Intro- “In the beginning”
- Writer of the Gospel according to John is the Apostle John.
- Purpose is made clear at the end of the Gospel
- Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:30–31
- “Believing Life”
- What do we believe? “That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.”
- What happens when we do? “Have life”… “in his name”
- It’s not just that you have life, but it’s in his name.
- In referring to last weeks sermon, “a new beginning!”
- Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
- We saw in 1 Cor. 15. How Paul refers to Christ as the “last Adam”
- Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:45–49
- We are the new creation, a new humanity, of heaven… in Christ.
- Unbelief =Adam. in Believing=in Christ
- Unbelief=dust in Believing=Heaven
- Unbelief=Death in Believing=Life
- Unbelief=Darkness in Believing=Light
- God is establishing a new beginning!
- India, with a heart to share this wonderful news, I was taught a delima. Add Jesus to their God economy.
- Jesus, the God of the poor and for healing.
- But if I want rain I pray to the God Indra / Crops, Goddess Parvati.
- I wonder if we do the same? Add forgiveness to a self centered life, like a coat when it’s cold to keep us warm in the winter of our condemnation, but the rest of life is spent serving other God’s?
- Main point- God Creates Life.
- Remember our purpose in the Gospel of John, that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
- So who is this “Christ, the son of God?”
#1. God- He is God, vs. 1
- He was, eternally exists. vs. 2
- was with, Distinct person
- and is God, 3 distinct persons, one God.
- We know God is one, yet we see 3. God the Father, the Son, Holy Spirit
- Website Slide Read #1 & #2 (Below notes)
- One God.
- The Christ is God from the OT, he is the Immanuel, God with us
- “for unto us a child is born, a son is given, and he shall be called, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
- He is not what you might think…
- “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.” Zechariah 12:10
- God pierced? What could this mean?
- Tripartite promise, dwells with us, so that he can dwell in us!
- And then he comes. Our text this morning, John 1:1 the word was God,
- “Was”, not past tense, but was is and will always be, God. but becomes flesh (vs. 14), he claims it himself, in John 8:58 “before Abraham was “I am”
- Thomas, on seeing the risen Lord, proclaims “my Lord and my God”
- Before Abraham was, “I AM”
- He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” John 8:23–24
- Believe that he is who? The Christ. Who is the Christ? God… and his name is JESUS.
- Do you need to understand the mystery of the trinity to be saved? No. But as you learn who Jesus is, if you reject who he says about himself, what the scriptures that he inspired say, then it does bring into question who you believe in, and your assurance of this promised life that Jesus offers, well it’s not so sure.
- There is only one who life can be found, the Christ, and his name is Jesus!
- God Creates Life
#2. Creates, He is Creator, Read vs. 3
- God creates by his word.
- Gen. 1 Let us make man in our image and likeness? Us & our.
- then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. Genesis 2:7
- And God creates life… If Jesus is God, was he there? Is the “us” and “our” include the Jesus we believe in?
- For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. Colossians 1:16-18
- By the Father through the son.
- He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, Hebrews 1:3
- God Creates Life
#3. He is Life vs. 4-5
- Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6
- God Creates Life
- Unbelief =Adam. in Believing=in Christ
- Unbelief=dust in Believing=Heaven
- Unbelief=Death in Believing=Life
- Unbelief=Darkness in Believing=Light
- Application
- Are you adding God to your life, or is your life in Christ?
- He is the beginning and end of our story.
- DVD’s? Do you remember scene selection?
- The movie is about God, and you have a scene.
- Some need to hear this and be humbled
- We all need to hear this and be sooo very grateful that we get to play a part, That by his grace, we got the call back for the casting call.
- You are in Christ!
- For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:3–4
- He is not a jacket when you feel the coldness of condemnation
- He is not an accessory when your your insecurities are activated,
- He is not a new pair of shoes to boost your self-esteem
- May you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
- He is God, He is Creator, He is Life
Sermon Sides