"I Am" - Jesus
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14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”
-OOS
I. Welcome
A. Dustin B.
II. Opening Prayer
A. Kiomi
III. Worship (5songs)
A. Song b4 Offering: “It is well, with my soul”
B. Offering
a. 3 ways to give
IV. Sermon
1. online: greenmtn.org
2. text the word “give” to (833) 966-2042
i. already gave via text: just text the amount to that same #
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IV. Sermon
-SERMON
INTRO
INTRO
I. One Primary Question
A. 1 o the primary questions we encounter in the Gospels is: “who r u??”
a. It is the single question asked by nearly every character type spanning all 4 Gospels
1. Religious leaders (which looked a little more like, “who do u think u r?”
2. regular “joes”
3. Even the 12 have asked “who is he that cmnds the winds & waves?”
b. Ea. person had their own answer to this question:
1. really good teacher
2. a prophet
3. The prophet
4. Messiah
5. a threat
c. Interestingly, even if they got the right answer, they often had the wrong definition
1. Illust Jesus’ ? 2 the 12 (Matt 16:13-16)
i. who do people say that I am
ii. who do u say I am (answer correct)
iii. yet when Jesus began to define this answer, “peter tried to correct Jesus”
- Which Jesus infamously replied ‘get behind me Satan”
B. Today, this question is still asked & the variety o answers hasn’t changed
a. Most atheists 2day don't dispute the existence o Jesus
1. their conclusions, however...Followers o Jesus would disagree w/
b. Some say he’s a really good teacher
c. Others count him among God’s prophets (even Muslims would say this o Jesus)
d. Really though, many who might call themselves Jesus followers often disagreed on this question
1. ask a mormon/Jehova’s witness about the deity o Jesus & listen to their answer...
i. A protestant in contrast would disagree on the point o deity
2. We c this 2b true o Jesus followers that we encounter in Jn 8
C. Maybe, b4 a person makes a decision on who they think Jesus is...
a. we might look 2 c what Jesus has 2 say about himself?
b. If ur watching online, please feel free 2 write in the comment box who u believe Jesus is
1. Oh, & no judgments / arguments in the comment feed… no need 2 reply 2 any1’s belief about who other’s say Jesus is.
II. Where We’re Headed
A. Over the next several weeks we r going 2 look in The Gospel according to John @Jesus’ response 2who HE says he is
B. This week, to bring clarity to His 7 “I Am” statements
BODY
BODY
I. CONTEXT
A. Ch 8:12 Jesus makes a declaration of his character & mission:
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Jn
a. What ensues is a hostile argument (primarily on the part o the religious leaders)
b. At 1st glance, the words “I am” may seem to have very little significance alone…what makes the claim common or staggering is usually based on what follows:
1. I might say,
i. I am a pastor
ii. I am a husband
iii. I am a daddy
iv. I am a CHI Bears fan (please don’t pick up rocks to stone me lol)
2. Jesus’ claim o being “the light of the world” is on it’s face staggering, but what we will c through CH 8 is that the simple statement “I AM” becomes it’s own staggering claim
i. This is what we will look @2day, even b4 we tackle Jesus’ statement “I am the light of the world”
II. “I Am”
A. So, at the end o the argument he makes this claim:
23 He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.
b. accuse him o being an illegitimate child (what u say about my mama?!)
Jn 8:23-
a. Jesus leads w/calling out those who should b closest 2 God as being sinful, corrupt & worldly
1. “You r from below... You r of this world;”
i. from below NOT meaning Hell, but worldly
2. & contrasting ‘em w/himself: “I am from above. I am not of this world.
i. Jesus is not like us…He is from God, speaks & acts 4 God, & is on a journey back 2 God
ii. His clear distinction is that he does not sin & does not have our sin nature!
b. Then Jesus says...
24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
— “I told u”... few short vs earlier —
Jn
21 So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”
1. In the rel. leaders pride, they self-righteously think they r heavenly...
i. the truth is, what Jesus said o ‘em:
““You r from below... You r of this world;” & “you will die in your sin”
-Is true o all o us.
*we r all o this world w/out Jesus & therefore sinful (sinfulness, missing the mark, is in our nature)
*It’s not our own goodness, ancestry, / heritage that qualify us as heaven bound
*our ONLY rescue hinges on the word “unless”: “unless u believe I am he”
2. in orig. language it reads, “ 4 unless u believe that I Am u will die in ur sins.”
i. there’s no concluding statement…
-we & they might ask “believe u r what Jesus??”
ii. Leaders r starting 2 catch on to this claim, but haven’t fully grasped yet:
25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.
3. Their question reads more like: Who do u think u are?!!”
i. Jesus could be responding to their incredulous, self-righteous, prideful question
-Just what I’ve told u: “Light of the world”…
*but as we read on we’ll c that’s not the extent o his claim
-Jesus makes another claim in the midst o their hostility:
28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.
Jn 8:
c. Again it reads “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then u will know that I am, & that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.”
1. W/the words “When u have lifted up” Jesus is saying when I have been lifted up on the cross & die “you will know”
i. When we say “lift up Jesus” we’re talking about making much o Jesus & less o ourselves”
ii. Jesus isn’t talking about these folks worshiping him…but claiming their involvement in his death (which they have already been plotting)
2. W/that said…did u catch the statement: “then you will know that I Am”
i. Then says I do nothing on my own… meaning
-”I’m not some guy…I represent God cause I AM”
ii. I AM Who Jesus???
-4 that answer 2 that we have look some 1300yrs earlier
III. God Introduces himself
God Introduces himself
A. Man raised in royalty sees the plight o the slaves in the land…whom he realizes is his people.
a. He acts rashly & kills a violent task master, which is not well recieved even by his people
B. That man flees in2 the wilderness a fugitive &...
C. Tries 2 salvage what’s left o his life…marries a lady not o his people, & shepherds his father-in-law’s flock
a. One day, while doing the same thing he did every day sees something strange:
1. a bush on fire that won’t burn up
2. he checks it out & finds himself in the presence o the 1 true God
i. Have u guessed who we’re talking about?
ii. In this story God calls Moses 2 rescue His people frm slavery & Moses…argues
iii. in the middle o this argument Moses says, “ok great, if they ask me ur name who should I tell them sent me”
-This seems a strange question in our culture where a “1God theology” is common
-But in Moses’ day every nation has their own God who they serve & sacrifice 2
-in...
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”
D. The Point:
a. eventually Isr. scriptures r x-lated in2 greek which is what Jn’s Gospel is written
1. Jn records Jesus’ words “I Am” as the same as God’s frm all those yrs back in the desert w/Moses
I am
b. This becomes strikingly clear as John continues in this story
21 So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”
22 So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”
23 He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.
26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.”
Jn 8:21-
IV. The rel. leaders exit the scene (or at least drop into the background) w/…
30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Jn 8:30-32
A. Jesus gives these “believers” an invitation: “continue as believers by living in these words that r true…& the truth sets u free”
28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.
29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”
a. The right question is, “what’s the truth Jesus?”
Jn 8:28
b. But they don’t ask the right question… (following is found in )
1. these so called “believers” r offended & ask:
i. Slaves?! who’s a slave?! our ancestor is Abraham we’ve never been slaves (forehead slap)
2. He tells these folks ur ancestry doesn’t set u free! we r all born slaves 2 our sin nature
i. These folks r guilty o trusting in their heritage 2 save 'em “sons o Abraham”
-If we take pride in anything
*our spouse’s faith, our parent’s faith, our grandparent’s faith
*our bank account, financial status, monetary worth
*good deeds, morality, personal character
-If we take pride in ANYTHING besides the work & identity o Jesus...
*what’s true o these so called believers is true o us… we r frm below…worldly
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ii. So, they take even greater offence & as this conversation escalates in2 hostility Jesus reveals who their real daddy is in...
44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
3. What Jesus is on about is: the apple doesn’t fall far frm the tree our life is the evidence o who our daddy is.
i. If our daddy is God (which they claim in vs41 based on heritage) we will act like it.
ii. If we act like the devil (lie, cheat, back-bight, steel, gossip) guess who our daddy is
4. My only salvation, ur only salvation, our only salvation rests back in Jesus’ statement to the Rel. Leaders
24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
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B. The Hostility hits a crescendo When Jesus makes his vailed claim o ID clear
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
a. Jesus’ claim becomes explicit: I AM GOD
1. Jesus could have said before Abraham, I was
5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.
i. which would mean Jesus is some 2,000yrs old…that’s not what he said…
ii. Jesus said I AM
-claiming transcendence of time
2. Jn has just made clear his purpose in accurately recording these events:
i. Jn is supporting his Thesis statement from Ch 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Jn 1:1-
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
V. Response
A. So what’s our response 2 Jesus’ claim? - There r only 2
Jn 1:11
11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
a. reject him: “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him”
b. receive him: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”
B. Invite Kiomi back up for response time
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
a. After song:
48 I am the bread of life.
1. Maybe 2day u’ve made a decision 4 Christ Message me. I’d like to connect w/ya…encourage u, & discuss next steps
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Jn
2. Maybe u sense God stirring inside u…but not sure how 2 respond…msg me & let’s talk about it.
3. God doesn’t want us to walk alone, but in community w/Him & his people…let us be your community
48 I am the bread of life.
Jn 6:
b. Pray & Close
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
:
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Jn 9:
7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
Jn 10:9
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
I am the way, truth, life
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.