John- Believe In Jesus And Live!! Part 1 " The Word" Series

John- Believe in Jesus and live!!!

“THE WORD”

John 1:1-5

Have you ever watched someone who is really good at trading horses?

They look at every animal with a very skeptical eye.

Picking up feet

Mashing on their back

Poking and prodding

Looking in the mouth

Walking them

Watching the seller ride them

Looking at them from

Every angle

Every direction

Trying to see through the spit and polish

And find fault with the prospective purchase

We live in a skeptical society

We are taught from a very early age that if something looks too good to be true it is

We get slammed with messages via technology daily if not hourly

T.V. ads

Radio ads

Emails

Texts

Through these messages someone is always trying to influence our decisions

Turn on the news and watch as the politicians or those seeking political office

Lie and manipulate the truth in an effort to get your vote

Entertainers use smoke and mirrors and hype

Trying to sway your opinion in hopes that you will spend your hard earned dollars on their songs and movies and such

It seems that even some unscrupulous religious figures are trying to separate you from your money

Or worse separate you from the bible- the true word of God

In order to sell their views or agenda

Think about it

In this world where we are taught to use a discerning eye

Taught to be skeptical

But

We can be convinced

We have the ability to dig fact out of the fluff

Otherwise we would never buy anything

Vote for anyone

Etc...

So

What exactly does it take to convince you that a message is true?

That something is the real deal?

John

One of Jesus; apostles wrote his gospel to convince people

Jews and Gentiles alike

Throughout the ages to believe in Jesus and live!

John 20:30-31

30 The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe[a] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

That we may believe and live!!!!

That is John’s whole purpose for writing

In fact in the original languages the Greek word translated “BELIEVE” is used 98 times in John’s gospel

John writes so that we may have life by the power of the name of Jesus

This type of belief

The type that produces life

Is far beyond getting convinced that a horse is sound

It is far beyond accepting the word of a presidential candidate

This belief

Is

Accepting truth for truth

Placing confidence

All confidence

Faith

All faith

Trust

All trust

In the person who make up those truths

To be all in

If you want to think of it that way

To believe in Jesus

Truly believe

Is to accept his words as truth

It is to place our total dependence on him

Here and now in this life

And in eternity

Trust in Jesus for LIFE

Trust in him and LIVE

Life

What kind of life does John write about in his gospel?

John records Jesus’ words in John 10:10

“My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

A rich and satisfying life

Life to the full

The word life in this verse refers to life in the spirit and soul

Jesus is talking about eternal life

But he also speaks of a life of fulfillment and purpose while we are here on this earth

John wants his readers throughout time to know

Know that

Jesus

Jesus Christ

Our Lord and Savior

Offers

Amazing life

Abundant life

Eternal life

To those who believe

To those who accept him

And

To those who Place their trust in him as their Lord and savior

John writes differently than do the other Gospel writers

He does not write a historical account of Jesus’ life

But

Instead he strives to

Show us a powerful

Undeniable

PROOF for Jesus being who he said he is

John proves to those who will

Listen

But more importantly

Hear

To those who will open their eyes to the truth

That Jesus is

Was

And always will be the very heaven sent

Son of God

Fully human and fully God

John focuses on Revelation

That is understanding

In Cowboy terms

He focuses on us getting it

He focuses on Redemption through belief

That is

Salvation

In this gospel we see Jesus as we are meant to see him

Jesus

As our Lord and savior

Through this sermon series and the morning bible studies

Over the next several weeks

We will study

And learn

About Jesus’ public ministry

A period of about 3 ½ years