Well, good morning Crossing Church.
How are you doing today? What a day.
What a day yesterday was? Wow, I mean, it was a beautiful
fall day. I know it had to be that way at
all of our locations. I want to welcome all of our
locations joining from all over this region.
We're so thankful for each and every one of you.
And what you do for the Lord, in the Kingdom, just so amazing.
And if you're inside an online, we are really, really thankful
for you as well. And it's, when we get into
environments like this, that we Wise because this world is
always crashing in on us. That we have hope.
How many of you like to have a little hope?
Yeah. And I think that's probably one
of the reasons why you're here at one of the locations today is
because you have the opportunity to be around other people
looking for the same thing and God is here.
And he is the author of Hope and he'll give you that hope.
And I want to thank the Lord for the last.
I don't know. No 36 hours because Alice and I
were able to do the first marriage retreat.
In our new marriage Retreat Center at the camp people were
freaking out there like this is like a four-star Marriott, it
really is and they had an incredible time but the best
part of it was it was instilling hope for marriages and people
were doing the hard work, they were doing the homework and and
there was a lot of that. A just one-on-one time is a
couple unpacking things and working those things out.
And God is so good in that and there's three more of those this
fall. There's four more in the spring
and if you've never experienced a marriage Retreat, it'll be
like a concentrated awesome 22 hours where you can put in the
work to make your marriage better than ever, and you can
sign up. For that on the website.
Well today we're starting a brand new series from The Book
of John. And along with that, we have a
reading plan and a lot of you, you might say, John is my
favorite book of the Bible. It doesn't take a long time to
read 21 chapters, but if you go slow and you read John through
this while we're preaching through it.
I think that'll really bless you.
And so, this is what that looks like.
And there's a QR code as you know, they're available for you
at all of our locations, just scan that and you'll be able to
get on this reading plan and have a little devotional time.
It'll be great for you. A couple of weeks ago, I had
someone come up to me after the service very troubled.
And just trying to establish or re-establish a relationship with
God and starting reading the Bible in the Old Testament, the
Book of Genesis and got into Exodus Leviticus and it wasn't
just all of that, but it had to do with Wars and death and, you
know, in this history and just struggling with the idea of how
is this a good? Good representation of God.
I have a different understanding of God than that.
Can you help me understand why and was asking some questions
why? And I said Don't read the Bible
from Genesis to Revelation because the Bible is not a book,
it's a collection of books. The Bible is a very compact
Library. and I said, if you really want to get a good
understanding of the Bible start with the Book of John, In the
New Testament because really the Bible is a book all about Jesus.
And when we get into the gospels, we're learning about
Jesus, but when you get to John, it's even better.
And I'll tell you why. Because when you're reading the
Gospel of John, you're reading the perspective of Jesus from
his best friend. Because John is his best friend,
that was John. And that's kind of how it is in
life, right? I mean, I mentioned there's some
of you that would really like to know more about a particular
celebrity or a sports star or something and you can read books
by them. But what if you were able to sit
down with like their best friend?
And ask questions, like, what was what's this person like here
and what are they? Like, their I had that
opportunity a few years ago, since I'm the publisher of
Christian standard to sit down with Fred Gray.
I was doing some research because I have to do some of
that with with what we're presenting in that in that
magazine, and I was doing a, an article on Marshall Keeble.
And there were four young men sitting around him, like, in a
square around him. And I wanted to know who those
four young men were. So, I just started doing some
research on that. And I landed on this one guy
that was in the lower right-hand part of that picture, and his
name was Fred Gray. And I it was amazing to me.
What I learned from researching this guy and in the course of
what we do with the Salomon Foundation, we had done some
work with a church in Atlanta, man.
Named Andrew Harrison, who was a judge, believe the first
African-American judge in Atlanta and he was personal
friends with Fred gray and I was able to have an interview with M
at Lipscomb University in Nashville, so I drove down the
Nashville and sat down with it the time, I think he was 88 and
had the opportunity to talk to him.
Some of you have no idea who this guy even is, well, let me
tell you. So Fred was born in Montgomery,
Alabama, and when he was very young decided, he wanted to go
into ministry. That's how he connected with
Marshall Keeble, because he had a school for young people.
Well, in Nashville. And so, he went from Montgomery
in Nashville and studied under Marshall Keeble.
But when he was in his teenage years, he really saw what was
happening with segregation. And he in his heart, he decided
he wanted to destroy that. He wanted to stop this this
Injustice, and he, you couldn't get a college education in
Alabama, if you were black. So he had to go up to Ohio.
Cleveland got his education and came back to Montgomery,
Alabama. So he opens up a law office and
there's not there wasn't a lot of work for a black lawyer in
Montgomery, Alabama, back then and so he did have some time on
his hands. The but there was this lady that
worked around the corner as a seamstress at a department
store. And she was a youth group leader
for the NAACP. The Local NAACP and they started
having lunch together. They were both single, they
started having lunch together. They became friends and her name
was Rosa Parks. And about that time there was a
little girl, she's 15 years old. Her name is Claudette Colvin,
and she had to ride the city bus to get from school to home.
And they had an early release that day.
And so, she got on the bus at a different time that when she
normally would get on the bus and she was told to give up her
seat for a white person and it scared her, and she didn't want
to give up her seat and so she was Taking off the bus and
arrested. And she was 15 taking the jail
and they called Fred gray was one of his first cases.
And Fred got her out of jail. And so the people that were in
the Civil Rights Movement that were gathered in Montgomery.
Alabama, decided to have a meeting at a lady.
Her last name is Robinson her house and they started talking
about what are we going to do about this?
And they got this idea that they would have a one-day bus
boycott. And at the time Fred Grace, 24
years old. So can I put this in
perspective? He's 24.
And and and Rosa Parks was going to be the person who was going
to be arrested. And and Freddy is working in the
youth group with her and so they're talking about who's
going to lead this, somebody's got to lead this and there was a
guy named Ed Nixon who was a voting rights person.
That was a leader in Montgomery but there were a little worried
about eating Nixon doing that because this is really something
more about desegregation and Fred said I can't do it because
they'll just barmy And they're trying to figure out who's going
to lead this and the lady whose home they were in the host said,
we got this new preacher young guy in our church and, you know,
nobody knows really who he is, but he can really move people
with words. And it was Martin Luther King.
And so, Martin Luther King became the spokesman of the
Montgomery Bus Boycott that didn't last one day, it lasted
382 days. And over the course of his life.
Fred gray was responsible for so much in our country that has to
do with desegregation. Like the desegregation of
Alabama public schools which became the model for the
desegregation of all schools, in the South and higher,
universities and University of Alabama and so many other
things. But sitting down with this guy.
And I'm I'm looking at like history incarnate, you know, I'm
talking to a guy that's this giant and I'm and I remember
asking this really, really foolish question I go what was
it? Like, you know, being in this
like he was the lawyer for for Martin Luther King until he
moved to Atlanta like got him out of jail.
I don't know how many times he was.
He was the lawyer behind the Selma to Montgomery marches just
all this stuff it's coming out. Him and he's sharing all this.
And what was it like to be with all these famous people, he
comes forward, famous people. We're just a bunch of kids.
We didn't know what we were doing.
We just saw something that was wrong and needed to be fixed,
and we were just doing whatever we could. to do that and to
listen to his stories, all of a sudden Because I was with, like
one of the best friends of these people.
It became so much more real to me.
Because it's different when you're talking to a best friend
and that's what it's like when you read the book of John,
because when you read the book of John, you're getting this
perspective of Jesus from his best friend and that is
particularly important. If you're wanting to have an
intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ because you're
talking to the first guy who really had that intimate.
Personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
So when John writes his gospel a little later in life from those
earlier gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, he wants you to
understand Jesus in a different way.
He wants you to feel the weight of who Jesus actually is.
So he doesn't start the book that you're going to read like,
hey, Jesus is my best friend. He starts out by helping you to
realize what, in the course of his relationship to Jesus, he
realized that Jesus is the son of God, not just the Son of God,
but God himself. In human form.
And that's how he starts the book.
Look at John 1125 and then 9 to 14 in the beginning, was the
word now, that's an interesting, that's interesting, and I could
preach a whole Sermon Just on that.
Those four letters right there, in the beginning was the word
and the Word was with God. The word is describing Jesus,
but it's describing him in his pre human form. the word was
with God and the Word was God, and he was with God when In the
beginning. Oh wait a minute.
The beginning wasn't the manger. Was it know the beginning like
the Genesis beginning? Though through him, check this
out. All things were made without
him. Nothing was made that has been
made like he was a Creator. God.
Yeah. In him was life and that life
was the light of all mankind, in the light shines in the darkness
and the Darkness has not overcome it because we're
talking about not just light. We're talking about Good and
Evil, right? And the True Light, that gives
light to everyone was coming. Into the world.
Now, we're talking spiritual light, he was in the world, and
though, the world was made through him and the world did
not recognize him. He came to that, which was his
own, but he owns this world, right?
But his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him?
He to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to
become children of God children. Born not of natural descent nor
of a human decision or a husband's will.
But born of God, the word became flesh.
Wow. And made his dwelling among us.
And we have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only son
who came from the father, full of grace and truth.
Well, that is lofty language. Jesus is my best friend.
No, I need for you to understand the gravity of what I'm saying,
the reality of who Jesus really is.
So along with John, lets you and I go through this together,
okay? Number one, he's the word of
God, look at verses 1 to 3 in the beginning was the word and
the Word was with God. And the Word was God, and he was
with God in the beginning. So this helps us understand The
pre-existence of Jesus before he was named Jesus, he was called
the word of God. How did God create all things?
He spoke them. and God said, Let there be like God said, God
said, right? So the power of creation was in
the speech of God, the word Of God.
And it's describing the fact that Jesus played a role in
creation and not just a roll. It says, all things were created
by Him. And for him.
And without him, nothing was made.
That was made. He was the Creator.
God, That's going to be a very big deal for you.
And for me, if we really believe that we can be a new creation,
Because only Jesus can do that, right?
Second thing, he is life and light.
Look at Verses 4 and 5 in him was life, and that life was the
light of all mankind. You know that was the first
thing that was created in Genesis God said, let there be
light right before he created life, he created light and he
says, Jesus is the light. You see John's connecting us all
the way to the beginning of the Bible and then he says and the
light shines in the darkness and the Darkness has not overcome
it. So this is saying that that
Jesus is the very glory of God. The light of God, the glory of
God and that light has power over darkness.
And when we talk about Darkness, we're not talking about, just
it's dark in here. We're talking about spiritual
darkness and spiritual oppression.
It's that kind of light. Not just a physical light, but a
spiritual light. And it's a light to everyone to
everybody. That's what 9 through 13 says,
the True Light that gives light to everyone was coming into the
world. He was in the world, and the
world was made through him. The world did not recognize him.
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive
him yet to all who did receive him.
To those who believed in his name.
He gave the right to become the children of God children.
Born not of natural Descent of human decision or a husband's
will, but born of God. This part of the scripture says
he was unrecognized and he was unresponsive.
'D:wz was God's answer. God's answer to the human
dilemma. The sin dilemma.
He was God's answer to bring lost children home.
And that's you and that's me. And then this other one that's
just mind-blowing in verse 14, that God became a man God became
human, the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
And we have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only son
who came from the father, full of grace and truth.
This is where God introduces his raising plan to bring us back
into relationship with him as his children to be part of his
family and Jesus. And only Jesus is the substance
of that plan. There is no other plan, Jesus is
the plan. That's why he said, I am the
way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the father.
But by me, you know, who said that, you who wrote that down
for us, John Before we can have an intimate personal
relationship with Jesus. We have to understand who he
really is. Well, we can read about his
teaching, you can read about his healing, his relationships, his
miracles, his suffering, his death, even his resurrection, in
all the other gospels, that even this one, but you can still miss
it. And and John is saying, I don't
want you to miss this. I want you to get this.
This is who he is. God in human form.
He settles this right up front, so the rest of the time you're
reading. John, you know, that He's not
just a prophet, although he's a great prophet.
He's more than that, he's not just a teacher, although he's
just incredible. Unmatchable teacher.
He's more than that. He's not just a Healer, although
he can heal like nobody else could ever seen.
He's more than that. He's not just a priest. even
though he's just incredible priest before God, after the
order of Melchizedek, He's more than that.
He's not just a king. Although he is the king of
kings, he's more than that. And he's not just a savior,
because his salvation can reach all of us, anywhere at any
circumstance. He's more than that to, he's
God. Exclamation point.
The Apostle, John. And then John pivots and he
gives us for illustrations about this truth.
The truth of who Jesus really is.
And the first one is John, the Baptist's description of him.
So when you're reading John, 1 and John to this is what you're
getting ready in John 1:29, it says the next day, John, that's
John. The Baptist saw Jesus coming
toward him and said, look, The Lamb of God, those four words
really powerful, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world. This is the one I meant when I
said a man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was
before me. John was six months older than
Jesus. But John says he was before him.
See what John the writer of the book of John's bringing out,
right? I myself, did not know him, but
the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be
revealed to Israel. Then Sean gave this testimony.
I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on
him. And I myself did not know him.
But the one who sent me to baptize with water told me he
heard, God, say to him, the man on whom you see the Spirit come
down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy
Spirit and I have seen and I testify that this is God's
chosen one. Now when John said this is the
Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.
Every Jew, knew what he was talking about.
Because every year they celebrated Passover, And at
Passover, they butchered a one year old male lamb without spot
or blemish. To room be reminded.
That God would pass over their sin.
That's why it's called Passover. The tenth plague of Egypt when
God himself, not an angel of the Lord.
I know that's been misquoted. A lot doesn't ever say that it
says the Lord passed over, and if you put the blood on the
doorposts and the lintel of your dwelling, From that land.
He passed over you. You see the picture of the
Gospel? You see the picture of the
Cross? You see the blood of the Cross.
And God is saying when I see the blood, I will pass over you.
And when the blood of Jesus is applied to your heart, he passes
over your sin and mine. So here's John prophesying at
the beginning of Jesus ministry and he's saying, this is the
Lamb of God. This is the solution.
This is the once and for all sacrifice.
And this will take away the sins of the world and then he puts an
exclamation point on it. Because he says that a dove
descended on Jesus. And if you look in the other
Gospels it says there's a there was a voice from Heaven.
God himself. You said this is my beloved Son
and I am well pleased with And you connect with this because
when you are under the blood, when you have the blood of Jesus
Christ applied to your life, that Holy Spirit, like a dove,
doesn't just descend on you. He indwells you And you relate
to that. What a beautiful picture, John's
putting all the pieces together, he's figuring it out and he's
sharing that with you in the Gospel of John.
Second illustration Nathaniel Nathaniel is called and as to be
one of the Apostles and Jesus talks about look, behold,
someone in whom there is no guile and then he's like, how do
you how do you even know me? Jesus, suppose, I saw you and
you were when you were sitting down under the Fig Tree, which
was not there. Like, it was, like, Jesus, new
stuff about this guy. And Nathaniel is amazed.
He's like you must be a prophet because how would you know that
and Jesus kind of flippantly kind of I think whimsically says
oh you are impressed by that Nathaniel.
You're going to see greater things than that buddy and boy
does he look what he says? Jesus says the Nathaniel in
verse 51 he says then he added very truly.
I tell you you'll see Heaven open And the angels of God
ascending and descending. On the son of man.
What is he telling the Faneuil and what is John relating to
you? That God and Jesus have this
direct connection? Like, Jesus is connected to
heaven? Like not only is he connected to
Heaven. He's the way to heaven, clearly
relating. The nature of who Jesus actually
is and doing that too. Nathaniel all the way back
there, that he completely knows you and he loves you.
And he has a purpose for your life and a destination, and he
knows the way there. So when you don't know the way
he knows the way and he'll get you there third illustration,
Jesus turns water into wine. This is actually before his
ministry as Messiah Ministry begins because it actually
begins at Passover and Jesus is three years of ministry is
marked by passover's. But this happens before that
because he's invited to a wedding feast and his mother
Mary is there and they run out of wine.
At this wedding Feast which is like a social disaster and Mary
comes to Jesus and he goes and says they have no more wine.
Now she didn't say hey Jesus would you turn some water into
wine? I don't know if she knew that or
not just said they don't have any more wine.
Like can you solve this problem? Jesus is a little irritated with
that because his ministry has an officially begun.
It doesn't begin until Passover. But it is an illustration of his
power over nature. He can change the nature of a
thing and it is an illustration of his nature.
That he was willing to do it. Because they needed it and I
love this story. So they go into a room.
There's these amphora, which is a fancy word for big giant jars
and these jars are full of water, but they're not just full
of water. They're full of non-potable
water, okay. So there's a difference between
potable water and non-potable water.
If you've ever been like, on a can of camper, you know, you
don't want to drink the non-potable water.
Because you're going to get sick with something right?
You want to drink the, the drinkable water, that's what
potable means. It means drinkable water.
And if you're catching it off your roof and it's, you know,
going through a gutter into a jar, you probably don't want to
drink that, you know, because it's got like the leaves from
the roof in it. This these were the jars that
Jesus went to the non-potable water It was the water.
They used to scrub the floors. It was the water that they use
to wash feet that water. Dirty water.
And he goes to the dirty water. And he has someone.
Dipped down into that water and taste the dirty water if I was
at first, not be. I can't really taste this water.
And Jesus didn't turn it into wine.
He turned it into the finest wine.
He turned the dirtiest water into the finest wine.
Little hint about the nature of God.
He has power over nature. He can change the atomic
substance of a thing, because he's a Creator.
God connect that back to one, right?
He's able to change the nature of a thing, but it also gives
you insight into his nature. Some of you at all of our
locations right now. If you were to describe yourself
you would say, dirty water. Nasty, polluted water.
That is my life and you're thinking I don't know if God.
Can deal with me and I'm telling you, God has the ability.
Jesus has the ability to turn the dirtiest water in the finest
wine, and heaphy can do that there.
What could he do with you? If you let him.
Fourth illustration, Jesus clears, the temple.
I mean, this is Passover. This is his, the beginning of
his ministry, he goes into the temple, there's all these money
changers they're making money. It's like, it's like going to a
Cardinals game and paying $8 for a Coke.
You know, they're just totally because he's people have to come
from all over the world and they're overcharging, like
crazy. And they're given bad exchange
rates and they're taking advantage of people coming to
worship that way. And Jesus came comes in
prophetically responding to Zeal for my house, will consume me
and he turns over their tables, he makes a whip of cords, like
animals. He drives the money changers,
out of the temple. He sets all the animals loose.
It's total Mayhem. And the religious leaders who
are making money off of this. Say by what Authority are you
able to do this? What Jesus is doing is he is
showing his authority. This is my house.
Again, proclaiming himself to be God showing his Priestly office
because that's where priests function in the temple.
And as mediator between God, remember the stairs going up and
down and the angels ascending and descending as mediator
between God and us. He says no.
He is occupying, his Priestly office, and then he refers to
himself. And he says these words to the
religious leaders, tear down this Temple, and I will raise it
up in three days. And of course, they think
they're tough, he's talking about this building and they go
up to 46 years to build this, what are you nuts?
But you know what he's saying. And I know what he's saying.
You're going to tear down this Temple.
You're going to crucify this Temple.
You're going to rip this Temple apart.
You're going to rip this body down, but I'm going to raise it
up in three days. Prophetically saying why he's
here at the very beginning of his ministry.
The temple was a place for worship to worship God to come
close to God, and Jesus is establishing his authority over
worship that this was his house, and he is the one and only
mediator, and the one, and only sacrifice that is acceptable to
God for our sins. Now you're going to get more
into the Book of John and you're going to see this whole best
friend thing, but you need to lay a foundation, a firm
foundation and that's what I'm giving you right now.
That's what John's giving you right now.
This is who you're worshiping and near the end of John's
gospel in John chapter 20, he reveals the purpose of him
writing this gospel, it's in John 20, 30 and 31.
Jesus performed. Many other signs in the presence
of his disciples which are not recorded in this book.
Listen to this, but these are written that, you may believe
that Jesus is the messiah. The son of God.
And that by believing you may have life in his name.
Why did John write it? He wrote it.
So you'd believe it. He wrote it.
So you would come into an intimate personal relationship
with Jesus Christ, recognizing who he truly is.
When you open up the Bible and you start in the book of
Genesis, if you do that, it begins with God and creation.
But when you open up the Book of John, It begins with new
creation. Not just any new creation yours.
Great God, you made the flowers and made the trees.
You made the sky, you made the water you made to Earth.
You made everything turn, created the universe.
But it gets personal. When you realize, he created
you. and then when you messed up and fell, he had the power and
paid the bill to recreate you. And that can only happen.
With Jesus. We're moving to a time of
decision. So, what?
Does it even really matter?
You bet it matters. You better matters.
Do you really know? Who you're dealing with.
Do you really understand? Who you worship when you sing,
who you pray to, When you pray, who you bow to when you bow?
Do you realize what he is able to do?
Do you realize what he has done? Do you realize who you really
are and how you stand in the presence of God?
Now, How you stood before you knew him?
I am so thankful for each and everyone of you.
That's here right now. And I'm glad you opened up your
life in your time and your heart to this moment.
But I don't want you to miss. What God has for you right now?
What Jesus has for you right now.
He is here. And you're saying, I can't see
him. He's here.
Jesus is in this room. Or he's a liar.
The Bible says, where two or three are gathered together, I
am there in their midst. I'm with you walking down these
aisles right now. No one everything about you that
you've never told to anybody else knowing everything about
you. The things that you won't even
admit about yourself, and he's here right now.
He knows everything about you. And in spite of all of that, all
the dirty water that is you He's here.
He died for this purpose, Heroes for this purpose, so he could go
up to this crack ugly polluted Jar full of dirty water.
Which is you and me. And turn you into the finest
wine. And then challenged people dip
the ladle down. See what I have done.
If you've never come into intimate, personal relationship
with Jesus, you can do that right now because everything
that you need is right here, right now.
A time, a space, a question, a person.
A baptistery water change of clothes.
It's all right here, right now. but the most important thing
that's here right now, Is him. Him.
We watched the baptism videos and you see people rejoicing.
Do you ever take the time to think that Jesus is standing
right there and that baptistery The guy you could walk on water,
he's right there that bad mystery.
So happy. And behind him.
If the veil were torn away, the angels in heaven Wings,
outspread, their voices raised praising God for the decision
that's been made because the Bible says, the Angels rejoice
When one sinner repents. all, If You Could Only See, if I could
only see, In a moment, we're going to stand.
And if there's anyone that has never come into an intimate,
personal relationship, with Jesus Christ.
Today is your day, this this service, and this moment was for
you. Maybe someone right up there by
that baptistry would love nothing more to share that with
you. Many of you here today, you have
a relationship with Jesus Christ, but isn't it true that
we constantly get dragged down in this lower story in the
cares, in the concerns of this world.
The challenges that just that just drain us of all of our
spiritual and emotional energy. We just got through a 12-week
series of mental health and so many of us are challenged by
that and we're struggling with that.
But what if instead of getting past all of the Difficult words
and all of the medical jargon that we would just like go into
total Simplicity and say, how about?
I just humble myself and get down on my knees and just cry
out to my father. How about I, instead of trying
to understand all those four syllable words, how about I just
be a little child and I raise up my hands and I asked my father
to pick me up and hold me in his hands and feel the security of
his arms around me. What if I just did that?
You're In The Arms Of Love. You're in the arms of a Healer.
And a faithful God. So, these steps are open to all
of you. to just come to the well, would you stand with me?
Let's pray together. Father in heaven.
You're so good. So good.
We're not. but we can be made new because you promised we
don't have to ask you to meet us here in this place.
You were here before we got here.
Help us father to resolve our hearts and our minds to meet
you. In Jesus name, amen.