Introduction:
I Want to Belong to Jesus… (John 1:4–13)
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Because He gives me an UNBEATABLE HOPE. (John 1:4–5)
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Because He gives me a MEANINGFUL MISSION. (John 1:6–8)
Isaiah 40:3 – A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
John 3:30 – He must increase, but I must decrease.
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Because He gives me a SPOT IN HIS FAMILY THAT I CANNOT EARN. (John 1:9–13)
John 3:19–20 – And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!
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00:43-00:50
Well as you turn to John chapter one, I wanna ask you the same exact question that you just heard in the video.
00:51-00:56
I wanna ask you a question that Pastor Jeff brought to your attention last week in his message.
00:56-01:01
It's probably a question that you're tired of hearing and asking this holiday season.
01:02-01:05
What do you want for Christmas?
01:06-01:14
With Christmas being so close, you have asked and heard the answer I've answered that question many times over the past several weeks.
01:15-01:22
And the questions you've, the answers you've heard and the answers you've given include an Awala water bottle.
01:22-01:23
Isn't that popular?
01:23-01:24
Is that still popular?
01:24-01:25
I don't really know.
01:25-01:26
A red light therapy mask.
01:26-01:27
Anybody want that?
01:28-01:29
That's popular on Instagram, isn't it?
01:30-01:32
A massive Lego set.
01:32-01:34
A Nintendo Switch 2.
01:34-01:35
New AirPods.
01:36-01:41
A smart ring, which I guess is kind of like but a ring on your finger, I don't really know.
01:42-01:43
Or fancy golf clubs.
01:44-01:50
But there are many things that you want for Christmas that you cannot write down on a wish list.
01:51-01:56
There are many things you want for Christmas that cannot be bought or wrapped.
01:57-01:58
Maybe you want that big promotion.
02:00-02:04
Maybe you want that bonus this year that you aren't sure is coming.
02:05-02:10
Maybe you want healing in your own body or in the body of a loved one.
02:11-02:11
Here's a big one.
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Maybe you want to feel like you belong.
02:17-02:20
You want to not be rejected.
02:21-02:25
That is a desire that every single person in this room shares.
02:26-02:32
It's a desire that starts when you're young and it continues on for the rest of your life.
02:33-02:41
As a kid and then a teenager, Every single one of us was desperate to fit in and have a group of friends to belong to.
02:43-02:50
Rejection is painful, and it leaves lasting memories, especially when you're a kid.
02:51-02:56
You know, growing up, my friends and I used to have a sleepover almost every single Friday night.
02:57-03:02
And during 11th grade, there was a month-long stretch where there was no sleepovers.
03:03-03:03
And I was really confused.
03:04-03:06
I didn't know why this routine had been broken.
03:07-03:13
So one day at the lunch table, I said to my friends, hey guys, we haven't had a sleepover in a while, do you guys wanna come to my house this Sunday?
03:14-03:19
And whenever I said that, everyone at the table erupted in uncontrollable laughter.
03:20-03:23
And I was, again, just very, very confused.
03:24-03:27
After they were all done and calmed down, I said, what's so funny?
03:28-03:37
They then proceeded to tell me that they thought it would be hilarious to not invite me to sleepovers for a while, to see how long it would take me to notice and say something.
03:39-03:43
I missed a whole month of sleepovers with my friends.
03:44-03:48
And to be honest, in that moment, externally, I tried to laugh it off.
03:49-03:51
I tried to act like it wasn't a big deal.
03:52-03:54
But internally, I felt rejected.
03:56-03:58
I felt like I didn't belong.
04:00-04:01
You ever felt that way before?
04:04-04:05
A friend stopped talking to you?
04:07-04:11
A family member cut off communication for seemingly no reason?
04:13-04:17
A boyfriend or girlfriend ended the relationship without warning?
04:19-04:24
Your spouse chose to give up on the marriage and leave?
04:26-04:28
You have felt rejected before.
04:29-04:32
You have felt like you don't belong.
04:35-04:36
Do you feel that way right now?
04:37-04:42
Maybe you couldn't care less about what gifts you're gonna get under the Christmas tree this year.
04:43-04:47
Maybe you don't want anything from Amazon or the mall.
04:47-04:51
More than anything this year, you just want to experience that sense of belonging.
04:52-05:00
You want to know that there are people who love you, who care about you, and will never let go of you no matter what you do.
05:03-05:09
I can't guarantee you that sense of belonging with your family and with your friends this Christmas.
05:10-05:11
I wish I could, but I can't.
05:12-05:19
But I can guarantee there is someone infinitely greater who will give you that sense of belonging.
05:19-05:28
I can guarantee there is someone who will not reject you, who will not turn away from you if you truly turn to him, and that person is Jesus Christ.
05:30-05:32
There is no one better to belong to.
05:33-05:36
There is no one better to be loved by.
05:37-05:42
There is no one with a tighter grip in all of existence than him.
05:43-05:58
I want you to walk out of this service this morning if you're a believer with a greater sense of confidence that you were loved by Jesus Christ, that you are safe and secure in his steady hands.
05:58-06:00
There is no better gift than that.
06:02-06:10
And if you're not a Christian this morning, I want you to know that the invitation has been extended to belong to Christ.
06:11-06:13
He commands you to follow him.
06:14-06:21
He invites you to enjoy his acceptance and not fear others' rejection.
06:22-06:29
More than anything, I want all of you in this room to wanna belong to Jesus this Christmas.
06:31-06:34
So before we continue any further, let's go to the Lord and ask for his help.
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Please pray for me that I will faithfully represent God's word and I will pray for you that you will faithfully receive it.
06:43-06:55
Father, we come to you and we bring all of our pain to you, all of our fears, all of our deepest, darkest worries that we're afraid to admit to other people.
06:58-07:11
Lord, in this room, I'm sure there's many, many stories of rejection, many, many stories of feeling like we don't belong, and I'm sure if we brought everybody up on stage to share how they feel that there wouldn't be a dry eye in the house today.
07:14-07:21
Lord, we ask that you bring the comfort that only you can, that you would challenge us, you would tear us down that you can build us back up again.
07:24-07:27
And Lord, I do ask for myself, Lord, your word is perfect, but I am not.
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I do not feel up to the task of proclaiming such a glorious passage, but Lord, give me your strength, give me your wisdom.
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I pray for everyone in this room that you would give them the faith to receive your word today.
07:46-07:49
I pray that you would seek and save the lost.
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And for the rest of us, Lord, we would walk out of this room with a greater sense of confidence in who we belong to.
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We ask all this in Jesus' mighty name, amen.
08:01-08:07
Well, as a quick refresher, let's reread the verses that Pastor Jeff covered last week.
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This will set the table and help us to understand the context of our passage this morning.
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So John chapter one, verses one through three.
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"In the beginning was the word, "and the word was with God, and the word was God." He was in the beginning with God.
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All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
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These verses are all about who Jesus is.
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He is the word of God who created all things.
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Without Jesus, this universe would not exist.
08:41-08:43
This world would not exist.
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You would not exist.
08:47-08:53
Jesus is the source and sustainer of everything that you can see and everything that you cannot see.
08:55-08:57
Jesus isn't just the word of God.
08:58-09:01
John says that he is God himself.
09:03-09:11
Verses one through three focus on who Jesus is, while verses four through 13 focus on what Jesus gives.
09:13-09:20
If you properly understand who Jesus is and what Jesus gives, you will want to belong to him.
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You will want to belong to him because no one can compare to who Jesus is and nothing can compare to what Jesus gives.
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So our outline for this morning, I want to belong to Jesus.
09:37-09:42
I want to belong to Jesus, first reason, because he gives me an unbeatable hope.
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Because he gives me an unbeatable hope.
09:49-09:51
Let's read chapter one, verse four.
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In him, in Jesus was life, and the life was the light of men.
09:59-10:04
Life was and is found in Jesus and him alone.
10:05-10:08
As we already discussed, Jesus made all things.
10:08-10:10
He is the source of all life on earth.
10:10-10:12
He is the cause of everything.
10:13-10:17
But He's not just the cause of physical life.
10:17-10:21
He is the only supplier of eternal life as well.
10:22-10:28
There is no other viable option to turn to or to search for besides Jesus.
10:30-10:32
But that doesn't stop us from trying, does it?
10:33-10:38
Billions have tried and billions have failed and trying to find true life apart from Jesus.
10:39-10:44
And you and I have tried our hand at this pointless search as well.
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Trying to find life in our jobs, in our finances, in our status, our stuff, and even our families.
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Life cannot be found in your job.
10:57-11:00
You realize that one day you will have to retire.
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You may get let go from that job.
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One day that job will belong to someone else.
11:09-11:12
Your life is not found in how much money you have.
11:13-11:14
Let me ask you a question.
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How much of the money in your various accounts will you be able to take with you when you die?
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[CAT MEOWS]
11:21-11:22
Do we not know the answer?
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Not a single dime.
11:27-11:30
Life is not found in your status and popularity.
11:31-11:33
There will always be someone bigger and better than you.
11:35-11:40
In 150 or 200 years, how many people on this planet will be thinking about you?
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The most likely answer is not a single soul.
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Life is not even found in your family.
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As great as your spouse, your kids, your relatives might be, they cannot meet the deepest needs of your soul.
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Can your spouse forgive you of your sins?
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Can your kids give you that unbeatable hope that you're looking for?
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No.
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Can your family guarantee your eternity?
12:11-12:11
No.
12:12-12:19
All of those needs can only be met by Jesus Christ who is the only source of life.
12:22-12:26
And John goes on to say that this life was the light of men.
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sounds pretty cool, right?
12:29-12:30
But what does that actually mean?
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The life was the light of men.
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I'm no scientist, but let me give you a quick pop quiz in astronomy.
12:38-12:41
What do all the planets in the solar system orbit around?
12:43-12:45
You're all really tired this morning.
12:45-12:46
What is it again?
12:46-12:48
All right, very, very good.
12:48-12:50
Could we survive without the sun?
12:51-12:53
What does the sun do for us?
12:54-13:01
is the major source of life, because it is the major source of light and heat on this planet.
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Without the sun shining as it does, we would all freeze to death.
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Without the sun shining as it does, we would not be able to see anything.
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We would be lost in the darkness.
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Without the light of Christ shining as it does, we would not be able to see and understand the truth.
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Without the light of Christ shining as it does, we would not know how to be saved.
13:27-13:31
We would not know how to have a relationship, a friendship with God.
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Without the light of Christ shining as it does, we would be hopeless and lost in the darkness of our sin.
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Without the light of Christ shining as it does, none of us would have any spiritual life.
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Who is the light of the sun offered to?
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The 8.3 billion people on this planet, who is the light of the Son of God offered to?
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Same exact answer, the 8.3 billion people on this planet.
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But as we'll see in a few minutes, many choose to hide from his light, and by doing so, they miss out on the life that he offers.
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But that does not stop Jesus from shining his light, which we see in verse five, read that with me.
14:23-14:28
The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
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The word overcome in this verse can also be translated as comprehended or understood.
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And many scholars believe that John picked this word for a very specific reason.
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He chose this word because it has a double meaning.
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Each of these words make sense in context and are flip sides of one another.
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So let's cover one side of the coin first.
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Let's cover the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
14:57-15:01
You know, I walk my dog Murdoch almost every single night at 10 p.m. after the family is asleep.
15:02-15:05
And my wife hates this plan because she thinks I'm gonna get pancaked by a car.
15:05-15:10
It hasn't happened yet, so please just pray for me that this trend continues and I'm able to be safe.
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But there is this one house in my neighborhood that fascinates me.
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This house has a lamppost in the front yard that shines brightly for about 10 to 20 seconds, then it just shuts off.
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And it comes back on a few seconds later.
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And it happens every single night for the past year.
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And this may sound strange to you, but I think about that lamppost almost every single day.
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Every single time I exit the house to go take Murdoch on this walk, I wonder is tonight gonna be the night when that light is extinguished.
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Is tonight the night when darkness will overcome that person's yard?
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'Cause there's something wrong with that lamppost.
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There's something wrong with the bulb.
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There's something wrong with the wiring.
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It's just a matter of time.
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I don't have much faith in that lamppost.
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I don't think you would have much faith in that lamppost if you took a field trip to my neighborhood and drove past it.
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But do you know who you should have total and complete faith in?
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Do you know whose light you should never wonder or worry about being extinguished?
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Jesus Christ.
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The light of his glory never flickers.
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The light of his gracious love never turns off.
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He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
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No matter how dark this world gets, no matter how bleak your life looks, Jesus Christ is shining just as brightly as he always has.
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Sin, injustice, and evil cannot lower the intensity of who he is and what he has done.
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Nothing and no one can turn the dimmer switch down on the light of the world.
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Let's flip over to the other side of the coin.
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The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not understood it.
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You know, Satan and his demons are crafty.
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I'll give them that.
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They are intelligent.
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But at the same time, these evil forces are complete morons in comparison to the all-knowing, all-wise God of the universe.
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The devil and his demons are fighting a losing battle because they cannot figure out a way to extinguish the light of Christ.
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They're like a bunch of roided up bodybuilders trying to push over a mountain with their bare hands.
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It's just not gonna happen.
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Their attempts to snuff out the light only fan it into flame even more.
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The harder they try, the harder they fail.
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No matter what they do, Jesus keeps forgiving more and more people.
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No matter what they try, the church keeps getting built up.
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No matter what scheme they hatch, the kingdom of God keeps advancing.
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Satan and his workers have already been defeated by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
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They know that eternal judgment awaits them.
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Are they gonna go quietly without a fight until Jesus returns?
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No, they are kicking and screaming like bratty children.
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And I know that their kicking and screaming causes a lot of pain and hardship to every single person in this room.
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But they cannot change the ending that God has already written.
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The light will win because the darkness cannot overcome it or understand it.
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That is certain.
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That is a fact.
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Maybe you've been a believer for months, for years, and maybe even for decades.
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And you know the truths of verses four and five intellectually.
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You have a very hard time believing these truths emotionally and experientially.
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You're in a tough season right now and you feel like the darkness is winning.
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You feel like the light is losing.
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You feel like the darkness understands how to overcome the light just fine.
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You feel like you cannot have victory over that sin pattern in your life.
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You feel like there is more sin in you There is mercy in Christ.
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You feel helpless, you feel hopeless.
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If that's how you feel right now, my heart goes out to you.
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'Cause I've been there before.
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And I'm sure I'll be there again.
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If that's how you feel, I wanna challenge you to stop looking at you.
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Stop looking at your circumstances.
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Fix your eyes on Jesus.
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Focus your attention on what He has given to you.
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Root your confidence in the new and everlasting life that has been given to you.
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Ask the Holy Spirit to re-energize you with the light you see when you open up the pages of this book during your daily quiet time.
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You understand your hope is not found in you.
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You understand that your hope is not even found in your circumstances changing.
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Your hope is found in belonging to Christ.
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When you belong to Christ, you are given an unbeatable hope from an unbeatable savior.
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I want to belong to Jesus because he gives me an unbeatable hope.
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I want to belong to Jesus because he gives me a meaningful mission.
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That's the second reason on your outline, because he gives me a meaningful mission.
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In verses four through five, John talks about the message of the light.
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In verses six through eight, John talks about the messenger of the light.
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Let's read these verses together.
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There is a man sent from God whose name was John.
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He came as a witness to bear witness about the light that all might believe through him.
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was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
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So be clear, John is referencing a totally different John here.
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That's kind of confusing.
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What John is he talking about?
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John the Baptist.
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Why couldn't it have had a different name?
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Why couldn't it have been like Bill the Baptist or Barron the Baptist or whatever?
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Why did it have to be John?
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Well, don't worry, we'll make it work.
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We'll deal with it.
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John the Baptist was sent by God as a messenger to prepare the way for the promised Messiah and Savior who is prophesied about all throughout the Old Testament.
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And John was prophesied of in the Old Testament as well.
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Isaiah 40, verse three, a voice cries, "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord.
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"Make straight in the desert a highway for our God." Malachi 3, 1, "Behold, I send my messenger, "and he will prepare the way before me." John the Baptist came to roll out the red carpet for the coming king.
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He didn't come so that others would believe in him and believe in his greatness.
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He came so that others might believe in Christ through him.
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And John the Baptist's followers once came to him to give him the news that a lot of people were following Jesus.
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He was getting more popular.
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And his disciples were even baptizing people, which is kind of like John's main thing.
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It's his name, right, John the Baptist.
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Like, John, don't you realize that all this is happening?
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Jesus is getting more popular than you.
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Did this frustrate John?
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Was he jealous?
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Not at all, he was actually really, really excited because he was successfully carrying out the meaningful mission that God had entrusted to him.
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Here's the response he gives his disciples.
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He says, "He, Jesus, must increase, "but I must decrease." That was the slogan of John's life in ministry.
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That should be the slogan of your life in ministry as well.
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He must increase, but I must decrease.
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You realize you're not the point of anything.
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Jesus is.
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John the Baptist wasn't the point of anything either.
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Jesus was his mission was to point everyone to Christ to bear witness to his light And I know what some of you serious students of the Bible may be thinking right now you're internally objecting a bit Hold on a minute pastor Taylor. You're saying that Jesus is the light and John the Baptist wasn't but later on in this gospel didn't Jesus say that John was like a lamp that was shining and And doesn't Jesus tell us that all Christians are the light of the world?
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How does this all make sense?
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Well, yeah, Jesus does say that in Matthew 5.14 and in John 5.35.
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To help answer those great questions, let me slip on my lab coat again and give you another pop quiz in astronomy.
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When you look up in the night sky and you see the moon shining bright, does that moon actually have any light of its own?
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Where does its light come from?
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The sun, the light of the moon is shared and reflected.
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It's the same for John and it's the same for you and me.
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We have a shared and reflected light that is given to us by Jesus Christ.
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All throughout John chapter one, verses four through 13, the Greek word phos is used in reference to Christ and phos is the essence of light.
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In John 5.35, the Greek word luknos is used to describe John.
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A luknos is a portable lamp.
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Jesus is the light, while John is the lamp that displays the light.
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A candle cannot shine on its own.
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It needs to be given the light of a flame.
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A lamp in your house cannot shine on its own.
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It needs to be given the light of a bulb.
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Jesus Christ is the sun, and you are the moon.
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Jesus Christ is the flame, you are the candle.
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Jesus Christ is the bulb and you are the lamp.
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You are here on this earth to display his light to everyone.
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To shine his light in the darkness.
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To bear witness about his light because you have none of your own.
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And I know what some of you are thinking at this point.
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Okay Taylor, I know I need to buckle down, I need to share the gospel, I need to make disciples, I need to shine his light everywhere I go, I'll do that as soon as the holidays are over.
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Whenever Christmas is in the rear view mirror, I'll get right on that.
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No you won't.
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And you're thinking, where's your Christmas cheer, Pastor Taylor, what do you mean no I won't?
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I mean you won't.
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If you will not bear witness to the light of Christ today, what makes you think you'll do it tomorrow?
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If you are unwilling to bear witness to the light of Christ at the end of 2025, what makes you think you'll be willing to do it at the start of 2026?
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Do you understand that Christmas is the perfect time to bear witness to the light of Christ?
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This is the time when you're around people you're not usually around.
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This time of season's all about joy, but most people are miserable.
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Most people are looking for something that they cannot find because they're looking in the wrong place.
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Right now is the perfect time to bear witness to the light.
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Grab a bunch of the Christmas Eve invite cards at the back table and hand them out as if you were given $100 for each one you handed out.
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I'm not gonna give you $100, but the rewards you get in heaven for that will be infinitely greater.
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Grab one of those invites, put it in an envelope, put money in that envelope, put a personal note in that envelope and give it to your mailman tomorrow.
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Take it upon yourself to read scripture at your family get-together this week, and talk about why you're even celebrating Christmas, why Jesus came in the first place.
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Stop putting off that gospel conversation with that unsaved family member at Christmas.
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Finally, do it.
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Invite that unbeliever who has no family in the area to your Christmas dinner.
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Buy them a Bible.
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Write a note in that Bible and give it to them.
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I keep going and going and going.
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There are so many ways to bear witness to the light of Christ this week.
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Don't make excuses for why you can't.
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Don't point to your calendar and say you're too busy.
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This is the reason why you're here, isn't it?
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To bear witness to the light.
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If anything, it's other things get in the way of the most important thing on your calendar.
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Don't justify your fear and laziness by saying, you don't wanna stir the pot this Christmas, you just wanna have a calm Christmas.
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Shouldn't you care more about sharing the peace of Christ with your family and friends?
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When you belong to Christ, you recognize that you've been given a meaningful mission.
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When you belong to Christ, you value your calling way more than your comfort.
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When you belong to Christ, you make disciples, you don't make excuses.
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When you belong to Christ, you bear witness to his light because the darkness is everywhere that you go.
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I wanna belong to Jesus because he gives me an unbeatable hope.
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I wanna belong to Jesus because he gives me a meaningful mission.
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I want to belong to Jesus, final reason, because he gives me a spot in his family that I cannot earn.
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Because he gives me a spot in his family that I cannot earn.
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We've talked about the message of the light and the messenger of the light.
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Now we're gonna wrap up by talking about the two responses to the message of the light.
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The first response is in verses nine through 11.
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The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
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He was in the world and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
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He came to his own and his own people did not receive him.
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As I said earlier, the light of the Son of God is offered to everyone.
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Anyone is welcome to step into the light.
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Anyone is welcome to receive the life of Christ and be forever changed.
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but most choose to step out of the light rather than into it.
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Most choose to reject the life of Christ that is offered.
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And this is proven by verse 11.
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He came to his own people and his own people did not receive him.
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And this verse has two different focuses.
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When you zoom out, John is talking about mankind.
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Statistically and biblically, there are way more non-Christians than Christians.
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There are way more people who reject Christ than receive him.
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Can we all agree on that basic fact of life?
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But if you zoom in, John is talking about Israel.
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Many of Jesus' fellow Jews rejected him, hated him, called for his crucifixion.
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Many of the Jews rejected the message of Christ when it was shared by the apostles.
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Even to this day, many Jewish people refuse to accept that Jesus is the light.
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That's not always gonna be the case.
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Paul does say in Romans that one day all Israel will be saved.
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Don't have time to talk about that right now as Pastor Jeff often says, buy me some Pantera bread or Chick-fil-A and we'll talk about it across the street sometime.
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Here's an important question.
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Why do most people reject Jesus?
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Why do most people not receive the light of Christ?
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John gives us a very simple yet sad answer.
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Later on in this gospel in chapter three, verses 19 through 20, he writes, "And this is the judgment.
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"The light has come into the world, "and people love the darkness rather than the light, "because their works were evil.
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"For everyone who does wicked things hates the light "and does not come to the light, "lest his works should be exposed." Have you ever been sleeping or laying in a dark room and suddenly someone turns the lights on?
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Are you overjoyed by this?
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Are you really excited by this?
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What's your natural human response?
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What do you do?
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You close your eyes, you cover your face with your hands and your blanket, you yell, "Turn that light out!" That is the natural human response, physically and spiritually.
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It is far more comfortable to lay in the darkness than be in the light.
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It's simpler to be oblivious and not see yourself for who you really are.
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It's effortless to do nothing about your greatest problem, which is your sinful nature.
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It's easy to lash out at those who try to pull you into the light.
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That is why most people do not receive Jesus.
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They'd rather lay in the darkness.
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They love their sin more than him.
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That's the first response to the message of the light.
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John says there's only one other response, and that's in verses 12 to 13, the best part of this entire passage.
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But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God.
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The first and wrong way to respond to Jesus is rejection.
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The second and right way to respond to Jesus is receiving and believing.
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You reach out to receive the gift of eternal life by believing in the name of Jesus Christ.
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We say that all the time, but what does it mean to believe in the name of Jesus.
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Well, a name represents all of who a person is and all that a person does.
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When you believe in the name of Jesus Christ, you are believing that he is who the Bible says that he is.
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That he has done all the Bible says he has done.
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You wholeheartedly believe that he is the word of God who created all things.
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You have faith that he is the light of the world.
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He is your only source of hope.
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You trust that he is the Savior who died on the cross for your sins, who took the punishment that you deserve.
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You submit to the reality that he is the Lord of your life, who has the divine right to tell you what to think, say, and do.
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When you receive Jesus and believe in his name, John says that you are given the right to become a child of God.
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There are only two children in this entire world who have the right to claim that they are my kids.
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I love all the kids in this church, but I love two of those kids the most.
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Only two of those kids have a legal right to say that I am their father.
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Only Samuel and Emmie Brown have that legal right.
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What's the evidence of this?
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Well, Kate and I have their birth certificates at home as proof that those kids belong to us.
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And when you belong to Christ, your spiritual birth certificate is signed and sealed by his own blood.
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You are given the right to claim God as your father and Jesus as your big brother.
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You have given the right to declare that you belong to the greatest family imaginable.
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Can you earn this right?
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Can you work your way into the family of God?
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Not according to John at the end of verse 13.
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He says, "Who were born not of blood, "nor the will of the flesh, "nor the will of man, but of God." You are not given the right to become a child of God because you're a good person who does nice things for other people.
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You are not given the right to become a child of God because your parents are great Christians and raised you in the church.
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You are not given the right to become a child of God because you come to church every once in a while.
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You pray regularly and do community service projects.
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You are not given the right to become a child of God because of your track record and your good works.
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You are given the right to become a child of God because of the gracious work of God in Christ.
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That's it.
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That's the only source.
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How do you respond to Jesus?
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Do you reject him or do you receive him?
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Do you believe in His name, His work, and His reputation, or do you believe in your name, your works, and your reputation?
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One response leads to eternal destruction, while the other leads to eternal life.
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One response leads to everything being taken away from you, and the other leads to everything being given to you.
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Please don't leave this room without considering who Jesus is and what he is offering you.
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Everything hinges on your response to him.
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What do you want for Christmas?
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Do you wanna belong to the world?
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Or do you wanna belong to Jesus?
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Do you wanna settle for the flickering hopes of this sinful culture, or do you want the unbeatable hope of an unbeatable savior?
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Do you want to lead a meaningless existence?
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Or do you want to carry out the meaningful mission of pointing others to the point of life?
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Do you want to be a child of the devil who absolutely hates you?
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Or do you want to be a child of God who unconditionally loves you?
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If you have not yet believed and received Jesus, now is your chance.
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Now is your opportunity.
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You don't know if you're getting another opportunity past this one, so don't waste it.
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The life of Christ is being offered to you right now.
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Don't slap the gift away.
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The light of Christ is shining in this moment.
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Do not step back into the darkness once again.
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Now is your time.
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Now is your chance.
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You're alive right now.
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You're not guaranteed tomorrow.
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Life is hard.
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Discouragement and disappointments are all around us.
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It's so easy to lose track of what's important in the darkness.
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And we need the light of biblical reminders to let us know what is true, what is real, and what is right.
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This ring I wear on my left hand is a symbol that I belong to my wife.
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I'm taken, I'm not looking for anybody else to give me that feeling, right, to belong to.
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The Lord's Supper is a powerful symbol that you belong to Christ and no one else.
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You're spoken for by the Son of God and you're not looking for anyone else to give your life meaning.
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You're not looking to anything else to give your life meaning.
Small Group Discussion
Read John 1:4-13
What was your big take-away from this passage / message?
Who or what do you often set your hopes on? Why can’t these people and things satisfy you as Jesus can?
What excuses are holding you back from bearing witness to the light? How will you bear witness to the light this week and next?
How does Jesus give us the right to become children of God? Why can’t this right be deserved or earned?
Breakout
Pray for one another.
