FBCWest

There are a couple of common expressions about circumstances. One is keeping up with the Joneses. There's a sense of our circumstances being at least the same as someone else. The other common expression is, "I complained that I had no shoes until I saw a person with no feet." That's an attempt to say that we feel bitter about ourselves because our circumstances isn't as bad as others. Jesus is going to tell Peter about his destiny.

Sermon Notes

Romans 1:17 Quoting Habakkuk 2:4

Genesis 15:1 – 5 God’s promise to Abram

Genesis 15:6 Abram’s response and God’s response to Abram’s response

Hebrews 11:1 & 2 Approval by God is faith

Hebrews 11:6 Without faith it is impossible to please God

Jesus is going to ask Peter the same question three times. We're going to see that there's a lot of discussion about why Jesus did that, but very little discussion on why it was important for you and me. So let us see what Jesus asked Peter and the question we should ask ourselves.

John 21:15 Jesus asks Peter do you love Me and Peter answers Yes. Jesus tells him to “Tend MY lambs”

John 21:16 Jesus asks Peter a second time “Do you love Me”. Peter again responds Yes. Jesus tells him to “Shepherd My sheep”

John 21:17 Jesus aks Peter a third time, Peter is grieved and responds the same and Jesus tells him to “Tend My sheep”

1 John 3:13 - 18 Love is not words it is deeds

1 John 4:19 We love because He first loved us

The Gospel of John records four different occasions when Jesus appears as the resurrected one. Three times he appears with his disciples. This time it's substantially different from the other times that John records. Come see what the difference is when the disciples have breakfast with the risen one.

Sermon Notes

John 21:1 Jesus appears to His disciples again

John 21:2 & 3 Peter with 6 other disciples agree to go fishing, but catch nothing

John 21:4 & 5 Jesus on the beach asked knowing they had caught nothing said to them “.. you do not have any fish do you?” and they answer no

John 21:6 Jesus tells them to cast their net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch. They did so and caught so many they could not bring the net into the boat

John 21:7 John recognized Jesus, told Peter and Peter put his outer garment back on and jumped into the sea

John 21:8 The rest of the disciples brought the boat and the fish back to land

John 21:9 Jesus already had a charcoal fire with fish

and bread and ask them to bring some of

the fish they had caught

John 21:11 Peter went to help draw up the net and there were 153 fish, but the net had not torn

John 21:12 Jesus feeds them breakfast. This is the third time Jesus had appeared to them

There is a common expression, "seeing is believing," but when Thomas was told by his fellow disciples that they had seen the Lord, he refused to believe but said, "Not only must I see, but I must touch the wounds that he had." Jesus will later tell Thomas that there are certain benefits by believing but not seeing. Let's see what Jesus talks about in this situation.

John 20:19 & 20 Jesus appears in the room where the disciples are even though the doors were shut, shows His wounds and they rejoice

John 20:21 Jesus tells them as the Father sent Him, He is sending them

John 20:22 Ahe breathed on them and said “Receive the Holy Spirit

John 20:23 Forgiving and retaining sins

John 20:24 & 25 Thomas was not with the other disciples and even though they tell him they have seen the Lord, he refuses to believe unless he sees the wounded hands and put his finger in Jesus’ side

John 20:26 & 27 8 days later Jesus gives Thomas the opportunity to do as Thomas demanded

John 20:28 Thomas responds “My Lord and my God”

John 20:29 Jesus tells him “Blessed are those who believe but have not seen”

Scriptures tell us that he rises from the dead and there are other scriptures so we have reasons. So no I was not there to see the empty tomb myself and I have yet to see it but I believe those who have seen it and I believe those who have written of it and I believe that the word of God has demonstrated he has risen from the dead and that his spirit testifies to my spirit that he is God and they raised him from the dead. When I take all of those combined I can firmly say I walk by faith not by sight but I walk by faith with reason not with just superstition. So if he rose from the dead and he did what does that mean for you and me?

Sermon Notes

John 20:1 & 2 Mary Magdalene went to the tomb while it was still dark, saw the stone rolled away and assumed someone took Jesus’ body

John 20:3 – 8 Peter and John run to the tomb after being told that Jesus’ body was missing, entered into the tomb, did not find the body, but found the linen wrappings

John 20:9 They didn’t understand the Scriptures about Jesus rising from the dead

John 20:10 Peter and John went home

John 20:11 – 14 Mary while weeping looked into the tomb and saw two angels, who ask her why she is weeping

John 20:15 Jesus asks her why she is weeping and she turns around, thinking that Jesus is the gardener asks where the body was taken

John 20:16 When Jesus says her name she recognizes Him

John 20:17 Jesus tells her to stop clinging to Him and tells her and go to His brethren and tell them that “I ascend to the Father”

John 20:18 Mary does as instructed

1 Corinthians 15:3 - 8 Jesus’ resurrection according to the Scriptures

Why do Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah? Many people who aren't followers think, "Well, it's just blind faith." We disagree. Our faith is based on the scriptures and historic events. In a couple weeks, we'll be talking about the major event that happened that causes most people to say that's why they believe that Jesus is the Son of God. However, the scriptures told us ahead of time when Jesus would appear. They told us how we would teach and how we would be rejected by His people. It also foretold that He would be crucified in the manner of that death. It also talked about His burial. Most times people don't look at that. But the scriptures foretold the way that Jesus' body would be handled and the condition of that body and how He would be buried. They were done according to the scriptures. So we have faith based upon events that happened according to the scriptures. See how His condition of the body and His burial comported with the scriptures.

Sermon Notes

John 19:31 & 32 The Jews want the crucifixion over to avoid being on Passover

John 19:33 & 34 Since Jesus was already dead His bones were not broken, but the soldier pierced Jesus’ side and blood and water poured out

John 19:35 John witnessed these things, they are true so that we might believe

John 19:36 & 37 No bones broken and Jesus was pierced in the side, which confirmed the Scriptures

John 19:38 – 40 Joseph and Nicodemus take Jesus’ body and care for it

John 19:41 & 42 They lay Jesus’s body in an unused tomb confirming the Scriptures

Isaiah 53:9 Messiah’s grave predicted

The Roman Empire crucified thousands of people. They also were involved in the crucifixion of Jesus. But the crucifixion of Jesus was different in many ways. I invite you to come and listen to this message on how the crucifixion of Jesus was different and how it impacts you.

Sermon Notes

John 19:17 Jesus bears His own cross

John 19:18 He was crucified between two men

John 19:19 – 22 Pilate has an inscription written and the Jews object, but Pilate leaves it

John 19:23 – 25a The soldiers gamble for Jesus’ clothing – according to the Scriptures

John 19:25b – 27 Even while being crucified He makes sure His mother is cared for

John 19:28 & 29 Jesus says “I am thirsty” – according to the Scriptures

John 19:30 Jesus gives up His Spirit, it is not taken from Him

1 Corinthians 15:3 Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures

From the time that Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, the people who arrested him bound him and led him to Annas' house. They were seeking to assert control and authority over Jesus. It's interesting, trying to assert control and authority over the Son of God.

When Jesus fails to immediately answer one of Pilate's questions, Pilate says, "Don't you understand that I have authority over you?" Jesus tells him the authority that he has doesn't come from the Roman government.

John 19:1 Pilate has Jesus scourged

John 19:2 & 3 Roman soldiers abuse Jesus

John 19:4 & 5 Pilate presents Jesus saying he finds no guilt in Him

John 19:6 & 7 Pilate attempts to avoid responsibility, but the chief priests and offiers demand that Jesus be crucified and state that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God

John 19:8 – 11 Jesus refuses to answer Pilate’s questions. Pilate asserts he has authority over Jesus, but Jesus responds he only has authority because it was given by heaven. But Jeus also says those who are delivering Him have greater sin than Pilate

John 19:12 – 15 Pilate still seeks to release Jesus, but the Jews keep the pressure on by saying that if he doesn’t crucify Jesus he is no friend of Caesar and they have no king but Caesar

The religious leaders take Jesus to Pilate who is a Roman governor to authorize his crucifixion. During that time Pilate and Jesus have a conversation about his kingdom and his kingship, but during that conversation Pilate deflects by asking a question. He doesn't care really about the answer to the question because he doesn't spend any time to listen. The second thing is he asks the wrong question. Come and hear what Pilate asked and the question he should have asked.

Sermon Notes

John 18:28 - 32 Religious leaders take Jesus to Pilate to crucify without accusation

John 18:33 – 37 Pilate discusses with Jesus about being a king and the kingdom

John 18:38a What is truth?

John 18:38b – 40 Pilate tries to release Jesus but the crowd wants him to release a robber

Today's message, we're going to take a look at Peter and his denial of his Lord. It would be easy, and it is easy, to quickly judge Peter for those failures. But sometimes, even though Peter had told Jesus that he'd be willing to die for him, we'll take a look at maybe sometimes it is easier to die for Christ than to live for him. But also, what we're going to take a look at is that while Peter denied Jesus, all of us have done something that we regret or are ashamed of. But the fortunate thing, just like Peter and in our lives as well, that's not the final end to the story. So let's take a look at what Peter does and what will happen.

Sermon Notes

John 18:12 & 13 Jesus is arrested, bound and taken to Annas’ house

John 18:14 John reminds us of Caiaphas was the one who said that “it is expedient that one man die on behalf of the people”

John 18:15 & 16 Peter and another disciple follow Jesus to Anna’s house and the other disciple helps Peter to enter

John 18:17 Peter’s first denial

John 18:18 Peter and others warm themselves by a charcoal fire

John 18:19 – 21 Jesus questioned about His teachings and His disciples

John 18:22 Jesus struck

John 18:23 Jesus responds to being struck

John 18:24 Jesus sent bound to Caiaphas, the High Priest

John 18:25 – 27 Peter denies being a disciple for the second and third time and immediately a rooster crowed