February 24th, 2008
The life of Jesus, John 4:1-42
Intro…Encountering people on a neutral site…the graffiti removal pictures…
Retell the story of Jesus and the woman at the well
Text: John 4: 7-14
To me, this is one of the best stories of Jesus. It speaks volumes as an example for evangelism, ministry, service and accepting those who are "not like us."
Evangelism/Ministry/Service: The practical side of our faith
The importance of the "neutral turf", the green zone.
Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman in public. What was so different about this?
" After the northern Jewish kingdom (with its capital Samaria) fell in 722 BC to the Assyrians, they had resettled it with captives/foreigners from other countries. They had brought with them their own gods, whose worship they had combined with remnants of the worship of Jehovah and Baal in a mongrel type of religion. Some of the remaining Jews intermarried with these foreigners, creating an impure, mixed race. When the Jewish descendants of the southern captivity returned from Babylon in 539 B.C. to renew their worship under the Law, they found a complete rift between themselves and the inhabitants of Samaria, both religiously and politically. By the time of Jesus a strong rivalry and hatred prevailed. Jews did everything they could to avoid traveling through Samaria. "
In Jesus' time, men didn't speak to women in public.
This woman came at the noon hour, perhaps to avoid other women, considering her reputation. (Having been married 5 times)
None of this mattered to Jesus. It came down to practicality. He chose this route because it was the shortest and he spoke to this woman because she was there.
Who is it that God has asked you to speak with that may be out of your comfort zone? Maybe even someone you would "never talk to?"
Jesus befriended her, but also spoke the truth in love. V. 10-13
Jesus models for us the ability to turn everyday events into a spiritual conversation.
It was such a natural, easy conversation, well, water, thirst, physical thirst vs. spiritual thirst, a temporary need vs. an eternal need.
Sometimes a canned, pre-prepared approach doesn't work.
That's why I love finding theological messages in art, film or music that anyone can relate to.
The challenge is to turn that conversation into a spiritual conversation and not just "keep talking about the weather."
Jamie, yesterday as we walked and removed graffiti…
What was the result of this supernatural encounter with Jesus? V.15
Her life was changed!
Interesting thing was that she never said the "sinners prayer". She had a real encounter with the living God. Some people come to faith in Jesus in ways other than we may be used to, not the SS approach.
A true encounter with the living God will open up all areas of our lives, show us where we are lacking and need Jesus.
This woman sets a great example for us.
She went to her friends and told them her story, how Jesus changed her life. v. 39-41
The power of a personal story. v. 42
Just tell people what God has done and is doing in your life.
How do we as a church live out this example of evangelism/ministry/service from Jesus?
Here is what we always need to be about:
Evangelism (in everything we do and say, specific events, lifestyle)
Worship (with all we are, everyday and the entire hour and 15 we gather)
Fellowship (shared lives, dreams, raising families, victories, struggles etc.)
Discipleship (ideally through relationship, can also be through the "Next Steps" we offer.)
Ministry (service to others)
As we are in this new school and will be inviting the community in we need to be reminded of great opportunity we have to relaunch/restart this church.
Purpose clarification (to make disciples of Jesus Christ)
Mission Affirmation (relaunch, continue to reach families and the "PBers") Action Plans (getting ready for Easter, Mikey, Block Party, World Vision, Legends of surfing, Faith in Action)
Strategy: Skeptic to believer (Sand to Surf)
Dry run (practice on beach): Attending church, reading the Bible, considering the claims of Christ.
Waist deep: Realizing the need for Jesus in your life, asking God to become more real to you.
Paddling out: Accepting Christ, discipleship, attending a small group, Christianity 101 class
Riding the wave: Living the Christian life, ministry, serving the church, missions, sharing your faith
We always need to remember the example Jesus sets for us in today's story. Be involved in people's lives. Know their needs, love on them. Speak a common language on neutral turf. Look for opportunities to share the gospel.
February 10th, 2008
The life of Jesus, John 2:12-25
Intro…Sometimes when a person has a radical conversion to Jesus, it initially helps them to follow a "strict set of rules". However, there is a sweet balance to the Christian life that needs to be understood.
And that is the balance of God's rules and regulations combined with his grace and freedom.
When our faith becomes more business than pleasure….a set of rules instead of a living, dynamic relationship with God, we are in trouble.
Text: John 2:12-25
After Jesus completes his first miracle (turning the water into wine), he heads off to Capernaum with his mother, brothers and disciples.
(A side note here) Did you know Jesus came from a large family? (You learn something new every day…) Mark 6:3…he had 4 half brothers and two or more half sisters…Mary and Joseph had at least 7 kids…
John uses this story of Jesus cleansing the temple to reinforce his main theme introduced in chapter 1 that Jesus is truly the Messiah.
In this story there are three ways Jesus' deity is confirmed: His zeal for reverence of God (v. 13-17), His resurrection, (v. 18-22) and His perception of reality (v. 23-25).
v. 13-17 Respecting God (Jesus' deity is confirmed through His zeal for reverence of God.)
Jewish Passover: One is Israel's three great yearly festivals (the other two were Pentecost and Tabernacles) commemorating their deliverance from Egypt on the night God "passed over" the homes of the Israelites during the slaughter of the firstborn. Ex. 12
During Passover all kinds of people came to Jerusalem and brought a variety of currency and animals for sacrifice. The outer courts of the temple became a noisy market for changing money and selling animals.
Every Jewish male was expected to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem during Passover. (Deut. 16:16-17)
v. 14-16 "The sale of cattle and doves and the privilege of exchanging money were permitted in the temple court as a convenience for pilgrims who would need animals for sacrifice and temple shekels for their dues. Under the chief priests, however, the concessions had become merely a means of making money and had debased the temple into a commercial venture."
The money changers were needed because of the temple tax paid annually by every Jewish male 20 yrs. or older.
The money changers charged a high fee for the exchange rate. Religion had become crass and materialistic…never a good thing.
The court was so full of merchants that the pilgrims who traveled to Jerusalem could barely find room to worship.
v. 17 "Zeal for your house will consume me."
Ps. 69:9 When David wrote this Psalm he was being persecuted because of his zeal towards God's house and his defense of God's honor. The disciples were afraid that Jesus' actions could bring on the same type of persecution.
Jesus was jealous for the holiness of God's house. What the money changers did wrong was defile the house of God.
When the holiness of God and His worship was at stake, Jesus took fast and furious action.
Jesus' action brought about wild confusion. The animals would be bawling and running about aimlessly; the money changers would be scrambling for their coins in the dust and debris on the floor of the court; the officials would be arguing with Jesus about the rights of the case.
Jesus had a righteous anger for those who disrespected God.
The people had forgotten, or didn't care that God's house is a place of worship, not a place for making a profit.
Our attitude toward the church is wrong if we see it as only a place for personal contacts or a business advantage, or other selfish reasons.
We attend church to worship God as a corporate body. We shouldn't be gathering as the church to only get our needs meet, but to meet the needs of the world.
We act as the church or like a church when we serve the needs of others.
I know sometimes we come to church exhausted after a long week, but we all need to watch the selfishness…thinking that the band will pick all your favorite songs and the sermon will be written just for you. Check your heart.
Instead, it should be, "I'm here to worship God with my brothers and sisters in Christ."
God's holiness demands holiness in worship.
v. 18-22 The resurrection to come (Jesus' deity is confirmed through His resurrection.)
The Jews doubted that Jesus had the authority to do this.
Early on in his ministry, people weren't quite sure what to make of him.
v. 19 "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days."
John demonstrates Jesus' deity in this story of the temple cleansing by showing his power of death through the resurrection. Only God has this right.
This cryptic expression is further explained in vs. 21. Vs. 20 shows how the Jews characteristically misunderstood Jesus.
Through the death and resurrection of Christ, temple worship in Jerusalem was destroyed and reinstituted in the hearts of those who were built into a spiritual temple called the church. (Eph. 2:19-22)
v. 23-25 The humility of Jesus (Jesus' deity is confirmed through His perception of reality.)
Jesus knew all about human nature, that our hearts are deceitful. He knew this "instant faith" of some of his followers was superficial.
Some of these same people would later yell, "Crucify him" at the cross.
It's easy to believe in Jesus when things are exciting and fun.
Keeping your faith firm when it isn't popular is the greater challenge.
Since our hearts are also the temple of God, what would Jesus need to clean out when he shows up for a visit?
That is something we need to ponder everyday all day. Not just on Sundays when we take communion.
Jesus cleared the temple twice, here in John 2 during Passover and again in Matt. 21:12, Mark 11:15 and Luke 19:45 three years later, just prior to his death.
There should be a constant cleaning out of our hearts. This happens as we spend daily time in the Word and prayer.
Conclusion:
Today's story is mostly about flagrant disrespect for God. This covers every aspect of our lives. When we are "at church", when we "are the church" in the community.
Everything we do and say should give honor to God
February 3rd, 2008
The life of Jesus, John 2:1-11
Intro…Plane crash survivers
Text: John 2:1-11
After laying a foundation over the last two weeks of who Jesus is, what he came to do etc. we can now look at some of the important events in his life.
This is one of the more famous miracles, "He turned the water into wine" by Johnny Cash.
Imagine yourself as a guest at this wedding. Let's retell the story and try to get into the mindset of what Jesus showed and taught everyone through this miracle.
In Jesus' day, wedding were weeklong festivals (sounds great).
In a village like Cana, this would have been a community celebration.
"Refreshments" were provided for all guests. Of these, wine was very important.
To fail in providing adequately for the guests would involve social disgrace.
"In the closely knit communities of Jesus' day, such an error would never be forgotten and would haunt the newly married couple all their lives. The situation prompted Mary's urgency when she informed Jesus of the emergency. " (v. 3)
V. 4 Jesus' reply to Mary was not so abrupt as it seems. "Woman" was a polite form of address. It's like Jesus was saying, "What business is that of ours?"
Jesus' response did not indicate that he was no longer under his mothers authority but that he was living by a new pattern timed by the purpose of God.
Jesus had begun his miracles, not at the request of earthly parents who he still respected, but according to the purpose of his heavenly Father.
V. 4 Jesus says to Mary, "My time has not yet come." Refers to John 17:1
Jesus' answer to Mary may be difficult to understand. Although Mary did not understand what Jesus was going to do, she trusted him that whatever he did was going to be right and best for all.
We have those same situations in our lives. We may not be sure what God is going to do, but need to trust him all along the way.
v. 6-7 The jars
By the social rules of the day each guest was expected to wash his hands before eating. You'd need a lot of water for this. At the lowest estimate, 120 gallons.
If made into wine, it would supply approximately two thousand four-ounce glasses. Often that wine was diluted so as to last for several days.
v. 8-10 The "master of the banquet" was not the host; he was the headwaiter or toastmaster.
He was astounded that this wedding party would still be serving such quality wine this late into the festivities.
Sometimes people look everywhere but to God for the best and most exciting things.
Just as the wine that Jesus made was the best, the life that Jesus offers us is the best.
Let's not wait until everything else runs out before we try God?
Today's passage tells of the first miracle or miraculous sign that Jesus did.
We can call them "signs" to better emphasize the significance of the miracles rather then just the miracle itself. It's easy to get caught up in the "wow factor" .
These miraculous signs revealed various aspects of the person or work of Jesus. The purpose of these miracles was to encourage faith in his followers (then and now).
So, are we to believe that Jesus actually did all these (sometimes crazy, unexplainable) miracles?
Are we to believe all the sometimes unbelievable things that happened in the Bible?
YES! Why? Because we never want to limit God. Either God can pull off everything we read about in the Bible, or he is not God. I want to worship a God who is unexplainable, beyond what my mind can grasp.
In today's story, Jesus responded to an important/heartfelt need.
Again, It's not so much the miracle that he performed that we should focus on.
The nature of the miracle is very plain. Jesus had come to bring about conversion: water to wine, sinners to saints. Jesus came to make changes.
GOSPEL
Miracles demonstrate God's power. Most of the miracles Jesus did were a renewal of fallen creation, restoring sight, making the lame walk, raising the dead etc.
We want to believe in Jesus not just for his miracles, but because he continues to create, changing hearts and helping the needy.
This miracle also show his loving heart. His response to a need. A willingness to help out a family and to help them keep their public reputation at this wedding party.
Jesus models for us a love based practical ministry, helping others, the personal touch.
This miracle marked the beginning of a ministry accompanied by supernatural power; and it proved so convincing to the new disciples that they "put their faith in him. v. 11 This must be the Messiah.