I AM - Written
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 11 viewsThe "I AM's" according to John the Apostle.
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Introduction
Introduction
The Bread of Life
The Bread of Life
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
The first of the I AM’s that we will briefly look at is the “Bread of Life”.
Jesus declared Himself to be the “Bread of Life”.
He says that as, the Bread of Life, he that believes on Him has everlasting life. .
In other words, those that believe that Jesus is the Bread of Life will have eternal. In fact, when you believe Jesus is the Bread of Life, eternal life dwells within you already. How?
He compares His day with the days of Israel. Their day was miraculous to receive bread from heaven; His day was even greater. .
Jesus revealed that their fathers in the wilderness ate manna, and are dead.
But he which eats the bread that comes down from heaven will not die.
And then He says, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever.”
Just as surely as food nourishes our bodies to continue living mortal life, just as surely when one believes, receives Jesus as the Bread of Life and His word, they are guaranteed to obtain an immortality. They will live forever.
The one who receives Jesus as the “Bread of Life” receives in fact, the very life of Christ in the soul. Spiritual life nourishes him and that life has the capacity to measure with the life of God.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Jesus as the Bread of Life not only promises eternal life to those who partake of His life, but even their temporal life will be more abundant.
What does it mean for you that Jesus is “the Bread of Life”?
It means when you’re hungering for something better in life, when you are hungering to live for something that is more noble and worthy, Jesus says to you: “I AM the Bread of Life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
Living Water
Living Water
John
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Christ the Living Water is a beautiful thought.
He first made reference to this truth to the Samaritan woman at Jacobs well.
After he asked her for a cup of water and she being surprised for a Jewish man to ask a Samaritan woman for a favour, Jesus said:
“If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have give thee living water.”
And then further down in the conversation Jesus speaks further on this:
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
What does it mean to you that Jesus is the “Water of Life”, the “Fountain of Living Waters”?
The soul without Christ is constantly “thirsting” for something it doesn’t have.
In our society we are riddled with ideologies that plague the people. One of the grandest in our western culture is materialism.
Researchers define it as “a value system that is preoccupied with possessions and the social image they project.”
A journalist from “the Guardian” gave his thought on the issue, which I agree with:
Materialism “is both socially destructive and self-destructive. It smashes the happiness and peace of mind of those who succumb to it. It's associated with anxiety, depression and broken relationships.”
Numerous social studies have been done investigating the state of people with materialistic values and minimalistic/community values. The overwhelming correlation is that those with materialistic values experiencing less happiness and self-worth, while the other group experience the opposite; more happiness, a sense of self-worth.
In this state, there is a continual thirsting after something. And when they obtain it, “happiness” exists only as long as it takes for you to see someone else have more or a model than what you have.
In other words, if you have a four Rolexes but find out someone has five, your happiness and contentment is short of one Rolex.
God knew that we would suffer from such vanity.
13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
To live in the customs of this world and try to find happiness and peace is likened to us trying to fill a broken jug with water.
There is no holding of momentary pleasures of sin. As the Bible says, “the pleasures of sin for a season”. That’s ever as long as they last, “a season”. A moment, and then all vanishes and we realise we are no better.
The heart of man throbs to know the peace and contentment that only God can give this world.
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?
DA, p. 454
Desire of Ages Chapter 49—At the Feast of Tabernacles
Jesus knew the wants of the soul. Pomp, riches, and honor cannot satisfy the heart. “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me.” The rich, the poor, the high, the low, are alike welcome. He promises to relieve the burdened mind, to comfort the sorrowing, and to give hope to the despondent. Many of those who heard Jesus were mourners over disappointed hopes, many were nourishing a secret grief, many were seeking to satisfy their restless longing with the things of the world and the praise of men; but when all was gained, they found that they had toiled only to reach a broken cistern, from which they could not quench their thirst. Amid the glitter of the joyous scene they stood, dissatisfied and sad. That sudden cry, “If any man thirst,” startled them from their sorrowful meditation, and as they listened to the words that followed, their minds kindled with a new hope. The Holy Spirit presented the symbol before them until they saw in it the offer of the priceless gift of salvation.
There always comes a moment in our lives when after obtaining the things of this earth no matter how humble or extravagant, when we realize just how empty we really are; how completely unsatisfied you are. Jesus says to you, I AM the Water of life, he that drinks from this Fountain will never thirst again.
You will never thirst for this world’s vanities and ideologies but will seek to conform your life to every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Light of the World
Light of the World
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
There are several times in the book of John alone where Christ refers to Himself as the “Light of the World”.
The One who sets the lights of this universe into motion in the beginning is the One who sets in motion the sparks of life exisiting in each one of us.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
What does it mean for you that Jesus is the “Light of the World”?
It means Jesus is the light for every situation of darkness and perplexity.
With numerous times when we must make important decisions in life or when we have momentous experiences when often our own hearts and motives need to be examined, Christ is the Source of light that reveals our true motives and allows His works to be wrought in us and gives us light to indicate the way in which we should go.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
He does the truth: He loves it, seeks it, follows after it.
He comes to the Light: He does not attempt to deceive himself or others.
That his deeds may be made manifest: He is willing to know Himself, and aims to do it.
He desires to know the true state of his own heart before God.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.
Wrought in God: He desires to be a good man; to receive continual aid from God, and to perform such actions as he will approve.
14 Let the words of my mouth, And the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
There is a correlation between the light coming into this world in the beginning and Christ being the Light of the world.
The world in the beginning was empty, void of any life, chaotic.
Our lives before receiving Christ are empty, void of any life, and chaotic.
God spoke, “let there be Light” and there was Light.
The word of God enlightens the deadened conscience to spiritual life.
Light was the very thing that was needed in order to create everything after.
Receiving Christ as the Light of the world is very first experience needed in order for our lives to be recreated into His image.
Light is abundantly shed upon the whole earth.
So the life of Christ is freely and abundantly offered to every soul who walks this earth, “the just and the unjust”.
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
When you feel the emptiness and darkness of this world and realize the darkness of your own heart or when you don't know where to go in life, Jesus says to you, I AM the Light of the World, he that follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life.
I AM Who I AM
I AM Who I AM
58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
When Jesus declared Himself to be the I AM, He declared His eternal existence and presence.
What does that mean for you?
It means that no matter how secret your thoughts are, or how far you feel from Him, or how hopeless may seem your condition, He is there.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me.
It means that there is no other to depend on than Him. He is the great I AM.
5 I am the Lord, and there is none else, There is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
21 Tell ye, and bring them near; Yea, let them take counsel together: Who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? Have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; A just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: For I am God, and there is none else.
23 I have sworn by myself, The word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall swear.
isa 45
The Bible declares that every knee will bow at the name of Jesus. .
Every human being which has ever lived, even the wicked will confess that He is Lord and God and worthy to be worshipped.
The question is, when will we bow the knees before Him. Now is the better time, for if we do it now we shall obtain an inheritance of eternal life, but if choose not to do it now, we will be compelled to when it is too late, and our inheritance be eternal death.
Christ is the all-encompassing Almighty God.
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
The Door
The Door
7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Jesus is the only “Door” through which we can enter and find peace, rest, and the salvation.
Our prayers find entrance into the temple of God through Christ. Christ has opened for us the storehouses of heaven.
It takes the exercise of faith to enter through this “Door”, Christ, to obtain salvation and the promises of God.
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
It’s in Christ that we find all the complete fulfilment of the promises of God.
20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
The Good Shepherd
The Good Shepherd