A Fruitful Life Requires Death

A Fruitful Life Requires Death

Dave Riddle - 2/19/2023

Key Passage: John 12:20-33

Greeks Come Looking for Jesus

• John 12:20-22

Jesus’ Time Has Come

• John 12:23

• Compare to “my time has not yet come” in John 2, John 7, etc.

Fruitful Life Requires Death

• John 12:24-25

• Just as Jesus had to die to provide life, we have to die to our sin to have a fruitful life.

The Father Honors The One Who Serves

• John 12:26 - if anyone serves me, he must follow me.

• It has been said that “follow me” is the whole of a Christian’s duty, and “to be where Christ is” is the whole of their reward.

“My Soul is Troubled”

• John 12:27

• Troubled = tarassō (Greek) - stirred up, agitated, inward commotion, to take away one’s calmness of mind.

• Like a blender bottle 

Jesus knew what was coming

• John 12:30-33

What Did Jesus Say About The Holy Spirit?

Message Begins around 24:15

What Did Jesus Say About The Holy Spirit?

Dave Riddle • 05/29/2022

Key Passage: John 15:26-16:15'

The Helper

• John 15:26-27

  • Helper = paraklētos - summoned, called to one's side, esp. called to one's aid. One who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate. One who pleads another's cause with one, an intercessor. In the widest sense, a helper, aider, assistant

• John 7

• John 14:16-17

Jesus leaving was to our advantage!

• John 16:7-8

The Work of The Holy Spirit in our Lives

• Convicting

  • John 16:9 - Conviction of our lack of belief.

• Convincing

  • John 16:10 - Revealing the truth about Jesus

• Condemning

  • John 16:11

  • 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

• Guiding Us in All Truth

  • John 16:12-13

  • John 14:26

What Does Jesus Say About Hate?

Hate The World?

Dave Riddle • 05/22/2022

Key Passage: John 15:18-16:4

The “World” Hates Jesus

• John 7:7 (CSB): The world cannot hate you, but it does hate me because I testify about it—that its works are evil.

  • Compare to John 15:18-19

A message for those of us who don’t want to be hated.

• James 4:4 - Friend of the world = enemy of God

A message for those of us who enjoy looking for a fight

• Romans 12:18 - as much as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

We need to live in the tension between these two passages.

Expect Persecution

• John 15:20

• Matthew 5:10

  • Persecution is a blessing!

• Matthew 5:11-12

  • Rejoice!

  • A blessed inheritance

Hating Jesus = Hating God

• John 15:21-24

  • Jesus makes a claim of divinity.

    • John 10:22-38

• Why did they hate Jesus? For no reason.

  • John 15:25

Jesus sends help!

• John 15:26-27

• The Holy Spirit

  • More on this next week.

“Fall away”

• John 16:1-2

  • Fall away, stumble, be trapped

  • skandalizō - to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall. to offend

Outcasts

• John 16:1-2

  • Outcasts: put out of your religious community, academic community, social community.

    • Did it happen? Yes.

      • Acts 26:9-11 - Paul’s testimony.

Why do they do this?

• Because they don’t know Jesus or the Father

  • John 16:3-4

    • Jesus doesn’t want his followers to be caught off guard.

Church is Who We Are

Church is Who We Are

Sunday, September 19, 2021
Dave Riddle

An Omitted Passage?

An Omitted Passage?

Dave Riddle 9/12/2021

Key passage: John 7:53-8:11

Not included in most of the oldest manuscripts.

• not commented on by the early church fathers until the 10th century.

• Writing style is more like that of the synoptic gospels than that of John.

Nobody likes getting caught at fault.

The standard for this accusation was fairly high.

• the quality of the evidence and the quality of the witnesses were both important.

• John 8:4 - this woman was caught in the act.

  • Where’s the man? Possibly a trap?

The law says… what do you say?

• they were not telling the full truth.

  • Leviticus 20, Deuteronomy 22

  • Where is the man?

• Only the Romans had authority to enact capital punishment.

  • “What do you say Jesus?”

• Lots of people were participating in adultery.

  • “Do they all deserve this punishment Jesus?”

• They were trying to trap Jesus with a difficult situation.

  • “We’ve got him! There is no right answer.”

How Does Jesus Respond?

• John 8:6

  • He ignores it.

  • He has another plan.

• What did he write?

  • The sins of the accusers?

  • His official sentencing of the accused?

  • Exodus 23:1?

    • Do not spread false reports…Don’t help a wicked man by being a false witness.

      • A warning to the accusers.

  • We don’t know.

The accusers are just as guilty as the woman.

• Busted! Caught in the act!

  • Nobody picks up a rock.

Who is left?

• The only one who could rightfully pick up a rock.

This is the story of YOU and me!

• we all stand before a holy God as broken people who have been caught in the act.

  • Jesus didn’t condemn her and he doesn’t condemn you!

• “Go and sin no more”

  • He didn’t condemn her, but he also didn’t condone her sin.

• We don’t know how she responded.

  • How will you respond?

• John 3:16-17 - He came, not to condemn, but to save!

  • When we deserved the “rock of execution” he became the “rock of our salvation”.

Responding to Jesus

Responding to Jesus - The Gospel of John - Part 24 • 3/07/21

Key passage: John 7:40-52

Responses from the 1st Interaction

• Division: John 7:43

• Attraction: John 7:41

• Misunderstanding: John 7:42

• Misinformation: John 7:42

• Rage: John 7:44

Responses from the 2nd Interaction

• Servants: Impressed John 7:46

• Pharisees: Dismissive John 7:47

• Pharisees: Proud/Pretentious John 7:48

• Pharisees: Judgmental John 7:49

Responses from the 3rd Interaction

• Nicodemus: Receptive John 7:51

• Nicodemus: Responsible John 7:51

• Pharisees: Prejudiced John 7:52

• Pharisees: Badly Mistaken John 7:52

• Pharisees: Spiritually Blind

Thirsty? Come and drink!

Thirsty? Come and drink!

The Gospel of John - Part 23 • 2/28/21

Key passage: John 7:37-39

Leviticus 23:33-36, 39-44 - the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles. AKA the Festival of Shelters

Timing

• John 7:37 - on the last and most important day of the festival...

  • Which day? 7 or 8?

    • Deuteronomy 16:15

    • Leviticus 23:36

Revelation

• John 7:37 - He revealed Himself.

  • krazō: to croak (as a raven) or scream. To cry out in a loud voice (shriek or exclaim).

    • Usually used in the NT to precede a very important statement.

Invitation

• John 7:37 - “If anyone is thirsty, come to me and drink.”

Impact

• John 7:38 - The one who believes (drinks) will flow with living water!

Clarification

• John 7:39 - The Spirit is the source of this living water in the lives of believers.

What does all this have to do with me today?

• That same invitation is offered to you today.

• That same living water is available to you today.

The Messiah

The Messiah

The Gospel of John - Part 22 • 2/21/21

Key passage: John 7:25-36

parrēsia: speaking boldly, openly, and freely. Unfiltered.

• Compare 7:26 back to Jesus’ brothers in 7:3

His Identity

• John 7:26b-27

  • Can it be true that he is the Messiah?

  • “It can’t be! Nobody will know where the Messiah comes from”

• John 7:28 - “Jesus cried out”

  • krazō: to croak (as a raven) or scream. To cry out in a loud voice.

His Dispatcher

• You don’t know God! I know God, because I was sent by him!

  • John 7:28 - “sent”

    • pempō: dispatched or sent on an errand.

  • John 7:30 - they didn’t like that at all! So they tried to seize him.

His Mission

• John 7:30 - why were they unable to seize him? Because his time had not yet come.

His Credentials 

• John 7:31 - many from the crowd believed.

  • “Jesus has done so many signs. He must be the Messiah, right?”

    • Sign/miracle = sēmeion (σημεῖον) - an indication, especially ceremonially or supernaturally:—miracle, sign, token, wonder.

His Destination

• John 7:33 - I’m only here for a short time (a quick errand - “pempō” see above)

  • I’m going back to the one who sent me.

• John 7:34 - “You will look for Me, but you will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.”

• John 7:35 - He’s not going to the Greeks is He?

  • He didn’t, but ironically his followers would!

They Were Amazed

The Were Amazed

The Gospel of John - Part 21 • 2/14/21

Key passage: John 7:14-24

John 7:14 - Jesus went to the temple and began to teach.

• “teach” = didaskō: teaching for transformation.

Mind-Blowing

• John 7:15 - the people were amazed.

  • “How does he know the Hebrew Bible so well without being trained?”

The Sent One

• John 7:16 - My teaching isn’t mine, but is from the One who sent me.

• John 7:17

  • Jesus’ teaching traces back to God.

Humble, True, and Perfect

• John 7:18 - Sent by God. There is no unrighteousness in him.

  • “Sent” = pempō: dispatched or sent on an errand.

  • “Unrighteousness” = adikia: a deed violating law and justice

Fearless Challenger

• John 7:19 - none of you keeps the law

  • This would have been a shocking statement for people who were obsessed with keeping the law.

    • John 7:20

Miracle-Worker

• John 7:21 - I did one work and you were all amazed.

  • “Amazed” Same word from John 7:15

He came to Fulfill the Law

• John 7:22 - some things override the sabbath.

  • They didn’t understand the purpose of the sabbath

  • Sabbath was created for humanity, humanity wasn’t created to observe the sabbath.

His Mission = Our Mission

His Mission = Our Mission

The Gospel of John - Part 20 • 2/7/21

Key passage: John 7:1-13

Family

• John 7:3-5 - Jesus’ brothers: if you are who you say you are, why don’t you go to the party and do some miracles for everyone to see.

Divine Timing

• John 7:6 - My time has not yet arrived, but your time is always at hand.

  • chronos vs kairos

    • kairos (greek: καιρός) No direct English equivalent

      • The right time

      • The critical time

      • The opportune moment

    • Implies, not the convenience of the season, but the necessity of the time at hand.

    • “Kairos is when eternity steps into time”

• John 7:7-8

  • Go to the festival! It’s time for you to go, but I’m working with a different agenda/priority/kairos

  • The world hates Jesus because of who he says he is, and what he says he is there to do.

  • plēroō (Greek: πληρόω) - to make full, fill up. literally, to cram (a net), level up (a hole or hollow).

Power Brokers 

• John 7:9-11

  • They want to eliminate Jesus.

  • They fundamentally misunderstand who Jesus is.

The Ordinary People

• John 7:12

  • there was lots of murmuring about Jesus among the crowds.

  • “Murmuring” gongysmos (Greek: γογγυσμὸς) - grumbling, muttering, whispered debates.

What’s The Takeaway For Us?

• In the same way that Jesus’ brothers, the power brokers, and the public misunderstood Jesus, people misunderstand our decision to follow Him.

  • if you live the way Jesus calls you to live there are going to be people who respond to you in the same way these people responded to Jesus.

The Words That Change Everything

The Words That Change Everything

York Moore - 11/3/19

Key Passages: Isaiah 54:10

God’s Word allows us to live into his love even when everything around is coming unglued

God Speaks Your Love Language

• Isaiah 54:10

• Words of affirmation

• Physical touch

• Receiving gifts

• Quality time

• Acts of service

God’s word is based on a promise of peace that can never be shaken

• shalom (Hebrew: שָׁלוֹם) - safety, wellbeing, happiness, welfare, health, prosperity, rest, and peace

• Chacad (Hebrew: חָסַד) - understanding love, tender love, and kindness expressed through mercy and grace.

• John 7:37-38

Our identity needs to be grounded in the reality of God’s love, rooted in his promise.

God’s Word puts the things of this world in perspective.

• Isaiah 54:10

• Acknowledge Jesus as Lord

  • The central focus of your life

In Christ our deep despairs disappear and our great hope is satisfied, no matter who we are or what we need

Isaiah 24:1, Isaiah 66:15-16, Isaiah 40:6-8