Appleton Gospel Church

Jesus, the Messiah: Have you ever wondered what Jesus was doing in your life? Messiah (Christ in Greek) is a title meaning anointed/chosen one. But if Jesus is the Messiah, what was he anointed/chosen to do? We must be careful not to shrink the purpose of Jesus. Instead, let us hear the invitation of the Messiah, who offers nothing less than his Spirit and real, everlasting life in his kingdom. Recorded on Oct 29, 2023, on John 7:25-52 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

So all year, we’re going through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And today, we’ll finish John chapter 7, considering what it means for Jesus to be the Christ, the Messiah. I think a lot of people think that Christ is Jesus’ last name, like Mary and Joseph Christ and Jesus Christ. But I wonder how old I was when I learned that Christ is a title, not his last name. It’s a title that means anointed one or the chosen, Christ in Greek and Messiah in Hebrew. But anointed/chosen to do what, exactly? Well, that is very much John’s point in this passage. Just who was Jesus, and what was his mission? Why was he sent from heaven? What did he come to accomplish? Have you ever thought about that in your life today? What is he trying to accomplish in your life? What is Jesus trying to do? I’ve definitely had times of anger/pain/fear when I’ve cried out to the Lord to get some answers as to what was happening. “Jesus who are you and what are you doing here?” Have you ever felt that way? It was no different in Jesus’ day. People were divided over who he was and what he was supposed to accomplish as the Messiah. And yet Jesus knew who he was; he knew what he came to do as the Messiah, and he extends an open invitation to all, even today. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 7:25.

John 7:25–27 (NIV), “25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? 27 But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.” Ok, let’s pause here for a little context. So last week, we saw Jesus, the great Teacher, who came to the Festival of Tabernacles in Jerusalem and was teaching in the Temple courts. His teaching was amazing because of its authority and power. It was helpful and encouraging, but it also offered a correction and sometimes even a rebuke. It was like nothing they’d ever heard. And they were baffled because Jesus hadn’t been formally trained. They just didn’t understand. So here, we’re still in the Temple courts with this mix of the crowd there for the Festival and the religious leadership who were plotting against Jesus. The crowd knows the leaders aren’t a fan of Jesus, it appears from this that they even knew they were trying to kill him. So they’re confused as to why the leaders seemed to be allowing him to teach publicly here. Had they changed their minds about Jesus? Did they now think he really was the Messiah? But they’re not sure because John says that they thought that when the Messiah came...

Jesus, the Teacher: Need direction, wisdom, or help? Do you want to know the truth about life and death, heaven and hell, or anything that truly matters? Learn from Jesus; he is a brilliant teacher. To be a disciple means to learn and apply the teachings of Jesus and help others do the same. Recorded on Oct 22, 2023, on John 7:1-24 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

Well, all year, we’re going through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And today, we’re in John chapter 7, considering the teaching ministry of Jesus. Jesus was simply a brilliant teacher. People were constantly amazed by his teaching. It had a surprising authority to it, as if he had the authority of God himself — even though, as we saw last week, it was sometimes hard to understand or even offensive. And how many teachers are there who have people trying to listen to them and learn from them 2,000 years later? But here’s what separates the fans of Jesus from the true followers of Jesus: the follower of Jesus seeks to learn from Jesus, our rabbi/teacher, about who he is and how to follow him, no matter their circumstances, no matter whether it’s easy or hard. A fan will only stick around, provided there’s some benefit for them. But a true follower/disciple will stick with Jesus even when his teaching corrects/rebukes our opinions/preferences/path. For, as Peter said last week, where else would we go? Only Jesus has the words of eternal life. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 7:1.

John 7:1–5 (NIV), “1 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. 2 But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, 3 Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. 4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.” Ok, let’s pause here. So, it was sometime after the famous/infamous sermon at Capernaum where Jesus told people they needed to eat his flesh and drink his blood, and many of those who had been following him misunderstood him, were offended by him, and decided to walk away from Jesus. And I would imagine it would be tempting for Jesus to become discouraged at this point. John points out that he knew if he went to the southern region of Judea, where the city of Jerusalem is, the Jewish leaders there wanted to kill him. But here in the northern region of Galilee, he had just experienced a mass rejection. This is the context of our scene. So when Jesus’ brothers (or actually his half brothers) urge him to go to Judea, to attend the Festival of Tabernacles and go public with his ministry, Jesus has a tough choice: Do I stay in a place where I was largely rejected, or go to a place where people want me dead? John also adds this note that even his own brothers did not believe in him. And clearly, they don’t understand what Jesus is doing or how he would accomplish his mission. Now later,

The Hard Sayings of Jesus: There are some seriously hard sayings in the Bible, either because they're hard to understand or because they're so counter-cultural. These teachings might even make us question the truth or goodness of God’s word. It's helpful to see that God’s word has always been challenging or even downright offensive to some. But if the gospel is true, the words and way of Jesus are the only way that leads to life. Recorded on Oct 15, 2023, on John 6:41-71 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

So, all year, we’re going through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And today, we’re finishing up John 6 with what I think is a very relatable teaching on dealing with the hard sayings of Jesus. Have you ever wondered about that? There are some seriously hard teachings in the Bible, either because they are hard to understand or because they are so counter-cultural that if we live them out, we will stick out (not in a good way). Sometimes, as Christians, some of these hard sayings might be thrown in our faces as evidence of the absurdity of our faith. Other times, the hard sayings of Jesus might make us question the truth/goodness of God’s word/way. I think sometimes Christians are hesitant to even admit they wrestle with certain texts or concepts from the Bible, but we need to be honest about this. Usually, when things are kept in the dark, they have way more power over us than if we bring them out into the light. So let me bring this out into the light here for myself. I question the Bible all the time. If it’s true, if it’s truly God’s word, then it’ll hold up under our questioning, right? Well, there came a time in the ministry of Jesus when many people who had been following him started grumbling about some of the things he was saying. And it got so bad that many people stopped following him because they were offended by his teaching. Can you imagine that? Walking away from Jesus in the flesh? But in this controversy, we learn so much about what to do with the hard sayings of Jesus and the offense of the gospel. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 6:41.

John 6:41-42 (NIV), “41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” Let’s pause here and get some context before we continue on. Jesus had just had the biggest, most impressive day of ministry the day before. He had fed the five thousand, and then that night, he walked on the water and calmed the storm, revealing both a sign of provision and a sign of power over his creation. Then the next day, after all that, they were in Capernaum, a small town at the north end of the Sea of Galilee, basically home base for Jesus during the first few years of his public ministry, where the Apostle Peter had a house. And Jesus was teaching in the synagogue where, as we saw last week, he made the claim, “I am the bread of life.” This was the first of the seven “I AM” statements of Jesus in John’s gospel.

Jesus, the Bread of Life: Far too many people spend their lives chasing after things they think will give them a deep and meaningful life, only to find that years later, they are sadly disappointed. Only Jesus, the bread of life, provides the life we long for. All else will fall short. Only the life found by faith in him will finally and eternally satisfy. He is sufficient; he is enough. Recorded on Oct 8, 2023, on John 6:25-40 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’re going through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And today, we’re continuing in John 6 with the first of the famous “I AM” statements of Jesus. As I said last week, the gospel according to John, is like an art gallery, with every piece curated to teach us something about the person and work of Jesus. And there are different wings of the gallery organized by unique themes, such as the seven miraculous signs like turning water into wine or walking on the water (like we saw last week). But, like the seven signs, the seven “I AM” statements teach us much about who Jesus is and what he came to do all those years ago. Our statement for today is his claim, “I am the bread of life.” This is a statement about the purpose or the mission of Jesus — what Jesus came to accomplish. And what did Jesus come to accomplish? Well, surely the main work relates to offering the forgiveness of sins through his death and the cross and his resurrection from the dead, right? And the answer is yes to that. But forgiveness of sin is not the only thing Jesus came to do. The good news is that Jesus came to do many good things, including the offer of life — real/abundant/eternal life, the life that God our Creator always intended for us to have/enjoy. Here’s the problem: far too many people (including many Christians) spend their lives chasing things they think will result in a deep and meaningful life, only to find that years later, or decades later, they are sadly disappointed. Far too many people chase things like relationships/career/beauty/power/wealth/family/fame, thinking that their thing will give them the good life, the life they long for. But as we’ll see today, only Jesus, the bread of life, provides the life that we long for. If you’ve ever been unsatisfied with life in this broken world, this message is for you. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 6:25.

John 6:25–27 (NIV), “25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” Ok, let’s pause here. So, we’re just jumping right back into where we left off last week. Remember that the previous day was the biggest ministry day, yet. Jesus had miraculously fed the five thousand by multiplying the five loaves and two fish. Then, the previous night, Jesus had sent his disciples back across the Sea of G...

Walking on the Water (A Sign of Power): How should Christians deal with fear, anxiety, and worry? When Jesus walked on the water and calmed the storm, it was a sign of Jesus' power over creation. In this broken world, there are many real reasons for fear — but if Jesus is our creator, his power should calm our fears. Why? Because he is God and he is good, and we, too, can put our hope and trust in his unfailing love. Recorded on Oct 1, 2023, on John 6:16-24 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’re going through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And today, we’re continuing in John 6 and another one of the most famous signs/miracles of Jesus’ ministry, that is, Jesus walking on the water. If you missed any of the sermons from this series so far, you can always go back and watch or listen online. But today, in the fifth of the seven miraculous signs in John’s gospel, we have a sign of power. We have a sign of the sovereign power of Jesus, the Creator, and the Lord over of all creation. This is a huge teaching. But of all the implications of this, in our story, this sign of the power of Jesus is directly connected to fear. Now, I know that some of us really struggle with fear, but everyone has fears/anxieties/worries. Maybe you have fear that comes up when you think about your kids/health/career/future. In this broken world, there are many real reasons for fear; there are many things to be afraid of. But as followers of Jesus, how do we face our fears? If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 6:16. Let’s consider the incredible story of Jesus walking on the water.

John 6:16-18 (NIV), “16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.” Let’s pause here. So, last week, we considered the sign of provision in the feeding of the five thousand. And in three of the four gospels, the authors place the story of Jesus walking on the water the night of the miracle of feeding the five thousand. And what a day! So that same day, when evening came, Jesus put his disciples in a boat and had them set off ahead of him. Matthew and Mark both say that Jesus “went up on a mountainside to pray.” After such an incredibly fruitful but exhausting day of ministry, Jesus needed some alone time with his Father in prayer. That’s what recharged him. Now, John doesn’t mention this detail here, but the intimacy of Jesus’ relationship with his Father is certainly a theme that runs throughout John’s gospel. So late in the day, the disciples started rowing the few miles to the town of Capernaum at the north end of the Sea of Galilee. Basically, they were headed back to their home base. Capernaum was where Peter and his wife had a house and where Jesus spent a lot of his time during his public ministry. In fact, you can see the ruins of Peter’s house to this day. Anyways, as they were going home after a very long day of ministry, things were not going well. A strong wind was blowing, and the waters grew rough,

Feeding the Five Thousand: Have you ever needed God to provide? We're all needy in certain ways. In the well-known miracle of feeding the five thousand, Jesus proves he can provide immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine. But this only foreshadowed how God would provide for our greatest need in Jesus. Recorded on Sep 24, 2023, on John 6:1-15 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’re going through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And today, we’re moving on to John 6 and one of the most famous signs/miracles of Jesus’ ministry: the feeding of the five thousand. If you missed any of the sermons from this series so far, you can always go back and watch or listen online. You can watch on YouTube or on the church app or listen to the audio podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. But today, in the fourth of the seven miraculous signs in John’s gospel, we have a sign of provision — to show that Jesus knows what we need and loves to provide above and beyond anything we could ask or imagine. Have you ever needed God to provide? Have you ever prayed and prayed for something that only God could do? I have. Does anyone remember 2020? What a year. Well, some of you might remember that we had finished most of our remodeling of this place and were finally able to move in fully in Feb of 2020, one month before the Covid shutdown. Going into the pandemic, we still had $20,000 of bills we needed to pay, but with the shutdown, some were not able to give what they had pledged for the building project. We had enough money to keep operating as we scrambled to figure out how to stay connected with everyone in isolation, but we didn’t have enough to pay off those bills. Our vendors were very gracious, as we were far from the only ones in that situation. But for almost a full year, I prayed and prayed and prayed for God to provide. But it wasn’t until the end of 2020, at Christmas, when we had an incredible outpouring of generosity by our members, that we not only had enough to completely pay off our debt, but we had enough to start building back our savings, as well. It was a miracle of God’s provision. On top of everything else happening that year, the financial pressure I felt was so heavy. That year, I prayed almost every day that God would provide the money we needed. But also that he would help me trust in his provision. Have you ever needed God to provide? Maybe you have a need today? Well, if you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 6:1. Let’s consider together the feeding of the 5,000.

John 6:1–6 (NIV), “1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near. 5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.” Let’s pause here. So, the feeding of the five thousand is a very famous story, in fact,

The Authority of Jesus: Many modern people object to the ethical teachings of Christianity, whether it be about sexuality, gender, money, forgiveness, or something else. However, if Jesus is who he claimed to be, he has authority over every aspect of life. The most important question is not "Do you agree with his teaching?" but "Who do you think Jesus is?" Recorded on Sep 17, 2023, on John 5:16-47 by Pastor David Parks. (Apologies for the audio issues!)

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

We’re going through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And today, we’re picking back up in John 5. If you missed any of the messages so far, you can always go back and watch or listen online. You can watch on YouTube or on the church app or listen to the audio podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. But today, Jesus addresses a big elephant in the room (and maybe this is something you’ve wondered about, too): where does Jesus get the authority to say/do everything that he says/does? Or, to put a finer point on it, what gives him the right to tell us what to do? That’s usually the problem, isn’t it? We don’t mind other people saying or doing things unless it affects us or makes demands of us. Very often, when I talk with people in the world about the Christian faith, the objections to Christianity have nothing to do with the person/work of Jesus. There seems to be a general acceptance today or even appreciation of Jesus, even among people who would never set foot in a church. However, the objections often center on the morals/ethics of Christianity, of what is taught to be right or wrong according to the Bible. Whether it’s the sexual ethic of Christianity or its teaching on gender or money or forgiveness or something else. Many people hear parts of these teachings and think, I could never be part of that. But here’s the deal: if Jesus is who he claims to be, then he has the authority, he has every right, to tell us how we ought to live. But if he isn’t who he claims to be, then nothing he says matters. But this isn’t a modern thing. It was no different in Jesus’ own day. When people met him or heard his teaching, or saw his ministry, he was constantly asked, “Where do you get the authority to be saying/doing these things?” How do you think Jesus responded? If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 5:16. This is a longer passage, but we’ll unpack it as we go. 

John 5:16-18 (NIV), “16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” Let’s pause here. So, our passage picks up right where we left off last week with the healing of the man at Bethesda. Jesus was in Jerusalem during a busy festival time when he healed a man who couldn’t walk for thirty-eight years. This was the third of seven miraculous signs in John’s gospel, and it was a sign of the power of Jesus not only to heal but also to restore what had been lost.

Healing at Bethesda - A Sign of Restoration: Is Jesus able to restore what we have lost? Back in Jerusalem, Jesus encounters a man who had been disabled for thirty-eight years. Jesus responds by healing him, restoring his mobility, and so much more. This is the third of seven miraculous signs in John's gospel, a sign of restoration. Recorded on Sep 10, 2023, on John 5:1-15 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

So all year, we’re going through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And if you missed any of the messages so far, you can always go back and watch or listen online. But this morning, we’ll start John, chapter 5. For the last several weeks, we considered several one-on-one conversations between Jesus and individual people. Today, as we head back south to Jerusalem and the healing of the man at Bethesda, the Apostle John gives us the third of seven miraculous signs. As we’ve said, Jesus did many more than seven signs in his ministry. So, the seven signs John records here are designed to be just a sample of the miraculous part of his ministry, but each sign has been chosen to teach us something unique about Jesus and the kingdom where he is the King. So far, we’ve had the sign of celebration of turning water into wine, then last week, we considered a sign of healing in the healing of the official’s son. Today, we have a sign of restoration in the healing of the man at Bethesda. Have you ever lost something that was valuable to you? Maybe you feel you lost out on an opportunity you could’ve had or that you lost your money/time/health/or something else. I have, and one thing I’ve noticed is that sometimes these losses are our own fault, and then there are feelings of guilt/shame/regret that flood our minds when we think of what we’ve lost. Other times, these losses are completely out of our control, and then there are feelings of bitterness/resentment at what we rightly see as being stolen from us. Some of you are too young to remember the 1980s and earlier when seatbelts were optional, and the kids could sit in the backseat of a car (especially a station wagon!) and look out the back window while their parents drove. As a kid without an iPhone or even a DVD player, back in the dark ages, it was considered fun to drive forward while looking backward. But some of us today are stuck that way — looking out the back window of our lives, stuck looking back at our past and all we have lost or all we’d want to see restored, when we should be looking forward as we move forward into our future. But what can we do? What do you think Jesus would have to say about what you see through that back window? Would he care? What do you think he would do? Could he restore what you’ve lost? If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 5:1.

John 5:1-5 (NIV), “1 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.” Ok, let’s pause here.

Healing the Official's Son - A Sign of Healing: When returning to Galilee, Jesus encounters a father experiencing a parent's worst nightmare: a young son so sick he was near death. When Jesus comments about signs and wonders of faith, the man responds in faith and heads home to find his son miraculously healed. Go to Jesus for healing. Recorded on Sep 3, 2023, on John 4:43-54 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

So all year, we’re going through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And if you missed any of the messages so far, you can always go back and watch or listen online. But this morning, we’re at the end of John, chapter 4. For the last several weeks, we considered several one-on-one conversations between Jesus and individual people. Today, as we come back north into the region of Galilee, in the healing of the official’s son, the Apostle John gives us the second out of seven miraculous signs. Of course, Jesus did many more than seven signs in his ministry. All the gospels present the miracles of Jesus as something that seemed to happen constantly as they followed him. So the seven signs John records here are designed to be just a sample of the miraculous part of his ministry, but each sign has been chosen to teach us something unique about Jesus and the kingdom where he is the King — and today, we have a sign of healing. Now, I don’t get sick very often, but I’ve been really sick a few times in my life, and it’s a miserable thing. I won’t go through my medical history with you, but I do know what it’s like to lay in bed and not have the strength to even sit up and to long for energy/relief/health. I know what it’s like to pray desperate prayers that God would intervene/heal. But I also know that what I’ve experienced is nothing compared to the illness and affliction that some of you have experienced, either personally or with someone close to you. These experiences can be heartbreaking and are so costly. So, as followers of Jesus, how do we face this type of suffering? As a dad, the worst thing I could imagine is one of my kids becoming so sick that we had to start making funeral plans. Could the way of Jesus possibly prepare someone for something so heart-wrenching as that? If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 4:43. Let’s jump right in.

John 4:43-47 (NIV), “43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there. 46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.” Ok, let’s pause here. So, our passage picks up right where we left off last week with Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well in the region of Samaria. John tells us that after staying in Samaria for a few days and seeing an incredible harvest of faith from the most unlikely place,

Jesus and the Woman at the Well: While traveling through Samaria, Jesus gently starts a conversation with a very unlikely person: a Samaritan woman with a string of failed marriages who was living with yet another man. Jesus offers her grace and truth. She responds by telling everyone in her town about Jesus, and many believe because of her testimony. If you have a past full of guilt, shame, or regrets, this message is for you. Recorded on Aug 27, 2023, on John 4:1-42 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

So all year, we’re working our way chapter by chapter and verse by verse through the gospel according to John. We’re calling this series Finding Life in Jesus’ Name, and if you missed any of the messages so far, you can always go back and watch or listen online. But this morning, we’re in John chapter 4. Starting last week, we started working through a longer section of John’s gospel that focuses on conversations that individual people have with Jesus. And we said that this shows the humility of Jesus, that he would be willing to spend one-on-one time with people and not just bask in the glory of the crowds but also his heart for people. No two conversations are alike. Jesus meets everyone where they are at, and helps them move forward in the truth and in healing and in redemption and in whatever else they most need. But also, each conversation teaches us something new about the person and work of Jesus. Last week, we had a conversation between Jesus and a powerful/influential religious leader named Nicodemus. And said that Nicodemus would’ve been widely seen as a good person (maybe one of the best people!) in their society. But Jesus was clear: even a man like Nicodemus needed to be born again to see/enter the kingdom of God. In other words, the way of salvation is a gift of God and a work of the Holy Spirit, not something anyone can earn by being a good person. It was a challenging conversation. Today, we have another conversation, but with someone who could in many ways be seen as the polar opposite of Nicodemus, that is, with the woman at the well. And this conversation is one of the best examples of John’s statement in the prologue that Jesus was full of grace and truth. The way that he deals with this woman who seems to have something of a sketchy past is really incredible. But what about you? Is there anyone here who could use some grace? Anyone who struggles to keep their life perfectly well-ordered? I know there’s someone here who’s got some junk in their past that follows you around and whispers guilt and shame and regret into your heart. For all who need some grace today, this message is for you. There is One who offers unconditional acceptance but also hope for change. There is only One who offers living waters welling up to eternal life, regardless of who you are or what you have done. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 4:1. We’re going to cover a lot of bible today, but this is all one story, so I believe you can handle it, and I’ll unpack it as we go. Let’s jump right in.

John 4:1-10 (NIV), “1 Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John—2 although in fact it was not Jesus wh...