APR 23 2023 | The Gospel of John S1E2

Sea Change Church · The Gospel of John S1E2 · "The Gospel of john" · April 23, 2023
Automated transcript. Not reviewed for accuracy.

Good morning church. How you doing? My name is Vinny. I'm one of the youth leaders here on staff and today's scripture reading is from John chapter 1 verses 6 through 9. There came a man who was sent from God. His name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light so that through him all men might believe He himself was not the light. He came only as a witness to the light. The True Light that gives light to every man was coming into the world the word of the lord. Well, good morning. Again. If you have your Bibles open them to John one.

Six through nine and we're in episode 3 started on Easter going through the Gospel of John and we come upon a really unique enigma. In the scripture and it's John the Baptist we're gonna talk a little bit about John the Baptist and what his purpose was and what he was all about. Now I just got done talking to you about values and goals and dreams and that's inspiring.

I always knew that if I was at a conference and they said give us a topic that you're going to speak on and they left it up to me. I knew the way to fill the room was to make it about you right and make it about your dreams your values what you want to do the goals you want to set and That's super important. And I think God wants to use that but I think sometimes that needs to be inverted right the thing with John the Baptist is we look at John the Baptist is that John? The Baptist was a man who made the purpose of God in his life life.

Primary to the penultimate purpose the secondary purpose which is what he wanted to do. One of the things I want to do is to help you start dreaming not just by yourself, but the dream with God and I came across a quote by Einstein. And I took the quote. I liked it a lot but not enough. So I redid the quote. in my own words And if you were to Google search my quote, it would probably come up close to his but I made it enough that I'm not stealing his copyright, but nonetheless it says this.

When we see coming to God. as beings primarily intent upon fulfilling our own personal hopes and desires but rather present present ourselves, excuse me, but rather present ourselves to him as followers dare. I say children admiring asking observing. Then we enter the realm of the Living God he was talking about the universe. I want to I want to say that again because I thought it was interesting and I switched out Universe for God and changed some of the words.

Say I think it's true. When we cease coming to God as beings primarily intent circle the word primary intent primarily intent. upon fulfilling our own personal hopes and desires But rather present ourselves to him as followers dare, I say children. Admiring asking observing then we enter into the realm of the Living God. I think that's so true when we come to God. I want to admire God. I want to observe God. I want to see what he's doing. I want to shape the clay of my life based on the image that I am seeing him portrayed to me Everything Changes.

And I so often get caught up in the Trap of following the things that I want to do and then asking God for his advice afterwards John the Baptist is completely antithetical to that John. The Baptist is a man who was sent for a reason who's entire purpose was one thing make Jesus known. That's it to make Jesus known to use everything. He has to make Gina Jesus famous. I heard a church. They had a slogan of their Church making Jesus famous. I thought what a great. What a great thing to do. How do we make Jesus famous? When we live in a culture that is so intent upon, you know being an influencer influencing people that I might be famous. How do we be an influencer John? What's an influencer of his culture? He was definitely an influencer and he was making changes. Let's talk about John the Baptist before we jump into this in powerful piece of scripture one, who was John the Baptist. Well, John, the Baptist was related to Jesus. There's a little bit of debate about how he was related. But I put a footnote there you can chase that later on that footnote on the bottom of your notes. He was basically a cousin we believe he was a cousin of Jesus the best understanding of the scripture says that he was a cousin of Jesus and that Mary was the sister of Elizabeth or her cousin of Elizabeth. One of the other there is some debate as I was looking into it, but he was cousin of Jesus. He was actually in the lineage of Jesus related to Jesus.

He was also sent by God. It says that Word Sense important. It's going to be important today. Because we want to live you're going to live an impactful life. You want to live as one being sent especially one being sent by Authority more powerful than yourself. When you are being sent from your own desires your own volition your own whatever it is. You have a limited ability when you live as if you're sent by God all of a sudden the capabilities of your life you step into the Eternal right? Because when we're living on our own hopes dreams desires you end up living a smaller life because we're infinite but God is eternal and so who you're sent by matters. We'll see that in a moment. He was sent by God and he was foretold in the Old Testament Malachi 3 If you get into the Malachi chapter 3, it'll tell all about him. But it says that he was sent he also baptized Jesus.

That's a deal right? I mean Jesus came up to you because I had to get baptized and John's like whoa settle down partner. Like I can't baptize, you know any you but she's like no, this is the plan. This is what I'm asking you to do and sometimes God is gonna ask you when we're gazing up on him. Like I said in the beginning when our life is not about our own purposes and desires, but we present ourself to God as children admiring asking looking seeking then all of a sudden we can ask God. What do you want from me? What can I do for you? And he is sin. We also know that he was beheaded.

He was beheaded by Herod and the wife of Herod was upset because he told Herod that he was sinning in his relationship and he shouldn't have been in that marriage. And so his wife herod's wife got very upset. She asked her daughter to go dance before Herod and kings in the Old Testament had a way of like they would get drunk and then this happened multiple times the Old Testament and then like some woman or somebody would come up and and like, you know approached them and and either seduce him or whatever it is and they would say this You can have up to half my kingdom now. I never understood why they would say that but he says that and she's like no, I don't want half your kingdom. My mom told me to ask for John the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

And because he had guessed there John is actually beheaded why because he was testing to what? the truth you see we live in a world as well. It is also calling you to testify the truth. And it said as we learned last week that God used words to separate the light from the darkness and John was basically taking a machete. I like saying it that way and a machete.

the light from the darkness And he set it apart. And if we're going to be like John we're going to need to use our words strategically surgically. Truthfully boldly courageously not to be silenced to separate the light from the darkness. If you know that you're who you're sent by. And you live in that identity like John did. That's a lot easier.

It's a heck of a lot easier when you know, you're not doing it on your own volition, but you believe God is sent you to testify to the light go to verse. He himself was not Delight. He came only as a witness Circle Witness. to the light circle light He came as a witness to the light. That's what we're called to do to be a witness to the light Ascent witness to the light.

The other thing we see is he had no other purpose than making Jesus known that was his set intention. And in Luke 1:15, really this is what makes John an enigma really interesting in Luke 18. It said that John was born. Filled with the Holy Spirit now, that'll throw you off, right? Because in the scripture in order to receive the Holy Spirit, you actually need to make a confession.

Of Jesus of who Jesus is but John hit different John the Baptist hit different. He was sent by God filled with the Holy Spirit at Birth. He was a recreation a reincarnate of some of the of the prophets of old of the prophet of old. You can look into that. I don't want to go down that Rabbit Trail today, but he was unique and he was sent by God. And so how can we identify with somebody like that?

I put in the notes there. You'll see it there. John the Baptist is the archetypal Christ follower means he's an archetype. He's the kind of Christ follower. You want to be like whose life purpose it is. to radically Define themselves as a scent Witness to God's light in the world so that others might believe this let me say if you have a purpose. Let me tell you what your primary purpose is before we get to the conference before we talk about all those other cool things God wants to do with you. He wants to dance your dance. He wants to sing your song. He wants to run with you in the race of life. He wants to Adventure with you and climb mountains and do all those things that we want to do.

But before that he wants you to do one thing it's called seek ye first the kingdom of God. And all these things will be added unto you John. The Baptist is an archetypal Christ follower whose entire life purpose who primarily life purpose. The ultimate life purpose of his life was to radically Define himself. as a scent witness to the light of God so that others might believe that's not always my definition of myself. I don't know about you. I don't start there I start with husband.

Traveler skier dad. I don't know whatever I'm into that day is what I start with real estate looker online. I don't know whatever you call that person like it's been a lot of time doing that. Like I'm just that guy I'm whatever guy I wake up and feel like in the morning, you know what I mean? Like that's the guy I am today and I have a set of values and I try not to stray too far outside those values.

But rarely do I wake up in the morning like John the Baptist woke up radically defining myself. Knowing whom I'm sent by. Why I'm sent and the purpose of why I'm sent so that others might believe in Jesus it is so it I find it really hard to start from that place on a regular basis. I find that really hard. Because I have this thing called competing desires and they live within my heart my soul and my mind and I just wonder sometimes what life would look like if I switched my definition.

If I redefined myself like John the Baptist to find himself. So those are three words. We're looking at today sent witness to the light. It's gonna verse 6. There came a man who was sent from God. His name was John. He came as a witness to testify testify testify concerning the light. So that through him all men that is anthropos in the Greek that all people might believe so ladies you are not off the hook on that one.

There came a man who was sent from God. His name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning the light so that all might believe through him all might believe I want to say this. Who you're sent by matters? Who send you? Who sends you matters on January 28th? 1986? I once again was in the principal's office. I know this because there was this thing that happened on that date.

I was in the principal's office. I got on a fight. I don't think I won but nonetheless I was in a fight I was still in there. If you lose the fight, you should get to go back to class. I think I think that you lost your embarrassed. You should just talking to Vinny today, right what public high school did you go to in Brooklyn?

Ps226 a lot of fights at ps226 every day, right the Italian mob with the Irish mob you find all right. So I was there and I was in the chair and I was gonna have to sit in a chair all day and Miss class and then on the TV the news came on broke into without a TV on in this in the it was a private school and TV came on and they said the space shuttle had exploded.

And all the crew were dead and it was and that had happened was just a track event and the principal comes out and he comes to me and he says Adam. Would you go to all the classes? It's a big school and I want you to announce that what has just happened. I'm In the office, I got in a fight. I am who I am. I am not the kid, you know what I mean who was gonna be known to be sent by the principle, but for some reason the principal chose me on that day and I remember going everywhere as this broken.

Fighting getting kicked out of school whatever I was but I was sent by the principle that day and I could knock on every single door. Middle of the math classmate walking in they're like, what are you doing here? And I would tell them the news and everyone accepted the news and the doors were open. Why because Adam the kid who was a train wreck in school was coming around with some news. No, why because the principal had sent me.

You see knowing who you're sent by matters and second Corinthians 5:20. It says we therefore our Christ ambassadors as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf. to be reconciled To God, I'll tell you how this will change if you know who you're sent by whom you're sent by. If you know who sends you and if you live in the identity that God has sent me.

You come up you show up to God admiring gazing asking of God and living a life knowing as if you were sent then you begin to live a life of expectation. It'll change your perspective when you feel when you really believe and you might call it spiritual hubris. Right but the truly believe that God has sent me. Now we need to be surgical in the way that we do that right.

God can send you and you can still be a jerk. Like we need to be Surgical. But knowing in your mind knowing in your heart in your depth that I am as I am a scent Envoy of God and ambassador of God, and he has sent me you begin to live a life of expectation you begin. To places different you begin to expect open doors. You begin to expect favor.

You begin to live a life of expectation wherever you go. You begin to live that like they're my question is. Where you go? Do you see yourself as being sent? To see yourself as being sent by the Living God. Do you expect open doors? Do you expect Open Hearts? I had a failure this week and this week I went. To go to a hospital visit and hospital visits are just tough for me, especially when I go to the Cancer Ward.

It's just difficult. It's knowing what to say. I realize the less you say the better you're walking by doors to get to the room. You're going to and you're seeing. People and It's just tough and so I visited someone this week in the Cancer Ward. And as I walk by I look to my left and I saw a man and he looked really angry in one of the room. He just looked angry and lonely and everything that you would expect probably at the end of his life.

But he was lucid I went and did my visit and as I walked by it something said. Go and knock on his door and say hey, I'm a pastor because you kind of have rights to do that. You kind of do not really but kinda you kind of like hey, I'm just a pastor and I'm happy to be on duty which is true. Just want to know is there anything I can get you? Can I get you Pizza? Like what's your name? I know whatever it is and I went and did my visit the visit was tough.

Visit was really tough that I did. Walk back out and I walk we made eye contact both times had these striking blue eyes. And something said go in there. walk by stopped turned around turned around again went out to the lobby to the elevator stopped. I thought God you're preaching on being sent on going expecting open doors. I gotta tell you I got on the elevator and I went home.

Fail right. I guess it's a fail. I just want to be honest with you. I just couldn't I just couldn't bring myself to do it. And I realized there's a big gap between preaching This and like hey everyone get out there and pretend like you're sent by God and then you have this moment. Where you I don't know the person you're walking into a room is I think his wife or somebody was with them. It's awkward. It's weird. It's and I got to say in that moment.

I definitely wasn't living scent. And I might go back. I don't know but I just want to say that that if that resonates with you how difficult that is and this is a person that there's been many times where I've just like when I was younger, I'd be like, I'm in that room dude. I'd be like in that room talking and I come out with a god story and I'd be wowing you now with a god story.

I don't have a god story to wow you with. But I do want to just maybe meet you to say I understand how difficult that is and in certain times and I've got a long way to go in regard to living scent and living as a person who can make a change to testify to the light. So maybe you can pray into that story. But when we are sent we expect those open doors.

And I guess I had a moment where I didn't expect the open door but to get to a place and I want to say that there was a momentum build because what I have found is when I have lived as someone who was sent with someone who was testifies the more I do it the more momentum you get have you ever started to pray and all of a sudden you start praying a little bit more wherever you step into if you give God a little bit you give God an inch. He oftentimes wants to take an eternity, right? He wants to take you to that next level and so I would say this that God is looking when he sends somebody God sends only Witnesses.

And the more you follow the more you will witness. Let me say that again. God is only sending according this scripture. He's sending Witnesses. And the more you follow him. The more you will witness you see people that chose not to follow Jesus around didn't witness what Jesus was doing? Why was John unique because John was committed to following and when you follow you witness?

When you follow when you do the things the holy spirit is doing I know in my heart the Holy Spirit was saying to me. Go into that room. I know it. Disobedient whatever you want to say it is mode of weakness or whatever you say it is the more you witness. The more you follow, excuse me, the more you witness and once you witness he wants you to testify to the light you see once you witness, all you have to do your job is then just to tell what you have witnessed. The problem is with a lot of American Christianity is we don't have enough followers who have witnessed anything.

because in order to witness you have to follow You have to give Beyond yourself give of your time in a place. You might not want to go do something and step over out of your comfort zone in a place that you're not comfortable going. You have to give benevolently Beyond perhaps what you think you might be able to afford to that organization like the orphans or whatever it is. When you begin to follow you will witness and when you witness, sometimes it's too hard. It's hard to hold back the test to testify. I looked up antonyms of witness.

the antonyms of witness for this to ignore to disregard to neglect to pass over to ignore to disregard to neglect or to pass over. But I just I relate to those words so well. Those like just so often. I just I just I ignore it. God says something. Hey, I want to spend some time with you this morning. You know, but I got I got the Google news feed. Have you seen what's happening in this part of the world God because like I want to spend time with you to ignore to disregard to neglect a Passover.

The more you follow the more you will witness. You will rarely witness anything that you did not see or follow or expose yourself to. You see this is what John did John was a follower of Jesus who witnessed what he saw in order to have a witness. She got to follow how close do you want to follow how close you want to follow us right is up to you?

Remember what Jesus they were like pushing on Jesus they were crushing Jesus people wanted to get so close to him. Remember the woman who like reached out and touched him and then try to get away because she thought to herself if I could just touch him. I would be healed. It was all pushed around and Jesus said who touched me.

Since he was healed in that moment because she wanted she was witnessing she was pressing in to get close. So I don't live like that enough, there's moments. I live like that when things go bad. I have a a eight week streak of things going really well about eight weeks is all I got. Okay about you. Eight weeks is a nice run for me.

I've got eight weeks with no real problems, which is great. I mean that's like, you know what that feels like, right? We all have drugs. We got about an eight-week run right now. So the hardest thing to do is to maintain desperation for Jesus like John here as he was following to maintain desperation with Jesus when things are going well.

This is why oftentimes Nations Fall Away From God as soon as they get prosperity. That is Fall Away From God. It's happened to Israel like back and forth and back and forth to maintain this desperation. John was someone who maintained desperation constantly was always pressing in always wanting to witness God only sends Witnesses and the more you follow the more you're going to witness. And what is he witness to?

concerning the light I was watching some YouTube videos with Joe Rogan and a guy named Brian Cox. He's talking about the Big Bang Theory and light Theory and I was wondering about light. Lights interesting have you I talked to a rocket scientist yesterday. He was at the sock hop talk to him Richard Stoler goes to our church. Hey rocket scientist, and I was talking about light and the Google search I had was correct because he agreed with what I said, and I'm like I'm talking to rocket science and I found four things on Google now. I look smart, but nonetheless John was witnessed witnessing concerning what light.

Let's talk about light for a minute. There's a Greek word there photos. Says what it means is this from an obsolete failure to shine. Or to make manifest especially by rays. luminous In the whitest application natural artificial abstract or concrete literal or figurative. That's what if you look this up in the Greek Fire Light. This is the the definition it meant now that's a little bit confusing, right?

Light is confusing. people kind of understand light they haven't really figured it out yet. They know that it has waves, but it can go straight at the same time. It does multiple things that are different. It bends. It does all these weird things. We don't really understand light. John was testifying concerning the light John was not the light.

John was a testimony to the light. You know that song This Little Light of Mine. I'm gonna let it shine. Taxi biblically not accurate as I understand. That little light of his I'm going to reflect it. That's how the song should go. Because while he is the light all light is eminent of him. We are a reflection of the light we testify to the light.

But he is the actual light now, here's a couple things that I found about light that proves God to me so much more one. If you know this this is really interesting light itself and I check this with the rocket scientist, by the way, so you can you can fact check me. Light itself is invisible. You know lights invisible. How weird Like it's there.

Can't see it light is invisible. So when you see light anytime you see light. The reason you see light is it is reflecting off something else. When you see a light beam, it's reflecting off particles. The only way light can ever be seen is when it reflects off something else. God is invisible. You can't see God. Matter of fact one thing about light is this if you could see light everything would become opaque.

Meaning you would see nothing. Everything would become opaque because there would be no reflection. It's the reflection of light that gives things its definition. You cannot see God you cannot Define God you cannot see him you can only see him in a reflection and if you could see him you could make no sense of him because he is eternal and if you could see light everything would become opaque you see light is a reflection see that brown comes off of the ceiling because the brown is reflecting out. It is off. Everything else is absorbed all the other colors, but it is being reflective. That is so important in regard to God. So what is he referring to?

I think this is the point he testifies concerning the light. Light can only be seen when it is reflective. You are the substantive matter. That God reflects off. And without something in the world because creation speaks of him why it can be seen because it reflects the light of creation. The light is reflected off you you are the substantive matter and to the world that's invisible.

Unless it reflects off something. It doesn't emanate out of you. The light doesn't emanate out of you. He is the light the holy spirit is within us and he is in the light and maybe the Holy Spirit can emanate light out of us. But we are reflective John. The Baptist was a reflection of Jesus. What are you reflecting? You see oftentimes what we're doing is we're not reflecting anything. We're coming up with ideas on our own desires of our own passions of our own and we're sending it out from within ourselves as opposed to being a reflection of the light testifying that that's the light if you see anything good in me it is because of the light that he is the light and I want to be reflective of it. What do you reflecting?

There's three things that we saw with John today that are so important. Number one. He sent. He sent he lives sent and when you live sent you live a life of expectation, you expect favor. You expect open doors. You expect the substance of God. You expect power. You would expect God to come and show up. You live expectant when you live scent.

Walk out your door tomorrow and say God. I'm going to live Sent send me. Walk out walk into every business meeting every phone call everything you do as much as you can keep practicing. It's a spiritual discipline to practice to say I'm gonna live scent that I got the backing of God behind me that he is sending me out into the world to make a difference.

The second thing is as a witness. Can't witness what you don't follow? You can't witness what you don't see if you want to be a witness begin to follow closer. You will begin to witness and see the things that God does and number two. We testify according to the light. That light you are a reflection of that light. What are we reflecting? We're making a difference in the world. This is how God shows the light. This is the substantive matter that is you in the world to make a difference. Amen.