Bible Text: John 14:27-31 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: John | This is the insert that was in the bulletin on Sunday morning:

09-16-18

Jesus Promises Peace

John 14:27-31

Philippians 4:11-12, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”
Paul understood the peace of God: in prison (Acts 16:23-25), being attacked by a mob (Acts 21:30-39), caught in a violent storm at sea (Acts 27:21-25).
Read John 14:27… We are all sinners (Romans 3:23), at war with God, deserving punishment (3:10-12).
James 4:4, “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
As enemies of God, we deserve death; but, God loves us and forgives us, in Christ (Romans 6:23; 5:8; 8:1).
Colossians 1:20-21, “and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross… And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.”
2Corinthians 5:21, “He made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Romans 15:33, “Now the God of peace be with you all.”
The world seeks peace in sex, substance abuse, materialism, false religion, power. But (Isaiah 48:22), “‘There is no peace for the wicked,’ says the Lord.”
The Bible tells us we have to believe God and to act on it, i.e., the Holy Spirit indwells all true believers; yet we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), and to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16).
The Holy Spirit is our Teacher (1John 2:20), yet we are commanded to study the Scriptures (2Timothy 2:15).
We are to (1Peter 3:11) “seek peace and pursue it,” for we are told (Psalm 119:165) “Those who love Your law have great peace.”
Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Colossians 3:15, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” Look at Psalm 32:1-5…
1John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God’s forgiveness = God’s peace.
Read John 14:28-29… Jesus says the “Father is greater than I,” because Jesus came to serve the Father, as His Servant, the Lamb of God, (John 1:29), “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
See Philippians 2:5-11…
Jesus’ time (John 14:30) is almost up; Satan, coming to have Jesus killed, will bring about his own destruction (1John 3:8), “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil” (see John 10:17-18).
In John 14:31, Jesus declares His love for the Father. Jesus knew the pain and torture He would receive at the hands of evil men; but worse then that was the fact that He would suffer separation from the Father, as the wrath of God is poured out on Him for the sins of the world.
It was time for Jesus and His men to leave the upper room and start walking across Jerusalem toward the Mount of Olives, heading for Gethsemane.
Jesus says, “Get up, let us go from here,” and as they walk, as we will see in the coming weeks, Jesus continues to teach them what is recorded in chapters 15-17, and at the beginning of chapter 18, Jesus and the disciples leave the city of Jerusalem and head to the place where He will be arrested, Gethsemane.

Bible Text: John 14:15-26 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: John | 09-09-2018

Jesus Promises the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

John 14:15-26

Jesus had been with His disciples for 3+ years, therefore God’s Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, was with them in the presence of Christ, living with them.
Because Jesus, God’s Son, was in submission to the Father while He was in the flesh of a human, Jesus would ask the Father to send another “Helper” [Paracletos = comforter, one who comes alongside to advocate or intercede].
Jesus would soon leave the disciples, but the Holy Spirit, the 3rd member of the Godhead, was going to come to them and be in them.

Bible Text: John 14:1-14 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: John | 09-02-2018

Jesus Consoles the Eleven

John 14:1-14

Our narrative today takes place on a Thursday night, and as we read last week in John 13, Jesus predicts His betrayal at the hands of one of the Twelve, tells His disciples that He is going to leave them and they cannot follow, and then He tells Peter, that he will very soon deny the Lord.
And now Jesus, on the eve of His own execution, speaks words of comfort to the eleven, in the upper room, so that they should not be troubled by the incomprehensible reality that He is going to be taken from them and put to death.

Sermon Notes:

On the night before His death, a Thursday, the Lord spent the evening, in an
upper room, eating with, comforting, and instructing the eleven disciples (Judas
had gone to betray Him).
Read John 14:1… Jesus had come to Jerusalem to offer Himself up as God’s
Lamb, to take the punishment for our sin (John 1:29), “John [the baptizer] saw
Jesus coming to him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of
the world!’”
A few days ago, on Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding the colt of a donkey,
and the people were shouting (John 12:13), “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in
the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.” Tomorrow, on Friday, the people
would be yelling (John 19:15), “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!”
But our narrative today takes place on a Thursday night, and as we read last
week in John 13, Jesus predicts His betrayal at the hands of one of the Twelve, tells
His disciples that He is going to leave them and they cannot follow, and then He
tells Peter, that he will very soon deny the Lord.
And now Jesus, on the eve of His own execution, speaks words of comfort to the
eleven, in the upper room, so that they should not be troubled by the
incomprehensible reality that He is going to be taken from them and put to death.
Jesus is preparing the 11 to continue to trust Him, even though He will be taken
from them soon, they will need a faith like many in Israel displayed, throughout
history:
Genesis 15:6, “He believed in the Lord; and [God] credited it to him as
righteousness.”
Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!”
Psalm 25:1, “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in You I trust.”
Isaiah 12:2, “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid.”
Jeremiah 17:7, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord.”
Read John 14:2-3… The Father’s house is heaven and Jesus is going there
soon; His promise is to provide a place for the disciples, so that they might be
forever with Him.
Revelation 21:3 tells us God is going to live with us in heaven, and there is plenty
of room for everyone; for in verse 16, we are told the New Jerusalem is fifteen
hundred miles long, wide and high, more than half the size of the United States.
Jesus will come back and take all true believers to be with Him forever; this
occurs at the rapture of the Church (see 1Corinthians 15:51-57; 1Thessalonians
4:13-17).
Back to John 14:4-6… Jesus expected the disciples to know that He would be
returning to the Father in heaven, as He had already said in John 7:33; yet they
had not understood it. Thomas states the obvious lack of understanding among the
disciples, that they do not know where He is going and so they don’t know the way
to get there..
Jesus’ response in verse 6 is the sixth “I AM” statement made by Jesus in
John’s gospel, and it is undoubtedly one of the most quoted sayings of Christ, “I am
the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
Jesus is the only Way to God, the only Truth of God, and the only Life with God,
(John 20:31) “these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name,” (1John
5:11-13) “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life
is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of
God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the
name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
The way to God is accessed through a small gate onto a narrow path [Jesus
Christ], any other “way to God,” leads only to death and destruction (cf. Matthew
7:13-14).
No wonder Paul writes (Philippians 2:9-11), “God highly exalted Him, and
bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of
Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the
earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God the Father.”
No wonder Peter proclaims (Acts 4:12), “there is salvation in no one else; for
there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we
must be saved” [only Jesus Christ the Lord].
Christians in the first century were known as Children of “The Way,” because
Christ is the only Way of Salvation.
Read John 14:7-11… The disciples didn’t really understand the fullness of Jesus’
deity and His relationship to the Father, at this time, it wasn’t until after His
crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Holy Spirit, that they got it!
When Jesus says (verse 7), “from now on you know Him, and have seen Him,”
it would seem that the disciples didn’t really understand, i.e., Philip says, “just show
us the Father, that will be enough,” at which the Lord rebukes their lack of faith,
they should know by now that He and the Father are One (cf. John 10:30), and so
by seeing Christ they have seen the Father (Colossians 1:15), “He [Jesus] is the
image of the invisible God,” (Colossians 2:9), “For in Him all the fullness of Deity
dwells in bodily form.”
In John 14:10, Jesus asks them directly, “Do you not believe that I am in the
Father, and the Father is in Me?” Then He commands them to believe, to have faith
in the unity that belongs to the Father and the Son; if they can’t do that, then they
must at least believe in the miracles themselves; for the very words Jesus speaks
and the works He does all come from the Father (see John 7:16; 10:25; 37-38;
12:49).
Read John 14:12… I have heard this passage taught incorrectly more often than
I have heard it taught accurately.
Look! No one will ever do anything greater in importance or magnitude than
Jesus Christ, God’s Son, has already done. Jesus is God, the Creator of the
heavens and earth and all that is within them; He is the Savior who died in our
place, the Redeemer who granted forgiveness for our sins; He is the Resurrected
Lord who demonstrated and now provides eternal life to everyone who believes in
Him.
There is nothing greater or more significant than the God ordained payment for
all sin for all people, and the granting of eternal life to all those who believe in Him.
But, there was something greater in extent, something that Jesus didn’t do, and
that was to take the message of God’s free gift of salvation outside of the
boundaries of Israel, for Jesus never preached or shared that message outside the
boundaries of Palestine.
And yet, the followers of Christ would take the message of salvation to the ends
of the earth, but this would happen only after Jesus returned to the Father in
heaven.
The power necessary for the followers of Christ to do this greater work was the
indwelling of God’s Spirit; and the Holy Spirit wouldn’t be sent from the Father, until
the Son of God returned to the Father in heaven.
Read John 14:13-14… Believing in Christ, trusting in Him, is at the heart of
saving faith. Jesus had been providing everything for these guys for three years,
and now He is about to leave them, what are they going to do?
The disciples had really nothing of their very own, as they had given up nearly
everything to follow the Lord, (Matthew 19:27) Peter said to Jesus, “Behold, we
have left everything and followed You.”
Christ’s departure meant He was not going to be there to provide for them
anymore; how could they understand that He was still going to care for them from
heaven? No wonder Jesus says two times (verses 13-14), whatever they need He
will supply, if they will just ask Him, He will do it.
Verse 14 is another verse that inevitably gets taught incorrectly more than it
does correctly. This is not a formula for getting whatever you want by tacking on
Jesus’ name.
To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray in accordance with the will of God, in alignment
with the Word of God, as exemplified in the very character and nature of God.
Jesus gave an example of how to pray (see Matthew 6:9-13):
Matthew 6:9… This is a guide, telling us How, to Whom, for What we are to pray.
Our Father in heaven: God is the Creator of all but Father only to those who
come through Christ, into the Family of God (cf. John 1:12-13; Galatians 3:26).
Hallowed be Your name: God’s name is Holy and we are to revere, honor and
glorify Him. We must prayerfully acknowledge Him in every detail of our thoughts,
our words, and our actions (cf. Colossians 3:17; 1Corinthians 10:31).
Matthew 6:10… Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in
heaven: God’s sovereign rule in heaven is not being exhibited on earth. Men sin,
men die, and men go to hell; even though it is not God’s will for people to sin, die,
or go to hell.
God commands us to pray His will be done on earth: God desires everyone to
repent, believe and be saved (1Timothy 2:3-4; 2Peter 3:9-10).
God commands His children (believers and followers of Christ) to obey His Word
with a willing heart in all that we do (Romans 12:1; 2Peter 3:11-12).
God is allowing sin to run its course and Satan to have his way, for a time; but
sin and Satan will end just as God determined, and all who rejected Jesus Christ
will go to Hell (2Peter 3:3-7; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10, 15).
Matthew 6:11… Give us today our daily bread: Bread is symbolic of the
sustenance we need for our physical and our spiritual needs. Jesus is the bread of
life (John 6:35-41) who came down from the Father in heaven.
Our Provider is the Father, and His servant Jesus Christ is His Provision. We ask
God to supply our basic needs through Jesus Christ, and the schedule for God’s
provision is daily, not weekly, monthly or yearly, but daily; and very often it is
moment by moment.
Matthew 6:12… Forgive us our debts, as we have also forgiven our
debtors: This is not talking about financial debts, it is talking about sin, our sin
debt, paid in full by Christ. Sin separates man from God and is man’s greatest
enemy. Therefore, man’s greatest need is forgiveness, and that is what God
provides when we confess our sinfulness (Romans 10:13; 1John 1:8, 10). Because
the Father is forgiving, His children are to be forgiving (Ephesians 4:32).
Matthew 6:13… And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
This has to do with temptations, trials and testing, through which we are enticed to
sin. God tempts no man, but He does allow us to be tested (James 1:13-14;
4:8-9); and so we appeal to God to place a guard over and around our eyes, ears,
mouth, feet, and hands — so that, whatever we do, where ever we go, we will not
give in and do that which is sinful (1Corinthians 10:13; Romans 12:9).
We are all weak at times, when tempted to sin, and we need God’s help to avoid
the traps and snares set by the world, the devil, and our flesh; God has provided all
we need to succeed (2Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 12:2; 2Peter 1:3-4).
We live in a cursed world and evil is all around us. Our flesh is weak and we are
not equipped in our human resources to combat sin.
Therefore, we are to confess our need for the protection and deliverance that
only God can give.
This great and divine lesson in prayer concludes with a reminder of how our own
genuine and heartfelt forgiving of others, while at the same time being willing to
receive their forgiveness, gives testimony and illustrates that we have indeed
received the Father’s forgiveness.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen!
[This addition to verse 13 is not found in the earliest manuscripts, but it is biblical.]
1Chronicles 29:11-13, “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the
glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is
yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and
honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength
and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and
praise your glorious name.”
To pray in Jesus name is to pray in accordance with God’s plan and purpose, as
fulfilled and exemplified in the life of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior and Lord:
Crucified, Resurrected, and Coming Again!

Pastor Mike
>’(((><

Bible Text: John 13:31-38 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: John | This is the insert that was in Sunday’s bulletin. The full sermon notes are on a link below.

08-26-2018

Jesus Tells His Disciples He is Going Away.

John 13:31-38

Read John 13:31-35… The Son’s greatest desire is to bring glory to His Father; the Father’s greatest desire is His Son’s glory.
Jesus’ glory as was hidden, except when Transfigured on the mountain (cf. Matthew 17:1-8), Jesus set aside His glory to go to the cross (see Philippians 2:5-11).
At the cross Jesus experienced humiliation, receiving God’s wrath for our sin, being separated from the Father.
His death brought salvation, destroyed sin’s curse, defeated Satan, as Jesus declared, “It is finished.”
The penalty for sin is death; Jesus paid it (Isaiah 53:6), “[God]… caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” No wonder Jesus cried out (Matthew 27:46), “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”.
1John 4:10, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
Jesus calls the 11 (verse 33) “little children,” saying He must leave, they can’t follow. Jesus had told the Jews (John 7:34), “You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.”
Again, Jesus says to the Jews (John 8:21), “I go away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come,’” adding (John 8:24), “I said to you that you will die in your sins; unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
Jesus’ disciples could not follow Him, but they weren’t in danger of dying in sin, for they belonged to Him, and their purpose was to glorify Him (verses 34-35), ”A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
1John 3:11, “For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.”
God’s children have a God-given capacity to love others as Christ loved us.
Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tender- hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
Jesus’ loved these men deeply, but staying with them was not an option; He had come to die for their sins, for everyone’s sins, and then return to the Father.
Read John 13:36-38… Peter doesn’t seem to be giving much attention to this “new commandment,” for he is struggling with the statement that Jesus won’t be with them much longer, and they can’t go where He is going.
Jesus repeatedly told these guys (cf. Matthew 20:18; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:32) He would be betrayed, taken away, put to death, buried, but would rise from the grave.
Peter is fixated on Jesus’ leaving and not being able to go with Him, Jesus says to Him (verse 36), “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.”
Peter doesn’t want later, he wants now, as he expresses (verse 37), “I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus responds (verse 38), “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.”
Not only is Jesus leaving and Peter can’t go with Him, but now he is told that he will deny the Lord three times (more on that later, in chapter 18).
What a nightmare for the disciples: they’ve been with Jesus, God’s Son, almost daily, for over three years, now He is going away and they can’t go with Him?
They cannot grasp what the Scriptures declare, i.e., Jesus must go away, if He is to come back to take them to be with Him forever.
Jesus has now been with these guys for over three years, this is a Thursday, and He will be taken away from them tomorrow, Friday; but come Sunday, He will return to them, and He will never leave them alone again.
To be continued…

Bible Text: John 13:18-30 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: John | 08-19-2018

Jesus Reveals the Betrayer

John 13:18-30

See John 13:12-17… Judas is always identified as the one who betrayed Jesus (Matthew 10:4; 26:25, 48; 27:3; Mark 3:19; 14:44; Luke 6:16; John 6:71; 12:4; 18:2).
According to Matthew’s narrative, right after the incident with the expensive perfume (John 12:5), Judas went to the Chief Priests (Matthew 26:14-16), “Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you willing to give me to betray Him [Jesus] to you?’ And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him. From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.”
Read John 13:18-19… Jesus knew (John 13:11), “the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”
Judas heard Jesus teach on love of money (Matthew 6:19-34) greed (Luke 16:13), pride (Matthew 23:1-12).
Jesus’ declared (John 6:70), “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?”
Psalm 41:9, “my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.”
Luke 22:22, “the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”
God did not make Judas betray Christ, but used him to carry out God’s plan (see Acts 2:22-24).
Remember Joseph, son of Jacob? Favored by his father, despised by his brothers, they threw him into a well, saying he had been killed by a wild animal; his brothers sold him to a caravan headed for Egypt.
God used what happened to Joseph to save his family and all of Israel. Speaking to his brothers later, Joseph said (Genesis 50:20), “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”
Read John 13:19-21… Jesus reassures His disciples that neither Judas’ betrayal or His own death can stop what is going to happen.
Jesus is troubled in His spirit, thinking about Judas’ treachery, the cross, and the reality of being separated from the Father, as God’s wrath is poured out on Him.
Read John 13:22-25… Who would dare betray the Lord? Peter asks John to find out, so, John asks Jesus, “Lord, who is it?”
Read John 13:26-30… Jesus says, the one whom I give the dipped bread to, is the betrayer. Jesus dipped the bread and gave it to Judas, who took the bread, at which time (verse 27), “Satan then entered into him.”
Turn to Luke 22:1-6… This is the first time it is mentioned that Satan entered Judas; the second time is in John 13:27, when Judas took the bread from Jesus.
Jesus had washed Judas’ feet, allowed him to sit close to Him, and offered the bread dipped in sauce; after which, Judas’ heart was hardened, He had crossed the line and would do the Devil’s bidding for him.
Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”
John is writing this 50 years after Christ’s death and resurrection; looking back and giving us an account of what the disciples were thinking, at the time.
Verse 30 tells us, after receiving the bread, Judas went out immediately, and it was night.
Judas will forever be aligned with the words deceiver, betrayer, and traitor.
Jesus will forever be aligned with the words grace, mercy, and loving-kindness.

Bible Text: John 13: 1-17 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: John | The following is the bulletin insert:

08-12-2018

Exemplifying the Love of Christ

John 13: 1-17

Galatians 3:26-29, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.” Read John 13:1… Jesus “loved His own to the end.”
God loves sinners (cf. John 3:16), but His love for His own (Ephesians 3:19) “surpasses knowledge” (Romans 8:35, 38), “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Read John 13:2… God used an pagan to kill His Son. Read John 13:3-11… Jesus, God’s Son (John 1:1-3, 14, 18), came from heaven to show us the Father.
Peter understood later:
1Peter 2:24, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” 1Peter 3:18, For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit”
1Corinthians 6:11, “you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”
1Peter 3:21, “not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
2Corinthians 5:21, “[God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
1John 1:7, “the blood of Jesus [God’s] Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Read John 13:12-17… Jesus has washed the disciples feet (including Judas), as a lowly slave, shouldn’t they follow His example of humble servitude?
Mark 10:43-45, “whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
After washing their feet, He said (Luke 22:27), “who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.”
Psalm 119:1, “How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.”
Mark 3:33, 35, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” ”Whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
Luke 11:28, “blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”
Philippians 2:5-8, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
1John 2:6, “the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”
John 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Mark 12:30-31, ”You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength’ [and] ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Bible Text: John 12:37-50 | Pastor: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: John | 07-29-2018

True Israel = Saved Jews + Saved Gentiles

John 12:37-50

The True Children of God are not those who merely descended from the Twelve Tribes of Israel, under the Law and according to the covenants, ceremonies and sacrifices. The True Children of God are those who belong to Him through Jesus Christ the Lord.

Sermon Notes:

Read John 12:37-41… This is one of those times when John inserts important
information from outside the chronology of the narrative he has been recording.
Here John reminds us of how Jesus had performed many signs before the people
and yet, they do not believe in Him.
John cites here (verses 38, 40) a prediction from Isaiah 53:1; 6:10, saying
Israel’s eyes have been blinded and their hearts hardened, so that they can’t see
nor understand the things of God, i.e., they will not receive God’s Son, but instead,
reject Him in unbelief.
Paul’s exhortation in Ephesians 4:17-18, is similar to Isaiah’s prediction, “So
this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer as the
Gentiles [unbelievers] walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their
understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in
them, because of the hardness of their heart.”
Notice again in John 12:38 the phrase, “the arm of the LORD,” speaking of the
power, plan and purpose of God, fulfilled in and through Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
Notice, John says (verse 39) they rejected the Lord (verse 40) because their
eyes were blinded by their unbelief, and their hearts were hardened; even so, this
did not release them from their responsibility to believe in Christ, for it was by their
own willful unbelief that they rejected God’s Son as their Savior and Lord.
John says (verse 41) that Isaiah was clearly talking about God’s Son, and that
those who continually opposed God in the OT, or reject Christ in the NT, bring about
the hardening of their own hearts toward God.
Remember Pharaoh, he would not let the Israelites go, even when God brought
plagues on Egypt? Ten times it says God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 4:21;
7:3; 9:12; 10:1, 20 ,27; 11:10; 14:4, 8 ,17); ten times it says Pharaoh hardened
his own heart toward God (Exodus 7:13, 14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7, 34, 35; 13:15).
If Pharaoh had heeded God’s warnings and obeyed, his heart would not have
been hardened, but Pharaoh made it clear that he would not bow to the Hebrew
God, and so, Pharaoh hardened his own heart toward God.
Judas, one of the Twelve Disciples, betrayed the Lord, and he is responsible for
the hardening of his own heart toward God, as we will see when we study John 13.
God often used those who opposed Him, to bring about His own plan and
purpose.
See Acts 2:22-24, “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a
man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God
performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man,
delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to
a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up
again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be
held in its power.”
1
Read John 12:42-43… At the time John is writing this account, he is looking back
60 years, to days just before Jesus was arrested and put to death.
John says here that many of the religious rulers “believed” in Jesus; but this was
clearly not genuine saving faith; for we are told (verse 42) that these rulers who
“believed” were not confessing Jesus, i.e., they were not openly confessing belief in
and following Christ (cf. Romans 10:9-10; Mark 1:15, 17).
Instead of believing in and honoring Christ they feared that the Pharisees would
put them out of the Synagogue and they would lose their place of favor among, and
power over, the people (verse 43) “for they loved the approval of men rather than
the approval of God.”
These religious leaders cared more about their own honor and glory then they
did God’s, they were self-righteous and self-serving, they didn’t have room for
Christ in their religious idolatry, nor did they want or need Him, for they thought
themselves to be without sin.
See Luke 18:9-14, (Jesus told this parable to some people who trusted in
themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt): “Two men
went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The
Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like
other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast
twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some
distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his
breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went to his
house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be
humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Read John 12:44-50… This declaration made by Jesus was not spoken at this
place in the narrative, but John is providing this information in order to summarize
the public ministry of Christ to Israel, which ended when Jesus left the crowd (John
12:36).
Jesus had on several other occasions made a similar statement to this one in
verse 44, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me.”
The clear meaning in Jesus’ statement is that you cannot believe in the Father
apart from Christ, nor Christ apart from the Father, i.e., John 5:24; 8:19; 10:38.
Jesus’ statement (verse 45), “He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me,” is
clearly put in John 14:9, where Jesus says, “He who has seen Me has seen the
Father.”
Jesus taught repeatedly (verse 46) that He is the Light of God who has come
into the world, and those who believe in Him will not remain in darkness, but will
instead become sons and daughters of Light (cf. John 8:12; 9:5; 12:35-36).
In verses 47-48, Jesus’ declaration moves from the blessings to those who
believe in Him, to the condemnation that remains on those who reject Christ; even
though, during Jesus’ first advent or coming to the earth, He did not come to judge,
He came to save (see John 3:16-18).
2
The eternal destination of all people is determined by the words of Jesus, for He
is the Word of God; He speaks on behalf of the Father in heaven, and is equal in
nature and authority with the Father, as God the Son, yet He was submissive to the
Father during His incarnation [Immanuel] God in human flesh, as the Son of Man.
Israel received many blessings as God’s chosen people, Pauls says, in Romans
9:3-5, he would sacrifice himself for their sake, to bring them to a knowledge of
Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, for he is a Jew, and they are his brothers and
sisters racially, the people of Israel; whom God set apart from all other nations on
the earth, allowing them to be blessed by His covenants, see His glory and receive
His Law; to them God sent His prophets, and also granted them blood ancestry
through which Christ, God’s One and Only Son, would come.
But when Christ came, the Jews didn’t receive Him, they rejected Him, finally
putting Him to death; for they ignored all His warnings and all the demonstrations
of His power and equality with the Father, through miracles.
Because Israel did not receive God’s Son, Paul writes in Romans 9:25-28 what
God says in Hosea (2:23), “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’
and her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’ (1:10) And it shall be that in the place
where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’ there they shall be called sons
of the living God.” [Also] Isaiah cries out concerning Israel (10:22-23), “Though
the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that
will be saved; for the Lord will execute His word on the earth, thoroughly and
quickly.”
Paul writes (Romans 11:25-26), “For I do not want you, brethren, to be
uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—
that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has
come in; and so all Israel will be saved.”
Pauls says (Romans 9:27-28), Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the
number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will
be saved”? Romans 11:26, “all Israel will be saved.”
Unless you have a good understanding of what both the Old and New Testament
teach on this subject, you may not grasp it, but I pray it will be clear to you today.
First – There is the nation of Israel, set apart through the blood ancestry of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob [the twelve tribes of Israel]; this nation was given the
Law, the Prophets and the Covenants, even so, they rejected God’s Messenger, the
Messiah, the Savior and Lord, God’s One and Only Son, Jesus Christ.
Second – There is also another group of people in the Scripture known as the True
Israel, made up of people from every tribe, tongue and nation, of which there are
some blood descendants of Abraham, but only those who are considered righteous
with God; as we read in Romans 9:27-28, Isaiah cries out concerning Israel,
“Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the
remnant that will be saved”? And in Romans 11:26, “all Israel will be saved.”
3
See Ephesians 2:11-18, “Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in
the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” [that
being the Jews] which is performed in the flesh by human hands [first by Abraham,
then his descendants] — remember that you were at that time separate from
Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants
of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus
you [Gentiles] who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of
Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups [Jew and Gentile] into
one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the
enmity [hostility], which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so
that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,
and might reconcile them both in one body to God [Christ the head, Colossians
1:18; we the body parts, 1Corinthians 12:12-27] through the cross, by it having
put to death the enmity. And He [Jesus] came and preached peace to you who were
far away [Gentiles], and peace to those who were near [Jews]; for through Him we
both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.”
Revelation 5:9, “[Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God] was slain and purchased for God
with His [own] blood – men [women and children of age] from every tribe and
tongue and people and nation.”
The True Children of God are not those who merely descended from the Twelve
Tribes of Israel, under the Law and according to the covenants, ceremonies and
sacrifices. The True Children of God are those who belong to Him through Jesus
Christ the Lord.
Galatians 3:26-29, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For
all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There
is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male
nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you
are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”
Do you see? We are children of God, God’s people, not based upon an ancestral
blood line through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Judah; that blood line was necessary
so that in Jesus’, both the legal and blood requirements were fulfilled to be the
Messiah-King, Lord and Savior. But it was through Abraham’s obedience that he
was considered righteous by God, granting him spiritual [eternal] life as God’s child;
and so it is the spiritual descendants of Abraham who are True Israel, including both
Jew and Gentile.
1Peter 2:9-10, “But you [the Church, NT Christians] are a chosen race, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may
proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His
marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of
God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Pastor Mike
°°°° >‘(((><

Bible Text: John 12:34-36 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: John | This is the insert for the bulletin to help you follow along.

07-22-2018

The Darkness of Disbelief!

John 12:34-36

Read John 12:31-34… The devil is “the ruler of this world” [everyone/everything opposing God].
Ephesians 2:2, “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit… working in the sons of disobedience.”
1John 3:8, “for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.”
Daniel 7:13-14 speaks of the Son of Man as Messiah. The crowd in verse 34, is confused, they ask Jesus,
“what Son of Man are you talking about?”
Read John 12:35-36… Jesus is the Light of the World
(see John 1:4-9; 3:19-21; 8:12; 9:4-5; 12:46). Jesus is exhorting the people to believe in and follow
Him, while the Light of God is still with them.
See Matthew 5:14-15… As a lighted city on a hill serves as a beacon to those traveling by, so Christians ought to serve as individual lamps.
See Matthew 5:16… Believers are to let God’s light shine so others can find their way to God’s love.
God wants everyone to be saved (cf. Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13; 1Timothy 2:3-4; 2Peter 3:9); but only those who repent and believe will be (cf. Romans 3:10-12, 23-24; 6:23, 5:8; 8:1; 10:9-10, 13).
Ephesians 2:1-3, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”
Ephesians 5:8-11, “for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of
Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them.”
John 1:1-4, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”
Hebrews 1:3 [Jesus is] the “radiance of God’s glory.” God’s will separate Light from Darkness, forever
(Genesis 1:1-4; Revelation 21:1-4, 23; 22:3-5). Unbelievers are spiritually dead, in need of forgiveness
and eternal life in Christ (see 2Corinthians 5:14-21).
1John 1:5-7, “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
See John 8:21-24… Jesus has previously told them He would be going back to the Father, but they continue to reject Him.
Soon the Light of God in Christ will be extinguished, as the whole world is plunged into temporary darkness.
Jesus hid Himself (John 12:36) and would no longer speak about the things of God publicly, until after His death and resurrection from the grave!
Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine Let it shine, Let it shine, Let it shine 🙂

Bible Text: John 12:23-33 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: John | This is outline found in the Sunday bulletin. Click below for complete notes.

07-15-2018

Son of God: Son of Man

John 12:23-33

Read John 12:23-24… God’s Son, dying for our sins
and then raised from the dead demonstrates authority over sin, death, and judgement (see Romans 1:1-4).
The Jews were not the only “people of God,” after Christ’s death and resurrection, the gospel would provide salvation for people from every tribe, tongue and nation. John 12:25-26… If you belong to Christ, you are to serve, honor and obey His Word, this demonstrates the eternal life you have that can never be taken away (cf. Matthew 10:37-39; Luke 9:23-24).
John 14:3, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
All those who serve Christ are honored by the Father (1Samuel 2:30), “…those who honor Me I will honor.”
In less than a week, Jesus will die on the cross, for both Jew and Gentile (see Ephesians 2:14-16; 3:6).
Read John 12:27-28a… Jesus is very troubled in His heart and mind, concerning what lies ahead, for He is going to suffer God’s wrath, although He is sinless. 2Corinthians 5:21, “He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Galatians 3:13, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.’”
1Peter 2:24, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” Hebrews 10:10, “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
1John 2:2, “He Himself [Jesus Christ] is the propitiation [full payment] for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (cf. John 3:16).
Jesus did Father’s will (see John 10:17-18).
Read John 12:28b-30… The Father speaks here and
(baptism, Matthew 3:17; transfiguration, Matthew 17:5). The people couldn’t hear for they were spiritually deaf.
In John 8:47, Jesus said the Pharisees couldn’t hear the words of God because they didn’t belong to God.
In John 10:27, Jesus says His sheep hear His voice because they belong to Him and follow Him.
The Father’s audible voice was was for disciples who were going to lose their Lord, when He was crucified.
Read John 12:31-33… The Cross of Christ is central to Christianity, bringing God’s judgement to all those who reject Christ and salvation to all who believe (see John 3:18-19; 5:22-27; 6:28-29; 8:24; 10:30).
Christ is victorious over the god of this world, the devil (see Ephesians 2:2).
1John 3:8, “The devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.”
Hebrews 2:14, “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself [Jesus] likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”
John 3:14-15, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.”
In Matthew 16:16, Peter proclaimed to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Hebrews 9:22, “according to the Law, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
1John 5:11-13, “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
The Son of Man bled and died on the cross; the Son of God, rose from the grave on the third day, demonstrating His authority over sin, death and judgement, forever!
If you aren’t sure you are saved, please see me.

Bible Text: John 12:17-26 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: John | Here is the sermon insert to follow along. There are also sermon notes below.

07-08-2018

Some Gentiles Seek Jesus

John 12:17-26

Look at:  John 11:18-19, 28-29, 31-35, 39-46

Read John 12:17-18… John 12:13 describes this marvelous scene, the people are waving palm branches and shouting, “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.”
Jesus fulfills Zechariah 9:9, “Behold, your king is coming to you;… …humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Read John 12:19… The Pharisees are tracking Jesus’ movements (see John 11:47-48, 53-54; 12:1, 9-11).
Read John 12:20-22… These Greeks have come up to Worship the God of the Hebrews, proselytes to Judaism called God-fearers (cf. Acts 10:1-2; 17:4, 17).
God’s plan was always to save people from every culture, tongue and nation (cf John 10:14-16; see Acts 10:3-8, 13-16, 30-35, 39-48).
Philip was from Bethsaida, near the Decapolis [lit. a group of ten cities], mostly Greek; Andrew was also from Bethsaida (cf. John 1:44), together they go to Jesus.
Read John 12:23-24… The Religious Leaders of Israel want Jesus silenced, eradicated, even though He is the Messiah, Lord and Savior, through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.
Jesus response, is the first time “His hour” is present; always before it is future (cf. John 2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20). From John 12:23 on, it is expected, imminent (cf. John 12:27; 13:1; 16:32: 17:1).
John 17:1-5, “Jesus… …lifting up His eyes to heaven, said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.’”
Daniel 7:13-14, “I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, one like a Son of Man was coming, He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.”
Although Jesus will one day enter Jerusalem as a conquering King; first will come the rapture of those belonging to Christ into heaven, followed by the Anti- christ, setting off 7 years of Tribulation; after which, Christ returns to earth, riding a White Stallion. He is the Word of God, the KING of Kings and LORD of Lords, and everyone will see Him (cf. Revelation 1:7; 19:11-16).
John 12:23… the hour for the Son of Man to be glorified is when the Lamb of God dies for the sins of the world and is raised from the dead by God, demonstrating authority over Sin, Death, and Judgement forever.
Jesus’ statement in John 12:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit,” is antithetical to the Messiah the Jews were looking for, to rid Israel of all Gentiles, establishing His Kingdom, now.
Jesus will not be glorified without making full payment for our sins, taking God’s wrath upon Himself without which, there could never be a kingdom without sin’s curse (See Revelation 21:1-5).
2Corinthians 5:21, “He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
1John 5:5, “Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
1John 5:20, “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”