John 20:31 (ESV) These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
“The gospel doesn’t start with what Christ did, but who He is. And our response isn’t rooted in what we do, but whose we are.”
John the Baptist John 1:6–7 (ESV) 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.
John 1:19-32 : Behold the Lamb
John 1:19–32 (ESV) 19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” 24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.
Bearing Witness to the Light 1. Identity: Know who you are
John knew who he was—and who he was not. “Knowing our identity brings confidence as we carry out our assignment.”
2. The Purpose is Preparation Isaiah 40:3–5 (ESV) 3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.
“God wills to level everything that hinders access to Him.”
“We lay the groundwork so he can do the heart work.”
3. Point to the Lamb “You are not the point. You are pointing to the point.”
John 1:29 (ESV) “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
Hebrews 10:12 (ESV) When Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.
Colossians 1:19–20 (ESV) 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
John 1:29 (ESV) “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
Revelation 5:12 (ESV) Saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
Why was the Gospel of John written? John 20:30–31 (ESV) 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
“The gospel does not begin with what Jesus did…it begins with who He is.” Come and See | John 1:1-18 : The Prologue John 1:1–5 (ESV) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
“John is not telling us how Jesus started. He’s telling us that Jesus never started.”
Genesis Revisited Genesis 1:1–4 (ESV) 1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.
John 1 is the Genesis of our story in God. "The Gospel tells us that we, too, were formless, void, and in darkness. As the spoken Word He brought order to chaos and light to the darkness in creation, the new creation, the Living Logos, brings formation, filling the void, so that we will not dwell in darkness any longer.”
The Word/Logos
“Jesus, is what The Father is saying.”
“You have to get Jesus right.”
Colossians 1:16-17 (ESV) 16 ...All things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
John 1:6–8 (ESV) 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
John 1:9-14 (ESV) 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Word Became Flesh “The creator cloths himself with His own creation.”
The Hypostatic Union.- Jesus Christ- one person with two distinct natures— Fully God and fully human, united without confusion, change, division, or separation.
Hebrews 1:3 (ESV) 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the Word of his power.
Fully Human= Divine meekness. Philippians 2:6–7 (ESV) 6 Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
“If Jesus is not fully God, He cannot reveal God. And if Jesus is not fully human, He cannot redeem humanity.”
John 1:16-18 (ESV)16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
Come and See The God Man 1. Encounter The Word Made Flesh.
"The message had a mission—to make God known—and one method—flesh; and wherever that mission unfolds, God is revealed, darkness is confronted, the works of the devil are undone, and what was lost begins to live again."
2. Experience Grace and More Grace
“The law was grace for its time. Jesus is grace for all time.”
“Grace is how God comes to us. The truth is that God sets us free. Jesus is full of both.”
3. Discover your identity John 1:12(ESV) But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
“The Gospel doesn’t start with what Christ did, but who He is. And our response isn’t rooted in what we do, but whose we are.”
"The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God," C.S. Lewis
John The Beloved John 13:23 (ESV) One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at the table at Jesus’ side.
1 John 1:1 (ESV) That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life.
“Delight takes the sting out of obedience.”
1 John 5:3 (NIV) This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.
Realities of the Love of God 1. God is a lover Song of Solomon 8:6-7(NIV)For love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. 7 Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away.
Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV) The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”
2. His love is an unfolding constant. “You can’t overemphasize or exhaust the subject of God’s Love.”
Ephesians 3:16-19 (NIV) 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
John 17:23 (ESV) ..That the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
3. His Love is Eternally Enduring
Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV) I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.
Romans 8:39 (NIV) Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
4. His Love reveals our value Romans 5:8 (NIV) God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 John 3:1 (NIV) How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
5. His Love is meant to be encountered and experienced.
Psalm 36:7-9 (NIV) 7 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
Delight=Eden. “place of delightful pleasure.”
Living in Delight 1. Look at him Psalm 34:8 (NLT) Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
Isaiah 60:5 (NIV) You will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy.
2. Lean into Him
“Delighting is a decision based on where we set our attention and affection.”
Matthew 1:18–25 (NIV) 18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
Joseph is righteous, but he is troubled.
Matthew 1:20(NIV) 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Hope Abides 1. An Encounter We Experience.
“GOD IS NOWHERE.”
“Where doubt, fear, and uncertainty dwell, God puts space.”
“GOD IS NOW HERE”
2. A Direction We Walk In
“Joseph was righteous; therefore, he obeyed.”
3. A Name We Call On Matthew 1:21(NIV) She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
4. A Truth We Hold Onto Matthew 1:23(NIV) “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.”
Hebrews 6:19 (NIV) We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
“At Christmas, we don’t celebrate the idea of hope—we celebrate the arrival of hope.”
John 1:14(NIV) The Word didn’t flesh and made his dwelling among us.
“Peace reigns where gratitude is practiced.” “Gratitude is more than an expression, it's a posture.” “Praise is the outward expression of an inward posture of gratitude.” “Gratitude is rooted in remembering what God has done.”
“Generosity practiced is partnership with God.”
“If we don't teach on money, we are not teaching the Bible.”
The Spiritual Practice of Tithing
The Tithe: = Tenth
Malachi 3:8–12 (NIV) 8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.
Matthew 22:21 (NIV) “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
“Tithing isn't giving, it's yielding”
What Practicing the Tithe Does 1. The Tithe Reveals Our Priorities Proverbs 3:9 (NIV) Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops.
2. The Tithe Breaks The Power of Mammon Matthew 6:24 (NIV) No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money(Mammon).
1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
“Giving is spiritual warfare!”
3. The Tithe Positions us for Blessing Malachi 3:10 (NIV) Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
The Path of Generosity: “Greed will cost you more than generosity.”
2 Corinthians 8:7 (NIV) But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
“We partner by planting.”
“If all you do is consume, eventually you will be empty-handed."
Generosity: We are blessed to be a blessing.
2 Corinthians 9:6-11 (NIV) 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
1. Intentionally 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV) Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion....
2. Cheerfully 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV) for God loves a cheerful giver. "Generosity is an attitude."
3. Sacrificially 2 Corinthians 8:3 (NLT) They gave not only what they could afford, but far more. “In generosity, sacrifices are more pleasurable than painful!”
4. Consistently 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 (NIV) ...You can be generous on every occasion.
“Generosity is a rhythm, not a reaction.” 1 Corinthians 16:1–2 (NIV) 1 Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income.
Romans 8:32 (NIV) He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
“Gratitude is more than an expression, it’s a posture.”
“Praise is the outward expression of an inward posture of gratitude.”
“Gratitude is rooted in remembering what God has done.”
“Blessings can make ungrateful people forget God.”
Deuteronomy 6:12 (NIV) Be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
Joshua 3:15–17 (NIV) 15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea ) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
Joshua 4:1-9 (NIV) 1 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.” 4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” 8 So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. 9 Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.
The Ark of the Covenant Reminds us: Ark of the “Testimony” 1. God’s Presence 2. God’s Precepts 3. God’s Provision 4. God’s Power 6. God’s Promotion
Isaiah 46:8-9 (NIV) 8 “Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. 9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.
Stacking Stones 1. Get past the past- Burn regret
2 Corinthians 7:10 (NIV) Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. Is your past a stepping stone or a stumbling block? “Regret will hold you in bondage to the past.”
“Monuments can become idols when they hinder progress.”
2. Don’t live in the “Good ol’ days.”
Ecclesiastes 7:10 (NIV) Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions.
3. Develop your Story. 2 Corinthians 3:3 (NIV) You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
A. Start today B. Don’t bail in the process
C. Win some Battles “Your investment in the battle now will be your inspiration later.”
D. Celebrate every win E. Capture Moments
4. Share your story
Revelation 12:11 (NIV) They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.
Luke 22:19–20 (NIV) 19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
