Point of Grace Online Worship - September 3, 2023

Point of Grace Worship        9.3.23     Sermon Notes – “Encouraging Confidence in Jesus - 3”

Jesus is Encouraging Confidence in Himself when He says,

“I am The Way, The Truth and The Life – no one comes to the Father except through Me!” John 14:6

Jesus is LIFE that death can’t take away!
Jesus is LIFE that evil can’t take away!
Jesus is LIFE that sin and brokenness in me and in my world can’t take away! 

Jesus is LIFE that death can’t take away!
John 11 17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles[b] from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 

Jesus is LIFE that evil can’t take away!
John 10 7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 

Jesus is LIFE that sin and brokenness in me and in my world can’t take away!
John 4 4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

Jesus is LIFE that death can’t take away!
Jesus is LIFE that evil can’t take away!
Jesus is LIFE that sin and brokenness in me and in my world can’t take away!

John 3 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Jesus,

I believe you are The Life!

Thank you for giving up your life on the cross so I could have Life in me!

I receive You as my Life – Live in me today and forever!

Amen

Point of Grace Online Worship - August 27, 2023

Point of Grace Worship 8.27.23 Sermon Notes – “Encouraging Confidence in Jesus - 2”

John 14 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

Jesus is Encouraging Confidence in Himself when I says, “I am The Way, The Truth and The Life – no one comes to the Father except through Me!”

With this claim Jesus makes our quest for Truth (our longing to know reality)

- Personal – He not only tell the truth but He is the Truth. Knowing Truth is about knowing Him.

- Vulnerable – On our own we will get it wrong.

- Safe – Is Jesus safe for me to trust?  

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

Before the New Testament offers us anything helpful for life it first asks, “What do you make of Jesus?”

We want answers to questions about living a meaningful life but the first step is always about “personally knowing Jesus”

With this claim Jesus makes our quest for Truth (our longing to know reality)

- Personal – He not only tells the truth but He is the Truth. Knowing Truth is about knowing Him.

- Vulnerable – On our own we will get it wrong.

- Safe – Is Jesus safe for me to trust?  

John 8 31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.[b]”

39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would[c] do what Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41 You are doing the works of your own father.”

“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

With this claim Jesus makes our quest for Truth (our longing to know reality)

- Personal – He not only tells the truth but He is the Truth. Knowing Truth is about knowing Him.

- Vulnerable – On our own we will get it wrong.

- Safe – Is Jesus safe for me to trust?  

Matthew 11 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Point of Grace Online Worship - August 20, 2023

Point of Grace Worship 8.20.23 Sermon Notes – “Encouraging Confidence in Jesus - 1”

John 14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.

Jesus is Encouraging Confidence in Himself when I says, “I am The Way, The Truth and The Life – no one comes to the Father except through Me!”

How do you feel about the “exclusivity” of Jesus statement?

Jesus knows that “Clarity encourages confidence which fosters peace ……. Ambiguity fuels doubt which robs joy!”

How sure am I that Jesus is The Way, The Truth and The Life?

Does my confidence in Jesus need some encouragement?

Do I sometimes “confuse” rather than “encourage” confidence in Jesus for myself and others?

Mark 10 13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

Jesus encourages confidence through clarity, affirmation ….!

John 14 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Jesus encourages confidence through clarity, affirmation, good news, ….!

Jesus encourages confidence in Him through clarity, affirmation, good news and the gift of praying!

John 14 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Father in Heaven,

I pray that ________________ will remember and believe today that they have a Father in heaven that loves them very much. I pray that the name and presence of Jesus covers them all day today.

I pray that Your kingdom would come today over their heart, soul, body, thinking and living today. That the authority, reign, leading and protection of the Lord Jesus would come over them and over all the places, people and situations they will be in. Reign Jesus reign over every aspect of ____________’s life.

I pray that Your will gets done today in __________________ life. I pray that Your will gets done in all the decisions they make and I pray your will gets done in all the decisions others make that will affect them. Your will be done Father, on earth in _____________’s life as if in heaven.

I pray Father that you would deliver and protect ____________from the evil one. Break and hinder every attempt by evil to rob peace, joy, love, hope and life from them this day. Deliver and protect Father, I pray.

I give thanks to You Father every time I think of ____________. They are such a blessing to me and now I call forth Your blessing on them.

Amen