2018-8-19: John - Recap - Logos Sermons

Themes:

- Jesus moved into the neighborhood

Came to his own but was not recognized

Turned water into wine (first sign) pointing to the transformation of the ordinary.

Cleansed the temple (he was the temple where heaven and earth came together)

Nic - you must be born again (have new eyes to see the transformation God is bringing)

God’s love is what the world needs for healing

When Jesus increases in our lives.... (Wonderful invitation)

I. Me and We

I’ve said it many times that being appointed to a a church is kind of like coming into a movie mid way through. You may understand the plot a bit, but you don’t know what’s happened before. You don’t know all the connections, conversations, and conflicts.

You know Chris much better than I ever will. He’s been part of this community of faith his entire life. You may have had him in Sunday School, or been with him on a mission trip, or interacted with him during various church events.

God gives us opportunities all the time.

We have an opportunity to support him as he begins a new chapter in his life. You’ve already heard a couple of ways you can support him. I believe there will be opportunities in the future as well.

II. God

A. Where we are:

Over the summer we’ve been looking at the book of John.

I wanted to take a little bit of time to take a look at where we are.

B. Themes

WOrd was God

John starts out by telling us that the word was with God in the beginning and that the Word was God. We learned that Jesus is the word who put on flesh and blood and moved into our neighborhood. However, people did not recognize him. John tells us that Jesus came to his own and his own didn’t receive him.

John 1:14–15 NRSV

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ ”)

John 1:10 NRSV

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.

John 1:10–11 NRSV

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.

John 1:11 NRSV

He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.

Transformation (into the children of God)

But to those who did, something amazing and wonderful would happen, they were given the power to become the Children of God.

This is significant. While we are all creatures and creations of God, to become a child of God means that we are ‘born again’ as he told Nic. This requires transformation kind of like transforming water into wine. Water and wine are simliar in that they are both liquids. But the wine that Jesus provide was far greater than the wine the wedding host provided.

We are called to follow Jesus. What was the first thing Jesus did? He went into the world. He did not stay where he was. He moved to where people were.

We are called to follow him into the world. We are called to move into the neighborhood.

Jesus came into the world so that we might know God’s love and grace.

John 1:12–13 NRSV

But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

Over the past few months we have been going into the neighborhood giving out popsicles. When we first came up with the idea, we were trying to answer the question: “What’s something simple we can do that will show our neighborhood that we care?” Popsicles came to mind. It seemed so simple, because it was. Popsicles come in a great big bundle for like $3. All we needed was a cooler, a wagon, and willing people.

I’ve been surprised at the response. People seem genuienly glad and appreciative to receive a popsicle.

I’ve been trying to figure out why.

While there may be many reasons why someone might be touched by such a simple act, I wonder if it is becuase our culture has increasingly become isolated from one another. Or, maybe, people don’t usually receive kindness from others.

What if, people are hungry for relationship and community? Isn’t that one of the reasons Jesus came?

Jesus moved into our world and is inviting us into his love, so that we might take his love into a world desperate for healing love.

Jesus transforms our prespective. He changed water into wine and he transforms us as well.

John 3:3 NRSV

Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”

John 2:10 NRSV

and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.”

The Good News

Jesus came to rescue us from ourselves! We are our own worse enemies constantly falling into destructive patterns, thoughts, and actions. Even though we have good intentions, good goals, and good dreams, we keep doing things that sabatage these things. Jesus came and offered us hope, peace, joy, and love. He takes us as we are and transforms us giving us Life…Life Abundant.