I Once Was Blind

In Psalm 119:18 the psalmist prays, "Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law."  It seems that God has been in the business of opening eyes for a long time.  He opened the eyes of the psalmist, He opened the eyes of the "man born blind" of John chapter nine, and He opens the eyes of a sinner who comes to faith in Jesus Christ.  Has he opened your eyes?  I pray that He has, but if He hasn't, I can assure you, He is willing to! 

Sermon on John 9

Jesus is the light of the world!

In John chapter eight Jesus declares that he is the light of the world, and that those who believe in Him will not walk in darkness.  This does not mean that we are perfect, but rather, that we confess our imperfections, our sins, and come to the Lord to receive grace and mercy.  We stand in the grace of God, and without it, we are hopelessly lost.  Jesus didn't come to condemn us, but to save us, and having been saved by His grace, it is the desire of the true believer to walk in a manner that is pleasing to God.  For more on this topic, click the link below, and listen in on this past Sunday's sermon from Calvary Chapel Southwest Metro, in Burleson, Tx.  If you like what you hear, consider joining us this Sunday, as we continue our study in John chapter eight!

Blessings,

Pastor Ken

God is Light

“Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.”

Sometimes we can become so focused on the first half of this statement of Jesus, that we forget the second.  Jesus did not condemn the woman who was caught in adultery.  She had been caught red handed, dragged into the public arena, shamed before the crowds, and set before Jesus for judgement.  When the Pharisees pointed out that the Law of Moses condemned her to death, asking Jesus what He thought should be done with her, they figured they had Jesus trapped for sure!  If he condemned her, the people would likely turn against him, and He would be in trouble with the Romans who had forbidden the Jews to practice capital punishment, but had he not condemned her they could accuse Him of contradicting the Law of Moses.  This was a “no win scenario” for Jesus…or so they thought.

Jesus, writing on the ground, ignored them at first; but, when they persisted to ask Him, He rose up and said that the one among them who was without sin should cast the first stone, thereby neither condemning nor excusing her, and proceeded to go back to His writing upon the ground.  Now, we do not know for sure what Jesus was writing, but we are told that the Pharisees became convicted of their sins and left “beginning with the oldest.”  It seems likely that this conviction over their sins was in response to whatever it was that Jesus was writing.  Was it the law?  Was it their names with particular sins scribbled alongside?  Who is to say?  We don’t really know.  What we do know is that not one of them condemned her. 

After they had left, Jesus looked up, and seeing them gone asked the woman if none had condemned her.  She replied, “no one sir.”  Jesus replied, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more.”    We should be reminded by this statement of John 3:17 which declares that “…God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (ISV).  What an amazing blessing it is that God does not deal with us according to our sins, but that He stands ready to forgive if only we will trust in Him! 

It is imperative however, that we also acknowledge the second part of the Lord’s statement.  He has forgiven this woman for her sin; yes, He has forgiven her, but by no means is this grace to be interpreted as a license to sin.  The forgiveness that God offers may be free to us, but it came at a very high price for Him.  It cost Him the life of His beloved Son, the only begotten of the Father.  Jesus bled, and died, to secure our salvation, and in the light of that our attitude toward sin should never be cavalier.   As believers, we are called to “walk worthy” of the calling of God in our lives.  Here are a few examples:

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  Ephesians 4:1-3

“For this reason we…do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, bully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and long suffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.  He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” 
Colossians 1:9-14.

“You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you , as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.”  I Thessalonians 2:10-12. 

If it is our desire to “walk worthy” of the calling that God has placed upon our lives through faith in Jesus Christ, then clearly our goal should be to “go and sin no more.”  Now, even as believers, we are prone to sin, and to expect that we will never fail is unrealistic of us to be sure.  Thank God that He promises to forgive us for our sins and cleanse us from unrighteousness when we confess them to Him, but it should be the desire of our heart to walk free from sin, or, more as Paul says it in II Timothy 2:22 we should, “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”  This should be our goal, remembering always that the Lord has not given us the liberty to sin, but that He has given us liberty from sin.  So let’s thank Him today for His mercy and grace, and then purpose in our hearts to live a life that is pleasing to Him, endeavoring to walk free from sin, and follow faithfully the one who has gone before us, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

For an audio teaching John 8:1-11 click on the link below to visit the web site of Calvary Chapel Southwest Metro, in Burleson, Tx.  

Who are you who judges?

He Gives Us Himself

Chapters 6 and 7 of John present Jesus as "The Bread of Life" and "The Giver of Rivers of Living Water."  He is the bread that has come down from Heaven, the bread that truly satisfies, and He is the one who declares, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

The bread that Jesus offered was His own body, broken for our sins, and the living water that He promises will flow from the hearts of those who believe and come thirsting, is the indwelling, overflowing Holy Spirit!  He gives us Himself!  He gives us Himself, to satisfy our hunger for righteousness, and He gives us His Holy Spirit, to satisfy our spiritual thirst for communion with Him.  What more could we ever ask for?

If you would like to hear more on these chapters, click the links below and listen in on the past two weeks sermons in the Gospel of John at Calvary Chapel Southwest Metro, in Burleson, Texas.

I am the bread of life. Chapter 6

Rivers of living water. Chapter 7

Jesus Truly Satisfies

In John chapter 6 we find Jesus and His disciples engaged in ministry beyond their physical means.  A crowd has gathered that numbers 5,000 men, and more, if you count the women and children.  They are in a desert place, and there is nowhere to get food.  The crowds will soon grow hungry, and the disciples have been tasked by their master to provide food for the multitude.  What are they to do?

"Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every on of them may have a little."  declares Philip.

"There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"  offers Andrew.

The disciples are very well aware of the fact that the resources which they have available are not sufficient to meet the need that is being presented, and to tell you the truth, that isn't a bad thing.  The word tells us that His strength is made perfect in weakness according to II Corinthians 12:9.  The disciples recognized that material resources would not be enough to meet the need at hand.

Recognizing our own limitations is never a bad thing, when that recognition leads us to a greater dependence upon Jesus Christ.  The fact is, Jesus already knew what He was going to do.  He made the people sit down, took the limited resources that were available, blessed it, broke it, and distributing it to the people through His disciples, Jesus made it enough.  In fact, he made it MORE than enough.  When they gathered up the left overs, there were 12 baskets full of bread, which was a whole lot more than they had started with in the first place.

The things that the Lord asks His followers (us) to do, are often beyond the scope of their natural means.  It is only when we rely on the supernatural provision that comes only from the Lord, that we will be able to accomplish the fullness of what He intends for us to do.  So when the task at hand seems overwhelming, commit your limited resources to the Lord, and trust that according to His awesome power, he will make it more than sufficient for what He has called you to do.

For more thoughts on John chapters 5 and 6, click on the links below and enjoy the weekly messages from Calvary Chapel Southwest Metro in Burleson, Tx.

Do you want to be made well?

He will be with you in the storm.

John, Chapter 4

Continuing our study through the Gospel of John brings us to the fourth chapter, in which Jesus keeps a divine appointment with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well, instructs his disciples to pray that the lord of the harvest send workers into the field for the harvest is ready, ministers to an entire village of Samaritans who come to believe that He is the Messiah, and heals a nobleman's son from 20 miles away just by the power of His words.

From the first sign that Jesus performed we learned that salvation is through the Word, and from the sign of this miraculous healing we learn that Salvation is by faith!  Want to know more?  Listen in to the last couple weeks sermons by clicking on the lings below.

An Encounter With the Messiah

The Connection of Faith

According to John chapter 3, what are three things that "MUST" take place?  To find the answer, either read the chapter, or listen to this weeks sermon from Calvary Chapel Southwest Metro.
This weeks message from John 3

Salvation or Condemnation?

In the third chapter of John we find some of the greatest words ever penned in the sixteenth verse; “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  During the holiday season it is encouraging to note that the tradition of giving gifts began with God!  For God so loved…He gave.  Just as we are told in James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”   There is no more good, or perfect gift, than the gift of Jesus Christ, who set aside His Glory to be born of a virgin, to be lain in a stable, to live a life of humility and service to the poor and needy, to die a martyr’s death upon a cross, to be buried in a borrowed tomb, and three days later, to rise again to life!

What an amazing gift that was!  What amazing love!  What amazing grace!  Too often however we stop at John 3:16.  That is like seeing the present under the tree, but leaving it there.  To really appreciate a gift, we need to unwrap it.  The next few verses will help us do that….let’s take a look.

John 3:17-19 helps us to understand John 3:16 even better.  In it, Jesus states, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”  You see, Jesus didn’t come to condemn, He came to save, because mankind was already condemned because their deeds were evil.

If you doubt the evil that is present in mankind, all you need to do is look at the world around you.  Today, the news is filled with stories about despots and dictators who turn their guns upon their own citizens.  In Syria, the government has even used chemical weapons against civilians, including children!  If you need evidence that is closer to home, look at the racial bias, discrimination, and violent conflict that is evident here in the states.  Even the verbal conflict between those who support and oppose political candidates like Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton reveal a lack of love for our fellow man that manifests itself in our inability to carry on a civil discourse!  The fact is, mankind was already condemned, and was desperately in need of a savior; and, God gave us just what we needed.  He sent His Son to pay the price for all that we have done wrong!  Will you accept His gift today?  If you haven’t already, I hope that you will! 

To hear our most recent message from the book of John, click on the link below and listen in to a teaching from John chapter 3.

The Wind Blows Where It Will, a message from John 3

Will You Receive Him?

When Jesus came to Jerusalem during The Passover, He discovered cattle, sheep, and money changers in The Temple.  The people were being taken advantage of, and His Father's House, that was supposed to have been a house of prayer, had been made into a market place.  Jesus drove out the cattle, commanded that the doves be taken away, and overturned the money changers tables.  He created quite a stir, and the priests and the leaders of the Jews were not happy about it.

They should have received Him.  They should have recognized His authority, or at the very least recognized that he was correct in His criticism of the condition of the outer court of the temple.  But, as the scriptures tell us, "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not."  They questioned His authority to do what He had done, and asked for a sign to confirm His authority.  He told them to tear down the temple, and that in three days He would raise it up.  They were confused, thinking that He referred to the building itself, but as John 2 tells us, He was referring to the temple of His body, of his coming crucifixion, and the subsequent resurrection that would restore Him to life, and open the door to eternal life to all who believe in His name.

To hear more about the cleansing of the temple, and John chapter two, click on this link below and listen in on last weeks sermon.

http://www.ccswm.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=452:1242016-his-own-received-him-not&catid=1:sermons&Itemid=25

The New Wine is the Best Wine!

In the book of Exodus, the Lord gave Moses the power to turn the waters of the Nile into blood, but here in John chapter 2 Jesus transforms water into wine.  The transformation of water into blood is symbolic of judgement that was to come, but the transformation of water into wine speaks of the joy in the Lord that can be ours when the clay pots of our lives are filled with the water of God’s word!  As John 1:16 and 17 tell us, “…of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”  Click on the following link for last Sunday’s full teaching on this first of Jesus miraculous signs.

http://www.ccswm.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=451:11272016-the-good-wine&catid=1:sermons&Itemid=25

Doing the work of an evangelist....without actually being one....

John the Baptist was a powerful evangelist, ministering to the multitudes, rebuking the sins of the people, and urging them towards repentance as he prepared the way for the coming of the Lord.  He was, both figuratively and literally, “…the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord!”  Perhaps such vociferous evangelism seems to be beyond your power to emulate.  Does the thought of standing before crowds and preaching the gospel seem a little intimidating to you?  Well if it does, you can relax.  We are not all called to stand before multitudes and proclaim the coming of the Lord…  but we are all called to do the share the truth we have received. 

In II Timothy 4:5 Paul exhorted his young friend to “…do the work of an evangelist…”  So, what does that mean for us today, and what examples can we find in the scripture that show us how to do this work, aside from shouting from the roof tops or out in the wilderness?  John chapter 1:29-51 give us some awesome examples. 

In John 1:29, when John declares “Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” a couple of his disciples became very curious, and decided to follow Jesus to see what he was all about, they very quickly came to the conclusion that this was, indeed, the Messiah.  Instead of keeping this information to themselves, or tucking it away for future consideration, they immediately found someone to share the information with.  It is believed that one of these two men who first followed Jesus was John, the author of this gospel, but the other is clearly identified as Andrew.  After meeting Jesus, the first thing Andrew did was find his brother, and tell him about the discovery.  Verse 41 tells us that “He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus…”

 

This behavior was repeated a few verses later when, after having met Jesus, Philip also has to find someone to tell; vs 45-46 tells us that “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”  Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 

The pattern is simple:  meet Jesus, go find someone with whom you have an existing relationship and who has not met Jesus, tell them what you have found, and invite them to come and see for themselves- No shouting in the wilderness necessary!  

Who Was John The Baptist?

So, who was he?
Where did he come from?
What was it he came to accomplish?
What can we learn from his ministry?

For the answer to all of these questions and more, listen to the latest teaching from Calvary Chapel Southwest Metro in Burleson, Texas by clicking on the link below!

http://sermonsave.com/ccswm/sermons/2016/1113-John1.mp3

Blessings,

-PK

The Divine Expression!

John 1:1 tells us who Jesus really is.  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  This passage takes us all the way back to the beginning of time, and at the beginning of time we find that “the Word” was already there! 

Jesus, you see, is not a created being, but is Himself the creator of all things.  The scripture makes it very, very clear that He was both with God, and that He was God.  Jesus was the “Word” which in the Greek language of the New Testament is “logos” and can be translated to mean, “the divine expression.”  Jesus then, is the very expression of God the Father. 

In the book of Hebrews, chapter 1, verses 1-3 this truth is expressed beautifully as it is written, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory  and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power; when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…” (NKJV).  

Not only does this passage confirm that Jesus is the express image of God’s person, it also correlates with John 1:3-5 in confirming Jesus as the creator of all things.  As John writes, “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (NKJV).  Jesus created all things in the beginning, and entered into His own creation, to redeem us to the Father.  He is the divine expression, and came to express not only who God is, but also to express to us the love that God has for us.  He is the divine expression, the very demonstration of God’s love!

An Introduction to John, "That You Might Believe"

Join me in listening to our introduction to the Gospel of John that was presented this past Sunday at Calvary Chapel Southwest Metro, by clicking on the link:  http://www.ccswm.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=448:11062016-that-you-might-believe&catid=1:sermons&Itemid=25.  Or by clicking on the ccswm.org web site listed above.

Have a blessed week,

PK

This week here at CCSWM we will begin our study of The Gospel of John, and I for one, am very excited.  John’s gospel is one of my favorite books of the Bible for a variety of reasons, one of which is that John is very clear about why he wrote it, and another is that John offers a unique perspective on the life and works of Christ that stands apart from Matthew, Mark, and Luke in both content and design.

While some are critical of the differences between the synoptic gospels, as Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called, these differences are not contradictory, but rather complementary.  Of the three synoptic gospels, Mark was written first, and it seems clear that Matthew and Luke referred to Mark when penning their accounts of the life and ministry of Christ.  John was written last of these four, and though John had access to the preceding works, chose rather to compliment them than to simply repeat the things that had been written in them.  John acknowledges these differences, and expresses his purpose for choosing to focus on different details in John 20:30-31 where he writes, “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (NKJV). 

John’s stated purpose in writing this Gospel, is to encourage belief in Jesus as the Son of God, and his profession is that those who do believe will have life in the name of Jesus Christ.  In this brief statement John communicates the heart of the Gospel.  It is my hope, that as we read together, we will be strengthened in our conviction that Jesus Christ is who this book professes Him to be, the only begotten son of the true and living God.  

Join me for the journey!

Hi there!  And thanks for joining me today, as I begin this journey through the book of John!  My name is Ken Davis, and I am the pastor and teacher here at Calvary Chapel Southwest Metro (CCSWM) in Burleson, Texas.  CCSWM is a friendly fellowship of believers in Jesus Christ, and it is our pleasure to welcome you to join us some Sunday morning as we work our way through this amazing book. 

As we study each week in the Gospel of John, each of our Sunday morning sermons will be drawn from its verses.  Here at Calvary, we like to study the Word of God chapter by chapter, and verse by verse.  That way, we try to avoid adding to, or taking away from, the thing that God is communicating to us through His word.  I truly hope you will decide to pay us a visit. 

That having been said, if you prefer to read through the scripture on your own, you are more than welcome to do so, and to join us here online.  There are a variety of ways that you can engage with us here on the web.  You can check in for what I hope will be weekly blog postings discussing the passage that is currently being covered at church, or you can follow the link to our web site where each week’s message is available for free download.  You can also link to our Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook feed through this page as well…just check out the links as you like for occasional updates and interesting information.

 

As we read together, I hope to share with you devotional thoughts, Bible study tips, scriptural insights, and encouragement to grow in your knowledge of the grace and love of Jesus Christ.  If you have any comments, or questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section.  It is my hope that even if we don’t always agree, we can always grow from these exchanges.  I am a firm believer in the benefit of civil discourse, and I hope that you are too.  I am really looking forward to this time together as we prepare to launch into this wonderful study of a truly amazing book. 

Be on the look-out for my next post, in which I will offer a brief introduction of John’s Gospel, as we prepare to begin our study together.

Until then,

Pastor Ken (PK).