John: The Gospel of John is God’s Love Letter to the WorldIn the beginning GOD.
Welcome To BARAH MINISTRIES An Online Christian Church Teaching the Word of God
RORY CLARK Pastor-Teacher
Good Morning!
I’m Pastor Rory Clark welcoming you to a Bible lesson with Barah Ministries, an intimate online Christian community committed to learning the Word of God verse-by-verse. I’m happy to teach the Word to those who want a deep, intimate and personal relationship with the Savior of the world and the Sovereign God of the Universe, the Lord Jesus Christ.
No matter where you are in the world, no matter how the Lord gets this Bible lesson to you, thanks for listening!
Studying the Bible is one of the best gifts you give yourself every day.
Happy Father’s Day to fathers all around the world. There’s no underestimating the importance of men in children’s lives. It’s great to have a day when you can stop the frenzied activity of life to let your father know how special he is to you, especially if he was more than a father to you…if he was a Dad! This isn’t a day for holding grudges and harboring ill feelings. It’s a day to celebrate.
If your father is no longer here on earth, it’s good to set aside time today to reflect on all the positive aspects of your relationship and any memories you had together. Enjoy the recollections. And if there are men in your life that filled the gap in your Dad’s absence, honor them, too!
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON The Gospel of John is God’s Love Letter to the World
LESSON INTRODUCTION
In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, and in the first verse of the Gospel of John, the Lord dropped a bombshell to wake up the human race. In today’s lesson, we’ll learn the shocking news the Lord provided to the human race to obliterate the lies circulated by the enemy of God about the Lord.
And as we do regularly, honoring the Lord’s command, we’ll celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Get your bread and your wine…settle in…and join us in the celebration.
OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION
Let’s hear some music!
There’s a word you’ll hear over and over again in the Gospel of John. It’s the word BELIEVE. Here’s Jon Reddick to tell you what he believes in the song I BELIEVE IT.
MUSIC - OPENING SONG Let’s Hear the Singing of the Lord’s Praises
I BELIEVE IT Jon Reddick
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray...
We’re grateful to You Heavenly Father for providing us with the absolute truth of the Word of God…
Father, thank you for the Gospel of John, a detailed account giving us all the reasons we’d ever need to adore Your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as much as You do…thank you for sending Him to bail us out of our sin problem when we were Your enemies…and thank you for providing us with God the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth about Him…
…as we study this biography of the Lord, help us to see all the connections you’ve been setting up for us during every Bible study over the years, and make it impossible for us to forget the impact You and all the members of the Triune Godhead have had, and continue to have, on our lives and our well-being…make us feel in the depths of our souls how much You love us… …we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON The Gospel of John is God’s Love Letter to the World
LESSON PART ONE
We completed the introduction to the Gospel of John last week and today we’ll begin our study of the Gospel of John verse-by-verse. These promise to be some of the most important Biblical lesson you will study.
The Bible asks the most important question of your life in Matthew, Chapter 22, Verse 42…
MATTHEW 22:42a “What do you think about the Christ…whose Son is He?”
Is Jesus just a man? Is Jesus God?
If you’ve been studying with Barah Ministries for a while, you’ve seen the answer hovering above my head in every lesson. JESUS CHRIST IS GOD.
The Gospel of John was written to help all mankind answer these two critical questions. Yet the apostle provides more clarity than our sign in John, Chapter 20, Verse 31. In these verses, John shares with us the thesis of his gospel…
JOHN 20:31 …these things written in the Bible are written so all of you may BELIEVE that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah)…God the Son in human form…and that by believing in Him you may have the resurrection life (eternal life) in His name.
John’s thesis? Jesus Christ is fully God. Jesus Christ is fully man. Jesus Christ left heaven and came to earth to save you. So BELIEVE!
We’re only in the second lesson of this study of the Gospel of John, but I can tell you how it feels so far. It feels overwhelming. In putting these feelings in perspective, this idea hit me. After studying the Bible for nearly four decades… slowly…deliberately…verse-by-verse…it feels as if the Lord has given me a five-thousand-piece puzzle to assemble without giving me the cover of the puzzle box. When you’re assembling a puzzle, you can link pieces together, but you may not really see the full picture as it is being assembled.
Yet in only two lessons…studying three verses…the puzzle box has appeared. The overwhelm comes from all the pieces starting to fall into place, creating a picture that is absolutely stunning. So far, the picture says, “Jesus Christ is WITH us…Jesus Christ is IN us, and Jesus Christ is FOR us.” Knowing that is one thing. Feeling it is quite another thing.
As June Murphy would say in one of her songs, quoting the Samaritan woman from John chapter four…“Come see a man!” As we study this gospel, we’ll see a man and we’ll see our God and we’ll marvel at the love He has for us.
So here we go on perhaps the most exhilarating ride of our lifetime. Jesus is about to reward us with a comprehensive picture of who He is through the Gospel of John…a picture we can see of course, but more importantly a picture we can feel.
Let’s get started.
All four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), the first four books of the New Testament, are accounts of Jesus’ life on earth. What makes the gospel of John unique? The first three gospels report on events. John taught us the meaning of these events.
As we learned last week, the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are known as the synoptic gospels. They give a synopsis of Jesus Christ’s life and his earthly ministry, especially the three years before His crucifixion.
John takes a different approach.
John omits such things as Jesus’ birth, His baptism, The Lord’s Supper, the ascension (which is the elevation of Jesus’ body to heaven), and parables.
John rewards us with many details someone in Jesus’ inner circle would know…details of Jesus’ ministry in Judea, the duration of Jesus’ ministry (three years), the Wedding Feast at Cana, the Samaritan woman at the well, resurrecting Lazarus from the dead, the education of Nicodemus, and the conversations with the apostles at the end of Jesus’ life on earth.
John reports on the world above and the world below…on light and darkness…on life and death. Throughout the centuries the Gospel of John has been highly criticized, which is a testimony to its accuracy. What else would Satan, the enemy of God, do but seek to discredit the Gospel of John by sponsoring lies?
As we mentioned last week, the structure of John’s Gospel looks like this…
STRUCTURE OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
Chapters 1 to 4 The Lord and Savior Comes into the World
Chapters 5 to 8 Highlight the Hostility Toward Jesus from Religious Leaders
STRUCTURE OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
Chapters 9 to 12 The Lord Jesus Christ Teaches His Apostles
Chapters 13 to 17 The Lord Prepares His Apostles for the End of His Life on Earth
STRUCTURE OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
Chapters 18 to 21 The Betrayal of the Lord and His Subsequent Trial, Crucifixion, Death, Burial, and Resurrection from the Dead
We begin our study in John, Chapter 1. It contains fifty-one verses and its layout is interesting. Here’s what you’ll see…
SUBJECT MATTER BREAKDOWN OF JOHN CHAPTER 1
About “the Word” John 1:1 to John 1:3 and John 1:14
SUBJECT MATTER BREAKDOWN OF JOHN CHAPTER 1
About the Light
John 1:4 to 1:5…John 1:9 to 1:13…John 1:16 to 1:18
SUBJECT MATTER BREAKDOWN OF JOHN CHAPTER 1
An Introduction to John the Baptist
John 1:6 to 1:8…John 1:15…John 1:19 to 1:36
SUBJECT MATTER BREAKDOWN OF JOHN CHAPTER 1
Gathering Disciples
John 1:37 to 1:51
It’s a good idea to look at these verses together as you read the chapter to see how the different parts of chapter one speak to you.
Today, we’ll study four verses…John, Chapter 1, Verses 1 to 3 and John, Chapter 1, Verse 14…verses about “THE WORD.”
JOHN 1:1 In the beginning was the Word…and the Word was with God…and the Word was God.
JOHN 1:2 He was in the beginning with God.
JOHN 1:3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
JOHN 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Let’s study the verses.
When we think about Jesus, we know that if nothing else, Jesus is BOLD! His first bold proclamation came in Genesis, Chapter 1, Verse 1, with five words that set the whole world on its ear…
GENESIS 1:1 In the beginning GOD…
BAM!
Hey atheists…you say there is no God? Well the Lord gets right in your face in the very first verse of the Bible and says in a loud and resounding way that shakes you to your very core, “You’re wrong!” Take that all you knuckleheads who think “the universe” is providing for you. Take that all you “big bang” theorists! Genesis, Chapter 1, Verse 1 says…
GENESIS 1:1 In the beginning…GOD…created the heavens and the earth.
The literal translation of this verse?
The firstfruits of Jehovah Elohim (God the Son) was to create the heavens and the earth by speaking them into existence with His Word.
BAM!
By the way…I prefer to call the second person of the Triune Godhead God the Son because when we call Him the Son of God, some infer that He is inferior to God the Father because he is a Son. Nothing could be further from the truth. You’ll hear both terms in our study…just remember when you hear the Son of God that He is God the Son, in every way equal to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
God’s second bold proclamation comes in John, Chapter 1, Verse 1…
JOHN 1:1 In the beginning (not a beginning) was the Word (the Lord…God the Son) … and the Word (the Lord…God the Son) was with God the Father…and THE WORD WAS GOD.
BAM! Jesus Christ is God!
The Jehovah’s Witness Bible disagrees. Here is their version of John, Chapter 1, Verse 1…
JOHN 1:1 (New World Translation – The Jehovah’s Witness Bible) In the beginning was the Word…and the Word was with God…and the Word was like a god.
That’s a lie. The Word is not like a god…the Word IS God. John, Chapter 1, Verse 2…
JOHN 1:2 The Word (the Lord…God the Son) always existed from the beginning (not a beginning) with God the Father.
The Word existed in eternity past…He exists now…and He will exist forevermore. That’s why He calls Himself the Great I AM. He is saying I EXIST! He is saying, “There is a God and I am He!” John, Chapter 1, Verse 3…
JOHN 1:3 All things came into being through the Word, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
The Word…the Lord…God the Son…is the Creator. And He says it boldly.
BAM!
Now the coup de gras, a French term that means “death blow” to anyone who challenges the existence of God and the significance of Jesus…the Christ…our Messiah…John, Chapter 1, Verse 14…
JOHN 1:14 And the Word became flesh (He took on human form as Jesus…the Christ…the Messiah) and He lived among us (here on earth) and we apostles saw His glory with our own eyes…the glory of the only begotten One from God the Father…full of grace and full of truth.
What does this term “begotten” mean? It means unique. The Lord Jesus Christ is the uniquely born One from God the Father. He is 100% God and 100% man in one Person. One of my favorite songwriters says of the Lord Jesus Christ, “There is none like You.” He’s right.
Begotten also means ONE AND ONLY and THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND. That’s the perfect description of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Honestly, this lesson could go on forever. And it will go on as long as the Lord has things to say to us. But let’s conclude this first look at “the Word” with these thoughts. Jesus was born…given…and sent.
Jesus was Born
Romans, Chapter 1, Verses 3 and 4 say…
ROMANS 1:3 …this is the gospel concerning God the Father’s Son, the Lord, who was BORN of a descendant of David (Mary) according to the flesh as true humanity, whose name is Jesus…the Christ (the Messiah) …
ROMANS 1:4 …and Jesus Christ was declared the powerful Son of God by means of His resurrection from the dead, accomplished through the enabling power of the God who is the Spirit of holiness…God the Holy Spirit…we are talking about this Jesus…the Christ…our Lord…God the Son…
Jesus was Given
Isaiah, Chapter 9, Verse 6 says…
ISAIAH 9:6 A child will be born to us…a son will be GIVEN to us…and the government (of the universe) will rest on His shoulders…and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor…Mighty God…Eternal Father…Prince of Peace.
There are so many terms the Bible uses for the Lord and I can’t wait to share them with you.
Jesus was Sent Galatians, Chapter 4, Verses 4 and 5…
GALATIANS 4:4 When the fullness of the time came, God the Father SENT forth His Son…born of a woman…born under the Mosaic Law…
GALATIANS 4:5 …so that the Lord might redeem those who were under the Mosaic Law that we might receive the adoption as sons.
As believers in Christ, are not “begotten” sons. We are adopted sons.
So what did today’s verses illuminate about Jesus? Jesus is fully God and fully human…Jesus is perfect God and perfect man…Jesus came to earth to save us from the penalty of our sins. In fact, that’s what “Jesus” means. It means He saves.
The apostle John writes to encourage us to invest our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior. What is faith?
FAITH Believing in something on the basis of evidence
The Gospel of John is all the evidence anyone could ever need about the existence of God. It is my sincere hope that God gets our messages all around the world, and as a result of studying them, many are brought to Christ to be saved. In addition, I hope this love letter from God lets you know beyond a shadow of doubt how much God loves you.
Today’s break is ten minutes. During the break you’ll hear two songs that are tributes to fathers around the world. Happy Fathers Day to you all! When we return from the break, we’ll request an offering and then we’ll celebrate The Lord’s Supper.
TEN-MINUTE BREAK Father’s Day Tribute
THIS OLD MAN Kenny Rankin TEN-MINUTE BREAK Father’s Day Tribute
DANCE WITH MY FATHER Luther Vandross
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON The Gospel of John is God’s Love Letter to the World
OFFERING INTRODUCTION
What are your hang-ups about giving to a church? Where do they come from? Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what’s at the foundation of your resistance? Your contributions to Barah Ministries are valued and used well. Because of you we get to provide the world with pamphlets like BELIEVE from contributions you have made.
BELIEVE contains one of the many gospel messages we share weekly with our hearers. Your contributions made this possible. And it’s a perfect pamphlet in light of our study of the Gospel of John where you will hear the word BELIEVE nearly one hundred times.
Thank you for funding things that make a difference in the lives of people you don’t even know. Your contributions have eternal consequences.
Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with one of his always thought provoking and always inspiring offering messages.
THE OFFERING Deacon Denny Goodall
OFFERING VERSE
LUKE 21:33 Heaven and earth will pass away…but my words will not pass away.
OFFERING SONG THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU Instrumental Version
THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION At the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ Made His Believers Overcomers
Welcome to The Lord’s Supper Celebration, the most intimate expression of our deep, intimate, and personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
In this celebration, the Lord reminds us of the unity all believers in Christ possess by sharing His body and His blood with us. In First Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verse 26, the apostle Paul says, on behalf of the Lord…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 11:26a …as often as you eat this bread (representing His body) … and as often as you drink this cup (representing His blood) … as part of the Lord's Supper Celebration…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 11:26b …you proclaim as a reality and you announce the significance of the Lord Jesus Christ's death on the Cross…and His resurrection from the dead…until He comes again at the second coming.
Every month, we celebrate The Lord’s Supper to REMEMBER…that we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, dependent on Him for our so great salvation; that we are in union with Christ and nothing can separate us from our union with Him; that the Lord loves us unconditionally; that we are forgiven for every sin past, present, and future; and that we have the Lord’s grace to help in times of need, especially when we make mistakes.
The Lord’s Supper Celebration is often called communion. It’s our chance to commune with the Lord.
The Lord’s Supper Celebration is sacred, so it’s not something we take for granted. It’s not something we do “on the fly.” So have bread and wine in front of you, and as we enjoy the elements, let’s remember our dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ, both for our physical and our spiritual sustenance.
As we celebrate The Lord’s Supper, we ask ourselves in reflection, “What did the Lord Jesus Christ do for us at the Cross?”
This month we acknowledge that at the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ made believers in Christ OVERCOMERS.
The civil rights movement of the 1960’s, led by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, adopted a powerful protest theme song from the pen of Methodist minister Charles Albert Tinsley. It is called WE SHALL OVERCOME. Here are some of the words…
WE SHALL OVERCOME
We shall overcome We shall overcome We shall overcome Someday
WE SHALL OVERCOME
Oh deep in my heart I do believe We shall overcome Someday
You’ll get a chance to hear the song at the end of this Lord’s Supper celebration. What does it mean to overcome? It means…
OVERCOME To conquer…to overpower…to prevail…to subdue
First John, Chapter 5, Verses 4 and 5 say that for believers in Christ, it’s not “we SHALL overcome.” It’s we HAVE overcome. Believers in Christ are overcomers because the Lord made us that way at the new birth…the spiritual birth…the day we were “born again.”
FIRST JOHN 5:4 For everyone who is a born again one of God the Father overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. FIRST JOHN 5:5 Who is the one who overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God…
How does a believer in Christ overcome the world? Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 37 tells us…
ROMANS 8:37 In every situation imaginable, believers in Christ overwhelmingly conquer through the Lord Jesus Christ who loved us unconditionally.
The Lord has overcome the world and believers in Christ are the beneficiaries. We overcome the world because the Lord made it happen for us. He did the work of overcoming so we wouldn’t have to, mainly because we couldn’t.
The Lord gave us an identity at the moment of salvation. He made us OVERCOMERS. John, Chapter 16, Verse 33…
JOHN 16:33 These things I (the Lord Jesus Christ) have spoken to you believers in Christ so that in union with Me you may have peace. In the world, you have tribulation, but be courageous because I have overcome the world.
By association with Christ, and through our union with Christ, believers in Christ overcome the world as well. What have we overcome? The ENEMY!
Who are the three enemies of believers in Christ? The first enemy is…
1 SATAN…the ruler of this world. He is the enemy of God and the enemy of believers in Christ. What are the characteristics of an enemy of God? Colossians, Chapter 1, Verse 21 describes enemy activity. They are…
COLOSSIANS 1:21b …alienated from God…hostile in mind…doers of evil deeds…
Satan is such a character.
The second enemy is Satan’s WORLD SYSTEM OF THOUGHT. 2 Satan deceives the whole world with evil and with lies. Revelation, Chapter 12, Verse 9…
REVELATION 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down from heaven…the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan…the one who deceives THE WHOLE WORLD (with his cosmic system of thought) … and Satan was thrown down (from heaven) to the earth (a future event) and his fallen angels were thrown down with him.
Using the Greek word for world, kosmos, Satan’s system can be called The Cosmic System as well as THE WORLD. Satan’s strategy against all mankind is religion. Satan uses religion as a counterfeit to Christianity to make people who participate in religion indifferent or antagonistic to God.
Satan’s strategy works like a charm. His system is ninety-five percent true which is the perfect deception. His lies are hidden in the truth so skillfully that few notice the left turn that leads to the path of deception.
The third enemy is…
3 THE FLESH…Satan’s inside agent within every individual, resident in the cell structure of our bodies. The flesh is the enemy both of God and of believers in Christ. The flesh is a nagging internal voice. It’s antagonistic to you, it hates everything important to you, and it wants to destroy everyone you value.
The opposite of an overcomer is a “succumber” if that were a word. It’s the perfect description of an unbeliever. Either actively or passively, the unbeliever has given in to Satan’s power. The unbeliever refuses to fight back in the spiritual warfare between the Creator and the creature. The unbeliever simply defers to Satan’s power while simultaneously resisting the Lord’s power and His salvation offer.
The Lord overcoming the world means He has brought His light to the spiritual darkness of the entire human race. The Lord has overcome His enemies.
As overcomers, believers in Christ are completely dependent on God for direction, for purpose, for fulfillment, and for strength.
As overcomers, the Lord put believers in Christ in a position to prevail in every situation regardless of circumstance.
By making us overcomers, the Lord expects us to win every time in every challenge we face.
Thank you, Lord, for one of the many doors Your death on the Cross opened for us believers in Christ. We are grateful for Your unconditional love, for Your provisions, and for Your sacrifice at the Cross on our behalf.
THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION Enjoying the Elements
Bread and wine.
The Lord gave us these things to remember Him. We will enjoy the elements together in a few moments as we listen to The Lord’s Supper Song.
Matthew, Chapter 26, Verses 26 to 28 tells us the reason the Lord wants us to celebrate this meal together…
MATTHEW 26:26 While the apostles were eating, Jesus took some bread…and after a blessing…He broke the bread, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take…eat…this is My body which is being broken for you.”
MATTHEW 26:27 And when Jesus had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it…all of you…”
MATTHEW 26:28 “…for this is My blood…the blood of a new covenant (the new testament)…My blood…poured out for WHOSOEVER…for the forgiveness of sins.”
We celebrate to REMEMBER…that Jesus Christ’s BLOOD paid for our sins…that Jesus Christ died as our sin substitute…that Jesus Christ rose from the dead to prove His Deity…that Jesus Christ saved us from the wrath of God the Father… that Jesus Christ will come again to gather us unto Himself.
As believers in Christ, we are grateful that His work on the Cross gives us hope, the assurance of an amazing future.
Enjoy the elements as you listen to the Morehouse College Choir sing WE SHALL OVERCOME.
THE LORD’S SUPPER SONG
WE SHALL OVERCOME Morehouse College Choir THE GOSPEL MESSAGE The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race
The closing moments of this lesson could be the ten most important minutes of your life. You’ll be introduced to the good news concerning how you can spend all eternity in heaven when you close your eyes in this life. We want you to know that…
GOD WANTS YOU! He Wants You to Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life
…and what He wants for you is that you make the most important decision of your life.
If you want to travel to a country where you are not a citizen, you require a passport. By using this official document issued by the government of your country certifying both your identity and your citizenship, you are entitled to travel under its protection to countries where you are not a citizen.
All of us are born citizens of the world.
Unfortunately, this citizenship was given to us by the federal head of the human race, Adam, as a result of his sin. Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 12… ROMANS 5:12 …through one man…Adam…sin entered into the world…and spiritual death entered the world through his sin…so spiritual death spread to all men…because all men were considered by God to have sinned when Adam sinned.
If you die a citizen of the world your eternal future will not be pleasant. Lucky for you, the God who created you does not want you to be a citizen of the world. If you’re a citizen of the world when you close your eyes in this life, your destiny is an eternity in the Lake of Fire. Yet Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9 makes God’s will for you clear…
SECOND PETER 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise of salvation, as some accuse Him of... instead, He is patient toward unbelievers…NOT WISHING FOR ANY TO PERISH IN THE LAKE OF FIRE…but wishing for all unbelievers to come to repentance (a voluntary change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).
Through His work on the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ made it possible for you to renounce your citizenship in the world, instead becoming a citizen of heaven. It’s the equivalent of becoming a naturalized citizen of a new country, much like people who are not born in America can become naturalized citizens of the United States.
God’s plan for all His creatures is to save you from an eternity in the Lake of Fire by offering you a new possibility called salvation. When you are saved, your citizenship is in heaven. When you close your eyes in this life, you’ll be absent from the body and face-to-face with the Lord.
Yes! You can be saved! Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31 invites you to…
ACTS 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved by God…you and everyone in your household who also believes.”
Why?
Because expressing your faith in Jesus Christ’s Person and His work at the Cross on your behalf changes your citizenship. John, Chapter 14, Verse 6…
JOHN 14:6 Jesus said to the doubting apostle Thomas, “I am the way (to salvation) … and I am the truth (through the gospel of Jesus Christ in the Word of God) … and I am the resurrection life (eternal life) …and no one comes to God the Father in heaven but through believing in Me.”
You can’t do a thing to change your citizenship from the world to citizenship in heaven on your own. God has to do it for you. The apostle Paul describes this God, the Lord Jesus Christ, in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3 For I (the apostle Paul) delivered to all of you as of primary importance the gospel message I also received from God…that it was Jesus Christ who died for your sins according to the Old Testament Scriptures…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4 …and that He was buried…and that He was raised from the dead on the third day…according to the Old Testament Scriptures…
If you don’t have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ…RIGHT NOW… RIGHT WHERE YOU SIT…RIGHT THIS MOMENT…you have a choice. You can remain a spiritually dead citizen of the world, or you can choose to be a spiritually alive citizen of heaven. First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:22 For all those in union with Adam (the citizens of the world) are spiritually dead…for all those in union with Christ (the citizens of heaven) are made spiritually alive by God.
What’s your choice? In John, Chapter 3, Verse 36 the Lord offers the ONLY two choices…
JOHN 3:36 “He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment (they are made citizens of heaven by God) … but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him (they remain citizens of the world for all eternity).”
Believers in Christ have made their choice according to Philippians, Chapter 3, Verse 20…
PHILIPPIANS 3:20 (As believers in Christ)…our citizenship is in heaven…from which heaven we eagerly wait for a Savior (to return for us)…the Lord Jesus Christ…
God’s enemy, Satan, is the ruler of this world. He welcomes you to remain a citizen of the world because he’d be pleased to have you live with him in the Lake of Fire for all eternity. If you choose to remain a citizen of the world by rejecting the relationship offer of the Lord Jesus Christ, Matthew, Chapter 8, Verse 12 explains your eternal destiny…
MATTHEW 8:12 “…the sons of Satan’s kingdom (unbelievers…the citizens of the world) will be cast out into the outer darkness…in that place (the Lake of Fire) there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
That is NOT God’s will for you. If you end up in the Lake of Fire for all eternity it will be your choice, and God will honor it.
Do yourself a favor…BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus Christ. Take His word for what it takes to be saved. It’s the easiest, smartest decision you will ever make. Place your faith in the Person and work of Jesus Christ on your behalf and He will be more than happy to welcome you as a citizen of heaven, inviting you into His kingdom.
A relationship with Jesus is much better than a passport. You can reside in His kingdom forever and ever with one simple choice.
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race
CLOSING SONG INTRODUCTION
Let’s close with music!
One of the most overused words in today’s collective vocabulary is “legacy.” Everyone seems to have an overfocus on being remembered after death.
As for me, I want people to remember I’m a Christian, and all my faith was placed in my best friend…JESUS. Here’s Casting Crowns to echo a similar sentiment in their song ONLY JESUS.
MUSIC - CLOSING SONG Let’s Hear the Singing of the Lord’s Praises
ONLY JESUS Casting Crowns
CLOSING PRAYER Let us pray...
Almighty God and Father…
…thank you for continuing to enlighten us about Your Son…the magnificent Savior…the Lamb of God…the Son of Man…the Rabbi…the Son of God…the King of Israel…Jesus of Nazareth…the Sovereign God of the Universe…
…use these lessons to deepen our intimate and personal relationship with Him, and let our lives be a reflection of all He stands for to the entire world, especially to everyone we meet…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
GOT BIBLICAL QUESTIONS OR WANT US TO PRAY FOR SOMEONE?
Ask the Pastor pastor@barahministries.com
KEEP ON STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD DAILY!
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