe in Jesus sees his crops grow the same as a farmer who believers in Jesus.
But it is not until you come to a face to face encounter with God through His Son Jesus do you begin to see Jesus – hear Him – know Him and walk with him and experience saving grace. It is only the saving grace of God that brings salvation to a person. The incarnation of Jesus Christ was witnessed by many. The incarnation brought grace and truth and #3
3. The incarnation impacted mankind. (17-18) “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” The impact of Christ coming to earth as a man and paying the price for man’s sin and offering salvation freely is monumental. The law was given through Moses ---- no body was ever saved by keeping the law. Nobody every kept the law perfectly. Paul says in Romans 7 – What shall we say then is the law sin? May it never be. The law is holy – right and good. What does the law do? Romans 3:20 “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.” The law does not save a man. Going to church – taking communion – doing the religious acts – does not save a man --- the law makes you conscious of sin. Though shall not kill --- no one in here has killed someone but Jesus said if you have anger in your heart against someone you have done the same thing as kill them. Jesus did not do away with the law – He came to complete the law and fulfill the law. Do not commit adultery says the law --- Jesus said if anyone looks on a women with lust they have committed adultery. If you come to Jesus you come to grace and truth. He is grace and He is truth.
We all want grace. We want grace from God and we want others to give us grace. How many times have you said or heard someone say – “just give me some grace”. They want you to overlook what they did or what they did not do. John says – Jesus is grace and He gives grace – “for by His grace you are saved” – you either reject that or you either receive it and place your faith in what He did.
Grace also comes with truth. You can have real grace and watered down truth. Grace and truth are realized through Jesus Christ. But we do not want truth – truth points the finger at us. When we get truth most of the time we feel judged. When someone says – just give me some grace they are wanting you to overlook the truth of what they did or did not do. There are not thinking about obedience. When you do not over look it you are accused of being judgmental. I have wrestled with this a lot this week and I have some Personal thoughts on grace and truth and I pray that they are godly biblical ones and they provoke to think.
1. You may know truth, believe it, uphold it, demand it and insists upon it but without grace it may have no impact on another person unless it is wrapped in grace. That grace will have the picture of beauty like Christ which demonstrates itself through kindness – but that Christ like kindness never waters down the truth.
2. Grace is often thought of as love – love – love and truth is said to be judgment and judgment is evil within the church and outside the church. But truth often hurts. Truth calls for sacrifice. Truth calls for humility. Truth calls for submission. Truth calls for obedience.
3. Does one err on the side of grace or on the side of truth? Generally, if I err on the side of truth, darkness will run away but if I err on the side of grace does that bring darkness to the truth? Sometimes it does and many times it does not. Comment.
4. Grace says I forgive you and truth says bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Grace ceases to be grace when there is no change in the life of the person.
5. Grace says I forgive you 7 x 7 but truth says, “Let’s work on some accountability.”
6. Grace says “I’ll be patient” but truth says the fruit of the spirit is patience.”
7. Grace is not free and it can be demanded by no one. Grace cost Jesus Christ His very life and to demand that you deserve to be shown grace by God and by God’s people is arrogance.
Let us pray:
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
John #2
Do You Believe?
John #2
Pastor Ben Fleming
May 31, 2009
In the year AD 29 – almost every scientific encyclopedia tells us that there was a total solar eclipse. (PHOTO) – it might have looked like this --- this happened at the crucifixion of Christ – Luke 23:44 says “it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shinning.” – that is how John described the eclipse. Not one scientific website on the history of eclipses disagrees with that event. (BLANK) This summer we are going to experience on Wednesday July 22 a total eclipse (2 PHOTO”S) --- It will be so spectacular it will not happen again until the year 2132. It will last for 6 minutes. The moon will move between the sun and the earth – plunging most of Asia and the western US into daytime darkness. Do you believe that? (Blank) --- I wonder what we are going to hear about this in these coming weeks? People believe what they want to believe - do they not? Even when some miracle or powerful event happens – it does not seem to change people’s beliefs. I have seen a Christian man healed from cancer but it did not change his life – his belief really did nothing for him. John 11 tells us that after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead - a few believed in Jesus but many who saw it happen and smelled the stink went to the religious leaders to complain and they plotted to kill Jesus…….We began the Gospel of John last week – turn to it. If you remember I said that the purpose that John wrote this letter was so that you might believe – he wrote in TURN AROUND SLIDE John 20:31 – “these words have been written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” Do you see what that verse says – that by believing you may have life in His name – it says something about having a certain kind of a life --- it is life in His name – it is a different kind of life than others have around you. It is not something you get when you die --- you begin to experience it when you believe. One result of that belief -- in John 3:18 “ Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” So genuine belief in Jesus means I live a life un condemned. To be condemn means that you live a life under judgment – it means you are guilty or you are unfit for service. But those who believe are not condemned. They are declared not guilty and are fit for service in the kingdom of God. PLEASE STAND AS WE READ 1 -18
Last week ……verse 5 of chapter one. “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” Jesus put it this way in John 3:19 “this is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come to the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light.” Is it not the darkness where we hide? Is this not why we come up with excuses to justify what we do? We do not want to face up to what we do and who we are? Over the years I have heard excuse after excuse from good good people to justify their actions done in the dark. It is the churches fault. It is the other persons fault. Recently, kind sweet Julie said to me, she would not think of coming to church because there is a bunch of hypocrites there – she has to deal with them because she is in retailing. But what is Julie hiding? What are some of the people who come to church hiding? Why is Julie content to remain in the darkness? Jesus said – for fear that their deeds would be exposed.
So ---What is your response to the light of Christ in your life? What is your response to the absence of light? You go outside to get some sun – it warms you – you go and get a flash light or a flood light to put light on the darkness. Think about it---- Do you feel ashamed to get undressed in a totally dark room? Most people would say no – but if you flooded the room with a flood light – you will cover up. In verses 6 – 12 John gives three responses to the light of Jesus Christ. On your outline………
Three responses to the Light of Jesus Christ.
1. Believe the testimony of John and be a witness yourself like him. (Vs.6 -8) “There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning the light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.” Notice here how there is a shift from the heavenly word to the earthly witness. John the Baptist. Turn in your bible to the last book in the OT – Malachi chp 4 --- the prophet Malachi wrote about an Elijah like prophet who was going to come. He was not writing about a prophet named Elijah but one who would act like him – (4:5) “See – I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He – will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”------John the Baptist was the first true prophet to appear in Israel in 400 years. There was no prophet who spoke the way John spoke – Matthew 3:5-6 says “Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness, saying “repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.”
John’s mission was not to exalt himself – but it was to witness about the Messiah – he was to testify to the Light. The word witness and testify both relate to fact – and not to opinion. They are terms that are used in a courtroom. John was called the Baptist because he was sent by God to baptize sinners in preparation for the coming of Jesus – but the purpose of John was to bear witness to Jesus so that all might believe through him. People believe in Jesus Christ through the testimony of believers like John. Men and women who have believed are agents of belief but only Jesus Christ is the object of belief. As Paul says in Romans – salvation is always a matter of faith in God… it is always a matter of believing what God has said.
In verse 8 - the apostle John was trying to guard the early church and people following John the Baptist and thinking that he was the Messiah – John wrote “he himself (JOHN) was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
Application: The term light (PHOS) that John wrote down refers to the essence of light. So – John is saying that Jesus is the essence of light or He is the source or origin of it. Does that not flow with the words of Genesis 1:3 – And God said, Let there be light, and there was light” --- God spoke light into existence. So – Jesus is the essence of light – He spoke it into existence. In contrast to that in John 5:35 Jesus said about John the Baptist “John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.” When he spoke about John the Baptist Jesus spoke the word LUCHNOS– it was a word that a greek person would use to refer to a portable lamp. PICK UP LAMP – (LEAVE IT ON) So – if you believe and if I believe – we are portable lamps --- we are not the essence of light – we are portable lamps – we are lamps of the light and we are to shine that light wherever we go. We are present day John the Baptists. We have to stick our lamps into dark places. We do not wait for the darkness to come to us we go to the darkness. One cannot believe that ones belief is real and one does not shine the light– we are only fooling ourselves. Your light might be dim at times – but if the light of Christ has come into you – its there --- we do not hide --- we do not make excuses for it – we do anything and everything to let it shine. Often times our God calls for our lamp to be around other lamps and when those lamps are together they ought to be shining brighter.
On your outline Jesus said:
Matthew 5:14-16 ““You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Apply: So what are you doing to let the light of Christ in you shine out? You just do not walk around shinning – the major way we shine the light of Christ is through our words. We speak – we talk – we communicate. God has put people in our lives to shine Jesus to. They are there but we ignore them and do not talk – I know – I do the same thing as you. Danny and Tracy live right next to me – I am trying to shine the Light of Christ on them. I have thought of taking them some flowers – I can see they love flowers – it would give me the perfect chance to talk to them – but I have not. I am confessing to you to challenge myself to follow through and shine to my next door neighbor. Who are you ignoring? Who do you walk by everyday? Who has God called you to be a John the Baptist to??? Do you have a name??? We can respond to the light of Christ by believing the testimony of John the Baptist and being a witness just like him or we can keep the Light of Christ under a basket. What are you going to do? 2nd response
2. Reject the testimony of Christ (Vs.9 -11) “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” Notice what John says – the true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. The very fact that John had to point out to man the true light tells you that man is basically blind. God puts it right in front of his eyes and man is blind to it.
Romans 1:19 - 20 tells us that God has made what is known about Him plain to them. God has shown His light to man even before He sends Jesus. Verse 20 says “for since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen – being understood from what has been made – so that men are without excuse.” God has shown his life on men through nature – and because of that we are told all men are without excuse. And yet – God is so merciful – He is so gracious ---- He so understands His creation that He sends His very Son – the true light that gives light to every man was coming into the World – He was in it – He walked on what He made and yet the world did not identify Him. They were and are blind. People refuse to come to the light of Jesus Christ because they love their sin and do not want to be exposed to it – they are willfully blind.
John says that the people that God first chose and the people that God sent His sent to first – the Jewish people --did not receive Him. They were blind and they chose to remain blind. Even to today – the Jewish nation as a whole has chosen to harden their hearts to the light of Jesus Christ. People everywhere choose to harden their hearts to the light of Christ. We as a nation are choosing to harden our hearts to the light of Jesus Christ. Jesus put it this way very directly and bluntly……..
SLIDE AND OUTLINE
John 3:19 - 21 “ This is verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
Men reject the light of Jesus Christ because they love the darkness more. If the light of Christ is in me – if the light of Christ is in you – we are attracted to the truth of God. When you walk in the dark and the shadows of darkness as a believer – and you do ---- you are drawn back to the light because of the conviction of the light – the Holy Spirit within you. But Jesus says that spiritual blindness keeps someone from seeing the light and coming to the light. They reject truth. They do not respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. They reject the fact that they are consumed by their sin – they are chained by their sin and they see no need to be released or rescued. They enjoy sin and they enjoy continually walking in sin. They are more comfortable in the darkness. “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light – so that – it may be seen plainly that what he or she has done has been done through God”. This is a testimony. This is baptism. This is confession of your sin not only privately but to other believers. When you come into the light of Christ you are drawn to reflect the work of Christ in your life. What has been done in you – you are drawn to give glory to God to reflect that glory to others. I am called to that --- if you are a believer and you have believed you are called to that – but not all and most likely few will believe and come to that light ---- people are going to reject Jesus and they are rejecting Jesus these days even more boldly. But remember that despite their rejection --- they and all people on the face of this earth will be forced to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. The bible tells us so in…
Philippians 2:9 - 11 “God exalted Jesus to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” People will respond to the light of Christ by rejecting him…….. but #3…. People will respond by
3. Receiving and believing the testimony of Christ. (vs. 12-13) “Yet to all who received him. To those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or of a husband’s will, but born of God.”
The NIV began verse 12 with the word yet for the greek word de – it should be the English word but --- the word but is a word that helps to make a dramatic shift. Look again at verse 11 – the world hated Christ – the world rejected Christ – but the world does not frustrate God’s plan – but God makes some come to Him. Even though man is full of wrath and hatred for God – God makes some men come to Him. John wrote down the word lambano for the word receive. Lambano means to take hold of or to grasp or to obtain. It means more than receive. I receive the mail 6 days a week. I brought these flowers to illustrate this. There are two people in this room who deserve these flowers – My wife and my daughter. But I am not going to give the flowers to them. I am going to give them someone who is not related to me -- GIVE THEM --- did you notice that they had to take hold or grasp them – there had to be a response – the hand had to be open --- it had to close around them and keep them – and receive them. Receiving Christ involves more than just an intellectual agreement --- I went to church for 18 years and I agreed about everything about Christ but Christ was not in me --- I did not have the light of Christ in me even though I went to church all the time – sang – memorized scripture and I was a very good teenage boy.
Notice what verse 13 says – “children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will but born of God.” Only when you receive Jesus are you born of God. You can be born to Christian parents --- your dad can be an elder or a pastor --- you can have the best credentials behind you but if you are not born of God – you do not have the light of Christ within you. You do not have new life. You do not have eternal life.
Only when a person truly believes that Jesus is the Christ and that He was sent by God and from God to pay the price for their sin and when they say – I believe – I need Christ – I need His salvation – I need to be rescued by Him – only then does salvation happen in their lives. But – and there is that but again.
Salvation – believing is not the work of the person but the work of God. It is God who makes a dead person alive – it is God who makes a blind person see. Look what verse 12 says – God gives them the right to become a child of God. It is God who gives the right – it is God who puts belief in a person. That person does not chose to drum up belief – you can try and convince them all you want but it will only be intellectual belief – not saving belief.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.” I remember in December of 1973 --- I had belief about Jesus and about God and about the bible in my head – I had grown up with it --- as I look back now I can see this verse in my life --- through the sanctifying work of the Spirit --- God was setting me apart --- God was birthing and growing real belief in my life --- belief that would change me and change the course and future of my life. It began all the way back at age 14 when I went to summer camp – but new birth did not begin until that December. Belief in the truth changed my life and continues to change my life.
Application:
1. Who do you know that does not believe in the light of Christ? Who do you know who has not received Christ and become that new person in Christ? Would you pray for them? Would you ask God put belief in them? Would you ask God to bring them alive from the dead?
2. What in your life right now do you need to believe God for? What truth that God has given to us in His Word do you need to believe God for? Many of you know the struggles we have been going through as a family – for me this week the truth I want to believe and I mean experience belief is in
Job 19:7, 25 “Though I cry, I’ve been wronged. I get no response, though I call for help, there is no justice. He has blocked my way so I cannot pass, he has shrouded my paths in darkness. He tears me down on every side till I am gone – he uproots my hope like a tree but I know that my Redeemer lives, and that He will stand upon the earth”. And when my skin is destroyed yet in my flesh I will see God.”
Let us pray……….
John #2
Pastor Ben Fleming
May 31, 2009
In the year AD 29 – almost every scientific encyclopedia tells us that there was a total solar eclipse. (PHOTO) – it might have looked like this --- this happened at the crucifixion of Christ – Luke 23:44 says “it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shinning.” – that is how John described the eclipse. Not one scientific website on the history of eclipses disagrees with that event. (BLANK) This summer we are going to experience on Wednesday July 22 a total eclipse (2 PHOTO”S) --- It will be so spectacular it will not happen again until the year 2132. It will last for 6 minutes. The moon will move between the sun and the earth – plunging most of Asia and the western US into daytime darkness. Do you believe that? (Blank) --- I wonder what we are going to hear about this in these coming weeks? People believe what they want to believe - do they not? Even when some miracle or powerful event happens – it does not seem to change people’s beliefs. I have seen a Christian man healed from cancer but it did not change his life – his belief really did nothing for him. John 11 tells us that after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead - a few believed in Jesus but many who saw it happen and smelled the stink went to the religious leaders to complain and they plotted to kill Jesus…….We began the Gospel of John last week – turn to it. If you remember I said that the purpose that John wrote this letter was so that you might believe – he wrote in TURN AROUND SLIDE John 20:31 – “these words have been written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” Do you see what that verse says – that by believing you may have life in His name – it says something about having a certain kind of a life --- it is life in His name – it is a different kind of life than others have around you. It is not something you get when you die --- you begin to experience it when you believe. One result of that belief -- in John 3:18 “ Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” So genuine belief in Jesus means I live a life un condemned. To be condemn means that you live a life under judgment – it means you are guilty or you are unfit for service. But those who believe are not condemned. They are declared not guilty and are fit for service in the kingdom of God. PLEASE STAND AS WE READ 1 -18
Last week ……verse 5 of chapter one. “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” Jesus put it this way in John 3:19 “this is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come to the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light.” Is it not the darkness where we hide? Is this not why we come up with excuses to justify what we do? We do not want to face up to what we do and who we are? Over the years I have heard excuse after excuse from good good people to justify their actions done in the dark. It is the churches fault. It is the other persons fault. Recently, kind sweet Julie said to me, she would not think of coming to church because there is a bunch of hypocrites there – she has to deal with them because she is in retailing. But what is Julie hiding? What are some of the people who come to church hiding? Why is Julie content to remain in the darkness? Jesus said – for fear that their deeds would be exposed.
So ---What is your response to the light of Christ in your life? What is your response to the absence of light? You go outside to get some sun – it warms you – you go and get a flash light or a flood light to put light on the darkness. Think about it---- Do you feel ashamed to get undressed in a totally dark room? Most people would say no – but if you flooded the room with a flood light – you will cover up. In verses 6 – 12 John gives three responses to the light of Jesus Christ. On your outline………
Three responses to the Light of Jesus Christ.
1. Believe the testimony of John and be a witness yourself like him. (Vs.6 -8) “There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning the light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.” Notice here how there is a shift from the heavenly word to the earthly witness. John the Baptist. Turn in your bible to the last book in the OT – Malachi chp 4 --- the prophet Malachi wrote about an Elijah like prophet who was going to come. He was not writing about a prophet named Elijah but one who would act like him – (4:5) “See – I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He – will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”------John the Baptist was the first true prophet to appear in Israel in 400 years. There was no prophet who spoke the way John spoke – Matthew 3:5-6 says “Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness, saying “repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.”
John’s mission was not to exalt himself – but it was to witness about the Messiah – he was to testify to the Light. The word witness and testify both relate to fact – and not to opinion. They are terms that are used in a courtroom. John was called the Baptist because he was sent by God to baptize sinners in preparation for the coming of Jesus – but the purpose of John was to bear witness to Jesus so that all might believe through him. People believe in Jesus Christ through the testimony of believers like John. Men and women who have believed are agents of belief but only Jesus Christ is the object of belief. As Paul says in Romans – salvation is always a matter of faith in God… it is always a matter of believing what God has said.
In verse 8 - the apostle John was trying to guard the early church and people following John the Baptist and thinking that he was the Messiah – John wrote “he himself (JOHN) was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
Application: The term light (PHOS) that John wrote down refers to the essence of light. So – John is saying that Jesus is the essence of light or He is the source or origin of it. Does that not flow with the words of Genesis 1:3 – And God said, Let there be light, and there was light” --- God spoke light into existence. So – Jesus is the essence of light – He spoke it into existence. In contrast to that in John 5:35 Jesus said about John the Baptist “John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.” When he spoke about John the Baptist Jesus spoke the word LUCHNOS– it was a word that a greek person would use to refer to a portable lamp. PICK UP LAMP – (LEAVE IT ON) So – if you believe and if I believe – we are portable lamps --- we are not the essence of light – we are portable lamps – we are lamps of the light and we are to shine that light wherever we go. We are present day John the Baptists. We have to stick our lamps into dark places. We do not wait for the darkness to come to us we go to the darkness. One cannot believe that ones belief is real and one does not shine the light– we are only fooling ourselves. Your light might be dim at times – but if the light of Christ has come into you – its there --- we do not hide --- we do not make excuses for it – we do anything and everything to let it shine. Often times our God calls for our lamp to be around other lamps and when those lamps are together they ought to be shining brighter.
On your outline Jesus said:
Matthew 5:14-16 ““You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Apply: So what are you doing to let the light of Christ in you shine out? You just do not walk around shinning – the major way we shine the light of Christ is through our words. We speak – we talk – we communicate. God has put people in our lives to shine Jesus to. They are there but we ignore them and do not talk – I know – I do the same thing as you. Danny and Tracy live right next to me – I am trying to shine the Light of Christ on them. I have thought of taking them some flowers – I can see they love flowers – it would give me the perfect chance to talk to them – but I have not. I am confessing to you to challenge myself to follow through and shine to my next door neighbor. Who are you ignoring? Who do you walk by everyday? Who has God called you to be a John the Baptist to??? Do you have a name??? We can respond to the light of Christ by believing the testimony of John the Baptist and being a witness just like him or we can keep the Light of Christ under a basket. What are you going to do? 2nd response
2. Reject the testimony of Christ (Vs.9 -11) “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” Notice what John says – the true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. The very fact that John had to point out to man the true light tells you that man is basically blind. God puts it right in front of his eyes and man is blind to it.
Romans 1:19 - 20 tells us that God has made what is known about Him plain to them. God has shown His light to man even before He sends Jesus. Verse 20 says “for since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen – being understood from what has been made – so that men are without excuse.” God has shown his life on men through nature – and because of that we are told all men are without excuse. And yet – God is so merciful – He is so gracious ---- He so understands His creation that He sends His very Son – the true light that gives light to every man was coming into the World – He was in it – He walked on what He made and yet the world did not identify Him. They were and are blind. People refuse to come to the light of Jesus Christ because they love their sin and do not want to be exposed to it – they are willfully blind.
John says that the people that God first chose and the people that God sent His sent to first – the Jewish people --did not receive Him. They were blind and they chose to remain blind. Even to today – the Jewish nation as a whole has chosen to harden their hearts to the light of Jesus Christ. People everywhere choose to harden their hearts to the light of Christ. We as a nation are choosing to harden our hearts to the light of Jesus Christ. Jesus put it this way very directly and bluntly……..
SLIDE AND OUTLINE
John 3:19 - 21 “ This is verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
Men reject the light of Jesus Christ because they love the darkness more. If the light of Christ is in me – if the light of Christ is in you – we are attracted to the truth of God. When you walk in the dark and the shadows of darkness as a believer – and you do ---- you are drawn back to the light because of the conviction of the light – the Holy Spirit within you. But Jesus says that spiritual blindness keeps someone from seeing the light and coming to the light. They reject truth. They do not respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. They reject the fact that they are consumed by their sin – they are chained by their sin and they see no need to be released or rescued. They enjoy sin and they enjoy continually walking in sin. They are more comfortable in the darkness. “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light – so that – it may be seen plainly that what he or she has done has been done through God”. This is a testimony. This is baptism. This is confession of your sin not only privately but to other believers. When you come into the light of Christ you are drawn to reflect the work of Christ in your life. What has been done in you – you are drawn to give glory to God to reflect that glory to others. I am called to that --- if you are a believer and you have believed you are called to that – but not all and most likely few will believe and come to that light ---- people are going to reject Jesus and they are rejecting Jesus these days even more boldly. But remember that despite their rejection --- they and all people on the face of this earth will be forced to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. The bible tells us so in…
Philippians 2:9 - 11 “God exalted Jesus to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” People will respond to the light of Christ by rejecting him…….. but #3…. People will respond by
3. Receiving and believing the testimony of Christ. (vs. 12-13) “Yet to all who received him. To those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or of a husband’s will, but born of God.”
The NIV began verse 12 with the word yet for the greek word de – it should be the English word but --- the word but is a word that helps to make a dramatic shift. Look again at verse 11 – the world hated Christ – the world rejected Christ – but the world does not frustrate God’s plan – but God makes some come to Him. Even though man is full of wrath and hatred for God – God makes some men come to Him. John wrote down the word lambano for the word receive. Lambano means to take hold of or to grasp or to obtain. It means more than receive. I receive the mail 6 days a week. I brought these flowers to illustrate this. There are two people in this room who deserve these flowers – My wife and my daughter. But I am not going to give the flowers to them. I am going to give them someone who is not related to me -- GIVE THEM --- did you notice that they had to take hold or grasp them – there had to be a response – the hand had to be open --- it had to close around them and keep them – and receive them. Receiving Christ involves more than just an intellectual agreement --- I went to church for 18 years and I agreed about everything about Christ but Christ was not in me --- I did not have the light of Christ in me even though I went to church all the time – sang – memorized scripture and I was a very good teenage boy.
Notice what verse 13 says – “children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will but born of God.” Only when you receive Jesus are you born of God. You can be born to Christian parents --- your dad can be an elder or a pastor --- you can have the best credentials behind you but if you are not born of God – you do not have the light of Christ within you. You do not have new life. You do not have eternal life.
Only when a person truly believes that Jesus is the Christ and that He was sent by God and from God to pay the price for their sin and when they say – I believe – I need Christ – I need His salvation – I need to be rescued by Him – only then does salvation happen in their lives. But – and there is that but again.
Salvation – believing is not the work of the person but the work of God. It is God who makes a dead person alive – it is God who makes a blind person see. Look what verse 12 says – God gives them the right to become a child of God. It is God who gives the right – it is God who puts belief in a person. That person does not chose to drum up belief – you can try and convince them all you want but it will only be intellectual belief – not saving belief.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.” I remember in December of 1973 --- I had belief about Jesus and about God and about the bible in my head – I had grown up with it --- as I look back now I can see this verse in my life --- through the sanctifying work of the Spirit --- God was setting me apart --- God was birthing and growing real belief in my life --- belief that would change me and change the course and future of my life. It began all the way back at age 14 when I went to summer camp – but new birth did not begin until that December. Belief in the truth changed my life and continues to change my life.
Application:
1. Who do you know that does not believe in the light of Christ? Who do you know who has not received Christ and become that new person in Christ? Would you pray for them? Would you ask God put belief in them? Would you ask God to bring them alive from the dead?
2. What in your life right now do you need to believe God for? What truth that God has given to us in His Word do you need to believe God for? Many of you know the struggles we have been going through as a family – for me this week the truth I want to believe and I mean experience belief is in
Job 19:7, 25 “Though I cry, I’ve been wronged. I get no response, though I call for help, there is no justice. He has blocked my way so I cannot pass, he has shrouded my paths in darkness. He tears me down on every side till I am gone – he uproots my hope like a tree but I know that my Redeemer lives, and that He will stand upon the earth”. And when my skin is destroyed yet in my flesh I will see God.”
Let us pray……….
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