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John 1:43-51: Lost and found.

John 1:43-51: Lost and found.

43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, ‘Follow me.’44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’46 ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked.‘Come and see,’ said Philip.47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, ‘Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.’48 ‘How do you know me?’ Nathanael asked.Jesus answered, ‘I saw you while you were still under the fig-tree before Philip called you.’49 Then Nathanael declared, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.’50 Jesus said, ‘You believe[a] because I told you I saw you under the fig-tree. You will see greater things than that.’ 51 He then added, ‘Very truly I tell you, you will see “heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on”the Son of Man.’ NIV

As I read today’s passage I thought about a U2 song: ‘I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.’ That wasn’t the case though with Simon and Andrew and Philip.

‘Finding Philip…We have found…’ (43, 45). Considered from one angle, it is true that we find Christ. That is our testimony. But the deeper – indeed deepest – truth is that He finds us. And the cross is central to this being found (verses 50, 51 seem to allude to ‘Jacob’s ladder’ – Jesus is the ‘Ladder’ between heaven and earth, God and man). 

Somebody observed, ‘The process of one lighted torch lighting another goes on.’ Here is a further example of personal evangelism. The gospel invitation simply says, ‘Come and see’ ‘ Come and check this out for yourself.’ ‘Come with me to church.’ ‘Come with me to a course.’ ‘I know you have your prejudices, but try to put them to one side and honestly examine the claims of Christ. Come and see.’ I read some years ago that the majority of people who attend church for the first time do so because of a friend’s invitation. Most do not just walk through the door. I also heard about some research that suggested that a significant number of people would attend a church service if just asked. So why am I so timid?                                                                                                                                                     And here are some random further thoughts on today’s passage:

God works in unlikely places (46). He is ‘the God of surprises’.

There was no false modesty in Nathanael (47, 48). This bears out the truth of (2:25) that Jesus knew what was in a man.

A decision to leave one place for another can be difficult (43). There is no hint in the text that it was for Jesus, but sometimes it can be for us. But we should nonetheless prepare ourselves for fruitful service in a new setting. Who knows? There may be ‘Philip’s’ to meet and serve.

Prayer: Lord, as I go through this week place place people in my pathway to ‘invite’ and please give me the courage to ask them to ‘Come and see’.

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John 1: 35-42: Bowled over!

John 1: 35-42

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning round, Jesus saw them following and asked, ‘What do you want?’They said, ‘Rabbi’ (which means ‘Teacher’), ‘where are you staying?’39 ‘Come,’ he replied, ‘and you will see.’So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas’ (which, when translated, is Peter).NIV

‘The next day John was there again…’ (35).

For a preacher, there is something important about consistency – that you keep turning up, faithfully doing the job you’ve been given (35), and preaching the same Biblical Gospel (36). As with a bowler on a cricket team, who consistently keeps to a good line and length, there is likely to be a breakthrough at some point. Just keep on ‘putting the ball in the right place’. It will happen. It may not necessarily involve big numbers, but it’s the reality of the conversions that matters – and the further waves made by them.

Here, then, is the power of preaching: John ‘picked up a couple of wickets’ (37). As a result of John’s ‘sermon’ these two began to personally relate to Jesus (38, 39). It was all that John wanted. A sermon does not need to be long to be effective, but it does need to have sound content. There is no greater theme than Christ crucified.

Someone said about Andrew’s action (41, 42), ‘It was as great a service for the church as anyone ever did.’ Here you see some of the potential ‘knock-on’ effects of a sermon.

Preaching is ultimately about pointing to Jesus and getting people to Him. He then does the work of transformation on them (42). The changing of Peter’s name indicated Jesus’ authority over him. Under the Lordship of Jesus, the ‘reed’ would become the ‘rock’.

Don’t ever under-estimate the importance of consistency/dependability in a preacher – the being ‘there again’. He may not be the greatest preacher in the world. Or, he may be having an off day. He may be low in the spirits. Things may not appear to be going too well in the church. Perhaps he’s feeling below par. But he’s there. Others may be bunking off church. Some may forsake the assembling with other Christians on a regular basis. But he’s there – at his post. He’s there with the eternal gospel in his heart and on his lips. And although he may keenly feel his weakness and lack confidence; though he may be feeling depressed and thinking of many others who can ‘do it better’, God’s Word is ‘mighty, releasing captives’. That Word does the work.

Preacher, you have the greatest job in the world. Don’t lose heart. Stay on duty.

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John 1:29-34: ‘I came…that he might be revealed…’ (31).

John 1:29-34: ‘I came…that he might be revealed…’

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, “A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptising with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.’32 Then John gave this testimony: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptise with water told me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.” 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.’ NIV

The first thing I want to underline is that Jesus moves towards us before we move in His direction (29). He takes the initiative. He is the ‘Prime Mover’ in our salvation. No-one will become a witness for Christ, or a preacher of the gospel without this starting point of a God-initiated meeting with the Lord. There is great power in preaching where we not only ‘testify’ to the truth, but can also say ‘I have seen and I testify…’ (34). As a preacher, always seek to ‘see’ that which you ‘testify’ to; to experience what you preach about. Obviously, it is important to preach salvation as a saved person; as a genuine believer in Jesus, ‘the Son of God’.

John the Baptist stands before us as a ‘model’ preacher. He was Christ-centred and Cross-centred. He said:

‘Look’ – look at Jesus; look to Jesus, to take away your sin. There was none of the platform strutting, ego parading ‘look at me’ mentality on display; nothing of the peacock preacher. John knew that Jesus is the answer and he was not. His ministry was all about Jesus (31b). He was humble. He freely confessed his ignorance apart from divine revelation: ‘I would not have known him, except…’ (33).

I heard Alec Passmore speak on verse 29 and 2 Corinthians 3:18. His theme was ‘a saving look’ and a ‘sanctifying gaze’. It takes a moment to look to Jesus and be forgiven; but it then takes a lifetime of gazing on Him, in adoration, to be made like Him. 2 Corinthians 3:18 speaks about our being ‘transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory’ as we ‘behold’ or ‘contemplate’ ‘the Lord’s glory’. (The word used can also mean ‘reflect’)

John preached the SACRIFICIAL death of Jesus – Jesus as ‘the lamb’ – the fulfilment of the Old Testament sacrificial system (29).

John preached the SUPREMACY of Jesus (30). In terms of time, John was born first; but in terms of eternity, Jesus existed before John. He superseded His cousin – He was pre-existent. John knew his place, bent low at the feet of Jesus and at the foot of His cross.

John preached the SPIRIT- anointed/SPIRIT- imparting Jesus. We need this double emphasis on the Cross and the Holy Spirit in our preaching today. Proclaim Jesus as Saviour and Sanctifier. He both forgives sin and frees from its power. He changes us; makes us different. ‘He breaks the power of cancelled sin…’ Let us seek the ‘something more’ of the Holy Spirit and preach that ‘something more’.

There can be such a temptation to make Christian ministry about us. It is NEVER about us. The preacher’s work is to lift up Christ alone. God the Holy Spirit will greatly bless a ministry where the focus is on Christ crucified.

As Jesus said, ‘He will glorify me…’

Prayer: Lord, please give me a heart like John’s – a grand obsession with Jesus.

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John 1:19-28: Public Confession.

John 1:19-28: Public Confession

“19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leader  in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, ‘I am not the Messiah.’21 They asked him, ‘Then who are you? Are you Elijah?’He said, ‘I am not.’‘Are you the Prophet?’He answered, ‘No.’22 Finally they said, ‘Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, “Make straight the way for the Lord.”’ 24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, ‘Why then do you baptise if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?’26 ‘I baptise with water,’ John replied, ‘but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptising.” NIV

‘He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely…’ (20).  These words dig into me because at times I have failed to confess. I have missed opportunities to identify myself with Jesus.

Help me Lord to confess you with my life. I can’t always be speaking about you verbally, but if I obey you I dare to believe that others will see you in me. If I walk in your steps, my life will silently speak volumes. Let me carry your fragrance Lord Jesus; may I ‘smell’ of you. I don’t want to put a ‘lid’ on my testimony; I don’t want to position my candle under a bucket.

Help me to confess with my lips. Forgive me for any sense of cowardice or embarrassment. Fill me with boldness. Enable me to give a reason for my hope in you, when I’m asked. I want to SAY that I am a Christian, and tell what that means, in appropriate ways and at the right time.

And help me please, dear Lord Jesus, to never fail to confess that you are the greatest, and it’s all about you.

This is my prayer today.

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The Gospel of John 1:15-18: Lift Jesus higher.

John 1:15-18, Lift Jesus Higher

“15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, ‘This is the one I spoke about when I said, “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.”’) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[b] is in the closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” NIV

Jesus is the greatest (15). A certain well-known former boxer, who recently died, famously declared that he was ‘the greatest’, but no doubt his tongue was firmly in his cheek. Jesus is greater than the greatest of men and women. I guess we have no problems accepting that Jesus ‘surpasses’ us. We shouldn’t have.  He obviously does! We are mortal; He is eternal. We are men; He is God. But what about when we are surpassed by other human beings? When we are eclipsed in popularity and ability.? That supplies a real test of character. Can we be like John and determine to decrease so that another may increase? Richard Foster tells how his ministry colleague and elders sacrificially released him to write ‘Celebration of Discipline.’ They took on more work for a time to free him to serve the wider church. He is well-known in the Christian world because of this book. They are not. But they showed a humble, John the Baptist like spirit in order to make his work possible. They played a vital role.

Jesus is the Fountain Head (16, 17). Innumerable blessings flow from Him into our lives. ‘We all live off his generous bounty, gift after gift after gift.’ The Message. 

We have every spiritual blessing in Christ. All these gifts are expressions of grace, i.e. Undeserved favour:

‘…there is a grace in our lives because of his grace’ (J.B. Phillips).

‘We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us – blessing upon blessing heaped upon us! For Moses gave us only the Law with its rigid demands and merciless justice, while Jesus Christ brought us loving forgiveness as well’ (Living Bible).

Jesus is the revealer (18): ‘It is true that no one has ever seen God at any time. Yet the divine and only Son, who lives in the closest intimacy with the Father, has made him known’ (J.B. Phillips). Someone translated this: ‘…has exegeted Him.’ Jesus shows us what the invisible God is like. As Michael Green wrote, He is ‘the window into God.’

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The Gospel of John 1:6-14

John 1: 6-14

“6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” NIV

‘The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighbourhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish’ (14, The Message).

We move quickly from the God who became man (1-5,14), to ‘a man sent from God’ (6). John Baptist was not God. He knew He was not God. But God gave him an important job to do. He was a signpost, pointing to Jesus. He didn’t stand in the spotlight. He never confused his role with the Lord’s. He consistently pointed away from himself to Christ. So he stands as an example to all Christian witnesses:

‘He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light’ (8, The Message).

Although Jesus made the world, when He came into it He was not, by and large, recognised.

When He came to His own people – the Jewish race – a people uniquely prepared by God for the coming of their Messiah – they showed Him the door. The put out the ‘unwelcome’ mat.

But here and there were people who did receive Jesus. When they did so they became children of God. And that’s why John kept on pointing to Jesus, because only He can bring folks into God’s family. We are not all children of God by birth, but we become such by new birth, when we trust in Jesus.

Remember, ‘You cannot at one and the same time demonstrate that you are a great preacher and Jesus is a great Saviour.’

Take your cue from John. Lift up Jesus!

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The Gospel of John 1:1-5

John 1:1-5, Theology singing

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” NIV

This is one of the best known parts of the Bible. It is so important; so significant.

It is theology.

It is (it seems to me) poetry.

It is theology set to music; theology singing.

Think what BIG things it says about Jesus:

He is God;

Yet He is distinct from God;

He is the creator of all things;

The ‘light’ in every person – the light of conscience – the light of spiritual understanding – is actually the ‘life’ of Jesus alive in them – whether they recognise Him or not. His life animates everyone and everything.

And how about this for a barnstorming statement of truth? ‘The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out’ (5, The Message).

Still today, in many ways, the darkness huffs and puffs at the light and tries to extinguish it. The fact is it will never succeed. Sometimes it will appear to, but in reality our ‘Good Friday’s’ will always be eclipsed by His ‘Easter Sundays’.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the beauty of truth; for its poetic, melodic, rhapsodic quality. It makes my heart sing. I love you Lord Jesus Christ, and I worship you.

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Daily Bible thoughts 1115: Friday 8th April 2016: Luke 13: 22-30: Danger! God at work!!

 Luke 13: 22-30: Danger! God at work!!(please click for todays Bible passage)

Here are some clear and present dangers to avoid:

Don’t miss your purpose in life. Do you know what it is? Jesus was clear-minded about His aim. He was single-minded about heading for Jerusalem where, He knew, He would die in fulfillment of many prophecies. It was a costly assignment; not just risky, but deadly. However, He was focussed on doing what the Father had sent Him to do. He would not abort His mission when He saw the danger signals. He did not allow Himself to be diverted or deflected. How about you? Do you know the reason God put you on this planet, and are you moving towards fulfillment of the Divine plan for your life with laser-like Focus?

Don’t miss your opportunity! The day for entrance to Kingdom life will come to an end (25).You can live in close proximity to spiritual privileges and miss the boat. This would be the case for many of Jesus’ own race. They were in touching distance of the Kingdom, but did not enter (26).There are people who spend their lives in close contact with Christ’s church, but who miss out on the chance to know Him. They are in the pew week by week, yet live very far from Jesus. One day they will wish they were at the party after all.There will be ultimately the bitterest regret (28). I think of the words of Dorothy L. Sayers who said that the essence of Hell is ‘the truth discovered too late.’

Don’t miss the truth that although the door is ‘narrow’ (24) the welcome is wide (29, 30). While many Jews would not be found at the Kingdom table, lots of Gentiles would be there. The gospel of the Kingdom is good news for the whole world. Let’s spread the invitation far and wide (Matthew 28:16-20).

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Daily Bible thoughts 1034: Wednesday 16th December 2015: 1 Timothy 6:3-10: You can’t take it with you.

 1 Timothy 6:3-10: You can’t take it with you.(please click here for todays Bible passage)

Someone said, ‘’You will never know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.’’

I heard a young woman give a testimony on one occasion. She was a Christian, but she said that she had been through a period in life when she felt ‘’so discontented’’. Then, in reading her Bible, these words hit her (6): ‘’But godliness with contentment is great gain.’’ (6). They brought perspective and changed everything in her outlook.

What lies at the back of this passage is the lust for money; the love of money. False teaching and money-grabbing tend to go together. When you see greed for monetary gain in a leader/preacher it should set off alarm bells in your head. Be wary. If you are in a position of leadership in the church, and you sense such desires growing in your heart, that is an ‘eye’ to be gouged out and a ‘hand’ to be cut off (Matthew 5:29, 30). Don’t allow such longings to stay. Go to war against them. They may well destroy you if you let them stay. So, as the Sergeant used to say in ‘Hill Street Blues’: ‘’Do it to them before they do it to you.’’

Paul says there’s a standard of teaching by which you can ‘measure’ all teaching, and anything out of true should not be tolerated. In his day he knew of false teachers ‘’who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.’’ (5; Hebrews 13:5). Again, the problem here is the focus on money and the greed for it. The tenth verse has been misquoted as ‘’The love of money is the root of all evil.’’ It isn’t. But it is a serious problem. It leads to bad places. It can lead your heart away from Jesus so that your devotion is given to an idol that will bitterly disappoint (10). You can’t take it with you (7). We should be content with the basics of life (8). God may bless us with more, but it is wise, and right, to cultivate thankful, contented hearts. ‘’Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that’s enough…Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after.’’ The Message.

False teaching has to be dealt with. It is like a serious infection; a contagion that will spread: ‘’If you have leaders who teach otherwise, who refuse the solid words of our Master Jesus and this godly instruction, tag them for what they are: ignorant windbags who infect the air with germs of envy, controversy, bad-mouthing, suspicious rumours. Eventually there’s an epidemic of back-stabbing, and truth is bit a distant memory. They think religion is a way to make a fast buck.’’ The Message.

A well-known preacher was asked to speak at a meeting in the Stock Exchange in London. He said he wanted to entitle his talk: ‘’You can’t take it with you, and if you could it would burn!’’

Prayer: Lord, keep my heart free from the love of money

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