As we are being challenged to read and study the book of John, I wanted to share some of my personal sermon notes with you to help you understand the book. I preached through the entire book over the course of 1 year when I pastored First Baptist Church Del Rio. Enjoy!
Introduction – Life is one of things that we cling to naturally. We are wired to live. God created us to fight for life. That is why we all have within us a knowledge of God, who is the author of life.
Romans 1:20—For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
So, according to Romans 1:20, I believe naturally we look to seek after life, when and if we fully understood that the One we really seek is God. It is in us to know God.
Life, when lived to fullest, is a continual flow toward a great God, who has an eternal purpose in store for us. He is life, and thank God, He is alive!
Read—John 20:19-31
Jesus Appears to His Disciples
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Jesus Appears to Thomas
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
The Purpose of John’s Gospel
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
- Jesus Offers Peace
- , we see the gathering of the saints. Translation, they were having church, it was Sunday.
Illustration—Real peace comes from the King. Horatio Spafford knew that first hand. He had lost his only son at the age of 4 to scarlet fever. He lost all of his real estate business in the Chicago fires of 1871. Two years later, in 1873, Spafford decided his family should take a holiday somewhere in Europe and chose England knowing that his friend D.L. Moody would be preaching there in the fall. He was delayed because of business, so he sent his family ahead: his wife and their four children, daughters eleven-year-old Tanetta, nine-year-old Elizabeth “Bessie”, five-year-old Margaret Lee, and two-year-old Anna “Annie”.
On November 22, 1873, while crossing the Atlantic on the steamship, Villa Du Haure, their ship was struck by an iron sailing vessel, and 226 people lost their lives, including all four of Spafford’s daughters. Anna Spafford survived the tragedy. Upon arriving in England, she sent a telegram to Spafford beginning “Saved alone.”[6] Spafford then sailed to England, going over the location of his daughters’ deaths. According to Bertha Spafford Vester, a daughter born after the tragedy, Spafford wrote “It Is Well with My Soul” on this journey.
Application—Have you experienced the peace of Jesus today?
- Jesus Offers the Holy Spirt
- . Repeat
- says when Jesus breathes life into our lives by way of the Holy Spirit, we are to forgive others. This is the sign that you have received the real Jesus.
- For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
- —Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, 25 as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”
Application—Do you want forgiveness today? When was the last time you forgave someone not just with your lips but also with the power of the Holy Spirit?
Jesus Offers Assurance
- Illustration—1 John 5:13—I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
We struggle with assurance. Jesus knows that. He willingly shows us that He is who He says He is. He cant physically show His hands and side since He is awaiting His final return to earth, but He shows us through many other ways of assuring presence. He has given us His word, His church, His people, and most importantly, the availability of Himself through the power of prayer.
Application—Do you need to know for sure that Jesus is alive? I challenge you this morning to read the Bible, to get connected to a small group bible study, and to pray on a regular basis, so that you can receive that assurance to be able to live for Him.
Jesus Offers Life
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Illustrations—This is Amazing Grace song lyrics:
Who breaks the power of sin and darkness
Whose love is mighty and so much stronger
The King of Glory, the King above all kings
Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder
And leaves us breathless in awe and wonder
The King of Glory, the King above all kings
[Chorus:]
This is amazing grace
This is unfailing love
That You would take my place
That You would bear my cross
You lay down Your life
That I would be set free
Oh, Jesus, I sing for
All that You’ve done for me
Application—Do you have life today? Do you want life today? Ask the One who gave His life for you so that you can truly live a life of amazing grace.
Conclusion—I so am thankful that Jesus is alive! His amazing qualities are available to all: Real peace, real forgiveness, a real Holy Spirit, real assurance, and of course real life, eternal life.
Stay in the Light, 1 John 1:7,
Pastor Larry
In The Light, 1 John 1:7 