GOD’s OFFER Of LIFE-IV—John 1:5-13
Attention:
FSU’s quarterback for 2013, Jameis Winston
Great on-point quarterback—Precision thrower—Change-up in the middle of a play—Stamina—Run the ball, etc.../Everything a great quarterback should be/Great morale booster for the team—Of the top 25 NCAA football teams, FSU is currently(Nov. 3, 2013) ranked #2(BCS—Bowl Championship Series) & #3(AP—Associated Press) in the nation!
As FSU’s procurement of Jameis Winston has breathed life into their football program, God’s Offer of Life is extended to & waiting for you.
John revealed God’s offer of Life to mankind.
God offers Life to mankind.
How can Life be procured/had?
Last time in the Gospel of John, we discovered that God’s offer of Life comes to you thru...
1. Its CONTRAST(:5)
2. Its WITNESS(:6-8)
3. Its EXPOSURE(:9)
4— God’s offer of Life comes to you thru...
Its RECEPTION(:10-11)
Explanation:(:10-11)
:10—“He was in the world, & the world was made through Him, & the world did not know Him.”
The “true Light” is a person/man. “The world” itself was made/created/exists thru His personal action/effort/work/agency. John is speaking of the Word through whom all things were made(:1-3).
This One, who is the True Light(:4, 7-9) & the Word, “was in the” very “world” of men(:14).
Php 2:5-8—“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, & coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself & became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
Yet though this “world” was produced by His(the world) agency, “the world” would not recognize &/or accept Him as such.
“In”—en—1) In, by, with etc.. Strong—a primary preposition denoting (fixed)position(in place, time or state), & by implication--Instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. A relation of rest (intermediate between eiv & ek); In, at, (up-)on, by, etc..
“World”3X(See :10)— kosmov—
“Made”—ginomai—1) To become, i.e. To come into existence, begin to be, receive being; 2) To become, i.e. To come to pass, happen; 3) To arise, appear in history, come upon the stage; 4) To be made, finished; 5) To become, be made. Strong—a prolongation & middle voice form of a primary verb; To cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. (reflexively) To become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.).
“Know”—ginwskw—1) To learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel; 2) To know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of; 3) Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man & a woman; 4) To become acquainted with, to know. A knowledge grounded on personal experience. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary verb; To "know"(absolutely) in a great variety of applications & with many implications. :11—“He came to His own, & His own did not receive Him.”
“He” “came to” that which was “His own.”
He existed outside of & beyond that which He brought into existence.
?To what does “His own” refer? 1)God’s chosen people, Israel OR 2)The world at large per His being in the world(:10).
Regardless, those to whom He “came” “did not receive Him.” Hereby we are certain that reception of the Light by mankind is of prime importance in God’s scheme of things. Thus, reception of God’s Word(:1-2) & the life offered(:4) in that Word is needed by & intended for mankind.
It is man’s prerogative, by God’s design, that he “receive” the Word & his life offered, which is undeniably available to all.
“Came”(See :7)—ercomai—1) To come—1a) of persons—1a1) To come from one place to another, & used both of persons arriving & of those returning, 1a2) To appear, make one's appearance, come before the public; 2) metaph.—2a) To come into being, arise, come forth, show itself, find place or influence, 2b) Be established, become known, to come (fall) into or unto; 3) To go, to follow one. Ercomai denotes motion or progress generally, & of any sort, hence to "come" & arrive at, as well as “to go.” Strong—middle voice of a primary verb (used only in the present & imperfect tenses, the others being supplied by a kindred [middle voice] eleuyomai; or [active] elyw; which do not otherwise occur); To come or go(in a great variety of applications, literally & figuratively).
“Own”—idiov—Adj.—1) Pertaining to one's self, one's own, belonging to one's self. Strong—pertaining to self, i.e. One's own; by implication--Private or separate.
“Receive”—paralambanw—1) To take to, to take with one's self, to join to one's self—1a) An associate, a companion, 1b) metaph.—1b1) to accept or acknowledge one to be such as he professes to be, 1b2) Not to reject, not to withhold obedience; 2) To receive something transmitted. Strong—To receive near, i.e. Associate with oneself(in any familiar or intimate act or relation); by analogy--To assume an office; figuratively--To learn.
Argumentation:
Js. 2:19—“You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--& tremble!”
1Jn. 3:4-6—“Whoever commits[practices] sin also commits lawlessness, & sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, & in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.”
This may be shocking to some here today!
Acts 3:19—““Repent therefore & be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,”
Eph. 2:8—“For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,”
Rom. 10:8-10, 13—“But what does it[the word of God] say? “The word is near you, in your mouth & in your heart”(that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus & believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, & with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”.....“For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.””
Lk. 8:5-15—““A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; & it was trampled down, & the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; & as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, & the thorns sprang up with it & choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, & yielded a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Then His disciples asked Him, saying, “What does this parable mean?” And He said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that ‘Seeing they may not see, And hearing they may not understand.’ “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes & takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe & be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; & these have no root, who believe for a while & in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out & are choked with cares, riches, & pleasures of life, & bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble & good heart, keep it & bear fruit with patience.”
The soils is about total distribution with minimal reception but reception nonetheless.
Illustration:
*The Wildebeests of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park undertake the largest annual migration of mammals on earth. Every year they travel a circuit of slightly less than 1000 mi. in order to maintain their food intake from the grasses they eat. The migration is fraught with many dangers, the worst of which is being left behind to fend for themselves/At one point all the >1,000,000 wildebeests will cross the Mara River. In the river are Crocodiles—whose jaws are big enough to completely engulf an adult wildebeest’s entire head!—waiting to eat the Wildebeets. However, they must cross the river for greener pastures. The Wildebeests must decide for the opposite bank of the river.
These must individually RECEIVE the challenge to cross...to come to the end of fear...to desire the crossing—what the other side holds— above that of remaining where death is certain! To let go of what was for what is!
Paycheck/No good unless it is received!/I can even hold it in my hand having been told that I can redeem it for $1000/But if I do not take it, or I take it but never cash it, I am showing that I do not really trust—that the check is good-valid-redeemable—I am effectively writing-off the giver as a liar, a looney-toon, or a fool/By such actions, I have neither “Known” nor “Received” the giver as worthy of my consideration/Its RECEPTION
That’s what people did & still do with Jesus in ‘not accepting’ Him.
Let’s suppose your grandmother(granny) has doted on you all of your life/She has sought after, planned for, & finally able to provide you with the one gift you have always needed/She gladly & lovingly offers it to you & yours, expecting you to jump up & down & tweet & tell all your friends on facebook...Pictures of you with your extravagent-undeserved gift would be posted on Pinterest/But...you turn granny’s offer down/You’ve decided, “I would rather do it myself!” & “ I’ll live my own life, thank you very much!”/The result—She would be horribly offended & broken-hearted & you would be without that which you needed & could never get/Its RECEPTION
Application:
? You RECEIVED God’s offer of Life?
?You accepted God’s offer of Life?
5— God’s offer of Life comes to you thru...
Its BESTOWAL(:12)
Explanation:(:12) Transferring
:12—“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”
Though it might appear that none willingly “knew” or “received” the Light, there were some who did. There were in fact, those who “received Him.” In fact, the act of reception is that which qualified & continues to qualify anyone to partake of the life which is held by the Word(:4).
Such life is manifested as one’s “becoming” a “child of God.” All who “receive” the Light(with His corresponding life) have “the right”(authority/power) granted to them of “becoming” “children of God.”
The act of “receiving” Him is tantamount & equal to “believing in His name.” Lack of belief means there is a lack of reception. Thus a lack of reception of the Light means a forfeiture of one’s “right” to “becoming.” Such a person not receiving “Him”(Jesus—:14) cannot be a “child of God,” nor can they be partakers with others of the “children of God.” Thereby they cannot be partakers in the family ordained of God.
These thereby miss the entire purpose for God’s sending harbingers(:6-7)...As emissaries securing man’s belief.
“Belief” in Jesus’ “name” entails a personal trust regarding every aspect of the Good News He brings, Including a trust in His Divine nature(:1-2); His creative accomplishment(:3); & particularly His Cross-work with its continuing result(:4-5).
“As many as”—osov—Pron.—1) As great as, as far as, how much, how many, whoever. Strong—As (much, great, long, etc.) as.
“Received”(See :11— paralambanw)—lambanw—1) To take—1a) To take with the hand, lay hold of, any person or thing in order to use it, 1b) To take in order to carry away, 1c) To take what is one's own, to take to one's self, to make one's own, 1d) To take, 1e) To take, to choose, select, 1f) To take beginning, to prove anything, to make a trial of, to experience; 2) To receive (what is given), to gain, get, obtain, to get back. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary verb, which is used only as an alternate in certain tenses; To take (in very many applications, literally & figuratively [properly objective or active, to get hold of; whereas decomai is rather subjective or passive, to have offered to one; while aireomai is more violent, to seize or remove]).
“Gave”—didwmi—1) To give; 2) To give something to someone—2a) of one's own accord To give one something, to his advantage, 2b) To grant, give to one asking, let have, 2c) To supply, furnish, necessary things, 2d) To give over, deliver, 2e) To give what is due or obligatory, to pay: wages or reward, 2f) To furnish, endue; 3) To give—3a) To cause, profuse, give forth from one's self, 3b) To appoint to an office, 3c) To cause to come forth, i.e. as the sea, death & Hell are said to give up the dead who have been engulfed or received by them, 3c) To give one to someone as his own; 4) To grant or permit one. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary verb (which is used as an alternative in most of the tenses); To give(used in a very wide application, properly, or by implication, literally or figuratively; greatly modified by the connection).
“Right/Power”—exousia—1) Power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases—1a) Leave or permission; 2) Physical & mental power—2a) The ability or strength with which one is endued, which he either possesses or exercises; 3) The power of authority (influence) & of right (privilege); 4) The power of rule or government (the power of him whose will & commands must be submitted to by others & obeyed). Exousia denotes primarily liberty of action; then authority -- either as delegated power, or as unrestrained, arbitrary power. Strong—from exesti(in the sense of ability); Privilege, i.e. subjectively--Force, capacity, competency, freedom, or objectively--Mastery(concretely--Magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), Delegated influence.
“Children/Sons”—teknon— Teknon gives prominence to physical & outward aspects of parentage. teknon & uiov both point to parentage. Teknon, however, emphasizes the idea of descent, giving prominence to the physical & outward aspects; while uiov emphasizes the idea of relationship, & considers especially the inward, ethical, & legal aspects. Strong—A child(as produced).
“Believe”(See :7)—pisteuw—1) To think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in; 2) To entrust a thing to one, i.e. His fidelity. Strong—To have faith(in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. Credit; by implication--To entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ).
Argumentation:
grant/give/bestow/confer/rights/
Mat. 13:10-17—“And the disciples came & said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” He answered & said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, & he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, & hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear & shall not understand, And seeing you will see & not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes & hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts & turn, So that I should heal them.’ “But blessed are your eyes for they see, & your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets & righteous men desired to see what you see, & did not see it, & to hear what you hear, & did not hear it.”
Mat. 10:28, 32-40—““And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul & body in hell.”.....““Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, & a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; & a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross & follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, & he who loses his life for My sake will find it. He who receives you receives Me, & he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”
Col. 2:6-7—“As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted & built up in Him & established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”
Rom. 5:8-9—“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”
Rom. 10:9-10—“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus & believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, & with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
1Tim. 3:2, 4 -5— “A bishop then must be....”.....“one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);”
This signifies that, in Christ, we are members of the family of God(children).
Illustration:
*Knighthood/A privilege conferred upon a person by British royalty(someone of great authority), officially recognizing their significant contribution(s) to national life, Along with bestowal of a specific title or insignia/Extends from a time(~late 9th century AD) of military recognition for meritorious service & bravery/Its BESTOWAL
Our faith in Christ is the only meritorious ‘work’ compelling God’s bestowal of Life to the believer.
Homeless shelter/Others from outside the shelter always supply what you cannot/Something they cannot provide for themselves!/BESTOWAL
Fishing tournament/Rules require entry fee/Winner payout is far & above the entry fee/No matter the size of your fish, if you don’t officially enter the competition you cannot hope to receive the prize!/Bestowal is based on 1)Reception of the rules, & 2) Belief that the ability of the awarding(payout) party is legitimate/Its BESTOWAL
Tickets to a movie, concert
In that sense, heaven is a ‘ticketed’ event. An RSVP is required.
Application:
? God’s offer of Life been BESTOWED upon you?
?You accepted God’s offer of Life?
6— God’s offer of Life comes to you thru...
Its BIRTHING/Delivery(:13)
Explanation:(:13)Delivery/Emergence
:13—“who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
These who do indeed receive Jesus—believing in His name(:12)—are those who undergo this new familial “birth”(anticipating 3:3, 5) as children of God(:12). They are “born” by means other than physically, however the ‘spiritual birth’ is informed by the physical. This “birth” is understood by what it is not, as well as by what it is.
1) First of all, Birth into the family of God is, NOT attained by means “of blood.”
There are no ties “of blood” kinship which certify kinship with God’s children.
NO marriage, no association, no favor with God is had by means of “blood” ties. No inheritance involved!
2)Secondly, birth into the family of God is, NOT attained by means of “the will of the flesh.”
There is no power in my “willingness” by which I may obtain or attain to the life. I cannot devise my own scheme thru which the life may be had. It must be had by faith thru Jesus’ self-sacrifice. We must be drawn by God Himself(Jn. 6:44; 12:32).
NOT thru personal power, violence, coercion, sabotage, salesmanship, etc.!
Jn. 6:41-44—“The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father & mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus therefore answered & said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; & I will raise him up at the last day.”
3)Thirdly, birth into the family of God is, NOT attained by means of “the will of man.”
There is no ability of any other(than Christ) to effect my possessing the life which is the Word’s/Light’s/Christ’s alone to give. No one else can effect His giving of it for the sake of another person. A third party cannot will me to undergo a new birth. All are personally accountable.
NOT thru ‘giving the pastor enough money, cars, compliments, land, food, etc to have him represent you! He is not a priest!
On the positive end of this discussion is the reality that birth into the family of God, as a child of God, is attained by means of God Himself & by no other means. It is all about receiving from God what it is that we need thru that which He offers. “Born”—gennaw—1) Of men who fathered children—1a) To be born, 1b) To be begotten, 1b1) Of women giving birth to children; 2) metaph.—2a) To engender, cause to arise, excite, 2b) in a Jewish sense, Of one who brings others over to his way of life, to convert someone, 2c) Of God making Christ his son, 2d) Of God making men his sons through faith in Christ's work. Strong—To procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively--To regenerate.
“Blood”—aima—1) Blood—1a) Of man or animals, 1b) Refers to the seat of life, 1c) Of those things that resemble blood, grape juice; 2) Blood shed, to be shed by violence, slay, murder. Strong—of uncertain derivation; Blood, literally(of men or animals), figuratively--Tthe juice of grapes) or specially--The atoning blood of Christ); by implication--Bloodshed, also--Kindred.
“Will”2X—yelhma—1) What one wishes or has determined shall be done; 2) Will, choice, inclination, desire, pleasure. Strong—A determination(properly, the thing), i.e. actively--Choice (specially--Purpose, decree; abstractly--Volition) or passively--Inclination.
“Flesh”—sarx—1) Flesh (the soft substance of the living body, which covers the bones & is permeated with blood) of both man & beasts; 2) The body; 3) A living creature (because possessed of a body of flesh) whether man or beast; 4) The flesh, denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, & therefore prone to sin & opposed to God. Strong—Flesh(as stripped of the skin), i.e. strictly--The meat of an animal(as food), or by extension--The body(as opposed to the soul [or spirit], or as the symbol of what is external, or as the means of kindred), or by implication--Human nature(with its frailties [physically or morally] & passions), or specifically--A human being(as such).
“Man”—anhr—1) With reference to sex—1a) Of a male, 1b) Of a husband, 1c) Of a betrothed or future husband; 2) With reference to age, & to distinguish an adult man from a boy; 3) Any male; 4) used generically Of a group of both men & women. Strong—A man(properly as an individual male).
Argumentation:
Rom. 8:13-17—“For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, & if children, then heirs--heirs of God & joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
1Jn. 5:11-12—And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, & this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
**Jn. 3:1-7—“There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night & said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered & said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb & be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water & the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, & that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’”
You must be born physically & spiritually.
2Cor. 5:17—“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Gal. 6:14-15—“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, & I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.”
Illustration:
How many here have given birth at some time in your life?
How many have witnessed a birth?
Did your life change afterward?
Could you stop that birth in mid stream as it were & say, I’m not going to do this right now, I’ll wait until this evening when I have more time.—NO!
Did(Do) your child(ren) obey your every word Moms & Dads?—NO!
Because they are individuals who are entirely separate from you!
Application:
? You been BIRTHED/Delivered into God’s offer of Life?
?You accepted God’s offer of Life?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
As Jameis Winston has breathed life into the FSU football program, God’s Offer of Life is extended to & waiting for you.
Action:
God’s offer of Life comes to you thru...
4. Its RECEPTION(:10-11)
5. Its BESTOWAL(:12)
6. Its BIRTHING/Delivery(:13)
1. Its CONTRAST(:5)
2. Its WITNESS(:6-8)
3. Its EXPOSURE(:9)
Presented 11/03/2013am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
