I Am's of Jesus: Truth & Life
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 6 viewsNotes
Transcript
Handout
-OOS
I. Welcome
A. P. Dustin
II. Opening Prayer
A. Jim L.
III. Worship
A. Songs:
a. “We Believe”
b. “I Am who you say I am”
c. “Shout to the LORD”
d. “Healing Rain”
e. B4 Offering: “Way Maker”
B. Offering:
a. 3 ways to give
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 #
3. mail a check to 440 Main St. in Bennington
b. Song: “Let All the People Say Amen”
IV. Sermon
-SERMON
INTRO
INTRO
I. Where We’ve Been
A. I AM’s o Jesus (claiming to be God)
B. Last week
a. Jesus says “I am the way, truth, life”
b. We talked about how Jesus, God the Son, is the way
1. The destination: God & the destination is a person
2. the way is Jesus & like the destination, the way is a person 2!!
II. Where We’re Going
B. This week we’ll seek to understand how “Jesus is the truth & life”
III. Main text
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
IV. Prayer
V. Context
BODY
BODY
I. Jesus is the Truth
A. What is truth?
a. Important question 2day
1. Lot’s o folks suggest that truth is subjective
i. Make statements like my truth isn’t ur truth & the 2 can coexist
-It’s true that 2 people who do not share the same beliefs can b friends & disagree
*but that doesn’t mean they’re both right…it just means they know how 2b respectful & friendly
*So what is truth?
b. Truth: the accurate reality o something made known
1. It’s what is, not what we think, believe, / desire something 2b
2. So Jesus isn’t saying he is a truth, or perfectly embodies truth as he understands it
3. Jesus embodies the fullness o the truth…
i. truth about what?
B. Jesus is the truth by bringing accurate teaching of God & his kingdom in2 the world
a. Jesus was regularly found boldly & authoritatively teaching what God’s Kingdom is really like
1. Most o his parables were stories taught w/the mission o accurately conveying the nature o God’s Kingdom
i. Jesus talks about God’s kingdom 87x over the 4 Gospels
-Some o those r diff. descriptions o the same event, but still a lrg portion o Jesus’ teaching.
b. Jesus also conveyed God’s nature in both his teaching & action
1. John tells us plainly that...
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
i. Grace (that is favor in action) & truth (accurate teaching) came through Jesus
-So Jesus not only taught the truth o God & God’s Kingdom...
C. Jesus IS the truth by perfectly representing God
a. Represents the father by being 1 w/ the Father
1. The Son & Father are 1 by the son perfectly representing the Father (How so?)
7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
i. The Father is in the Son & Son is in the Father
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
ii. The son has the glory of the father
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.
-glory: reputation & presence
*thus the son reflects the who the father is in word & deed
*So if u’ve seen the son, u’ve seen the father
-It’s better than that: earlier he told them
30 I and the Father are one.”
*God the Father & Son, along w/the H.S. , make up the fullness o God
*2gether they r complete, whole, 1!!
*that is the essence o what he’s saying when Jesus claims:
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
2. (thus) Truth (the reality of God & HIS Kingdom) is a person
i. The truth is not an idea, it’s a person
ii. Why should we care?
D. Truth Matters (why?)
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.”
a. This is said often in society
1. What they mean is any truth about anything is freedom (that is, knowledge is pwr)
2. That’s not what Jesus meant
b. Jesus meant that accepting the truth that Jesus is God & he came to save us will set us free
1. In context, Jesus means freedom frm the bondage o sin which leads 2 death!
II. Jesus is the Life
A. We r born dead in our sin, but God imparted life in Jesus
a. “made us alive” imparted This is NEW life
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
1. Illust. born zombies
i. dead people walking endlessly trying to satisfy our desires which is never quenched
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
2. God is rich in mercy & loved
i. often only wanna talk about God’s Justice & Judgement…or his mercy
-But what if we stopped trying 2 divorce the 2 & realize that both make up God’s character
ii. God loved us even while we were zombies!!
3. more than a mere reviving (Lazarus was revived) in that he was given the same life back
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2. In Christ we are made new!!!
-free from the bonds of our sin nature!!
-the truth sets us free by us being made new!!
B. What our new life looks like
a. Jesus offers a life of abundance
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
1. abundant not: health & wealth
i. Consider Paul’s words in...
11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
-Paul is saying that there were times that he did not have wealth, health/food
*Paul found the secret to facing any situation:
13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
ii. Health & wealth is how America measures life
iii. How does Jesus measure life?
2. abundant life is a complete, overflowing, robust, empowered, & eternal life
i. It’s a life filled w/Joy, peace & hope
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
-illust. if we r a cup (I love coffee)
-what happens if I put a lid on my coffee cup and try 2 pour coffee in it?
-Fear, worry, anxiety is like a lid on our soul
-as God goes to fill it w/joy & peace our cup never fills up
-faith in who Jesus is & what he did (salvation) removes the lid
-the God of our hope then fills us w/joy & peace & by the pwr o the H.S. it translates 2 hope
ii. It’s a life filled w/God’s presence & favor
3. the abundant life offered by Jesus in the here & now is an adventure!
i. Illust: God has lead me through an adventurous life!
-in2 the NAVY where I went around the world 1x & half way around the world again
-met my best friend & my wife.
-God has lead me 2 live in VA, San Diego, WA state (Bremerton, Bothel, Kirkland, Raymond)…then Across the Country 2 VT
-I have seen the sick healed, people give there heart 2 Jesus, I’ve experienced joy unspeakable, power o God surge through me & lay me out.
-I’ve heard his voice in guidance & to guide others.
ii. Maybe Jesus isn’t going 2 lead u across the country/around the world
-but he may lead u across the street 2 share the love & Gospel o Jesus
-He has called u 2 serve others in love:
*get involved in the food pantry, get involved in Disaster Relief out of Grace Christian School (more info message us)
iii. Jesus may not lead u 2 quit ur job… (like he has done w/me @least 2x)
-but he may repurpose u @ur job 2 shine a light in the darkness o ur job & tell people about how Jesus has given u a new life!
*Consider Paul’s words on the topic in...
23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
iv. Illust: 1 o my fav movie genres: Action-Adventure
-what makes the movie a great movie: adversity; who wants 2 watch a movie where there’s no struggle?
-no obstacle 2 over come?
-life is the same way:
-We act like we want a life where nothing happens & everything is rest & relaxation…
-but this kind o life is meaningless and dull; why?
4. Here’s the deal: where there’s no adversity there’s no victory…but Paul says:
36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
i. now do u think the apostle paul lived the abundant life Jesus promised?
-YES!! - he continues
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
ii. No, an abundant life following Jesus isn’t easy...
-It’s filled w/struggle, pain, sorrow & VICTORY as we overcome adversity in Christ
-This means that in the hear & now, an abundant life includes adversity
*w/out adversity life is not abundant, but dull, meaningless, sad.
iii. What if Shakespeare had it write when he wrote:
“All the world’s a stage, & all the men & women merely players...”
-What if all the world IS a stage, we r all players on it & the great playwright (God) is crafting a great action adventure…
-Jesus is @ the center the great Protagonist & we r supporting cast
-I believe that ur life & mine r parts o the greatest action adventure ever being created moving to a climax where Jesus defeats satan once & for all & finishes w/all God’s creation that have accepted Jesus living in right rel. w/HIM
*So Jesus offers us an abundant life…what else?
b. Jesus offers a life of Freedom
1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
1. Jesus came to give us freedom
2. Freedom from what?
— what we usually hear is “Sin”…but look @the context —
2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.
3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.
c. Jesus offers a life of loving service
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
What do we do?
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.”