SCRIPTURE: JOHN 13:21-25
SUBJECT: “OH, HOW I LOVE JESUS”
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN LOVE? NO I MEAN REALLY, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN LOVE? IF YOU ARE OR HAVE BEEN, THEN YOU KNOW IT’S A WONDERFUL FEELING . . .
TROOP – ALL I DO IS THINK OF YOU, DAY AND NIGHT . . . THINK ABOUT YOU ALL THE TIME”
DEBARGE – I ONLY THINK OF YOU ON TWO OCCASIONS, THAT’S DAY AND NIGHT BABY
GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS - I’D RATHER BE IN HIS WORLD THAN LIVE WITHOUT HIM IN MINE.
THAT’S LOVE YA’LL.
AND I WANT TO SUGGEST THAT’S HOW JOHN FELT ABOUT JESUS, THINKING ABOUT HIM ALL THE TIME, DAY AND NIGHT, WANTING TO LIVE IN HIS WORLD, RATHER THAN RISK JESUS NOT BEING IN HIS WORLD.
NOT ANY SADISTIC OR CARNAL MINDED LOVE, BUT AN AGAPE LOVE, A SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP, A LOVE THAT DEVELOPED OUT OF A SENSE OF APPRECIATION.
JOHN WHO IN THE EARLIER YEARS OF HIS LIFE BEHAVED LIKE AN EXTREMIST, A BIGOT, WHO WAS HARSH, RECKLESS, SELFISH, AND NARROW MINDED WOULD GO ON TO EARN THE ALIAS “APOSTLE OF LOVE.” THE THEM OF LOVE FLOWS THROUGH JOHN’S THEOLOGY OF LOVE, A QUALITY HE LEARNED FROM JESUS. IT’S THROUGH JOHN’S THEOLOGY OF LOVE THAT WE LEARN:
GOD IS LOVE
GOD IS A GOD OF LOVE
THAT GOD SO LOVED . . .
BELOVE LET US LOVE . . .
WE LEARN THROUGH JOHN THAT TRUTH WITHOUT LOVE IS BRUTALITY, LOVE WITHOUT TRUTH IS HYPOCRISY.
JOHN LOVED JESUS, BECAUSE JESUS SAW AND KNEW WHO HE WAS AND ALL ABOUT HIM AND STILL LOVED HIM . . . .
JOHN LOVED JESUS – THE HARD LIFE OF FISHING.
CASTING NETS
LIFTING NETS
WORKING HARD FOR LITTLE OR NO GAIN
MENDING
WASHING . . .
BUT NOT ONLY DID JOHN LOVE JESUS, TEXT . . . JESUS LOVED JOHN.
JESUS LOVED JOHN NOT BECAUSE JOHN WOULD CONTRIBUTE SO MUCH TO THE NEW TESTAMENT (GOSPEL OF JOHN, I, II, III JOHN, REVELATION)
JESUS LOVED JOHN BECAUSE JOHN
1. SAT WHERE OTHERS DID NOT SIT
a. JOHN 13:23 – JOHN LEANED ON JESUS BOSOM
b. JOHN KNEW IF WAS GOING TO FACE THE DAYS AHEAD . . .
c. WHILE PETER WAS MAKING PROMISES . . .
d. WHILE JUDAS WAS COUNTING HIS MONEY . . .
e. WHILE OTHER DISCIPLES WERE FINDING FAULT . . .
2. STOOD WHERE OTHERS DID NOT STAND
a. JOHN RECALL – STOOD THERE WITH JESUS – MT. TRANSFIGURATION
b. RECALL THAT THE CLOSER JESUS MARCHED TO CALVARY, THE FEWER HIS DISCIPLES BECAME.
i. THE BLIND MAN
ii. THE DEAF MAN
iii. LAZARUS
c. JOHN WAS THE ONLY DISCIPLE WHO STOOD CLOSE ENOUGH TO CALVARY TO EYEWITNESS THE CRUCIFIXION . . .
i. JOHN 19:25-27 “SON BEHOLD THY MOTHER . . .”
3. SAW WHAT OTHERS DID NOT SEE
a. REMEMBER IN JOHN 21 – FISHING – EARLY IN THE MORNING – MAN ON THE SHORE . . .
b. JOHN OUTLIVED THE OTHER DISCIPLES . . .
c. WE SEE THE FUTURE THROUGH THE VISIONS GOD GAVE JOHN
i. BANISHED TO THE ISLE OF PATMOS
ii. CONFINED BEHIND A CAVE
iii. HARSG ENVIRONMENT
iv. CUT OFF FROM FAMILY/FRIENDS
v. A STONE SERVED AS HIS PILLOW
vi. YET IN THE DARKEST OF TIMES, HE GETS A REVELATION FROM GOD . . .
