SERMON OUTLINE:
(1). Introduction of Father’s Day.
(2). Context: Healing of the lame man (vs 1-15)
(3). Six Claims of Jesus:
#1: "I am equal with God" (vs 19-20)
#2: "I am the giver of life" (vs 21 & 26)
#3: "I am the final judge" (vs 22-23)
#4: "I determine man's destiny" (vs 24)
#5: "I will raise the dead" (vs 25-29)
#6: "I am always doing the will of God" (vs 30)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• American comedian Bill Cosby in his book, ‘Fatherhood’ writes:
• Now that my father is a grandfather, he just can’t wait to give money to my kids.
• But when I was his kid and I asked him for fifty cents,
• He would tell me the story of his life.
• How he got up at 5 A.M. when he was seven years old;
• And walked twenty-three miles to milk ninety cows.
• And the farmer for whom he worked had no bucket,
• So he had to squirt the milk into his little hand;
• And then walk eight miles to the nearest can.
• All for 5 cents a month.
• The result was that I never got my 50 cents!
• But now he tells my children every time he comes into the house:
• “Well, let’s see how much money old Granddad has got for his wonderful kids.”
• And the minute they take money out of his hands;
• I call them over to me and I snatch it away from them.
• Because that is MY money!
(1). Introduction: What is a father?
• The simple answer is threefold:
• A male person whose sperm unites with an egg, resulting in the conception of a child.
• A man who adopts a child.
• A man who raises a child.
• Well that is short and to the point;
• But surely being a father is much more!
Ill:
• Actor/comedian, Ricky Gervais has played a number of characters on TV and in films;
• One of his latest characters is called ‘Derek’.
• Derek is a kind hearted, middle aged man with learning difficulties.
• Derek is the star of a happy and yet sad fly on the wall look at his life.
• Derek lives and works working in a care home trying to make sense of the world.
• In the final episode the father who abandoned him as a baby;
• Turns up at the care home;
• He is full of guilt and hoping his son Derek will receive him.
• At first Derek can’t cope with the shock of seeing his Dad;
• And does not know how to handle the rollercoaster of emotions that he is feeling.
• So Derek shuns his dad and rejects him.
• In the final scene of the series, we see Derek getting out of a car,
• He runs up to his father on the street and embraces him.
• When they get back to the care home;
• Derek proudly introduces his father to the residents;
• He then turns to the fly on the wall camera and says ‘I got a Dad!’
• Quote: Someone once said
• ‘It takes a few seconds to father a child but a life time to be a Father’.
Fatherhood is worth celebrating.
• It’s part of God’s strategy together with a mother in creating an environment of:
• Love, acceptance, belief and security, that a child can live, develop and grow in.
• Many today would say that the role of the father is not really necessary:
• But research shows over and over again that when a father is present;
• And bringing a positive influence in a child’s life;
• There is an increase in self-esteem, greater discipline;
• And respect and preparation for the real world.
• (See footnote at end of the sermon: Top 20 reasons why Dads are important.
(2). Jesus & the Father!
• One of the many unique things concerning Jesus is this:
• In heaven he had no mother, on earth he had no father!
• Think about it:
• In heaven he had no mother – Jesus is part of the Godhead (Father, Son & Holy Spirit);
• He is eternal, uncreated, timeless – God the Son!
• On earth he had no father;
• The Christmas story makes it very clear that Joseph was a step-father to Jesus;
• Not the biological man who provided sperm to inseminate Mary’s egg.
• It was the Holy Spirit who not by a sexual act;
• But in a miraculously way caused the virgin Mary to conceive;
• And bear a son…and not just any son!
Ill:
• A father of a small boy was on active service in Afghanistan.
• He had been away from home for almost a year.
• Back home in the UK;
• The small boy looked frequently at a picture of his daddy on the table.
• After several months the boy had started to forget him as a person;
• But he would often look at the picture and say,
• "If only my father could step out of that picture and be real...."
• TRANSITION: Christmas is a reminder that God in the person of Jesus Christ;
• Stepped out of the photo, stepped out of the pages of scripture;
• And he stepped into the world that he had created!
• He stepped out of heaven and became a human being;
• So you and I could look at Jesus and say, "So that is what God looks like."
Quote: Augustine’s Reflections
• Saint Augustine, was an early Christian theologian and philosopher
• He is accepted by most scholars;
• To be the most important figure in the ancient Western church,
• Fifteen centuries ago,
• Augustine tried to capture the mystery of the Incarnation:
“Maker of the sun,
He is made under the sun.
In the Father he remains,
From his mother he goes forth.
Creator of heaven and earth,
He was born on earth under heaven.
Unspeakably wise,
He is wisely speechless.
Filling the world,
He lies in a manger.
Ruler of the stars,
He nurses at his mother’s bosom.
He is both great in the nature of God,
And small in the form of a servant.”
• TRANSITION: Jesus the Son of God;
• Taught his disciples to pray; “Our Father” (i.e. Lord’s Prayer).
• But he himself always referred to God as; “My Father”.
• We see that in this chapter (vs 17, vs 19, vs 20, vs 21, vs 22, vs 23)
• Jesus was claiming a unique relationship with God the Father;
• And the religious Jewish leaders realised that (vs 18):
“For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath,
BUT he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.”
Ill:
• Many opponents to Christianity (Muslims, Jehovah Witnesses etc.);
• Often say Jesus never claimed to be God.
• You have to wonder what Bible they are reading!
• Verse 18 is one of many passages;
• Where the Jewish leaders know that - that is exactly what Jesus is claiming!
• He is making his position crystal clear.
Note:
• At the moment at our All-Age Services we are doing a series called;
• The Gospel Truth – based on some very well-known gospel verses.
• Our verse today is John chapter 5 verse 24
Jesus said: “‘Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”
• That phrase translated into English as “Very truly” (N.I.V.);
• The King James Bible translates it as; “Verily, verily”.
• Should literally be translated as; “Amen, Amen I say to you.”
• Only Jesus speaks like this in the Bible:
• Countless times He says “Amen, I say to you”.
• And in John gospel he gives a double saying; “Amen, Amen I say to you.”
• And on every occasion it’s the preface to His teaching.
Just pause for a minute and think how remarkable this is.
• If we ever say “Amen” it’s a response to what someone else has said or prayed.
• i.e. When I prayed earlier most of you said; “Amen” at the end of the prayer.
• i.e. In some Churches, as you preach someone will shout out “Amen”
• Which means; “I agree that’s true, preach it brother preach it!”
Now ntice how different Jesus is in using that expression:
• When Jesus speaks He gives “Amens” to His own sayings:
• He does it 30 times in Matthew’s gospel alone!
• And in John’s Gospel He gives a double-“Amen”
• To 25 of His own teachings!
And what Jesus is doing by prefacing His teaching with “Amen, Amen” is this:
• He is saying to his listeners and his critics:
• You don’t stand in judgement on my words;
• In fact I do not even wait for your Amen, for your approval or your opinion.
• I tell you on my own authority that this is truth!
• In short:
• It doesn’t matter what you think – this is the truth, deal with it!”
• TRANSITION:
• You can understand now why Jesus tended to upset a few people;
• Especially the religious leaders.
• For Jesus always taught with his own authority
• And of course if you tell the truth, and practice the truth;
• You are always on solid ground!
• There is no better place to be.
Ill:
• I love the story of the little boy;
• Who told his mother that he was six feet tall.
• When she asked how he had arrived at this conclusion,
• The boy told her he had used his shoe to measure and that he was six shoes tall.
• With a smile she explained to him that his shoe was not twelve inches long.
• He insisted it was, he replied; "It’s got to be ’cause my FOOT is in it !"
• What was wrong with his conclusion?
• He was unaware of the true standard of determining length.
• He knew nothing of uniform standards of weight and measurement.
• His conclusion was innocent and makes us smile;
• And although the boy was sincere, he was totally mistaken!
• TRANSITION: In this chapter
• Jesus is about to make some incredible claims,
• He had the authority to make these statements – because they were true!
• These claims that would divide his audience into two distinct groups;
• Those who would be for him and those who would be against him.
• The claims of Jesus are still doing that today!
(3). The Context: The healing of a lame man (vs 1-15).
• Preceding these incredible claims that Jesus will make;
• Was an incident – Jesus has miraculous healed a man,
• Who had been sick for thirty eight years (verse 1-5).
• Of course if you've been waiting on the National Health,
• For an operation you'll know exactly how he felt (Joke!!!)
• In verse 8 Jesus tells this man who was sick for thirty-eight years to:
• "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk".
• And to the astonishment of the man, the crowd around the pool;
• The man got up, picked up his mat and walked!
• Wow! For the first-time in thirty-eight years the man could walk!
• This was a time for rejoicing, for celebrating, for partying!
• After all the whole life of a man had been changed, has been transformed;
• His life was starting all over again!
But as you read John 5; the reactions of the Jewish leaders was not one of joy,
• In fact the opposite was true,
• They were scandalized by this merciful act,
• Verses 9-17 tells us why.
• Because it took place on "The Sabbath".
• And so instead of rejoicing with this man:
• They interrogated him by asking him question upon question.
• They especially want to know the identity of this healer who broke their law:
When the religious leaders found out that the 'law breaking' healer was Jesus:
• They start to accuse and investigate him,
• And they also start to persecute him (verse 16).
Quote: Verses 16-18:
“So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him.
17 Jesus said to them, My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.
18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God”.
• The original accusation of being a Sabbath-breaker would now pale into insignificance;
• Because now they have an even worse charge against Jesus.
• He is a blasphemer! He is claiming equality with God!
Note:
• In verses 16 -20 Jesus makes six unique and specific claims concerning himself.
• Including this accusation made by the religious leaders.
(1). "I am equal with God" (vs 19-20).
“Jesus gave them this answer: I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.”
• Don’t miss that phrase in verse 19, where Jesus says;
• "What God does, I see, what God does, I do".
Quote: George McDonald:
• "Jesus did instantly what the Father is always doing slowly;
• For example, in nature;
• The Father is slowly turning water into wine,
• But Jesus did it instantly.
• Through the power in nature, the Father is healing broken bodies,
• But Jesus healed them immediately.
• Nature is repeatedly multiplying bread, from sowing to harvest;
• But Jesus multiplied it instantly in his own hands".
So in verse 19, Jesus is saying;
• "What God does, I see".
• "What God does, I do".
• In other words Jesus is saying; "I have the same power God the Father has":
• "And the reason I am on this earth",
• "Is to carry out God's plan".
• "I am doing his work and I do it with equal power".
ill:
• Like a shadow which is neither identical to, nor independent from,
• The substance from which it is cast,
• So God the Son and God the Father are distinct from,
• Yet dependent upon, each other.
God cast his shadow on the earth for 33 years:
• In the person of Jesus Christ.
• "The image of the invisible God".
• And in verses 19 & 20 Jesus declares an incredible statement;
• "I am equal with God".
(2). "I am the giver of life" (vs 21 & 26).
Verse 21:
"For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it".
Verse 26:
"For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself".
• In order to give life,
• You must be the source of life,
ill:
• I cannot light a candle if my candle is not lit.
• I cannot give you money if my pockets and bank account is empty.
• You can only give what you already have!
• TRANSITION: In order to give life,
• You must be the source of life,
Now these Jewish leaders would have known;
• That declaration of being the source of life is claimed only by God alone:
• It is one of his attributes, his characteristics!
• e.g. Deuteronomy chapter 32 verse 39.
• e.g. 1 Samuel chapter 2 verse 6.
• Any Jew knew, especially a Jewish leader;
• That God alone is the "Giver of life".
ill:
• Death (think about it for a minute).
• The news this week on TV and in the papers have once again underlined the fact;
• That we are never more helpless,
• Than when one of our loved ones dies.
Quote:
"Man can give medicine when sickness comes,
Food when hunger comes,
Help when weakness comes,
Love when loneliness comes,
But when death comes, man can give
Only sympathy,
Only compassion,
Never the gift of life.
Only God can do that!"
Many have claimed too or actually been able to heal people:
• Yet, none but God can raise the dead,
• Especially by a simple command of their voice.
• Yet Jesus Christ did it:
• ill: Lazarus (John chapter 11).
• ill: Jairus' daughter (Matthew chapter 9 verses 18,19&23-25)
• ill: Widows son (Luke chapter 7 verses 11-15)
• I loved the fact Jesus ruined every funeral he ever attended;
• He kept bringing the corpse back to life!
(3). "I am the final judge" (vs 22-23).
“Moreover, the Father judges no-one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,
23 that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father, who sent him.”
• In verse 22 Jesus delivers his most striking claim thus far:
• By doing so he really curls the toes of his accusers,
• And gets his hearers hot under the collar with this one
ill:
• If I had given you a test this morning;
• Sat you in rows, handed out some pens & paper, & asked you one question,
• "Who is the final judge of mankind?"
• Most of you, if not all of you, would probably have given the same answer:
• "God is" - Meaning, "God the Father".
• But according to verse 22:
• You would be wrong!!!
• All judgement will be done by God the Son.
And verse 23 tells us why it is the Son who will do the judging:
• "That all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father".
• There is yet another reference to equality with God:
• He (the Son) deserves equal honour with God!
• He deserves the same honour that is given to God the Father.
ill:
• In a Court of law you do not call the judge,
• "By their first name or even Mr".
• You call him or her, "Your Honour".
• And you give to them the respect they deserve.
• Verse 23 is teaching us that Jesus Christ deserves that sort of honour & respect.
• That you would give to "God the Father".
• Men & women may now do that willingly;
• Or one day the will have to do it anyway.
• It is never of case of will they or won’t they;
• It is a case of when!
• We can bow the knee willingly now and own him now as saviour,
• Or we will bow the knee later after death, & face him as judge.
That leads us into the fourth claim of Jesus:
(4). "I determine man's destiny" (vs 24).
• Despite what many people might think or believe;
• Our ultimate destiny is not in our own hands – it is in his!
• True for both believer and non-believer.
Ill:
• I love that line from the hymn, “In Christ alone”
• Which says; “Jesus commands my destiny”
• For the believer that is doubly true, in this life and the life to come!
This verse is such an important announcement:
• "I tell you the truth" says Jesus.
• "Make sure you understand this!!!"
• “Not only am I the judge in the court room of eternity:
• I am also the ticket to freedom, for anyone who stands guilty!”
• Notice: in the midst of judgement there is mercy;
• In the midst of condemnation there is forgiveness!
But to benefit from this good news, two things are required:
• And notice you don't read a word about....
• Good works or Church attendance.
• You don't read a word about doing good or about keeping the law.
• Nothing about trying your best or being moral upright & paying your bills.
• They might reflect the Christian faith,
• But they don't qualify you for it, they don't save you!!!
Jesus said in verse 24, two things are required.
• A hearing ear: "Hears my word".
• And a believing heart: "Believes him who sent me".
Quote: The great reformer Martin Luther put it this way:
“God our Father has made all things depend on faith so that whoever has faith will have everything, and whoever does not have faith will have nothing”.
(5). "I will raise the dead" (vs 25-29).
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.
26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself.
27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
28 Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice
29 and come out— those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.”
In another statement declaring, that what he says is the truth:
• Jesus makes another incredible statement,
• This time regarding resurrection from the dead.
• As you scan over verses 25-29,
• Notice three crystal-clear facts surface regarding the final judgement:
ill:
• Fact 1: There will definitely be life after death.
• Fact 2: Every person will be affected by it.
• Fact 3: Mankind will fall into two and only two categories.
• i.e. The saved and the lost - depending on our response to Jesus Christ.
Application:
• Let me get personal and let me state the obvious:
• These verses refer to you and I as much as to the people of Jesus' day.
• Which group will you be in? Are you sure?
(6). "I am always doing the will of God" (vs 30)
“By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me”.
• Jesus is clearly implying in this verse:
• As the Son of Man (vs 27), as a man on earth;
• He is constantly and consistently seeking and doing the will of God the Father.
• Jesus will go on to enlarge this idea later on in John's gospel,
• (John chapter 8 verse 28).
ill:
• Just as a shadow does not move on its own initiative:
• So with Jesus,
• He moves only in cadence with the Father's footsteps.
In closing:
Question:
• Can you name me another person in history who can claim one of these six statements?
• (I will run through them again)
• (1). "I am equal with God" (verse 19-20).
• (2). "I am the giver of life" (verse 21 & 26).
• (3). "I am the final judge" (verse 22-23).
• (4). "I determine man's destiny" (verse 24).
• (5). "I will raise the dead" (verse 25-29).
• (6). "I am always doing the will of God" (verse 30).
Answer:
• There is not a single one, (is there?):
• Only Jesus Christ is able to fulfil these claims!
• He stands unique among any person in history
• He stands above any person in any religion.
• He is Jesus - Son of God, Son of Man, Saviour & Lord
Quote: C.S. Lewis:
"You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon,
or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God,
but let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about him being a great human teacher,
he has not left that open to us, he did not intend to".
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=qTdsmzv6s2Y7n9NM3LEMddKg59fsSuW6
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FOOTNOTE: Top 20 reasons a fathers presence is vital.
1. Lets your child know that you love him or her. Love is more than just saying, I love you. It is equally important to spend time doing things together. Children who feel loved are more likely to develop a strong emotional bond with their father and a healthy self-esteem.
2. Provides your child with greater financial resources. Research shows that families with an active father are usually better off financially. Their children are more likely to have access to resources that support healthy development, such as food, clothing, shelter and quality medical care.
3. Provides your child with a positive male role model. Children, regardless of gender, need positive male and female role models in their lives. Involved fathers promote positive behaviours by setting a proper example for their children.
4. Provides your children with emotional support. Children need emotional support from their parents. It is important that fathers listen and support their children when they experience joy, sadness, fear and frustration. When fathers support their children emotionally, their children are more in tune with the needs of others.
5. Enhances your child’s self-esteem. Children tend to be happier and more confident when their fathers are actively involved in their lives.
6. Enhances your child’s intellectual development. Children who are raised with actively involved fathers tend to score higher on measures of verbal and mathematical ability, and also demonstrate greater problem-solving and social skills.
7. Provides your child with guidance and discipline. Active fathers play an important role in teaching their children proper behaviour by setting and enforcing healthy limits.
8. Gives your child someone to play with. One of the best ways for fathers to bond with their children is through play. Researchers say there are definite differences in the ways father and mothers play with their children. Fathers tend to use a more physical style of play that benefits children in many ways, including enhanced cognitive ability.
9. Provides your child with someone to talk to when they have questions. Involved fathers can be valuable sources of information for children who are seeking answers to life’s important questions.
10. Increases your child’s chances for academic success. Involved fathers support their children’s academic success, and the benefits appear to extend even into adulthood.
11. Provides your child with an alternative perspective on life. Research suggests men and women often differ in their parenting styles. It can be healthy for children to be exposed to different perspectives on life.
12. Lowers your child’s chances for early sexual activity. Children with actively involved fathers are less likely to engage in early sexual activity, thus reducing the chances of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
13. Lowers your child’s chances for school failure. Children are less likely to drop out of school when their fathers are involved.
14. Lowers your child’s chances for youth suicide. Children with actively involved fathers are less likely to commit suicide than children with uninvolved fathers.
15. Lowers your child’s chances for juvenile delinquency. The benefits of having an active father in the early years extend into the teen years. Children with active fathers are less likely to commit juvenile crimes.
16. Lowers your child’s chances for adult criminality. The chances your child will commit crimes as an adult also diminish when he grows up with an actively involved father.
17. Provides your child with a sense of physical and emotional security. When fathers are involved, children develop a sense of security (emotionally and physically). A trust relationship is developed and the child does not have to worry about being abandoned.
18. Facilitates your child’s moral development. Children need a moral compass to guide them when they face difficult moral issues. Fathers, like mothers, help children to develop a sense of right and wrong that serves as a foundation for establishing moral character.
19. Promotes a healthy gender identity in your child. Boys and girls benefit from having healthy role models of both sexes. Research points out that mothers and fathers socialize their children in different ways. Fathers can help their children, especially boys, develop a healthy sense of what it means to be male.
20. Helps your child learn important life skills. Most of the essential life skills children will need to survive are learned in the home. Fathers have a unique opportunity to teach their children valuable skills that will enable them to grow up to be healthy and productive adults.
Sources:
Stephen d. Green, Ph.D., Child Development Specialist, Texas Co-operative Extension, 20 Reasons Why Your Child Needs You To Be An Active Father, October, 2000.
Wade. F. Horn, David Blankenhorn, and Mitchell B. Pearlstein (Eds.) The Fatherhood Movement: A Call to Action. New York: Lexington Books
