THEME DEVELOPMENT
When my son was right out of college he worked for an electronics manufacturer that sent him to China to learn how their production process functioned. While there, Craig did what all tourists do … he shopped. To his amusement he saw many products being sold on the street that he knew were knockoffs. But, sometimes you have to buy one just for the novelty of it.
One of the most popular knockoffs available on the street was the ten-dollar Rolex watch. It seemed that all tourists would take at least one home with them. They look real, so long as you don’t look too closely, but don’t rely on one to keep accurate time. As far as watches go, they aren’t even worth the ten dollars you pay for them. These fake Rolexes (Fauxlexes!) exist because somewhere there are real Rolexes. If it weren’t for the real thing, there wouldn’t be a market for the pretenders.
Today we begin a sermon series from John’s Gospel. The crux of the series, and the book, is to illustrate in short stories what real faith looks like … what a real Savior can do. There are many “fauxlexes” that claim to be the bread of life, living water, and the Way but, when you look close they fail the claim. We will discover that Jesus does not and what a proper response to the “Truth” looks like.
Let’s pray together.
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ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS
John 20:30-31
Introduction:
Wanna hear a story?
People are interested in other people’s lives and like to hear their stories. The appeal of a good novel, movie or biography is that it draws one into the story so that we identify with one or more of the characters or experiences.
The apostle John understood this. He tells some good stories and we can identify with many of the characters. John deliberately puts various characters on the stage; all of who interact with Jesus. They produce an array of belief responses. John tells us very clearly that this (believing in Jesus) is why he wrote the book and the characters presented are intended to challenge us to evaluate our own personal response to Him.
You see, Jesus is the central figure in human history and he came into the world to provide everlasting life and to reveal God. Few books in the Bible make this clearer than the Gospel of John.
John chapter 1 is emphatic about this:
John 1:4 says, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”
John 1:16-17 says, “Out of his fullness we have all received grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
Nothing could be clearer that John’s own statement for the writing of the book. In 20: 31 we read, “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.”
John’s gospel gives story after story of people who encountered Jesus. In each case we see a response and that response determines that person’s role throughout the rest of the book. On more than one occasion these characters re-emerge later and reinforce their previous responses. So … these responses deserve our attention. You see, they reveal how Christ-followers are supposed to respond or, in some cases, what a deficient response entails.
People who encounter Jesus respond by either accepting or rejecting his offer of life. And there is one word that is used over and over in the book to describe that response.
“Belief.”
The Greek word for belief has noun and verb forms. It is can be translated as “believe”, “trust”, “faith”, and even “confidence.” But, make no mistake about it, there is a concrete and clear understanding of what this belief entails … what it looks like in real life and in real lives.
We will discover that belief and knowledge are not the same thing too. Some in the book have great knowledge but do not “know God” (do not believe) while others know very little about God but trust and, thus, experience God’s life. This is Good News! You see our knowledge can be imperfect (even flawed) and our faith (belief) may grow and strengthen over time, but these are qualities in degree; in every case the simple act of faith (imperfect as it may be) trumps knowledge and escorts us into life ever-lasting.
In fact, Jesus says this is the basic task that we are called to. In chapter 6 the disciples ask “What must we do to do the works God requires?” and Jesus responds by saying “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:28-29).
We will also discover is that belief that saves is not merely a one-time belief-response; it demands an ongoing belief expressed through “discipleship.” A person is not simply required to enter into a life giving relationship with Jesus but also to remain in that relationship (cf. 8:31; 14:23; 15:1-10). The challenge is for people to stick with Jesus. As John 6:60-66 sadly reveals, many ‘disciples’ give up and no longer follow Jesus when they begin to realize what Jesus requires of them.
And that gets to the heart of our journey through John. As we look at various encounters with Jesus we will peel back the layers of this “literary onion” by looking at the various responses that we, the people of God, will have as we follow.
We will look at:
• John the Baptist: A Witness Par Excellence (1:19-37; 3:22-30)
• Andrew & Philip: Finders and Keepers (1:35-45)
• Nathanael: From a Question to a Conversion (1:45-51)
• Nicodemus: The Cost of Discipleship (2:24 – 3:21)
• The Samaritan Woman: From Outsider to Insider (4:1-42)
• The Disciples: “To whom should we go?” (6:1-71)
• Martha: The Imperfect Believer (11:1 – 12:2)
• Mary: At the Feet of Jesus (11:28 - 12:8)
• Simon Peter: Recklessness Restored (13:36-38; 18:15-18, 25-27; 21:1-9, 15-19)
But, until then, let me summarize John’s story of Jesus.
1. People do not know God and are not in relationship with God.
2. They can know God through trusting and accepting Jesus and consequently be in relationship with God through a new birth … which imparts new life.
3. People who encounter Jesus are required to make a response. They have no choice. They will make a response. John presents a broad spectrum of responses but they boil down to two choices.
a. People either embrace Jesus (belief) which brings them into a life-giving relationship with the Father and the Son
b. Or they reject him (unbelief) which results in immediate judgment and ultimately death (3:15-18, 36; 5:24; 6:35, 53-54).
So, as we read John’s gospel, we are confronted with Jesus just as the characters in the story were and face the same challenge: where do we stand in relationship to Jesus?
Please understand, you don’t have to wait until some later point in time during this sermon series to “know” enough to enter into relationship with God. You can enter into that life … this day … at this very moment. Simply make the transaction … simply choose to trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
May I suggest to you that the author of this book (john) looks on at this moment with great anticipation … hoping and expecting that his book’s intent will be realized in you? “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.”
Why not make today your day of discovery. Encounter Jesus today and experience that life that only his name can bring.
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** Special thanks for Cornelius Bennema (“Encountering Jesus: Character Studies in the Gospel of John”) and Susan E. Hylen (“Imperfect Believers: Ambiguous Characters in the Gospel of John) for their respective works. They are the inspiration behind this series of sermons.
This sermon is provided by Dr. Kenneth Pell
First Church of the Nazarene
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
www.banazarene.org
