You Have No Excuse!
Notes
Transcript
Secular -
Secular -
Here are some excuses people use to skip church and some responses.
I feel like I need to get right with God before I can come to church
(The Church is hospital for sinners, not a country club for saints. So come on to church anyway)
(That’s like saying you need to lose a few pound before you go back to the gym after a long period of being out.)
I’m just not being fed
(That’s okay. We’re not here to feed you, but to equip you to feed others.)
Church is full of hypocrites.
(And we always have room for one more!)
I’m against organized religion.
(That’s Perfect! We’re highly disorganized.)
Historical/Cultural Context -
Historical/Cultural Context -
The Gospel of John was written between 90 AD and 100 AD. Scholars also believe that John wrote the three Epistles and the book of Revelation around the same time-frame as he wrote this Gospel. The Gospel of John was written after Matthew, Mark, & Luke had been written and circulated. John has been dubbed by most scholars as “The Spiritual Gospel.”
Biblical Text -
Biblical Text -
After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.
Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.
For John had not yet been thrown into prison.
Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification.
And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”
John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.
You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’
He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.
He must increase, but I must decrease.
He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.
And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.
He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.
For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.
The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.
He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
-[Prayer]-
-[Prayer]-
Life Principle - Christians Have No Excuse Not To Live In Humility, Remembering It’s All About Jesus & Sharing The Simple Gospel.
Life Principle - Christians Have No Excuse Not To Live In Humility, Remembering It’s All About Jesus & Sharing The Simple Gospel.
Life Point- It’s All About Jesus
Life Point- It’s All About Jesus
Exegetical -
Exegetical -
After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.
Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.
For John had not yet been thrown into prison.
Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification.
And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”
Homiletical -
Homiletical -
After the cleansing of the temple and the Nicodemus episode Jesus comes into the land of Judea. While there he is preaching the kingdom, belief in Himself as the only begotten Son of God the Messiah, which means savior.
His disciples are baptizing, not Him directly.
(though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did).
Nearby John is also baptizing. What is He baptizing about? The same thing he was always baptizing for. Repentance for the Kingdom of God is at hand. Christ Jesus is baptizing for repentance and belief in Himself.
So John is baptizing in Aenon near Salim because there was much water.
He is still baptizing because He had not been thrown into prison yet, which will come shortly hereafter.
So we find John preaching and baptizing and some of the disciples of John come to him and are upset.
They say “Rabbi.” Which we know means teacher and is a term of honor. You would call the trained priests and teachers Rabbis not just some Joe-Shmoe down the street.
“Rabbi - He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified-behold, he is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”
John’s disciples are upset about this.
Why?
Because just like Jesus inner-circle, the 12, they have left families and homes to follow John. So they are mad that more people go to Jesus than to John.
Remember, John’s ministry was always set to end. John was there to make a straight path, to prepare the way for the Lord. He was not there to take the glory away from Jesus but to give Glory to Jesus.
Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!
Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places.
Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!”
John is the last of the Old Testament prophets and the greatest of them, but as the new covenant in Christ’s blood is come in, even the least in the kingdom is greater than John.
As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind?
Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people with expensive clothes live in palaces.
Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet.
John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you.’
“I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!
And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it.
For before John came, all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time.
And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophets said would come.
Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!
He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.
We have this new covenant. This new contract in the body and blood of Christ. What has been imparted to us makes the least of us greater than John the Baptist.
What is this that has been imparted to us? For starters, the forgiveness of sin and the cleansing of all unrighteousness
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
Secondly we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. He lives in us. Which the Old Testament prophets never had. He was with them, but not the seal of the new covenant inside the believer.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.
He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.
Because of this and this news alone, we have no excuse not to witness to other and fulfill the Great Commission.
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Life Point - Live In Humility In Deference To Jesus
Life Point - Live In Humility In Deference To Jesus
Exegetical -
Exegetical -
John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven.
You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’
It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success.
He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
“He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else.
He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them!
Homiletical -
Homiletical -
If It’s All about Jesus and there is no room for Jealousy amongst believers then eyes should be focused on Jesus’s success not our idea of success.
Success is not how big your church is, How much money you have in the bank, and not about what others believe about you.
So what does success in your personal ministry look like?
Real simple. 1) Is the Gospel being shared by you and those that are members of this church? 2) Are you taking what is being offered spiritually and applying it to your lives?
If the answer is yes and it is being done out of sincerity of heart, carefully following the Biblical principles as found in the Bible. Then you are a successful Christian.
Be Like John:
John lived in humility. He said “I am not the messiah. I am only to prepare the way for him.”
He is simply glad to stand next to the bridegroom as He receives His bride. Jesus is the bridegroom and the church is His bride.
He says twice that Jesus has come from above and is greater than anyone, whereas he is from the earth.
He said that Jesus must become greater and greater whereas he must become less and less.
It is humility that God calls us to walk in when we think of John the Baptist.
Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him.
And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor.
There are many more sections and stories on humility before God in the scripture, but I am not going to belabor the point. Needless to say that John is a living example of a man who lives in Humility.
If John, the greatest of the Old Covenant prophets can be so humble before God; what is our excuse when the least of us Christians is greater than he? Should we not strive to live in humility before God and each other?
Life Point - Live In & Share The Simple Gospel
Life Point - Live In & Share The Simple Gospel
Exegetical -
Exegetical -
John 3:32–36 (NLT)
He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them!
Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true.
For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit.
The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands.
And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”
Homiletical -
Homiletical -
Jesus who came down from heaven testifies of all he has seen and heard, but the crowds don’t receive it, just the few who are being saved. Now this is in comparison with the number of people in the world.
Remember:
No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Anyone who accepts Jesus’s word knows that God is true.
John the Baptist tells his disciples that:
1) Jesus is sent by God the Father. 2) He speak’s the Father’s Words and 3) He is given the Spirit of God without Limit. Meaning the power of God, without limit.
John will remind us of these facts later in chapter 12
Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.
And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.
I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.
He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.
And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”
John now gives His disciples the simple Gospel:
The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.
He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Life Principle– Christians Have No Excuse Not To Live In Humility, Remembering It’s All About Jesus & Sharing The Simple Gospel.
Life Principle– Christians Have No Excuse Not To Live In Humility, Remembering It’s All About Jesus & Sharing The Simple Gospel.
Call to Action – altar call….
Call to Action – altar call….