Responding to the Work of Christ!
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Baby Dedication:
Baby Dedication:
Welcome
Today we welcome Jarrett and Brooke Barnett, their son Holton, and their new daughter, Laurel Barnett.
We also welcome the rest of your family here for this special moment!
And we also welcome you as a member of Friendship Baptist Church as you play a role today!
Introduction
Today Jarrett and Brooke have come to give thanks for Laurel and to offer her life for God’s Glory.
So, in dedicating Laurel to the Lord, we are praying that she would come to know him and serve him.
We also dedicate Jarrett and Brooke to God, asking that God would give them wisdom, understanding, knowledge and ability to raise Laurel in the way of the Lord.
As a church we dedicate ourselves to love them and help steward the gift God has given them and to us!
Prayer of Thanksgiving
A prayer of thanksgiving for Laurel and her family. -DUANE NEEL
Readings
1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
A letter is publically read to Laurel from Jarett and Brooke.
Questions & Responses To the parents:
Jarrett and Brooke, do you recognise that Laurel is a gift from God and both thank God and glorify God for the gift of your daughter? (We do)
Do you accept the joys and the responsibilities of parenting, promising to give proper love and care to Laurel throughout her life? (We do)
With the help God provides, do you commit to teach Laurel the fullness of God’s Word and demonstrate through your own example and witness what it means to love God with all your heart, soul and strength? (We do)
Questions & Responses To the congregation:
Will you offer your ongoing love, support, prayers and encouragement to Jarrett and Brooke in their role as Laurel’s parents? (We will)
Will you also be faithful in praying for Laurel, and, as much as you are able, help teach and love her so that she might one day come to trust in Jesus as her Lord and Savior? (We will)
Prayer of Dedication & Blessing
A prayer of dedication and blessing is made by the pastor.
Laurel, may the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Presentation
On behalf of the church family, we’d like to present you with this gift to remember today’s dedication.
Intro:
Intro:
We are continuing our SAGA of CONVERSATIONS with Jesus!
We had the late night one with the Religious Ruler…Nicodemus
We had the noon hour one with the Promiscuous Woman…At the Well
TODAY, WE ARE GOING TO SEE A CONVERSATION WITH A NOBLEMAN and A LAME MAN
And what may seem like two strange encounters....where there are two different people healed......
JESUS IS WORKING IN A POWERFUL WAY BEYOND THESE HEALINGS!
And we see how each on of them respond to Christ’s Work!
I believe that we are called toward these two RESPONSES AS WELL!
Now, I get it......we will have one young boy on his deathbed.....and another man who had been lame for 38 years....both COMPLETELY HEALED!
And you may be sitting in here with some kind of ailment or diagnoses....and you continued to not be healed!
And so why are we supposed to respond as the one who were healed....when we remain unhealed!?
WELL, BOTH OF THE HEALINGS TODAY are really pointing toward A RESPONSE OF THE WORK OF CHRIST!
And part of what JESUS was doing on the earth was operating in these MIRACLES....John calls them SIGNS....
And John terms the Healing of the Nobleman’s Son as the second SIGN!
John 4:48 “48 Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.””
Think this through.....
We hear of Jesus....and we have all of this that comes with that name.
The one who walked on water…fed the 5,000....healed the blind.....rose from the dead!
But when Jesus first came....he was a man who had grown up living a pretty normal life among those around him for 30 years!
He uses these signs....these healings to POINT TO SOMETHING GREATER....
Just like he did with the WATER INTO WINE....
It really wasn't about just giving the wedding party more wine....
It was about illustrating His PROMISE THAT GREATER THINGS ARE TO COME!
Same today, with these healings!
And today, we can RECOGNIZE THESE GREATER WORKS OF CHRIST THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT!
We recognize.....still yet the miraculous.....
And yes, i think God still heals....and can still break any natural law that he wants to!
BUT WHAT IS REALLY MIRACULOUS TO ME.......IS WHEN THE SPIRITUAL LAWS OF WICKEDNESS IS BROKEN!
When a family decides to raise their child for the Lord!
When an addict is set free!
When a man gives up pornography!
When a marriage is healed!
When what was lost and dead....becomes found and made alive!
This is MIRACULOUS!!!
AND THERE ARE SIGNS AND WONDERS OF HIS WORK ALL AROUND US!
And so, HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND when we recognize these works?
I. We Respond by #BECOMING a BELIEVING HOUSEHOLD! (John 4:43-54)
I. We Respond by #BECOMING a BELIEVING HOUSEHOLD! (John 4:43-54)
How many of us want this with everything in us!......For our family to BELIEVE WITH YOU!!!
This starts by YOU GOING TO JESUS. (John 4:43-47)
43 Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee.
44 For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.
45 So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.
46 So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.
47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
We see there are three different actions surrounding the fact that this Nobleman went to Jesus:
Hearing and Listening
This man had heard that Jesus had come into town.
Now, we can skip over this....but this is huge!!!
The man heard.....which meant that HE LISTENED
He could have hard the murmurs of this Jesus and just ignored them.
But he didnt!....He listened knowing that the what he heard brought HOPE!
There are many all around that may hear of the MIGHTY JESUS WHO IS DOING ALL THAT HE IS DOING.....
YET....THEY DO NOT LISTEN
Let us HEAR and LISTEN to the works of Christ!!!
Going
Not only does he hear and listen.....but HE WENT TO JESUS!
We would do so good if we remembered this....
It is so easy to go in a million different places!
We go to Social Media....Google......a friend....a bar....and anywhere else
BUT JESUS HAS MADE HIMSELF AVAILABLE FOR US TO COME TO HIM!
Imploring
It says that when he sees Jesus.....IMPLORED HIM!
This is the same word used at times for EARNEST PRAYING
The man Prayed with deep desire....he pleaded!
He knew that JESUS was his Son’s only HOPE!
If we will ever #BECOME a Believing Household......
WE MUST HEAR AND LISTEN....have faith that JESUS IS IN TOWN
WE MUST GO TO JESUS rather than ll the other places offered!
AND FINALLY, WE MUST IMPLORE ON THEIR BEHALF!
This happens by BELIEVING JESUS in the midst of tragedy. (John 4:48-54)
48 Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.”
49 The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!”
50 Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.
51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!”
52 Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”
53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household.
54 This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.
Matthew 5:45 “45 For the Father makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Tragedy strikes us all and never plays fair!
This man’s tragedy was that his son was dying!
And that’s another thing.....there is no such thing as a personal tragedy....it is always a family tragedy!
And verse 50 says....HE BELIEVED THE WORD THAT JESUS SPOKE!
He believed in the midst of a great tragedy!
As hard as a Tragedy is......GOD DOES NOT LEAVE YOU!
Isaiah 54:8 “8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” Says the Lord, your Redeemer.”
When Tragedy happens.....
It is like your world stops.....but everyone else’s world keeps on moving!
Jaclyn's dad passing…we were at the airport
Our world stopped....but not everyone elses!
It dosnt make sense!
BUT I HAVE NEVER KNOWN MORE WHAT PSALM 46:10 meant....
Psalm 46:10 “10 Be still, and know that I am God!
And through that tragedy, our family would find ourselves standing around his body.....praying and singing....we #BECAME a stronger BELIEVING FAMILY!
This happens by BELIEVING WITH YOUR HOUSEHOLD and LEADING YOUR HOUSEHOLD. (John 4.53)
53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household.
Don’t leave this part out!!!
BELIEVE WITH YOUR FAMILY.....
Walk through your faith journey with your family....spouse, kids, grand kids!
Celebrate His movement....AT THE SAME HOUR
LEAD YOUR HOUSEHOLD.....
Sometimes we get this confused with DRAGGING THEM!
And perhaps there is time for this!
But don't just make them come to church because that is what we are supposed to do....that's nothing moe than religion!
LEAD them to FALL IN LOVE WITH JESUS!
AND LEAD THEM BY SHOWING THEM HOW YOU LOVE CHRIST’S BRIDE....the church
Too many times, we are so critical of His Bride!
Protect your children from that!
Let them LOVE JESUS AND HIS BRIDE!
BELIEVE WITH YOUR FAMILY AND LEAD YOUR FAMILY
When we recognize the work of Christ...
WE SHOULD RESPOND....BY #BECOMING A BELIEVING HOUSEHOLD!
II. We Respond by #BECOMING CLOSER to Jesus (John 5:1-15)
II. We Respond by #BECOMING CLOSER to Jesus (John 5:1-15)
Paul says that he counted every gain to him as LOSS.... FOR THE EXCELLENCE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST JESUS MY LORD!
Knowing Jesus and GROWING CLOSER TO HIM is the most important thing in this life!
And in this passage, we get to know three of the most important aspects of JESUS!
1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.
5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”
9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”
11 He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ”
12 Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?”
13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.
14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”
15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
We get to Know HIS COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE!
Verse 6 says WHEN JESUS SAW HIM LYING THERE....HE KNEW he had been there a long time!
JESUS KNEW his situation!
When you know Jesus, this is who you know....ONE WHO KNOWS YOU PERFECTLY AND INTIMATELY!
The more you know Jesus, the more precious this thought becomes!!
We get to Know HIS LOVING COMPASSION!
He sought out to go to this pool to meet this man....
And notice, this man was not healed by his faith....
He didn't even know Jesus name.....and thought his healing would only come through this pool!
He was healed because of Jesus....and HIS COMPASSION!
All throughout the Gospels, it says JESUS WAS MOVED WITH COMPASSION!
Jesus is compassionate toward you today!
We get to Know HIS SOVEREIGN POWER!
Jesus simply spoke....”GET UP, TAKE UP YOUR BED, AND WALK”
And IMMEDIATELY, it happened!
When Jesus speaks, deceased nerves and muscles and bones OBEY!!!
THIS IS HOW WE #BECOME CLOSER WITH JESUS......
We meet HIM IN HIS WORD...
We come to KNOW HIM...
His KNOWLEDGE
His COMPASSION
His POWER
And then you live out your day IN THAT FELLOWSHIP WITH THIS REAL JESUS!
We also GROW CLOSER in knowing that we are healed for the sake of HOLINESS!
John 5:14 “14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.””
Jesus GIVES PURPOSE TO HIS HEALING HERE!!!
WHEN GOD MOVES IN OUR LIVES....
It is not for our pleasure....but for our good!!!
AND THAT GOOD IS THAT WE BECOME MORE HOLY!
Romans 8:28–29 “28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
MADE HOLY!
God’s work in and around us is to draw us CLOSER FOR THE SAKE OF HOLINESS!
SIN NO MORE!
This HEALING was just a foretaste of when ALL WILL BE HEALED!
It is important to recognize that Jesus only healed one person at this pool!
Verse 3 says there were A GREAT MULTITUDE OF SICK, BLIND, LAME, and PARALIZED
But he left with only ONE TAKING UP HIS MAT!?
What we see here is just a FORETASTE OF WHAT IS TO COME....
In tasting this healing.....WE PLACE OUR FAITH AND HOPE in CHRIST SECOND COMING.....when their will be a FULL HEALING OF ALL HIS PEOPLE!
HEALING OF THE BODY AND MIND!
HEALING OF OUR HEARTS!
FULL AND COMPLETE HEALING!
This is why we LONG FOR.....and HE CALLS US TO FAITH AND HOLINESS AS WE WAIT!
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
HOW ARE WE TO RESPOND TO GOD’S AWESOME WORK!?
We Respond by #BECOMING a BELIEVING HOUSEHOLD! (John 4:43-54)
We Respond by #BECOMING CLOSER to Jesus (John 5:1-15)