Him We Proclaim

Genesis 12:1-9: Summary:At this point in Genesis, God's overarching plan of redemption takes a curiously specific course. God takes a man past his prime, and a woman with little hope, and calls them to follow him into uncharted waters. Abram obediently follows where God leads. In the lead up to the journey we find God's commands and promises to Abram. We see a picture of the Father who would send Jesus to redeem us. And we get a picture of what it means to be led by the Spirit, to place our faith and hope in the future rest for God's people, in the presence of the very God of the universe

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Weeds: The Call of Abram

Wonders: God the Son Incarnate

Walks: Strangers and exiles

Genesis 3:1-15: Summary:These verses recount the Fall of Man - and the Redemption of Eve's offspring by one of her children in particular. The serpent starts a war against God, His Word, and His family that he was never able to finish. Despite his advances, and the ruin he's wrought amongst us in this world, the 'walking' God maintains His sovereignty and ushers a promise to the serpent (and to humanity): God will finish what the serpent began. There is a Christ, even the Son of God, Who, by way of His suffering for us, will flatten the devil's head and secure our salvation in all its parts. Jesus undoes what Satan enticed Adam to do. He reverses the curse upon us due to our sins.

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The ruinous rival. (3:1-6)

Our rivalrous ruin. (3:7-13)

God's great Redeemer. (3:14-15)

Genesis 2:18-25: Summary:The eternal God has created the world. He's created Man in His own image. He's given Adam a vocation, as well as authority to be exercised in view of God's exceeding charity, terrifying penalty, and communicated sovereignty. But for all that God intended him to be, Adam needed a human counterpart, a co-equal complement. Adam needed the divine goodness of a wife. Our text gives the historical account of this, but there's more than meets the eye at first. The divine institution of marriage, the true crown atop creation, is a profound and prophetic mystery revealed in the Gospel of Christ, His pursuit of His Bride, and her everlasting union to Him. Alas, we find a remedial revelation before the plague of sin takes over the world. Creation exists for the glory of God's grace in Christ, our Redeemer. He is the Lamb of God, slain before the foundation of the world.

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The prelude to creation's crowning moment. (2:18-22)

The poetry of creation's crowning moment. (2:23)

The principle in creation's crowning moment. (2:24-25)

The prophecy in creation's crowning moment. (Eph 5:29-32)

John 16:16-33: Summary:Though Jesus is departing, His disciples will be left in a world that, by nature, despises them and their community of love. They will have tribulation, but the call is to take heart, and lean into the peace they have in Him. In this section, that heartening peace is found in four Christ-centered realities: His counsel for the confused, His surety for the sorrowing, His props for the praying, His triumph for the trembling. In these things, the Christian community is settled inwardly to press forward in this pressuring world for the good of souls and the glory of Jesus.

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That we might have heartening peace in Christ, He gives:

His counsel for the confused. (16:16-19)

His surety for the sorrowing. (16:20-23)

His props for the praying. (16:24-28)

His triumph for the trembling. (16:29-33)

John 15:18-16:15: Summary:Having just encouraged the 11 disciples with the hope of his return and the promise of the Holy Spirit and commanding them to abide in him, Jesus forewarns his disciples that their lives are about to get a lot harder. As he wraps up this final discourse just hours before his betrayal, he reminds them that true disciples are missional disciples. And the world, ruled by Satan, hates true disciples. They want them silenced by all means necessary. Jesus warns the 11, and us of this and gives true, missional disciples hope of being forewarned and a promised Helper to endure all that the world can hurl in its hatred.

Sermon Outline

Jesus' Stated Purpose – To Keep You From Falling (16:1-4a)

Hatred from the world (15:18-25)

Of us (15:18-19)

Of Jesus (15:20-25)

Hope of the Helper (15:26-27)

His witness (15:26)

Our witness (15:27)

Mission of the Helper (16:4b-11)

To us (16:4b-7)

To the world (16:8-11)

Heart of the Helper (16:12-15)

To guide us (16:12-13)

To glorify Jesus (16:14-15)

John 15:1-17: Summary:Jesus, the true Vine, seeks, as He speaks, the fullness of our Christian joy. He wants His people, His branches, to have His joy---the joy of sanctified and fruitful relationship to God. To that end, He asserts (again) His place in our having a relationship to God at all. He calls us to abide in Him, as is critical for bearing fruit and sustaining assurance in the Christian life. It's what ultimately separates living from dead branches, heirs of grace from those only apparently united to Jesus. This further lends itself to the great means of fruitfulness: prayerfulness. As branches, we look to the Vine as dependents. As we abide in Him, we're to abide in His grace, in His Word, in prayer, but also in His love, which takes center stage as the example for His consummative command: that, as His branches, His friends, His people, we operate as a missional community of self-sacrificial love. Christian joy, as well as being Christ-centered, is cruciform and church-shaped. As His joy was found in the realities of love and obedience to the Father, so ours will no less be.

Sermon Outline:

Jesus' stated purpose: His pursuit of our Christian joy. (15:11)

Jesus' commanded impetus behind our Christian joy: abide in Me. (15:4a)

Know our identity in light of His. (15:1-3)

Be motivated by His motivations. (15:4b-8)

Keep His commandments. (15:9-10)

Befriend His friends. (15:12-17)

John 14:15-31: Summary:Jesus continues to offer relief to the troubled Christian heart. As our hallmark will be heartfelt obedience to the Word of Christ, a thing He knows to be beyond our natural reach, He introduces His disciples to several helps and motivations. He promises the Person and work of the Holy Spirit, assures us of the divine love, singles us out as a peculiar manifestation of Himself, settles us in the truth of His Word, blankets us in His peace, challenges our love, and leaves us an example of love and maxed-out obedience to the Father. By all of this, He means for us to rise and walk with Him in the good hope of heavenly help along the Way.

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The test of our love for Jesus: obedience to Jesus. (14:15)

The gift of His 'test-helps' for us. (14:16-31)

Jesus' answered prayer. (14:16-17)

Jesus' adoptive presence. (14:18-24)

Jesus' authoritative pen. (14:25-26)

Jesus' actual peace. (14:27-29)

Jesus' attesting piety. (14:30-31)

John 14:1-14: Summary:How might Christ relieve the inevitably troubled Christian heart? Might it simply be by exhorting us to believe more and better about Him? John 14 is a most precious portion of Scripture for Christ's people as, through this world, we make our way Home to Him. It is a medicine cabinet for the soul from the Great Physician. He's gone to prepare our place in Heaven. He will return to take us entirely there. We know the Way Home, because we know Him. For all our troubles in the Way, He is one with the Almighty. For the task to which He's called us, He hears and greatly answers prayer. Will these things not relay peace to our hearts until we see Him face to face? Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in Jesus Christ, believer.

Sermon Outline:

The troubled Christian heart. (14:1a)

The urgent remedy of Jesus: believe in Me. (14:1b-14).

Troubled heart:

Believe He's gone to prepare a place for you. (14:2)

Believe He's returning to take you home. (14:3)

Believe He's the Way to God (the Father). (14:4-6)

Believe He is God (the Son). (14:7-11)

Believe He still acts exceedingly through prayer. (14:12-14)

John 13:21-38: Summary:Still at table, the ball to crucifixion begins to roll with the betrayal of Judas. Though so long a friend to the Friend of sinners, and hidden among the apostles as one himself, Jesus finally reveals Judas for who and what he truly is: no true disciple of Jesus at all. This tragic reality prompts our humility to ask, 'am I genuine?' It should stir in us a desire to do our all, to make good use of the means of grace, to stay as close as possible to the Word Incarnate, Jesus Christ, and to endure in the grace of the cross, the truth of His Word, the community of His love, and the promise of His preserving mercies. We won't be perfect, Peter. But Christ laid down His life for you. And that is sufficient, both, to forgive you, and also to uphold and develop you all the way to Glory. And as we, the church, then sup at the cross together, becoming a visible demonstration of His love, He and the truth of His Gospel will, at least, be vindicated before the eyes of a world watching for heavenly authenticity. For us, such authenticity is thus mission-critical.

Sermon Outline:

The discovery of an inauthentic disciple of Christ. (13:21-30)

The discovery of authentic(ating) Christian community. (13:31-35)

The discovery of Christ for authenticity's endurance. (13:36-38)

John 13:1-20: Summary:As Jesus transitions from public confrontations to private preparations with his disciples, all are gathered for a meal where John showcases Jesus' love for his disciples. Jesus is like no other. He is not like a Roman governor, nor is he like the priests, the synagogue leaders or the Pharisees. He is everything that he said he was. And he calls his disciples to love one another and follow his example of humble service. But as he prepares the disciples for the impending conflict, it is now time to address the elephant in the room. Not all who have tasted of his glory are his own. And even among those who are, there are serious breakdowns between head and heart - between their knowledge of the Lord of Scripture and his actual lordship. Satan longs to destroy God's work, but Jesus in trusting and determined dependence and submission to the Father is well prepared for the fight.

Sermon Outline:

The definite plan and foreknowledge of God (vv1-4)

Knowing and trusting the real Jesus (vv5-11)

Demonstrating love in leadership (vv12-20)

Leading in love

Following in love