Apologia Church

Jeff Durbin

- John 3:16-21 -

Eternal Life. That's what the Lord Jesus promises. He repeats Himself many times throughout the Gospels. He came that we might have life. His mission was to seek and to save that which is lost.

But, how does He do this? What does God call us to in order to receive this gift of eternal life and knowing God? Is it faith and trust in Him? Is it a polished life? Is it faith and enough good works? How much obedience? What exactly was Jesus' message on this?

The answer from the Lord is clear and unambiguous!

My hope is that through examining Jesus' statements on eternal life in John 3, we will be emboldened in our proclamation of the simple and pure Gospel. The Gospel of grace through faith in the One Who saves to His own eternal glory.

Jeff Durbin

- John 3:1-21 -

This week are continuing to work through the Gospel According to John with our body. Today, I'm going to talk about John 3 in light of the Doctrines of Grace and Calvinism. Jesus touches a number of subjects in this chapter that are foundational and thematic truths throughout Scripture. And those truths are foundations of the doctrines we love and cherish commonly associated with Calvinism.

Jeff Durbin

-John 3:11-21 -

What a gift have before us, today! We are continuing in our study of the Gospel According to John. We are in the chapter where one of the most famous verses in the whole Bible sits. This section is truly a source of hope, peace, comfort, and strength.

Christ came because of love. He came to save. He came to give eternal life to all who believe.

Today, we are going to be meditating upon and unpacking a very well-known moment in the ministry of the Lord Jesus. It's the famous scene of Christ's interaction with Nicodemus on the new birth. Although it's a well-known moment in Scripture and most have at least a portion of it committed to memory, I believe many miss important elements of what the Lord is saying here. My desire is to demonstrate what Christ is referring to and allow that truth to fill us all with the hope we have in the power of God to give us new life.

May God bless us all with renewed minds and new strength from what we learn here.

Continuing our sermon series, Pastor James White preaches on John 2:13-25.

James White

- John 2:1-12 -

God ordained marriage as one of the very first institutions amongst men, and honored it by attending a wedding in Cana of Galilee in the Person of His Son. We will consider Jesus' relationship with His mother in this story, a vital topic when we seek to proclaim good news to those who have imbibed Rome's teachings on Mary. Next week as we finish the chapter we will look at false and true faith, and Jesus' teaching on real discipleship.

"It is a high honor given to marriage, that Christ not only deigned to be present at a nuptial banquet, but honored it with his first miracle." (John Calvin)

- John 1:35-41 -

We are in our series on the Gospel According to John. Today, we are finishing up chapter 1 and the introduction of the fist disciples called by the Lord Jesus.

The beloved disciple has already pointed us to the profound realities of Jesus. He is God in the flesh. He is the Creator of all things. He is the Lamb of God. Now, John brings us further into the majesty of Christ by way of His irst interaction with the Apostles. He is the Son of Man. He is Messiah. He is the true ladder to Heaven that the angels of God cling to.

Something divine and unique was present within Jesus and it was obvious to all. Their faith began and was only going to grow in strength and size because of the nature of the One they were now following and walking with.

May God do the same with us.

Today, we are continuing our study of the Gospel According to John. John, the beloved disciple, records for us the initial words of John the Baptist regarding the Lord Jesus. He is the Lamb of God. He takes away the sins of the world.

This statement of the greatest of prophets would have brought so many of the Biblical themes as a flood to the minds of the hearers. God had given His people many symbolic examples of their need for a substitute and a sacrifice. They were guilty. They needed a representative and a substitute. Their substitute needed to be perfect; without spot or blemish.

There had to be an exchange of death. The innocent needed to be given for the guilty. Justice needed to be done.

And here is introduced the true Lamb of God. The perfect, true, and final substitute had entered their world and their experience. He was finally here. His appearance signaled the fulfillment of all of God's promises of redemption.

May God bless us with an understanding of this truth that will strengthen us, cause us to rejoice, and fill us with big faith.

-Jeff Durbin-

John 1:14-18

We are continuing in our study of the Gospel According to John. Today, we are in the end of the prologue looking at the profound truths that the beloved disciple wants the world to know about the identity of the Messiah and what He brings. He is God, at the Father's side from all eternity, and He is full of grace and truth.

That is soul-satisfying truth that ought to carry us into delight and joy every day of our walk with the Lord Jesus. May we be renewed and transformed by what we hear from the Word of God this day.

Jeff Durbin

- John 1:12-13 -

We are in our exposition and series on the Gospel According to John.Today, we are going to examine a powerful and central theme in God's incredible story of redemption: regeneration or the new birth.

Scripture teaches throughout (and John makes the point over and over again) that man, in his natural state, is fallen and spiritually dead. We are alienated from God because of our sin and we are unable and unwilling to come to God for life, peace, and forgiveness. However, John gives us a beautiful truth in the text before us. Our being children of God and our having a new birth is not something in us, through us, or because of us. It is solely a work of God with all of the boasting, credit, and glory to God Himself.

That is a soul-satisfying truth. It gives us confident hope in our walk before the Lord and our future inheritance with Him. He loves us. He gives us everything we lack and all that we need through His sovereign will and power.