Today’s Message is part of a Series I’m calling, The Best of the Best; in this series I’m preaching what I think is the best message from each year of my 33-year pastoral ministry, which began in 1987
So far, I have done 32 Messages (1987-2018)
Today’s Message is # 33 and is from 2019
The Message is called, ‘Fully Satisfied’ Part 1
In June 2019, Myself, Ps. Shalom and Alex went as a Team to China to re-connect with Henry and Ps. Kong
One of the highlights of visiting the leaders of the QCHC was meeting and praying with sister Ping, the granddaughter of one of the Qing princesses, a resident in the Forbidden City at the close of China’s Empire
Whilst in Beijing it was a real blessing for me to re-visit the Forbidden City and go see the Temple of Heaven Complex for the first time and reflect on God’s dealings in China through some of the righteous emperors
‘Faith Of Our Fathers’ (Finding God In Ancient China) Thong Chan Kei
We also took a day trip to see the Great Wall of China (My second time there)
I thank God that over the years of our ministry, from our small Church here at the NIC, we have had a Global ‘reach’
Our Global ‘reach’ has included Ministry Partners in Africa, Thailand, Mainland China and the Philippines
3 John 8 ‘So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth’
Our Global ‘reach’ has been intentional and in obedience to the command of Jesus
Matthew 28: 19-20 “go and make disciples of all the nations…teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you”
And over the years, wherever we have gone, we have enjoyed blessed fellowship with our Ministry Partners and the people connected to their ministries and that has made me fully satisfied
In 2019, our NIC Ministry Team preached through the Gospel of John (Now in book form called – An Exposition Of the Gospel Of John)
Today’s Message comes from that Series and our Text is:
John 5: 16–47
The purpose of today’s Message is to reinforce our understanding of Who Jesus is
John 5: 16-18
When Jesus said to the J. R. L’s (Jewish Religious Leaders) that ‘My Father is always working, and so am I’, they knew exactly what He meant
Jesus was claiming to be equal with God, and for that, the J.R. L’s tried even harder to find a way to kill Him
So, was it right for Jesus to claim that He was equal with God?
At the beginning of his Gospel, the Apostle John leaves us in no doubt about the identity of Jesus
John 1: 1 ‘In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God’
John 1: 14 ‘So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son’
Yes, Jesus is equal with God, although He never said, “I am equal with God”, but He did say that He was one with the Father
John 10: 30 ‘The Father and I are one’ (one in union)
Here in our text, Jesus goes on to explain to the people His equality/His oneness with the Father
1/ Jesus said that He was equal in purpose, with the Father
19b ‘Whatever the Father does, the Son also does’
2/ Jesus said that He was equal in judgement, with the Father
30 ‘I judge as God tells me’.
3/ Jesus said that He was equal in giving salvation, with the Father
26 ‘The Father has life in himself, and He has granted that same life-giving power to His Son’
And then Jesus invited the J.R. L’s to believe in Him and be saved
34 ‘Of course, I have no need of human witnesses, but I say these things so you might be saved’
Yes, Jesus had no need of human witnesses; His own identity and testimony was enough to believe in, and be saved
But, to encourage their belief in Him, Jesus appealed to the testimony of 5 additional witnesses
According to the Word of God, an appeal can be confirmed by the testimony of 2 or 3 witnesses
Matthew 18: 16 ‘at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established’.
Deuteronomy 17: 6, 19: 15, 2 Corinthians 13: 1, 1 Timothy 5: 19, Hebrews 10: 28
1/ Jesus appealed to the testimony of John the Baptist
33 “you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about Me was true’’
2/ Jesus appealed to the testimony of His own teachings and the miracles He performed
36 “But I have a greater witness than John—My teachings and My miracles. The Father gave Me these works to accomplish, and they prove that He sent Me’’.
3/ Jesus appealed to the testimony of His Father in Heaven
37 “And the Father who sent Me has testified about Me Himself’’
4/ Jesus appealed to the testimony of the Scriptures
39 “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to Me”!
5/ Jesus appealed to the testimony of Moses
46 “If you really believed Moses, you would believe Me, because he wrote about Me”
Dear friends, as we conclude today, we have all the evidence we need to believe in Jesus and be saved
And supporting that evidence are the testimonies of John the Baptist, the testimony of Jesus teachings and the miracles He performed, the testimony of our Father in Heaven and the testimony of the scriptures, and finally’ we have the testimony of Moses
I would say to you, don’t be one of those who foolishly reject Christ, instead, listen to Jesus’ message, believe in Him and receive Him as Lord and Savior
John 5: 24 “I tell you the truth, those who listen to My message and believe in God who sent Me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life”
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