Covenant Naples

In this passage, we see dominos starting to fall in a chain reaction. It begins with John the Baptist pointing to Jesus as the Lamb of God. That leads to Andrew and another disciple following Jesus. That leads to an invitation to Peter coming to Jesus. Jesus invites Philip to follow him. Philip does, and then he invites Nathanael to come and see for himself. He does. Domino after domino fell, and they continue to fall. But essential to the whole process is someone extending the invitation to “Come and see.” 

Sermon Outline:

I. The Pattern of Witness

II. The Practice of Witness

III. The Power of Witness

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. Who was an Andrew in your own story, someone whose small act of witness led you toward Jesus?

2. If Jesus asked you today, “What are you seeking?”, what would be your honest answer today? How does that answer compare to what you say you’re looking for in following him? 

3. When someone in your life pushes back on your invitation to Jesus, what is your instinct: to argue, to back down, or to invite? What makes “come and see” both humble and courageous? How can we invite people to come and see?

4. 40% of Christians say they don’t know anyone to invite to church. Is that true for you? If your social world is mostly other believers, what would it take to change that, and what’s holding you back?

5. How does the reality that Jesus is already at work in the lives of people around us before we say a word change the way you think about the pressure of inviting people to come and see?

Many people have their own ideas about who Jesus is, but we want to derive our picture of him from what the Bible says. Who is Jesus according to the man God appointed to introduce him to the world? 

Sermon Outline:

I. The Lamb of God Who Takes Away Sin

II. The Savior of Humanity We Cannot Manufacture

III. The Son of God Who Demands a Response

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. What are some versions of Jesus you encounter in your own circles, whether in culture, on social media, or even in church, that fall short of the Jesus John introduces here? How do you help someone see the difference without coming across as harsh or dismissive?

2. For some of us who have been Christians a long time, we have forgotten how big a deal it is that Jesus takes our sin and guilt away. How can we stay (or become) freshly amazed by his grace? 

3. True knowledge of Jesus is a gift God gives by his Spirit, not something we achieve through accumulated religious experience. How should this shape the way we pray for people who don’t yet believe? How does it relieve some of the pressure we put on ourselves when our conversations about Jesus don’t seem to work?

4. Who is one person in your life right now who needs to hear that Jesus is the Lamb who takes away sin? What is one specific, concrete way you could point them to Jesus this week?

John the Baptist makes it clear that he is not the Christ. In a world driven by pride, John leads us down a very different path, a path marked by humility, as we look to the one Jesus Christ who humbled himself for prideful people like me and you.

 Outline

I. Confess: You are not the Christ

II. Acknowledge: You have a role in the kingdom of God

III. Proclaim: Jesus is the worthy Savior

Sermon Questions

1)    Do you remember a time when you confessed that you are not the Christ? What did God use to show you this reality?

2)    John the Baptist lived a humble life that pointed to Jesus. The response he got from the religious leaders was the question, “Who are you?” Have you ever been asked that question? How would you respond today if you were asked that question? 

3)    Why is it important to consistently remind ourselves that we are not the Christ? What happens when we don’t confess that he is the Christ?

4)    How does it impact you to think that Jesus, the worthy One, chose to take the job of a servant and wash the disciples’ feet? Have you ever had an experience where you were humbled by God’s graciousness to you by doing something for you that you didn’t deserve? 

5)    How does this passage help you know Jesus more?

We have these two desires woven deep into us as fallen humans: the desire to be rescued, and the desire for another person to understand our struggles. We’re looking for a hero that can close the gap between us and them.

John introduces us to that hero in these verses.

Sermon Outline:

I. Jesus Moves In.

II. Jesus Makes God Known.

III. Jesus Pours Out Grace.

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. How does it change the way you approach Jesus to know that the initiative in your relationship with him was entirely his, that he came to you before you ever came to him?

2. Think of a specific moment in the Gospels where you see Jesus’ grace and truth on display together (ie. John 4; 21; Mark 10). What does that scene teach you about what God is actually like?

3. Most people give us either grace or truth, but rarely both at the same time. Jesus gives us both simultaneously. Think of someone in your life right now who is hard to offer both grace and truth to. What makes that combination so difficult, and what would it look like to follow Jesus' example with them?

4. When you sin, do you tend to come back to Jesus for more grace, or do you pull away as if the account is overdrawn and there’s nothing left for you? What would it look like this week to come to Jesus with your emptiness rather than your best self?

5. How can you tell in daily life whether you’re looking to the law or to Jesus for your standing before God? What does it actually feel like in your emotions, your prayers, your reaction to failure when you’re trusting your own performance rather than his grace?

While many do not receive Jesus, those who do receive him and believe in his name receive the most extraordinary gift: the right to be called children of God.

Sermon Outline:

I. The Witness

II. The Light

III. The Gift

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. Before you came to faith, or perhaps in a season when your faith was distant, what were you trusting in as your source of light and meaning? How did that compare to what you found in Jesus?

2. John the Baptist served to commend Jesus to the people of Israel. Who in your life played that role for you? And who in your current circle of relationships might need you to play that role for them?

3. Not all of us are equally gifted at being in relationships. For example, some of us are guarded, task-oriented, or just unwilling to be vulnerable. Others of us carry relational pain and hurt. Whatever your relational strengths or weaknesses are, how do those patterns show up in your relationship with Jesus?

4. Is there something you’ve been keeping “behind the curtain” in your relationship with Jesus? What would it look like this week to bring that thing into the open with him?

The Word who is God, who made all things, and who carries life and light into darkness is inviting us to know him personally.

Sermon Outline:

I. We Must Know Jesus as the Eternal Son.

II. We Must Know Jesus as the Creator.

III. We Must Know Jesus as Life and Light.

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. How much do you relate to the distinction between knowing about Jesus versus actually knowing him? What do you think has contributed to that gap in your own life, and what do you think closing it would look like?

2. Why do you suppose so many regular church attenders fail to recognize the full divinity of Jesus? How does it change the way you pray, trust, and relate to Jesus if you truly believe he is not just a great teacher but God himself in the flesh?

3. Is there something about Jesus (eg. his character, something he said or did) that you’ve discovered over time that has deepened your love for him? 

4. When you consider that Jesus is the creator of all the things you love in this world, does it change how you experience them? Is there something in the created world that you particularly love? What would it mean to begin receiving it as a gift from a person rather than just enjoying it as a feature of the world?

5. Many people try to receive the benefits of Jesus while keeping a safe relational distance from Jesus himself. Is that a temptation you recognize in yourself? What would it look like this week to move toward Jesus as a person, rather than simply drawing on what he provides?

Why did Jesus leave? It’s a question many of us feel but rarely ask out loud. Psalm 110 reveals that, despite our perception, Jesus isn’t distant or absent. He is actively reigning, interceding, and tirelessly fighting our enemies. He will crush the enemies we face in the world and those that dwell inside of us.

Sermon Outline:

 I.   Priestly Kingship

 II.   His Purpose and Power

III.   His People

IV.   Conclusion

Sermon Discussion Questions:

In your own “Odyssey” story, where do you most feel the tension between waiting and trusting in Christ during his absence? How can Psalm 110 help ease that tension?

The sermon emphasizes that Jesus is currently ruling and “making his enemies his footstool,” even when it doesn’t look like it from our limited perspective. What are some areas in your life or in the world where it feels like Jesus is not winning, and how does Psalm 110 challenge that perception?

What does it reveal about the nature of our salvation and sanctification that an enemy of our sacrificial priest and ruling king is found within us?  

What specific sins or patterns in your life do you sense Jesus is presently battling, and how have you responded to his work (i.e., with resistance, avoidance, or surrender)?

How might you intentionally reshape your prayer life this week so that you join Christ in his battle and ask him to actively put your sin to death and advance his rule in your heart and in the world?