Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several groups following different leaders; the majority followed Brigham Young, while smaller groups followed Joseph Smith III, Sidney Rigdon, and James Strang. (Wikipedia
“Joseph Smith believed it was his consent to those living in this dispensation to enter the celestial Kingdom of God. Brigham Young the second Living Prophet of the Mormon Church said,
“No man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith… He reigns there as supreme a being in his sphere, capacity and calling, as God does in Heaven” – Journal of Discourses, Vol.14, p.203
“It is taught by at least some Mormons that there is no salvation for people alive today unless they accept Joseph Smith – Joseph Fielding Smith, 10th Living Prophet of the Mormon Church, stated,
“Joseph Smith claimed that his followers stayed loyal to him whereas those of Jesus ran away. This he proposed as proof that he, Joseph, had done a greater work than Jesus – Smith himself declared,
“I have more to boast of than any man had. I am the only man that has been able to keep a church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter nor Jesus ever did. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I.” –History of the Church, Vol.6, p.408.”
The author of John addresses this kind of teaching. John takes a different approach when priest and levites were sent to question his identity.
John 1:25 And they asked him, and said unto him, why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
26John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
27He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. (KJV)
Later he would say’ while in prison,
John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease” (KJV)
“He must become greater; I must become less.” (NIV)
There are four major themes in this passage that I would like to develop.
I. John Presents Word, Who was
In varied ways there are many who claim to be on the highest pedal, the ultimate authority. This power grabbing applies to Christians—I watched divide the Southern Baptist into camps. I witness some of our professors get displaced for false claims about their theology. This power grabbing has divided Christianity into 41,000 denominations. (Global Christianity, Gordan-Conwell Theological Seminary). Why? Because they wrap their identity around a person, practices, an individual’s teaching, and/or incidental ideals.
I recall finding a note in my Bible, “I don’t to be here”. It was a church where I had been asked to preach. In a Bible study class, the teacher claimed authority above everyone. A lady had in-laws that drank alcohol. Dogmatically he told her not to go around them. I understand staying away when they were consuming alcohol; however, to instruct her to not be around them was over the top. He could have helped
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 (KJV)
When you look around with all the clutter, political voices, teachings by secularists, and preachers who pull people left and right, that pales in comparisons to the Word who transcends everything and everyone. He is above time and has preeminence over our best word. The Jewish leaders became entrapped in their own teaching about God and his people and could not recognize God when he stood right in front of them.
They interpreted that one had to be a Jew to be inside the circle. What did that mean? First, they focused on the ground where they lived. Second, they acted like there was a direct blood link to Abraham; however, there has always been marriages within many groups of people and nations.
In one sense, to say the Jews are one ethnic group is a false belief. Today the demographic of Israel shows this. Out of a population of almost 10 million 73% are Jews of all backgrounds. Arab of any religion, make up 20% of the population. Today secularism characterizes the nation of Israel; Israel’s abortion laws ae the world’s most liberal—98% of women requesting an abortion are allowed to have an abortion.
John declares God as the creator of all people and everything in the world—even babies in the womb.
What this verse is teaching us is that God transcends and has power over all of creation. He is divinity. He is Logos, the Word in English Bibles translated this as Word—upper case, as when you speak of a person. God is above time. This verse reminds us of Gensis 1:1 where we learn that God was always there and created the world, man, and woman. Logos is a reference to God as “divine self-expression.” Got Question.org makes an interesting statement. One that throws a lot of people into a quandary where they try to disprove the creation story about the Who of creation.
“If the Word created all things, then it follows that the Word is uncreated. By definition, God is the only uncreated being. Therefore, the Word is God.” (John 1:1c).
John 1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2The same was in the beginning with God.
3All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.
4In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
An author I have been reading, makes a unique observation based upon Alfred Whitehead—a mathematician and philosopher.
“Whitehead argued that the worldview of medieval European scholasticism, shaped…the Christian understanding of a universe designed by a powerful and rational God, rather than being antithetical to science….Draper held that the groundwork for the emergence of science…” Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity, David Entwistle
An organization I Created is called Psuche it comes from Greek, and it means “heart, soul.” It is also the word for psychology that comes from—the scientific study of the mind and how it functions. Theology and psychology have always coexisted, but man has attempted to make a distinction. I consider myself a pastoral counselor, in addition to other licensing and certifications I may have.
A reminder, Word is above time, before time, in present time—across the years, and in future time. We want to see time in a linear perspective; however, God’s time is nonlinear—as in a circular viewpoint. Word has always existed and will exist. The hymn, Eternal God, Whose Power Upholds, captures this truth about God.
Eternal God, whose power upholds
Both flower and flaming star,
To whom there is no here nor there,
No time, no near nor far,
No alien race, no foreign shore,
No child unsought, unknown:
O send us forth, Thy prophets true,
To make all lands Thine own!
090 SDA Hymn - Eternal God Whose Power Upholds (Singing w/ Lyrics) - YouTube
II. John Presents Jesus, Who Was
He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
John 1:9That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
John1:10He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12But as many as received him, to them gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
When I talk about Jesus, I like the hyphenated word “God-Man,” referring to the identity of Jesus. It is a reference to the incarnation of God—God in flesh. Many want to make a distinction between God and Jesus; however, the incarnation is a Christian doctrine that is supported by Scripture.
Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Incarnation means to take on flesh. This means that the human body can have the divinity of God abiding within our bodies. We celebrate this at Christmas; however, it should remain front and center in our brain. In the Old Testament we see God revealing himself in things that he did, such as parting the Red Sea. He was seen through his action when saving Daniel, Meshace, and Abendnego from the fiery furnace where they were bound in all their attire. (Daniel 3:8-25) This happened because they were unwilling to turn away from God.
For years, the Jewish people wanted to see God at work in the world—this is how they identified Him. They could not recognize God when he stood right in front of them. John captures the Jews dilemma in verse 10-14.
John 1:11 He came to his own people,
but they didn’t want him…. (MSG)
Moses was allowed to see God’s glory but not his face. Perhaps because it would have been too much for him.
Exodus 33:19And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
20And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
Earlier, it says, that Moses went into the Tabernacle he had constructed outside of the place where the people dwelt because many of them turned from God. We read this about Moses going into the tabernacle.
Exodus 33:10And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
11And the LORD spake unto Moses face-to-face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
For what purpose does Jesus serve, who was God incarnate? The Jewish people had developed a blinder religion and could not see through the darkness though the light shined brightly. In man’s human form the light shined brightly, and people could talk with God face-to-face. The word light is used forty-eight times. The Greek word for light in our text is phos, a heavenly luminary. Moses could not look at God; however, earlier followers of Jesus could. Spiritually, Light illuminates our life.
Matthew 5:14-16 (KJV) Ye are the light [phos] of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light [kaio] a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light [lampo] unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light [phos] so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Luke 12:3 (KJV) Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light [phos]; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
John 8:12 (KJV) Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light [phos] of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light [phos] of life.
Matthew 17:2 (KJV) And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light [phos].
Jesus was, is, and will always be God—he is the light of the world.
III. John Presents Holy Spirit, Who is God
The “Light” that John uses, as well as other places, is a reference to Holy Spirit. God, Holy Spirit dwelt in Jesus. God illuminate the human side of Jesus. Jesus did not walk around with a lithium powered flashlight. Yet those that followed him recognized God abiding in Jesus. He said to those around him,
John:14:16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;
17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
John:14:16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;
17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you.
18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Wow! Word—God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, three in One. (Point upward This is noted in I John.
I John 5:7 For there are three who bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
Your translation may not read like this; however, this is the rendering of the Greek text for this verse: father (pat??--pater, the giver of life, the son referenced (?????—logos, Word), and Holy (?????—hagion), Spirit, (p?e?µa—neuma) and “these the three one are” (Greek text).
I have a friend that faithfully studies and teaches the Bible. One day he said that he had never heard the Holy Spirit taught in the church where he was saved and the current church. He called me one day and why I didn’t say “the Holy Spirit” but “Holy Spirit when speaking. I recalled the Chair of our religion department at Louisiana College, no Louisiana Christian University, discouraged students refereeing to Holy Spirit as “it”. Thou head wise my friend could acknowledge the trinity, he like many was splitting off Holy Spirit from the Word (God). He didn’t get it heart wise.
IV. John Calls us to Witness of/for Word
John puts voice to his witness to the people; this is because he wanted everyone to hear—he probably did not have an amphitheater or a PA system.
While living in Kansas City we attended a conference just outside of Denver and added a vacation to the trip. We visited the Red Rocks Amphitheater west of Denver that sits in a natural setting. There is a large, tilted, disc-shaped rock behind the stage, a huge vertical rock angled outwards from stage right, several large outcrops angled outwards from stage left and a seating area for up to 9,525. John did not have one of these.
What did he do? He cried out, shrieked—kekragen, like a raven. Was it in an audible language? Yes, his words could be heard in His language, Aramaic and later translated into Greek. Our text is clear that John was a witness.
Jesus calls us to speak the truth about Who, Who he is and to proclaim the Good News, salvation for all, regardless of race, language, or belief systems.
John 1:15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
18No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
19And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
For John to witness, he proclaimed the truth about God. He provided information about Word, for whom he knew personally. He represented Jesus in a positive way, a way that all could hear and understand. Too many times we tend to get hung up on things that become divisive and offensive. Church placards often do this. Here are some I have read—they do not start where John started and assuming the unaffiliated know.
“Our church is like fudge, sweet with a few nuts. (Presbyterian church)
“Jesus had two dads and he turned out just fine.”
“He who farts in church sits in (sic, his) own pew.”
“I kissed a girl and I liked it then I went to hell.”
“Beyonce had her baby satan is on earth.”
“Obama Osama hmmm Are they brothers?”
“Jesus is the rizzle for the sizzle”
John gave a clarion call for people to accept the mercy and grace of God. To accept the salvation offered to everyone. We can kill our witness, as individuals and churches, by slipping off into offensive language. I can imagine John posting this over our baptistries, “All who believe in Jesus will become children of God.” He would tell us to do what he did, carry the message he shared in John 1 to the world. He was following Jesus’ instruction.
John 1:16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
In the world there are around 7,000 languages. It is held that the number of languages for which a translation of the Bible exists, in whole or in part, has risen exponentially.
Burma is a country north of Thailand. A majority of the population is Bamar Buddhists. It has more than one hundred different ethnic groups. Anna and Adoniram were missionaries in Burma—one of the first Protestant missionaries to Burma. Judson devoted himself to combine translation and literary work with evangelism. Anna died 2 years after his relief. He continued his work. They started the first church in 1819. He went on to establish school and trained native preachers. In 1834 he completed the task of translating the Bible into Burmese. His work went through serval editions. During the first Burmese War with Britain (1824-26) he was imprisoned Myanmar forces and suffered extreme torture. There are now an estimated three million, 6% of the population, in large part to his meticulous work.
Luke Hudson, other believers in the early church, John was undeterred by the Jewish leaders, not even after they began persecuting the People of the Way. In my book, To Believe or Not to Believe: Christians in a Pluralistic World, I write about how many Christians have withdrawn from the culture in which we live. Jesus knew what the disciples and others would experience; as they continue to proclaim the Good News. Yet he told the disciples to go. He expects us to do the same.
Several weeks ago, in a sermon based on Romans 10 we listened to Paul raise a critical question: How can they hear without someone preaching to them? Each sermon I have preached typically calls for one of two responses:
1. Have you heard and responded to the call to believe and accept the salvation God has promised you?
Salvation carries the meaning by which the act of God makes provisions for deliverance, restoration, preservation. This does not mean you will get to jump over all the obstacles—we will go through challenging times with health, relationships, personal issues, and other Rocky Mountain trail adventures.
Accepting the salvation that is full of mercy, grace, love, and hope will mean the God-Spirit will abide within you. You will find peace and inner strength to face all of life. God would have us to hear, “walking in the light of my presence is essential to keep you from feeling hopeless and forgotten.” It will be a blessing knowing he guides your path.
2. With a clarion call we are to share the mercy, grace, love, and hope we have experienced in Word—God. Can you imagine facing God face-to-face, hearing him call for us to be witnesses for him, and definitely saying, No? In a quiet way we do that. What do we need to inspire us to “go” boldly into the world? If we need training in evangelism to build our confidence, “let’s get er done”—as Larry the Cable Guy use to say. If we need training to refresh our commitment, “let’s get er done”. There is a hymn I love, Jesus, the Light of the World. That captures the message and what we are to share.
1 All ye saints of light proclaim,
Jesus, the Light of the world;
Life and mercy in His name,
Jesus, the Light of the world.
2 Hear the Saviour’s earnest call,
Jesus, the Light of the world;
Send the gospel truth to all,
Jesus, the Light of the world.
3 Why not seek Him then today,
Jesus, the Light of the world;
Go with truth the narrow way,
Jesus, the Light of the world.
4 Come, confess Him as your king,
Jesus, the Light of the world;
Then the bells of heav’n will ring,
Jesus, the Light of the world.
Refrain:
We’ll walk in the light, beautiful light,
Come where the dew-drops of mercy are bright;
Shine all around us by day and by night,
Jesus, the Light of the world.
Jessy Dixon, Guy Penrod - Jesus, the Light of the World [Live] - YouTube
