January 24 - John 3

Sermon Noes

John 3

Cast Your Eyes Upon the Cross

or

“Who you gonna Call?”

Passing of the Peace

90 Day Bible (Numbers: The Chosen People following Moses out of Egypt were confronted by venomous snakes. Moses prays to God concerning the venomous snakes.

Scripture: Numbers 21:8 & 9 (The Bronze Snake)

8 The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

Question: Where/who do you look to in times when you’ve been bitten by the snake? When confronted by the venomous “snake”?

“VENOMOUS SNAKES”

When was the last time you saw a venomous snake? Unless you were recently at the zoo, chances are you have not confronted a venomous snake?

But reptiles are not the only venomous snakes we encounter.

There are some people....

There are some circumstances....

There are some ...

Question: who ya gonna call? (when confronted by venomous snake) Ghostbusters?)

Who ya gonna call...

in trouble

without hope

without purpose and meaning

IMPLICATION: what is the venomous “snake” in your life that is confronting you?

Determines who ya gonna call

INTRO to the Gospel of John

In the Gospel of John. God is doing a new thing through Jesus

LAST WEEK

First Sign (more than miracles): Water into Wine in the purification vessels

Temple cleansing

POINT: Jesus is replacing and overwhelming the established religious institution

that’s why the religious clergy did not appreciate him.

It’s out with the old and in with the new (wine and wineskins)

QUESTIONS

What signs/miracles were necessary for you to first believe?

What signs/miracles do you think are necessary for you to grow deeper

in your relationship with Jesus?

What signs/miracles of Jesus do you think help others to believe?

INTRO TO SCRIPTURE

The fruition of the new is at the appointed “hour”

John 2:4; my hour has not yet come

SCRIPTURE: John 3 (Jesus Teaches Nicodemus)

1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named NICODEMUS, a member of the Jewish ruling council.

NICODEMUS

Questioin: What do we know about Nick?

Represents the status quo (the institution: the clergy of his day; old wineskins)

John 1: Prebaptized Jews (institution)

John 2: Vessels (purification) (Institution)

John 2b: Pre cleansed temple (Institution)

John 3: Nic (Instiution)

REMEDY:

John 1: rebaptize

John 2: New wine

clean temple out

John 3: rebirth

He was not lacking for knowledge, he was lacking relationship with God

He was lacking new wine

2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous SIGNS you are doing if God were not with him."

3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.

10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our TESTIMONY.

TESTIMONY

Signs are part of the testimony

12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.14Just as Moses LIFTED UP the snake in the desert,

LIFTED UP (ascent)

Same word in Acts (when Jesus ascended to heaven). and, EXALTED (Acts 2:33 & 5:31). In other words, the cross is a sign(more than a miracle). The cross is simply not just the death of Jesus, but a place of departure. In other words, the cross, is a sign where Jesus is glorified.

14b so the SON OF MAN must be lifted up,

SON OF MAN

Jesus needs to be “lifted up” on the cross; like the snake.

Question: Why?

15that everyone who BELIEVES in him may have eternal life.

BELIEVES

Just like the folks in the Exodus on their way to the Promised Land, salvation is experienced when one looks to the cross.

POINT: Our greatest need is to restore the relationship with God. Restoration takes place on the cross and is experienced when we cast our eyes upon the cross in faith and believe.

the venemous snake confronting us lack of relationship

SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 5:7 (18-19)

7Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, (IN WITH THE NEW AND OUT WITH THE OLD) the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

we need Jesus: we need to reJesus (reboot)

POINT: The primary purpose of life is RELATIONSHIP with God

Nicodemus knew it, but wasn’t living it and that is why he went to Jesus.

the venomous snake confronting Nic is that he was out of relationship with God and needed to be reconciled, made new

QUESTION: What venomous snake was Jesus confronting?

JOHN THE BAPTIST

When John the Baptist was out in the wilderness preparing the way for Jesus, he was baptizing people in the Jordan River. He saw some Pharisees coming up to him’

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 3:7

7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

JESUS

When Jesus healed a demon possessed person, the Pharisees said Jesus was able to heal because he had “Beelzebub,the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons."

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 12:4

4You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 23:33

33"You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?

Answer: the religious establishment/clergy

Intro to Scripture: John 3:16

It’s not story time, but a commentary on the Nicodemus story.

SCRIPTURE: John 3: 16

16"For God so loved the WORLD that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

WORLD (humanity)

Typically in the Old Testament, God loves Israel, or the Chosen People.

New Testament (Matthew 28: 19 & 20; Acts 10) God loves the world

POINT: God’s love extends beyond nation and race.

17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever 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.[g] 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But 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."[h]

Januaury 17 - John 2

Sermon Notes

John 2

Passing Of the Peace

If you were Jesus, what would be your first miracle?

INTRO

TWO WEEKS AGO

New wineskins, (New Years’ Resolution. MATTHEW 9:17

Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

LAST WEEK

When John the Baptist (Jean Valjean) knew who he was, his decision was easy on what he was called to do. Our identity leads our action. Are we true to our identity? Being true to his identity as the one who makes the path straight for the Lord,” he was baptizing people in the Jordan, that’s not new, what is new he is baptizing Jewish folks, now that’s outrageous! For the Jewish form of baptism is to baptize gentiles into becoming Jews; but John was baptizing jewish folks into becoming more jewish (new wine, new wineskins).

THIS WEEK:

The beginning of the ministry of Jesus, the New Wine

JEREMIAH 31 (New Covenant)

31 "The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.

32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them, " declares the LORD.

33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God, and they will be my people.

INTRO TO SCRIPTURE: John 2

Jesus performs a miracle that talks about something new (testament/covenant) coming. In this passage, (new wineskins: not the same old way of doing business) the days of Jesus, weddings (receptions) lasted a week. They were times of "eat, drink and be merry..." The following passage is one such wedding. Notice that Jesus is present, as you read this familiar passage, think about the concept of inviting Jesus to your wedding and how would you celebrate?

SCRIPTURE: John 2

1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee.

third - coincidence?

WEDDING

Q: Who here likes weddings?

Do you like weddings or wedding receptions better?

Cana - small town north of Nazareth

Jesus' mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.

WEDDING

Were recognized by the entire village (big event)

lasted a “week” (eat, drink and be merry)

Can you imagine?

NOTE: Jesus did not abstain from wine or parties (criticism of Pharisees)

Relationships! Not antsocial

Matthew 11: 18 - 19

8For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' 19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners."

WEDDING/BANQUETS (illustration of the Kingdom of God/Heaven)

Matthew 22 (v 2, "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son....

Matthew 25: (v.1"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom...

Revelation 19: (v7 , For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready. 8Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)

9Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God."

POINT: eat drink and be merry, God’s way (Ecclesiastes)

Q: Who here has gone to a wedding reception and they had an open bar

(you didn’t have to pay for what you drink)

Do people drink more at weddings with open bar ($$$)?

This wedding had an open bar

3When THE WINE WAS GONE,

THE WINE WAS GONE

Question: Are you kidding me?

That’s like going to a wedding and they said, the Bride is gone.

impossible!

No wine is a huge mistake (dishonors the couple)

What are they going to do now for a whole week?

It’s like going to a New Year’s Eve party and they are serving tea.

Jesus' mother said to him, "THEY HAVE NO MORE WINE."

Question: why does Jesus’ mother feel responsible about the shortage of wine?

THEY HAVE NO WINE(?)

Question: is this a theological observation of the spiritual environment

Does this relate to the issue of New Wine & New Wineskins? (Mk 2:22)

Scripture: II Corinthians 5:17 The old has gone, the new has come”

4"Dear woman, why do you involve me?"

This sounds insulting/rude, but it is not. It is simple and formal.

It is odd because of it’s formality and some what inflexible.

John 19:26 “woman, your son”

4b Jesus replied, "My TIME (hour) has not yet come."

time/hour

(Foreshadowing) referring to the cross. Several times in John

5His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

This is so parent-like.

6 Nearby stood SIX STONE WATER JARS, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

SIX STONE WATER JARS

These are not merely water jars, they are for purification (Mk 7:1-4)

purpose: unclean to clean (hands, etc.)

7Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.

NOTE: 20+ gallons each, over 120 gallons of wine

What do you do with over 120 gallons wine?

(first you take it to the master of the banquet)

8Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."

They did so, 9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

POINT: Jesus brings something unexpected to the wedding banquet, good wine. Better than any wine that has been drunk thus far.

11This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

POINT: Jesus was one more visitor to the wedding, until he was called to act.

It was then, that the disciples saw for the first time something

they had not seen before, a sign.

signs - different than just a plain miracle (it is meant to be a sign)

Miracles reflect power; signs reflect that God is at work.

In other words, it is not about the act of power, it is more about what

the act of power says about Jesus.

the sign is a means to an end, not an end in itself

Question: If you were Jesus, what would have been your first miracle?

Of all the possibilities for the first recorded miracle, wine was chosen, why?

Why at a wedding?

SCRIPTURE: John 2: 12 - 16

13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the TEMPLE courts

TEMPLE

the symbol of judaism (the hub: Vatican City/Washington/)

14b he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"

QUESTION

Was Jesus happy about what was going on in the temple area?

POINT

Both of these stories need to be together.

New wine in the stone Jars, New wine in the temple (Jesus)

Jesus is the fulfillment/replacement to the Jewish institutions

Out with the old and in with the new (the ministry of Jesus begins)

The messiah has arrived, eat drink and be merry God’s way

TRANSITION

This is how the ministry of Jesus began, as recorded in the Gospel of John, with a sign

INTRO TO SCRIPTURE: Luke

Tomorrow is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday. He preached a sermon “Guidelines for a Constructive Church” (Bulletin Cover). His text:

POINT

In a sense, in the gospel of John, the ministry of Jesus begins in new wineskins, a wedding. In the gospel of Luke, the ministry of Jesus begins in old wineskins, the synagogue.

I’d like to share some of his thoughts on the beginning of ministry of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of Luke.

BASIC GUIDELINES TO FOLOW

“And through his prophets, and above all through his son Jesus Christ, he said that “there are some things that my church must do. There are some guidelines that my church must follow. And if we in the church don’t want the funds of grace cut off from the divine treasury, we’ve got to follow the guidelines. The guidelines are clearly set forth for us in some words uttered by our Lord and Master as he went in the temple one day, and he went back to Isaiah, and quoted from him. And he said.

Scripture: Luke 4:28

18"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,

“You see, the curch is not a social club, although some people think it is. They get caught up in their exclusivism, and they feel that it’s a kind of social club with a thin veneer of religiosity, but the church is not a social club.

The church is not an entertainment center, although some people think it is. You can tell in many churches how they act in church, which demonstrates that they think it’s an entertainment center. The church is not an entertainment center.

But ion the final analysis the church has a purpose. the church is dealing with man’s ultimate concern. And therefore it has certain guidelines that it must folow.

“...if the church is following its guidelines, it seeks to HEAL the broken hearted. ...”

“...if the church is true to its guidelies, it heals the brokenhearted.

In his day, Dr. King looked at the brokenehearted of school segregation and addressed it.

I do not know what he would look at as the brokenhearted today,

but I suspect on this very day, he might look beyond our country to the people of Hatiai

I do not know how many people were killed

I do not know how many people lost loved ones

I do not know how many homes were destroyed

I do not know how many things have come to a complete stop

What i do know is that as a church, one of our guidelines is to reach beyond ourselves in love and send what we can.

One way to do that is to make a donation and write on your offering in the special part of your envelope Hatai.

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 3:20

4"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and EAT with him, and he with me.

QUESTION: Where is Jesus?

Outside the church, knocking.

January 10 -John 1

SERMON NOTES

January 10, 2010

WHO ARE YOU?

INTRO

As we make our New Year’s Resolutions, one must wonder if they are in harmony with our true identity. sometimes our Resolutions fail because we have chosen a New Year’s Resolution that is out of character to our true being.

INTRO TO SCRIPTURE

This week we begin a sermon series on the gospel of John (until Lent, then Les Miserables). In our passage for this week, John the Baptist is being questioned to "who is he?" In this passage the religious clergy take a guess and ask John, are you Elijah?

INTRO TO SCRIPTURE (The Testimonial of John the Baptist)

John has been introduced earlier in the chapter in the prologue (John 1:1 - 18); “There was a man who was sent by God, his name was John.”

JUDAISM AND BAPTISM

Not new. Baptism was for gentiles who wanted to become Jews, they were cleansed completely (total cleansing to pass through the threshold into Judaism).

Question: what does it mean when John the Baptist wants to baptize Jews?

There not complete Jews, yet?

John’s baptizing out at the Jordan cultivated the interest of many people who came out to either be baptized or to inquire. One such group was the religious clergy who sent out a group to interrogate John the Baptist. Thus they will inquire to wether or not he is one of three characters: the Messiah, Elijah or the Prophet. All connected to the messianic (end) times

SCRIPTURE: John 1: 19 - 23 (John the Baptist Denies Being the Christ

19 Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ."

QUESTION: Why would the Pharisees think John the Baptist is the Messiah?

The Messiah was to be a Moses like spiritual and political leader

There was need for a Moses type leader (held in bondage to Rome)

ANSWER: Nope. Not the Messiah.

INTRO TO v. 21

Okay, not the Messiah, how about Elijah (the Herald, the forerunner)

21 They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?"

QUESTION: Why did they ask if he was Elijah? Why Elijah and not someone else?

Answer: Elijah is the herald for the Messiah (relationship between two)

Scripture: Malachi 4:5 (II Kings 2 v 11 - Elijah did not die & return at end times)

"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and

dreadful day of the LORD comes.

21b He said, "I am not."
POINT: once again, Nope. Not Elijah

"Are you the Prophet?"

PROPHET: Deuteronomy 18: 15 - 19

15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, "Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die."

17 The LORD said to me: "What they say is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. 19 If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.

SCRIPTURE: 21c

He answered, "No."

POINT: once again, Nope. Not the Prophet

POINT: John the Baptist knew he was not Elijah, nor a prophet. He knew who he wasn't. Tomorrow we will find out that John the Baptist not only knew who he wasn't but also knew who he was.

QUESTION: Have you ever been asked, "Who are you?"

Do you know who you are not and who you are (like John the Baptist).

QUESTION TO PONDER

What is the first step for self discovery. To know who we truly are, not a being that merely responds the stimuli of our society.Have you ever been asked, "Who are you?"

INTRO TO V 22

As we continue the dialogue of John the Baptist with religious clergy of the day, they are frustrated with John the Baptist not answering the question, "Who are you?" In their frustration they point blank ask him:

22 Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

23 John 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.' "

Scripture: Isaiah 40:3

A voice of one calling:
"In the desert prepare the way for the LORD ; make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.

NOTE: Theme verse claimed for Qumran. John knew who he was,. Because he knew who he was he was able to accomplish his task.

APPLICATION

All of us have a quest, not only to know who we are, but our “mission” in life. For John, he was the herald for Christ/Messiah. His mission (task) was to “Make straight the way for the Lord.”

US

To know our mission, it begins with knowing who we are and who God is. This is the most important journey for each of us.

LENT

Lent begins in about a month, our Lenten Series is on Les Miserable, a powerful story of FORGIVENESS. In the musical, Jean Valjean is confronted by the tension of his own identity. His real identity is Jean Valjean, but for the last decade or so, he has changed his mind to Monseiur Mandeleine (the Mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer). During that time, a criminal was arrested and the authority believe that he is Jean Valjean. If Jean Valjean, and "inocent man" will serve a jail sentence in place of Jean Valjean, but if Jean Valjean claims his true identity, he then must stand in place of the innocent man and serve his rightful sentence. If he turns himself in, many will suffer because they rely on Jean Valjean for their financial support. If he does not turn himself in, only one suffers. What shall he do? His answer is easy, when he realizes he must be true to his real identity, to know thyself, to be who he is.

US

When we are true to our true identity, decisions are easier to make. John the Baptist knew what he had to do, because he knew who he was. Jean Valjean knew what he had to do because he knew who he was.

THOUGHT TO PONDER

Once Jean establishes his identity in his decison making process, he does the right thing and in the musical breaks out in song, "Here I am." In our own lives, perhaps we need to break out in song when we are true to who we are and sing "Here I am (Lord).

POINT OF JOHN 1: 19 -

To illustrate that John considered jesus his superior and that John was just preparing the way for Jesus who is to replace him. Thus beginning the ministry of Jesus.

POINT: It’s not about John, it’s not even about us; its about Jesus.

If the purpose of life is relationship; the implication is that the focus is not to be entirely on the self, but how we relate to the other. If the greatest purpose is our relationship with God, then our focus is to love God completely, and that is why we worship. worship is not about us, but conveying how worthy our God is and how our God is to be worshiped.