1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:27,580 === 2 00:00:27,580 --> 00:00:34,180 As we start launching into this book and I know this will be the first day so you won't 3 00:00:34,180 --> 00:00:39,580 have expectations so I ask that you not allow any annoyances of the flesh with me to 4 00:00:39,580 --> 00:00:45,820 hinder your overall positive attitude this morning. But we're going to introduce a little 5 00:00:45,820 --> 00:00:49,900 movement in our litigee that we have in all ways practice in the past but I think it's 6 00:00:49,900 --> 00:00:56,780 appropriate. Would you all stand with me? As we read our text this morning, both in honor 7 00:00:56,780 --> 00:01:04,860 of the scriptures as God's revelation of himself but also as a remembrance that a lot 8 00:01:04,860 --> 00:01:13,340 of suffering, blood and death had to happen among generations of previous Christians in 9 00:01:13,340 --> 00:01:19,540 order for us to have the privilege to hold this revelation in our hands this morning. 10 00:01:19,540 --> 00:01:25,140 So we're simply going to read the prologue, we're going to read the prologue of the prologue. 11 00:01:25,140 --> 00:01:32,140 We're just going to look at John chapter one verses one through five. In the beginning was 12 00:01:32,140 --> 00:01:41,900 the word and the word was with God and the word was God. He was with God in the beginning. 13 00:01:41,900 --> 00:01:47,820 All things were created through him and apart from him not one thing was created that 14 00:01:47,820 --> 00:01:57,620 has been created in him was life and that light was the light of men. That light shines 15 00:01:57,620 --> 00:02:05,500 in the darkness and yet the darkness did not overcome it. These are the Holy Scriptures. 16 00:02:05,500 --> 00:02:11,020 May God bless our study of them this morning. Would you pray with me? Heavenly Father, 17 00:02:11,020 --> 00:02:17,340 we approach you with deep humility and gratitude for who you are. Old Heavenly King, 18 00:02:17,340 --> 00:02:24,540 Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Come and abide in us and with us as we open up the Scriptures. 19 00:02:24,540 --> 00:02:32,660 We long to not just be intrigued by information. We want to be transformed by revelation. 20 00:02:32,660 --> 00:02:39,500 And you and you alone can offer us that gift as we not only listen with our physical 21 00:02:39,500 --> 00:02:45,500 ears but we are also attuned to the inner lucidity of the voice of the Spirit as you are 22 00:02:45,500 --> 00:02:55,020 bringing truth to our souls that will empower us to accomplish our call to walk the earth 23 00:02:55,020 --> 00:03:02,260 as the pardon of God in Jesus. They may pray. Amen. So here we are jumping into John. 24 00:03:02,260 --> 00:03:09,180 Here is my overall point this morning that I want to consider and verses one through five. 25 00:03:09,180 --> 00:03:14,380 I am working really hard. I fact the first version of this sermon was verses one through 26 00:03:14,380 --> 00:03:20,540 eight. I just couldn't do it. So I'm going to work hard to get through the book of John 27 00:03:20,540 --> 00:03:26,060 in less than four years. However, there are going to be moments where we need to stop and 28 00:03:26,060 --> 00:03:31,100 suddenly in and just kind of land the plane and look specifically at some of the trees that 29 00:03:31,100 --> 00:03:36,380 we're passing over. And I think the prologue to John is one of those places. Now I will tell 30 00:03:36,380 --> 00:03:43,180 you the title of this series is John beholding Christ. It is rooted in my identity as an absolute 31 00:03:43,180 --> 00:03:49,580 coward. That is why I entitled this study beholding Christ. It was my cowardice because what 32 00:03:49,580 --> 00:03:58,220 I wanted to do, what first built out on that blank computer screen was John beholding the 33 00:03:58,220 --> 00:04:06,860 Christ in you. But I was afraid without explanation that that language might end up being confusing, 34 00:04:06,860 --> 00:04:15,500 but make no mistake. We are studying this ancient writing about the historical Jesus who walked 35 00:04:15,500 --> 00:04:23,740 on earth, who suffered, who bled, who died, who who has raised again to life, resurrection life. 36 00:04:23,740 --> 00:04:30,140 That's what we're looking at. But I'm looking at it for another agenda beyond just looking at that 37 00:04:30,140 --> 00:04:36,300 for the information. It is my hope and prayer after collossions. You understand the life that we 38 00:04:36,300 --> 00:04:44,780 are looking at is your life because Christ is in you, the hope of glory. That my desire is that instead 39 00:04:44,780 --> 00:04:50,620 of information just about the Savior from the past, we take what the past says about Him right 40 00:04:50,620 --> 00:04:57,100 here in the present. And all of us enter into some version of Paul's experience in Galatians 41 00:04:57,100 --> 00:05:05,740 to 20, where we can say it's no longer I who live but Christ lives in me, the life that I now 42 00:05:05,740 --> 00:05:14,620 live, and the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. So therefore, 43 00:05:14,620 --> 00:05:22,780 in some sense what is true about Jesus is true about the body of Christ, what's true about 44 00:05:22,780 --> 00:05:32,060 Jesus, it's true of you. So when we look at the historical Christ through the testimony of John, 45 00:05:32,060 --> 00:05:41,740 we are also peering into the mystery and getting to know more intimately the life that is already present 46 00:05:41,740 --> 00:05:49,340 in us. And hopefully it will come back this strange dualistic assumption that exist in modern 47 00:05:49,340 --> 00:05:54,380 Christianity, we're just striving really hard to be something we're not so we can look like 48 00:05:54,380 --> 00:06:04,220 Jesus and honor God. Living like Jesus you will find is the most natural, simple way to live 49 00:06:04,220 --> 00:06:12,700 because you are suited for it. It might come to a surprise to some of us but the truth is living 50 00:06:12,700 --> 00:06:20,220 antichrist is not the life humans were suited for. It's not the life we are created for. Therefore, 51 00:06:20,220 --> 00:06:28,700 I'm not battling with the bad me trying to be like Jesus and I'm engaged in a fight of faith to 52 00:06:28,700 --> 00:06:37,500 actually trust that what He says about me is true. That's the battle of faith. It is not affirming 53 00:06:37,500 --> 00:06:45,580 these things. It's actually having the audacity to believe that you're forgiven, redeemed people, 54 00:06:45,580 --> 00:06:53,900 who house the presence of Almighty God. That is the real battle of faith. So this morning what I 55 00:06:53,900 --> 00:07:00,700 want us to remember is that the Christ who is in you is the living word and the un-created God 56 00:07:00,700 --> 00:07:09,660 who created all that has been created. Therefore we must understand that when we behold Christ, 57 00:07:09,660 --> 00:07:17,820 we are beholding our trueest self for we are the dwelling place of God. 58 00:07:17,820 --> 00:07:27,260 When we behold Christ, we are beholding the life within us, the life that is 59 00:07:27,260 --> 00:07:34,540 residing in the soul of humanity because Christ who is in you the hope of glory is the living 60 00:07:34,540 --> 00:07:42,220 word and the un-created God who created all that has been created. And it helped will 61 00:07:42,220 --> 00:07:48,300 visual feel remember from our study of the book of Colossians which truth be told my agenda and 62 00:07:48,300 --> 00:07:54,940 Colossians had John in my sight. But you remember this from our study of Colossians, 63 00:07:54,940 --> 00:08:00,380 what we're going to read about and this is mystery of the incarnation, the way God works in the 64 00:08:00,380 --> 00:08:08,220 world as He expresses, I mean I love when we hear about miracles, we're God interrupts natural laws 65 00:08:08,220 --> 00:08:13,420 and natural order and He works things that our mind can't get around. But we have to understand 66 00:08:13,420 --> 00:08:20,860 that that is a special way that God works in the world not really the typical way. If we look 67 00:08:20,860 --> 00:08:28,220 at the scripture typically God does not work in the world independently of men and women who are 68 00:08:28,220 --> 00:08:34,380 called to manifest the work in the tangible world in which we live. And so what we're going to 69 00:08:34,380 --> 00:08:42,220 see is the incarnation is that God chose to reside in Christ. This is the model of the incarnation 70 00:08:42,220 --> 00:08:48,380 but the incarnation is not intended to simply be a Christian doctrine that we acknowledge, 71 00:08:48,380 --> 00:08:55,740 but rather it's a paradigm for the spiritual life because it reveals how God is at work in the world. 72 00:08:55,740 --> 00:09:04,140 So just as God was in Christ revealing Himself to the world now Christ resides in His body. 73 00:09:04,940 --> 00:09:13,500 Christ lives in us as the tangible expression of the love, the power and the mercy of God. 74 00:09:14,300 --> 00:09:21,900 And so therefore this principle at the very beginning of the Book of John is of critical importance. 75 00:09:21,900 --> 00:09:30,460 Number one, number two, John is going to reveal some things that might be either difficult 76 00:09:31,420 --> 00:09:39,820 or may be even offensive to some of the ideologies that of which we partake from time to time. 77 00:09:39,820 --> 00:09:57,500 And so I want to say this, if I offend please give me a chance to correct my communication. 78 00:10:00,860 --> 00:10:05,900 Some of you here have been walking with Jesus for the better part of your lives. 79 00:10:05,900 --> 00:10:13,020 But if we are doing our job as a community, hopefully there are those here 80 00:10:14,140 --> 00:10:17,020 that have yet to make the decision to walk with Jesus. 81 00:10:18,140 --> 00:10:23,020 Hopefully there are those here that very zealously chose to follow Jesus. 82 00:10:23,020 --> 00:10:29,260 And after a devastating experience of toxic, church, culture, or toxic theology, 83 00:10:29,260 --> 00:10:33,500 there's still this little shred of belief but there's no motivation to 84 00:10:33,500 --> 00:10:36,780 actively engage in the practice of the Christian faith. 85 00:10:37,580 --> 00:10:44,380 And maybe part of that is you were taught to assume belief rather than work to an affirmation of belief. 86 00:10:45,100 --> 00:10:49,580 And therefore you weren't allowed to believe wrong things and still follow Jesus. 87 00:10:51,100 --> 00:10:53,500 That's it all do respect. 88 00:10:54,620 --> 00:10:57,900 I stupid thing that churches propagate. 89 00:10:57,900 --> 00:11:05,100 Because if you look at the man who walked most intimately with Jesus, they didn't have him figured 90 00:11:05,100 --> 00:11:07,340 out till years even after the resurrection. 91 00:11:08,140 --> 00:11:13,340 It's still taking Peter 10 years after Jesus, he still can't wrap his mind around the fact that 92 00:11:13,340 --> 00:11:20,300 Jesus came for everyone. He has to have a dramatic vision. Therefore, your experience of salvation, 93 00:11:20,300 --> 00:11:25,500 God is not limited to your inability to comprehend or even to agree with a doctrine. 94 00:11:25,500 --> 00:11:32,700 He is just looking for your heart to be open to begin to respond and here's the thing 95 00:11:33,260 --> 00:11:37,580 our faith journeys and our intellectual journeys are rarely on the same path. 96 00:11:38,380 --> 00:11:43,740 Which is why saying a gust and said ours is a faith seeking understanding. 97 00:11:43,740 --> 00:11:47,580 Because there are moments when faith comes much easier than the understanding. 98 00:11:48,140 --> 00:11:50,140 And that is okay. 99 00:11:50,140 --> 00:11:59,100 So you can disagree with the pastor. You can disagree with the elders and the grand elders. 100 00:12:06,220 --> 00:12:08,140 And please hear my heart here. 101 00:12:10,220 --> 00:12:13,660 You can even disagree with what John's writing in the scripture. 102 00:12:13,660 --> 00:12:25,100 Because you might not be there intellectually. And yet you find your heart saying yes Lord, 103 00:12:26,300 --> 00:12:32,300 I would implore you, respond to the spirit and be patient with your intellectual journey. 104 00:12:33,100 --> 00:12:40,940 Now having said that, I also want to make clear that we are building a church community 105 00:12:40,940 --> 00:12:48,140 that sees herself as part of a movement. We are not just an independent church. 106 00:12:48,140 --> 00:12:56,060 We are a community captivated by the call to join the movement to be so rooted in God's love 107 00:12:56,060 --> 00:13:00,860 that we are changing the understanding and expression of Christianity in our generation. 108 00:13:03,100 --> 00:13:09,660 Therefore, it's imperative because you don't have to join the movement to follow Christ. 109 00:13:09,660 --> 00:13:17,180 But some of you who are called the follow Christ will also be called to join the movement 110 00:13:17,180 --> 00:13:23,580 that the spirit is birthing through this community. And if so, it's important that we understand 111 00:13:23,580 --> 00:13:29,820 who we are talking about when we talk about Jesus. And even if you're not there yet intellectually, 112 00:13:29,820 --> 00:13:39,020 we are talking about the eternal, uncreated God. This is what causes our faith to be very different 113 00:13:39,020 --> 00:13:45,740 than other faith systems or expressions. We are not talking about Jesus, the yoga guru that 114 00:13:45,740 --> 00:13:54,780 can just feel me with more peace and serenity. We are not talking about Jesus, the ethical 115 00:13:54,780 --> 00:14:01,020 teacher that can tell me whether or not I'm living a moral life or not. Now all these expressions 116 00:14:01,020 --> 00:14:06,220 are inclusive. I'm not demonizing them. I'm just saying we're talking about something larger than that. 117 00:14:06,220 --> 00:14:15,580 We're talking about even something larger than an ideology to put my hopes and faith into so that 118 00:14:15,580 --> 00:14:21,580 hopefully I address that anxiety of death that we all have as humans because we're not sure what 119 00:14:21,580 --> 00:14:28,140 happens afterwards, which has been the primary selling point of evangelical Christianity of the past 120 00:14:28,140 --> 00:14:33,260 one hundred years. But I'm talking about something way more than that. 121 00:14:33,260 --> 00:14:40,300 I'm not even talking about the Americanized Jesus who's buffed and if you wanted to, 122 00:14:40,300 --> 00:14:47,500 you could just break the cross through the spikes and protect his guns and his money. 123 00:14:49,100 --> 00:14:56,300 I'm not talking about that Jesus. What I am talking about is all those visions being called 124 00:14:56,300 --> 00:15:03,100 to humbly submit to the revelation of Jesus and Scripture who is the manifestation 125 00:15:03,100 --> 00:15:11,740 of the un-created God. That's our starting point with John. So let's look at this prologue together. 126 00:15:11,740 --> 00:15:22,540 John 1, let's look at verses 1 and 2. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God 127 00:15:22,540 --> 00:15:31,260 and the word was God. He was with God in the beginning. There in that little section of two 128 00:15:31,260 --> 00:15:39,420 verses, there is a phrase that serves as bookmarks for the thoughts. It's repeated twice and two 129 00:15:39,420 --> 00:15:45,980 verses. I don't think I could help you out any more than that. What's the phrase? 130 00:15:45,980 --> 00:15:58,860 Please. The same phrase is at the beginning and the end and the beginning. Now, 131 00:16:00,380 --> 00:16:09,020 does that even if you're not an avid Bible reader, does that remind you of anywhere else in this 132 00:16:09,020 --> 00:16:19,020 book that we read that phrase? The first opening words of the Scriptures, the opening words of 133 00:16:19,020 --> 00:16:28,700 the Hebrew Bible are in the beginning. In the beginning. Now, do you think that was an accident? 134 00:16:30,060 --> 00:16:37,180 I would submit to you it was not an accident. John knows what he's doing when he uses that phrase 135 00:16:37,180 --> 00:16:43,260 to encompass his opening thoughts of his gospel. It's because we're supposed to be alerted. 136 00:16:43,260 --> 00:16:53,100 We are reading about the new creation narrative and he's pulling in that echo of the 137 00:16:53,100 --> 00:16:58,220 original creation narrative. John is going to show us something about Jesus. 138 00:16:58,220 --> 00:17:07,100 What he's going to do is to say in the coming of Jesus, there was a fullness of time where 139 00:17:07,100 --> 00:17:13,980 God was doing something unique in the world. It even divides our Western calendars. 140 00:17:14,700 --> 00:17:21,100 Because God has done something unique because in here it is a re-creation. Think about this. 141 00:17:21,100 --> 00:17:27,500 This is so fascinating to me. In the original creation narrative, humanity is made in the 142 00:17:27,500 --> 00:17:36,300 image of God. In the new creation narrative, divinity takes on the clothing of human flesh. 143 00:17:41,260 --> 00:17:45,500 And that is something that's utterly unique because it's not even mentioned in that first 144 00:17:45,500 --> 00:17:52,860 opening creation narrative. God is doing something brand new in the world that he created. 145 00:17:52,860 --> 00:17:59,180 And look at the metaphors. Notice this. I'm using the word Jesus. The ideas that I want 146 00:17:59,180 --> 00:18:05,020 to look at this morning are that Jesus, the word of God, Jesus, the word of God is the source of 147 00:18:05,020 --> 00:18:10,380 life and Jesus, the word of God is the light of the world. Those are the three ideas we're going 148 00:18:10,380 --> 00:18:15,260 to look at. But what I want you to see is even though I've introduced the word Jesus, John has not. 149 00:18:15,260 --> 00:18:23,500 In fact, it's likely that what John did after he wrote his gospel, he actually went back 150 00:18:23,500 --> 00:18:28,620 after it was written and wrote the prologue, like any good communicator would did. 151 00:18:30,540 --> 00:18:36,140 And he adds this prologue. He's written at the top of the gospel that he's written because 152 00:18:36,140 --> 00:18:42,140 this is the vision of Jesus that he is expressing in the rest of his gospel. 153 00:18:42,140 --> 00:18:48,700 So in the first creation, we have humanity made in the image of God. In second creation, 154 00:18:48,700 --> 00:18:55,180 you have God taking on humanity. And so John doesn't begin with the word Jesus. He brings 155 00:18:55,180 --> 00:19:00,060 that in, Father, down, chapter one. But I think we need to honor the fact because we read this. 156 00:19:00,060 --> 00:19:06,060 And when we read in God, we think Jesus and Yahweh or we might think Son and the Father. 157 00:19:06,060 --> 00:19:10,540 And it's okay. I'm not saying that those concepts aren't present there. But I am saying, 158 00:19:10,540 --> 00:19:17,660 let's honor the fact that that's not John's original go to metaphors. What are his metaphors 159 00:19:17,660 --> 00:19:26,860 for Jesus that he is the word who is with God and who is God, that he is life and that he is 160 00:19:26,860 --> 00:19:35,180 light. These are the metaphors of Jesus with which he begins. And if we want to go full circle, 161 00:19:35,180 --> 00:19:42,620 we can also say John is the apostle who in his epistles gives us one other metaphor for who God is. 162 00:19:43,340 --> 00:19:51,100 Anybody? Oh, thank you, front row. He is the one that's going to say, God is love. 163 00:19:52,940 --> 00:20:02,220 Word, light, life, love. These are the introductory metaphors for understanding John's thinking. 164 00:20:02,220 --> 00:20:09,740 John will show that Jesus is the word, but first has metaphors for Jesus, our word, 165 00:20:11,020 --> 00:20:18,300 life, light and love. And he simply says the word was in the beginning, was in the beginning, 166 00:20:18,300 --> 00:20:27,580 was with God and was God. The unique idea of Christianity is that both 167 00:20:27,580 --> 00:20:36,620 is that Jesus is both human and divine. He is the creator God who chose to become a man 168 00:20:36,620 --> 00:20:45,500 that he might reveal himself to his creation by entering the human experience. The God who is 169 00:20:45,500 --> 00:20:57,900 Spirit takes on the flesh of humanity. And John says this is his word. Now just a brief 170 00:20:57,900 --> 00:21:03,420 parenthetical explanation. Do I have time for that? Maybe maybe not. We'll see the 171 00:21:03,420 --> 00:21:14,780 11th again if I had time for it or not. I think a sense of humor about your past experience is 172 00:21:14,780 --> 00:21:27,500 healthy to grow through difficulties in identifying your own growth of maturity. So sometimes, 173 00:21:27,500 --> 00:21:35,660 I find some of my proclivities and beliefs and habits laughable. But because I'm laughing at my 174 00:21:35,660 --> 00:21:40,860 habit, it doesn't mean I'm laughing at you if you engaged in that habit. I don't intend it to be 175 00:21:40,860 --> 00:21:48,460 a personal insult because the evidence suggests that most of you are way more sincere than I am. 176 00:21:48,460 --> 00:21:55,580 So I've got to take that into account. So I don't care if we use this phrase, but I don't 177 00:21:55,580 --> 00:22:04,620 think it's inconsequential. If our minds replace Jesus as the Word of God to the Bible as the Word of God. 178 00:22:05,900 --> 00:22:12,940 I just want to highlight that in the Scriptures, the Bible is not called the Word of God. 179 00:22:14,380 --> 00:22:19,660 In the Scriptures, the Scriptures are called the Scriptures. Now there's one fundamental reason 180 00:22:19,660 --> 00:22:23,420 for that, which is when most of the women written, we didn't have what we call the Bible. 181 00:22:23,420 --> 00:22:30,060 That doesn't get codified and said, little by little until after the fact that it was written. 182 00:22:30,060 --> 00:22:34,380 No one sat down and said, you know what? Think I'm going to add it after the Bible today. 183 00:22:35,340 --> 00:22:41,420 No one did that. And I do think it's important for us to understand. 184 00:22:42,620 --> 00:22:45,340 The Word of God in Scripture isn't the Bible. 185 00:22:45,340 --> 00:22:53,580 Who, who or what is the phrase Word of God referring to in the Scripture? 186 00:22:54,620 --> 00:23:01,900 Jesus. So for me personally, I'm not saying anyone else is doing this. I realize there's 187 00:23:01,900 --> 00:23:10,220 something of idolatry when I put my interpretation of the Scriptures in my language on equal 188 00:23:10,220 --> 00:23:17,980 par with Jesus. And it creates a weird dichotomy that puts people under strange condemnation 189 00:23:17,980 --> 00:23:22,700 because here's the thing, you can still be faithful to Jesus and have questions about the Bible. 190 00:23:23,980 --> 00:23:31,260 It is okay. It just means that you're creator in dowry with a brain that's going to 191 00:23:31,260 --> 00:23:37,740 cause you to investigate and ask questions that is not being unfaithful to God. 192 00:23:37,740 --> 00:23:45,260 It is honoring him with the intellect that he gave you. Because it's very crystal clear from 193 00:23:45,260 --> 00:23:52,060 these passages that John understands that the Word of God is in fact Jesus. 194 00:23:53,660 --> 00:23:57,420 To experience Jesus is to know the life of God in the human soul. 195 00:23:59,420 --> 00:24:04,540 And again, when we call it the Bible, we're looking for principles for living. 196 00:24:04,540 --> 00:24:09,500 When we call it Jesus, we're looking for a person whose presence is real. 197 00:24:10,700 --> 00:24:17,820 And it's not the exact same thing. So to follow Jesus is not simply to align myself with the 198 00:24:17,820 --> 00:24:24,620 principles of the written Word, it is to give myself to the presence of the living Word. 199 00:24:25,660 --> 00:24:31,500 That's what we are talking about when we talk about following Jesus, which is why 200 00:24:31,500 --> 00:24:38,860 we have the unique honor of being part of a community that's not going to hold your faithfulness 201 00:24:38,860 --> 00:24:45,820 to Jesus to affirmations of the body of doctrinal belief statements. We're all here because of the 202 00:24:45,820 --> 00:24:51,180 revelation of Jesus drawn by the Holy Spirit and we may all have very different beliefs about 203 00:24:51,180 --> 00:24:57,340 doctrine and how we interpret the Bible. You know what? That can be difficult if we're not 204 00:24:57,340 --> 00:25:03,740 following the Spirit, we can be really mean with one another because of that. Or in humility, 205 00:25:03,740 --> 00:25:10,380 we can recognize that this diversity is a beautiful tapestry that God is weaving together. 206 00:25:10,380 --> 00:25:17,260 And we understand, I can't do this on my own. I need the gifts of the body of Christ in order to be 207 00:25:17,260 --> 00:25:23,820 healthy. And in order for me to be open to the gifts of the body of Christ, my criteria cannot be. 208 00:25:23,820 --> 00:25:29,260 I'm only going to listen to those. I already know previously, agree with my interpretation and my outlook. 209 00:25:31,660 --> 00:25:38,060 We actually get to enter into that diversity and realize it's a more faithful expression of the 210 00:25:38,060 --> 00:25:49,500 nature of God than homogene. Sameness. So number one, Jesus, the Word of God, is God. We are talking 211 00:25:49,500 --> 00:25:59,740 about God and clothing flesh. Number two, Jesus, the Word of God, is the source of life, 212 00:25:59,740 --> 00:26:08,620 and light for everyone. The other thing I want to challenge you in is that we are taught to read the 213 00:26:08,620 --> 00:26:17,100 scripture as if the truth it extoses is primarily for Christians. And the Bible never puts 214 00:26:17,100 --> 00:26:25,020 those parameters around itself. We are talking about the uncreated God. We're not just talking 215 00:26:25,020 --> 00:26:31,420 about the intellectual property of organized Christian religion. Hopefully it's an organized 216 00:26:31,420 --> 00:26:36,460 Christian religion is informed by that, but our history shows us that it has not always been. 217 00:26:38,540 --> 00:26:44,140 We are talking about the revelation of God to humanity. And this is what John cares about. 218 00:26:44,140 --> 00:26:48,860 So he uses the Word of God for Word. Because the Word of God would have been something that his 219 00:26:48,860 --> 00:26:53,580 Jewish audience, which he is primarily writing for probably, his Jewish audience would have heard 220 00:26:53,580 --> 00:26:58,140 that and they would have recognized this concept already. Because they already had this idea that 221 00:26:58,140 --> 00:27:04,540 there's the Word of God and then there's the logo of God. The logo is the way God gets communicated 222 00:27:04,540 --> 00:27:10,540 and works in his world, which is why you'll see often references in the Old Testament to the Word of 223 00:27:10,540 --> 00:27:14,940 God. It's not void the Word of God. It's going to accomplish whatever he intends for it to. 224 00:27:14,940 --> 00:27:20,780 And if you go to the Book of Proverbs, it gets a little closer to what John's talking about, 225 00:27:20,780 --> 00:27:27,420 because in Proverbs it's called wisdom and wisdom is personified, not as an attribute of God, 226 00:27:27,420 --> 00:27:33,260 but as a living entity that was there with God at the beginning of creation. So as he says, 227 00:27:33,260 --> 00:27:37,260 it was the Word through which God created everything. Proverbs is going to celebrate that it was 228 00:27:37,260 --> 00:27:41,900 wisdom that was there at the foundation of the world. So that idea is already there in Jewish 229 00:27:41,900 --> 00:27:48,140 thinking, but also the Greeks, this Word of God, it also was essentially first principles 230 00:27:48,140 --> 00:27:54,220 of Greek philosophy. So they too would have had a reference point for what Paul, for what John is saying, 231 00:27:54,220 --> 00:27:59,020 as he approaches his gospel, totally different than the other three gospels, because his 232 00:27:59,020 --> 00:28:05,020 end is intended to have a larger, more universal appeal. So John, unlike the others, he doesn't 233 00:28:05,020 --> 00:28:09,740 begin with genealogy. That would have been important if only Jews were reading the gospel, 234 00:28:09,740 --> 00:28:14,700 but for a gospel that has universal appeal, he's not going to begin at genealogy, 235 00:28:14,700 --> 00:28:20,220 because that's to begin with the earthly origins of Jesus. And John doesn't want to do that. 236 00:28:20,220 --> 00:28:25,820 John wants to begin with the heavenly non-orrogens of Jesus, because he was never created. 237 00:28:25,820 --> 00:28:35,740 He just always was existing as the Word through whom all things were created. And John celebrates 238 00:28:35,740 --> 00:28:43,500 this. So the Jesus we're seeking to follow is the uncreated God who is the source or creator of 239 00:28:43,500 --> 00:28:50,380 life and life for everyone. Look at how he very simply says it in verse three, all things were 240 00:28:50,380 --> 00:28:56,780 created through him. And apart from him, not one thing was created that has been created. In him 241 00:28:56,780 --> 00:29:03,420 was life and that life was the light of men. Paul will go on to celebrate in that great 242 00:29:03,420 --> 00:29:11,820 him of Christology in Coashins 1, 15 through 17. Christology is just the body of theology that 243 00:29:11,820 --> 00:29:16,300 deals with the study of Christ. It means nothing but man, it's really cool to say, isn't it? 244 00:29:16,300 --> 00:29:22,220 I certainly felt smarter immediately whenever I said the Word Christology. Anyway, in that great 245 00:29:22,220 --> 00:29:27,340 him of Christology, founding Colossians, chapter one, verses 15 through 17, what is Paul 246 00:29:27,340 --> 00:29:35,260 Rod? He says he, in speaking of Jesus, is the image of the invisible God. He is the image 247 00:29:35,260 --> 00:29:43,660 of the invisible God. He is the first born of our old creation. Why? Verse 16, for everything was 248 00:29:43,660 --> 00:29:52,540 created by him. In heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or 249 00:29:52,540 --> 00:30:00,620 dominions or rulers or authorities. All things have been created through him and for him. 250 00:30:01,580 --> 00:30:09,660 He is before all things and by him, all things hold together. 251 00:30:09,660 --> 00:30:24,460 Even those who deny him, even those who fail him, even those who betray him, even those who 252 00:30:25,740 --> 00:30:34,780 want to live as if there is no reality of a creator. Your creator is so loving and gracious 253 00:30:34,780 --> 00:30:43,980 that he holds those in defiance of him together. That's the life that's in you. 254 00:30:46,060 --> 00:30:51,500 My inability to forgive is a bit of an illusion of my ego because the truth is, 255 00:30:52,700 --> 00:30:59,900 there's a life in me that holds his enemies together because of love and mercy. 256 00:30:59,900 --> 00:31:08,060 God is not engaged in a cultural war conflict that some unfortunately of his fathers get 257 00:31:08,060 --> 00:31:14,300 followers get preoccupied with. There's no conflict with the one who holds everything together. 258 00:31:15,180 --> 00:31:19,900 He'll go on to say in Colossians chapter 3, in Christ there is not Greek, in Jews, 259 00:31:19,900 --> 00:31:27,180 circumcision, an unsurconcision barbarian, schithian, slave and free, but Christ is all and 260 00:31:27,180 --> 00:31:37,100 Christ is all and in all. Now that may be theologically disturbing. It's okay. 261 00:31:37,980 --> 00:31:49,180 That's why there's coffee and rubins and good pipes to backo and if need be a $30 hour and a half 262 00:31:49,180 --> 00:32:01,820 cigar so that you can engage and leisure and contemplate theology. That's what it's intended for, 263 00:32:02,460 --> 00:32:08,220 but we can still begin with, man, I don't understand how all that works. In fact, it creates a lot of 264 00:32:08,220 --> 00:32:13,020 questions for me because it doesn't quite drive with the simple formulas I was given and yet even though 265 00:32:13,020 --> 00:32:19,980 I don't understand it, I trust Christ enough that I can look at the scripture and say, I choose to have faith 266 00:32:19,980 --> 00:32:36,060 that that's true. He's holding everyone together. He's present in everyone, even those who follow a different 267 00:32:36,060 --> 00:32:44,540 religious structure are those who deny his existence altogether. It's a beautiful thought here, isn't it? 268 00:32:45,420 --> 00:32:52,620 That there is something of Christ nonetheless still saturating what seems at times to be a God 269 00:32:52,620 --> 00:33:01,660 for second world. It's the very opposite of God forsaken my friends. It is a God saturated 270 00:33:01,660 --> 00:33:14,460 cosmos in which we are living. Jesus abounds. Finally, he says that Jesus the Word of God 271 00:33:14,460 --> 00:33:21,340 is the light of the world who will always triumph. Here's how he says it, verse 5. 272 00:33:21,340 --> 00:33:34,300 That light shines in the darkness and get the darkness dead not overcome it. Love wins. 273 00:33:37,500 --> 00:33:51,180 Love always wins. Love will always win. Put down your weapons, your noble calling 274 00:33:51,180 --> 00:33:59,500 is not that of a culture warrior standing in antagonism to the world that God wants to taste his 275 00:33:59,500 --> 00:34:09,340 grace and forgiveness. He can't use you for that mission as long as you want to be a soldier for his 276 00:34:09,340 --> 00:34:25,820 ideology. In the mission of God only wounded humbled lovers will do because that is his 277 00:34:25,820 --> 00:34:37,100 posture and you don't have to combat because he wins. If you believe that the school system in 278 00:34:37,100 --> 00:34:44,540 America was handed over to the sovereignty of nation whenever a law was passed that there 279 00:34:44,540 --> 00:34:52,780 couldn't be organized prayer. Then may I humbly as your friend suggests, your God is too small 280 00:34:53,900 --> 00:35:00,940 and it is not the God celebrated by the prologue of John's gospel. Because that God 281 00:35:00,940 --> 00:35:10,460 didn't give up because some puny Americans passed a law. He didn't decide, well I'm no longer 282 00:35:10,460 --> 00:35:17,420 going to be on the present. I can't. I've been able to cleverly overcome the oppression of all 283 00:35:17,420 --> 00:35:22,060 the other countries throughout history until I didn't see them coming. You got to states they 284 00:35:22,060 --> 00:35:29,900 passed a law against me. Guess I'll back away and encourage my followers to become known for their 285 00:35:29,900 --> 00:35:40,300 fear mongering and withdrawal instead of engaging the darkness because we know that darkness 286 00:35:40,300 --> 00:35:51,740 will never ever overcome the light. Law will always win. In fact there is a vision that the 287 00:35:51,740 --> 00:36:01,420 apostle Paul articulates and I really hate the way it's been treated because when we read this, 288 00:36:01,420 --> 00:36:06,700 we read into it things that are not there. We are going to read into the scripture that I'm 289 00:36:06,700 --> 00:36:14,300 about to read. My guess would be you were taught to read it in a weaponized way and I would 290 00:36:14,300 --> 00:36:21,900 implore you to take a moment and not read it as a weaponized threat but read it instead of potentially 291 00:36:26,060 --> 00:36:35,420 beautiful and glorious future from humankind that's birthed out of the power and grace of God. 292 00:36:36,380 --> 00:36:43,820 Because instead of being a culture warrior Paul gives us a different vision it's in Philippians 2 293 00:36:43,820 --> 00:36:55,420 verses 9 through 11 for this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above 294 00:36:55,420 --> 00:37:08,300 every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow. It doesn't say so at the name of Jesus 295 00:37:08,300 --> 00:37:15,180 every Christian knee will bow. That's the hotwood it said for one thing the Christianity that you and I 296 00:37:15,180 --> 00:37:22,140 know and practice did not exist when Paul wrote this letter. He's talking about something that 297 00:37:22,140 --> 00:37:31,420 predates organized Christianity and he says so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and 298 00:37:31,420 --> 00:37:40,140 heaven on on earth and under the earth and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord 299 00:37:40,140 --> 00:37:49,340 to the glory of God the Father. Now I don't pretend that I have a sophisticated doctrine that I've 300 00:37:49,340 --> 00:37:57,580 organized out of that revelation. All I can say is this the scripture's point me to a world view 301 00:37:57,580 --> 00:38:04,940 full of optimism because it says there will be a time when all those who experience Christ as 302 00:38:04,940 --> 00:38:13,660 hidden from their view will one day see him as he is. That one day everyone will recognize 303 00:38:14,860 --> 00:38:26,220 Jesus Christ is Lord and will bow the knee before his sovereignty. This is the vision that is in my heart 304 00:38:26,220 --> 00:38:34,540 it is not about the destruction of America. It is not about the doom and gloom prophets. It is 305 00:38:34,540 --> 00:38:41,900 I believe in my heart that God is working this dream to fruition where there is a time when every 306 00:38:41,900 --> 00:38:47,340 knee is bowed and every tongue confesses and I just want to be part of that mission right now 307 00:38:47,340 --> 00:38:58,540 that great revealing that great unveiling of who he is. So how do we respond 308 00:39:00,380 --> 00:39:08,700 in mysteries as magnificent as these? Man I spend a lot of time in turmoil this week 309 00:39:09,660 --> 00:39:15,420 so you can see those five verses carry with it so many different ways that we could go and we could think 310 00:39:15,420 --> 00:39:22,460 and even thinking about the application I started in one area of thought at the beginning of the 311 00:39:22,460 --> 00:39:30,860 week and it just grew over time but I think for this morning we're going to do something that's 312 00:39:30,860 --> 00:39:37,820 a little out of the norm and I want to end this sermon with a call for every individual 313 00:39:37,820 --> 00:39:50,300 if you are not already to become a follower of Jesus or if need be to renew your calling to follow 314 00:39:50,300 --> 00:40:03,020 Jesus. Become a follower or if need be renew your calling to follow him. How do you do this? 315 00:40:03,020 --> 00:40:17,340 You all know how much I struggle with formulaic simplicity and yet I felt the gen overview 316 00:40:18,700 --> 00:40:26,060 of the Lord this week that perhaps I've over communicated that this day and I want to be as 317 00:40:26,060 --> 00:40:34,140 practical as I can this morning number one learn more you you don't have to believe like us 318 00:40:35,260 --> 00:40:42,460 to be our friend and to entraveling companion. Most churches are built on the assumption 319 00:40:42,460 --> 00:40:48,940 that you must believe in order to belong. God has called us to a different mission to create space 320 00:40:48,940 --> 00:40:55,180 where you can belong before you believe. So you are welcome here with all your doubts 321 00:40:55,180 --> 00:41:02,140 insecurities and vehement disagreements it's okay that's part of the process of learning. 322 00:41:03,340 --> 00:41:14,140 Jesus himself said even the builder considers the cost before building. Learn learn by being with us 323 00:41:14,140 --> 00:41:20,700 by worshiping with us learn by sitting with us at our potluts where we can share our lives together. 324 00:41:20,700 --> 00:41:28,460 If you're a podcast person learn by asking about podcast books that you might read that have been 325 00:41:28,460 --> 00:41:35,180 helpful to others but what I am saying is the approach in the Bible is to welcome space for you to 326 00:41:35,180 --> 00:41:40,220 grow not threaten you with imminent dangers of hell if you don't make a decision by this second. 327 00:41:41,580 --> 00:41:47,420 I don't see that in the scripture. I see Jesus creating place to say consider 328 00:41:47,420 --> 00:41:54,940 the cost learn more but then at some point in that learning it has to coalesce with this in goal. 329 00:41:56,220 --> 00:42:03,260 Believe in Jesus the Son of God the Savior of the world the Lord of life. 330 00:42:05,260 --> 00:42:12,700 Align yourself with him this is so critical there is a false ideological religion out there 331 00:42:12,700 --> 00:42:22,460 that says transformation comes from affirming information. This is a lie it isn't true that is just an 332 00:42:22,460 --> 00:42:30,140 invitation to ideology that becomes idolatry because it's a replacement for Jesus because our faith 333 00:42:30,140 --> 00:42:36,700 is in what we believe about Jesus not in the work of Jesus and this is a mistake from which we must 334 00:42:36,700 --> 00:42:51,180 repent. So align yourself with him repent of the sins that have harmed yourself and others when 335 00:42:51,180 --> 00:43:01,420 you were not following the way of Jesus. So many times evangelists insert a false human motivated 336 00:43:01,420 --> 00:43:11,500 guilt and shame over our sins. I will not do that. If you're not aware of how living anti-Christ 337 00:43:11,980 --> 00:43:17,340 is bringing chaos and destruction then you shouldn't be pressured to change your way of living. 338 00:43:18,700 --> 00:43:24,460 You shouldn't be pressured to have to live a different way. What I'm talking and that's what causes 339 00:43:24,460 --> 00:43:28,620 a false repentance because I'm repenting over the sins that you're mentioning not my own. 340 00:43:28,620 --> 00:43:39,900 Repentances when you recognize the flow of your life that is anti-Christ and self-procupied 341 00:43:40,540 --> 00:43:45,660 has caused a way of thinking that is harming yourself and the people around you that you love. 342 00:43:47,180 --> 00:43:53,900 It's called the consequences of sin. It's the consequences of living anti-Christ and when you can see that 343 00:43:53,900 --> 00:44:04,940 you can come to Jesus and be liberated by that shame and that guilt because he extends for 344 00:44:04,940 --> 00:44:11,420 given this. So repent of the sins that have harmed yourself and others when you were not following 345 00:44:11,420 --> 00:44:21,100 you. Ask Jesus to empower you to follow him with your life. Pray. Ask Jesus to be your life 346 00:44:21,100 --> 00:44:27,020 and your Lord and to fill you with this power so that you can become a manifester of his love in the world. 347 00:44:29,260 --> 00:44:34,780 And then it's crazy but I think the first couple centuries of the church had the right idea. 348 00:44:35,420 --> 00:44:43,740 Instead of decision cards and follow what phone calls get baptized. That's what this whole thing is about. 349 00:44:43,740 --> 00:44:48,700 It's not a shrink it, it's not a gimmick, it's not something cute to put in a photo book, 350 00:44:48,700 --> 00:44:56,620 it is a declaration that I realized I no longer live, I have died with Christ, I was buried with him 351 00:44:56,620 --> 00:45:02,540 in the consequences of death and with him in that place I was made to life again by the resurrecting 352 00:45:02,540 --> 00:45:08,300 power of the life giving spirit that rose Jesus from the dead and so I come out of the waters 353 00:45:08,300 --> 00:45:14,380 in the numerous of resurrection life intent on following him all the rest of my days. 354 00:45:14,380 --> 00:45:23,020 It's this public declaration the former is passed away the new has come. 355 00:45:24,620 --> 00:45:33,420 In fact the early churches you went in the waters without clothing. When you came up they wrapped 356 00:45:33,420 --> 00:45:40,060 a robe, a white robe around you. I am not suggesting we return to the practice 357 00:45:40,060 --> 00:45:51,260 this. Particularly in the close quarters of the baptismal state but I am saying that we appreciate 358 00:45:51,260 --> 00:45:59,100 the imagery that they were going for because you do go into the waters naked and you rise 359 00:45:59,100 --> 00:46:06,620 symbolic the fact that you are a man or a woman forever clothed in the righteousness of Christ 360 00:46:06,620 --> 00:46:17,980 never needing to doubt his love acceptance or grace be baptized my friends as an affirmation of your 361 00:46:17,980 --> 00:46:27,660 faith. That was the universal appeal bear with me for one more and if you're here this morning 362 00:46:27,660 --> 00:46:32,460 if you're connected to this community it might mean that the way you're going to walk that journey 363 00:46:32,460 --> 00:46:39,500 out is it with this community and so I would consider you I would suggest that you consider 364 00:46:40,460 --> 00:46:47,100 joining the movement to be a community so rooted in God's love that we are renewing the 365 00:46:47,100 --> 00:46:53,820 understanding and expression of Christianity in our generation. With the worship team come forward as 366 00:46:53,820 --> 00:47:00,540 we get ready to come forth and take communion. As you seek the Lord I'm not going to tell you to 367 00:47:00,540 --> 00:47:07,980 repent to repeat a prayer after me pray your own prayer it'll be way more meaningful but 368 00:47:09,500 --> 00:47:15,180 if we can be part of your journey and you want to talk about baptism and getting plugged into the 369 00:47:15,180 --> 00:47:22,140 movement here call us make an appointment I would love to sit and talk with you I would love to 370 00:47:22,140 --> 00:47:28,220 as long as it's helpful to you to be present in your journey to serve you in any way that I can 371 00:47:28,220 --> 00:47:33,340 until such a time as my service is less than what you need for your next season of growth. 372 00:47:34,700 --> 00:47:41,020 I would be happy to walk with you. Let us know if the spirit called you to say your own prayer this 373 00:47:41,020 --> 00:47:49,020 morning. So everyone stand it was become to the Lord's table I'm asking you to discern where the Holy 374 00:47:49,020 --> 00:47:59,580 Spirit is causing you to act to believe or to renew to align through repentance to pray or to 375 00:47:59,580 --> 00:48:08,060 time to be baptized or as it time to recognize the futility of a missionless life and may be 376 00:48:08,060 --> 00:48:20,860 joined the movement to live the love. Create some space, respond to this.