Sermon Central
-
The Criteria For An Apostolic Replacement Series
Contributed by John Lowe on Feb 24, 2017 (message contributor)
Summary: Matthias was evidently a good man. He met the requirements of an apostle, which meant he must have been with the Lord from His baptism by John until His ascension; and, more importantly, he must have been a witness of the resurrection,as the others were.
JESUS THE WORD OF GOD
John 1:1-18
One of the names of the Lord Jesus Christ is "The Word."
1. THE WORD WAS GOD’S POWER AT WORK IN CREATION (John 1:1-3).
(i) In the beginning was the Word.
This compares with the Creation account (Genesis 1:1-3). When God spoke the Word, all things came into existence.
(ii) All things were made through Him.
All things were created through Jesus and for Him (Colossians 1:16).
2. THE WORD IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD (John 1:4-5).
(i) In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
Jesus claimed to be the Light of the World (John 9:5). John the Baptist's task was to proclaim Jesus as the Light of the World (John 1:6-9). This is the job of every preacher.
(ii) The light shines in the darkness.
The darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining (1 John 2:8).
3. THE WORLD REJECTS GOD’S WORD (John 1:10-11).
(i) The world was made by Him, yet the world would not accept Him.
It is amazing that intelligent, educated men should reject their Creator, and that they should refuse the only Saviour from man's sin. To the worldly wise, the gospel of Jesus seems foolish. They imagine that their existence is a matter of chance. Yet in refusing Jesus, the Word of God, they are refusing the fountain of all wisdom, the Wisdom of God.
(ii) He came to His own home, but His own people rejected Him.
Even to religious people, Jesus is a stumbling block. So they reject the very One who their various religions are seeking to find.
4. BELIEVERS ACCEPT GOD’S WORD (John 1:12-13).
(i) All who trust in Him are given authority to be children of God.
The gospel is preached to all: male and female, rich and poor, foolish and wise, religious and non-religious. It is the power of God for everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). Those who believe Jesus, God's Word, are given all the rights and privileges of sons in relation to God. They are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).
(ii) Born ...of God.
How can man possibly believe the gospel? First, he must be born of God. When one of the religious leaders, Nicodemus, came to Jesus seeking the right way, Jesus said, "You must be born again" (John 3:3; John 3:7). As we read the Bible and pray every day, we must surrender ourselves to the work of God in our hearts, and pray that He will enter our lives through the Word of God.
5. THE MYSTERY OF THE INCARNATION (John 1:14).
(i) The Word became flesh.
Rather than man reaching up to God, God reaches down to man in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ, who became flesh for us and died for all the sins of all His people. He dwelt among His own people as a real living man: born of a woman, breathing the very air He had created; knowing hunger and thirst, sadness and tiredness, pain - and death. He was better than the best of men, wiser than the wisest, full of truth.
(ii) We beheld His glory.
Three of the disciples, Peter, James and John, were privileged to see Jesus transformed on the mountaintop, where He was revealed in His heavenly glory and conversed with Moses and Elijah (Matthew 17:1-3). When we recognise Jesus for who He is, we also see something of His glory (2 Corinthians 4:6).
6. JESUS IS THE EXEGESIS OF GOD (John 1:18).
(i) No one has ever seen God.
Moses was reminded that no man shall see the LORD and live (Exodus 33:20).
(ii) Jesus reveals Him.
It is like the wonder of discovering a truth that has been always near, but never attainable. As the scales fall from our eyes (Acts 9:18), it is like sight to the blind. The relief of laying down the burden of our sin at His feet makes us leap for joy (Acts 3:8). Let us never cease to rejoice in the revelation of God in Jesus, the Word of God (Philippians 4:4). Amen.
