A couple of years ago, the Fringe church was launched. Covid pretty much shut down our public gathering and outreach, so we adapted as an online ministry. My first series was a study through the Gospel of John. It was quite and endeavor and lasted over 40 weeks!
All our messages are available on Facebook and YouTube, in addition, I have decided to adapt the message notes into blog posts. I will be adding the full scripture passages and filling in gaps where my notes say (elaborate) so posts may not arrive weekly. I only hope these messages encourage, convict and/or help someone along the way.
I hope you get as much out of this study as I did! Feel free to leave comments or ask a question, I love to hear from my readers.
A STUDY IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
THERE ARE 4 GOSPEL ACCOUNTS OF THE LIFE AND WORK OF JESUS CHRIST. 4 ACCOUNTS WRITTEN BY 4 MEN TO 4 DIFFERENT AUDIENCES, PRESENTING 4 DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF CHRIST’S MINISTRY AND PURPOSE.
BEFORE WE LOOK AT JOHN, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO TURN IN OUR BIBLES TO THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL FIRST. EZEKIEL 1:4-10 - 4 As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal.[a] 5 And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, 6 but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. 7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot. And they sparkled like burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: 9 their wings touched one another. Each one of them went straight forward, without turning as they went. 10 As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle.
EZEKIEL SEES HERE WHAT FEW MEN EVER SEE - HEAVENLY CREATURES - ANGELIC BEINGS. NOTICE THE DESCRIPTIONS, PARTICULARLY THE FACES OF THESE CREATURES. THE FACES ARE VERY IMPORTANT AS WE WILL SOON SEE.
NOW, TURN WITH ME TO THE THRONE ROOM OF GOD IN REVELATION 4:5-7
AGAIN, WE SEE THE 4 REPRESENTATIONS: LION, OX, MAN AND EAGLE
LION= KING
OX = SERVANT
MAN = MAN
EAGLE = GOD
THE FOUR GOSPEL ACCOUNTS, MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE AND JOHN. ARE FOUR REPRESENTATIONS OF CHRIST AND HIS MINISTRY
1. MATTHEW PRESENTS JESUS AS A KING - THE LION
2. MARK PRESENTS JESUS AS A SERVANT - THE OX
3. LUKE PRESENTS JESUS IN HIS HUMANITY - MAN
4. JOHN PRESENTS JESUS AS GOD - THE EAGLE
THROUGHOUT THE ANCIENT WORLD, EAGLES ARE RECOGNIZED AS A REPRESENTATION OF DEITY
WE ARE GOING TO BE STUDYING THROUGH THE BOOK OF JOHN AND SEEING THE EAGLE. JESUS REPRESENTED AS GOD.
SO WITH THAT, LET’S BEGIN!
JOHN 1:1-5 - THIS IS THE FOUNDATION OF THE GOSPEL. JESUS IS GOD, FULLY GOD. HE WAS NOT A MAN WHO ATTAINED SOME LEVEL OF ENLIGHTENMENT, HE WAS NOT THE AVATAR FOR THE PISCEAN AGE ONLY WAITING TO BE REPLACED BY THE NEXT GREAT FIGURE WHO WILL USHER IN THE AGE OF AQUARIUS
JESUS IS GOD - GOD THE CREATOR - EVERYTHING IN THE CREATION ACCOUNT, JESUS WAS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN
THIS IS THE MOST ATTACKED ASPECT OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE. BECAUSE IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE MUST UNDERSTAND ABOUT WHAT THE CROSS WAS ALL ABOUT - GOD BECAME MAN IN ORDER TO PAY THE PENALTY MAN INCURRED BY REBELLING AGAINST GOD
THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MOMENT - WE REBELLED AGAINST GOD AND RUINED THE PERFECT WORLD HE MADE FOR US AND RATHER WATCH US SUFFER THE DESERVED PENALTY, HE BECAME ONE OF US AND TOOK OUR PENALTY.
JOHN FELT IT SO IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE THE DEITY OF CHRIST HE STARTS OFF HIS ACCOUNT DECLARING IT.
HOW CAN JESUS BE GOD AND A MAN? WELL, WE GET A VERY BIG CLUE IN THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS
TURN WITH ME TO PHILIPPIANS 2:5-8 - 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,1 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,2 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a tservant,3 being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS THE APOSTLE PAUL EXPLAINING THE UNION OF DEITY AND HUMANITY
JESUS, THOUGH HE WAS FULLY GOD AS HE WALKED THE EARTH, HE MADE HIMSELF NOTHING, THE GREEK WORD KENOO (KEN-O-O) OR EMPTIED HIMSELF OF ALL THE POWER OF GOD AND RESTRICTED HIMSELF TO ALL THE LIMITATIONS OF MAN.
WHEN JESUS HAD TO GO SOMEWHERE, HE HAD TO WALK, WHEN HE DIDN’T EAT, HE GOT HUNGRY, AS HE HUNG ON THE CROSS HE THIRSTED, WHEN HIS FRIEND DIED HE WEPT.
ALL THE MIRACLES JESUS PERFORMED WERE AT THE DISCRETION OF GOD THE FATHER. JESUS PRAYED TO MULTIPLY THE FOOD, AND WHEN THE WOMAN WITH AN ISSUE OF BLOOD REACHED OUT AND GRABBED HIS GARMENT, HE FELT THE POWER GO OUT FROM HIM BUT DID NOT KNOW WHO IT WAS WHO HAD GRABBED HIM. ALSO WE ARE TOLD HE DID NOT EVEN KNOW THE TIME OF HIS RETURN.
ALL OF THIS IS, WE ARE TOLD IN HEBREWS, IS SO WE WOULD KNOW THAT JESUS KNOWS WHAT WE GO THROUGH Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
THINK ABOUT THAT, NOT ONLY DOES GOD KNOW US, HE KNOWS WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE US. HE SUFFERED LOSS OF LOVED ONES, HE SUFFERED BETRAYAL AND ABANDONMENT, HE EXPERIENCED LOVE AND JOY AND ANTICIPATION AND FEAR AND ANGER AND ALL MANNER OF TEMPTATION.
ALL THIS SO WE CAN CONFIDENTLY APPROACH GOD’S THRONE EXPECTING MERCY AND GRACE BECAUSE HE UNDERSTANDS OUR EMOTIONS, MOTIVATIONS AND FRAILTIES.
GOD THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE HUMBLED HIMSELF TO BECOME US IN ORDER TO SAVE US
SO GREAT, GOD GETS US, BUT DO WE GET GOD? CAN WE GET GOD?
MAYBE YOU HAVE HEARD OF THE SINGER RICH MULLINS. HE WAS A SINGER SONGWRITER WHO IS PROBABLY BEST KNOWN FOR THE SONG AWESOME GOD.
MULLINS STRUGGLED THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE, HE STRUGGLED WITH ALCOHOL, HE STRUGGLED WITH HOW THE CHURCH HANDLED MANY SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOMETIMES HE STRUGGLED WITH HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
YET, HE PRODUCED SOME INCREDIBLE MUSIC WITH VERY THOUGHT PROVOKING LYRICS.
JUST BEFORE HE DIED TRAGICALLY IN A CAR ACCIDENT, MULLINS FOUND AN OLD ABANDONED CHURCH WITH A PIANO AND WENT IN AND RECORDED DEMOS ON A CASSETTE PLAYER. AFTER HE DIED THE SONGS WERE MADE INTO AN ALBUM,…
ONE OF THE LAST SONGS HE WROTE WAS CALLED HARD TO GET
YOU WHO LIVE IN HEAVEN
HEAR THE PRAYERS OF THOSE WHO LIVE ON EARTH
WHO ARE AFRAID OF BEING LEFT BY THOSE WE LOVE
AND WHO GET HARDENED BY THE HURT
I’M SO SCARED AND I’M HOLDING MY BREATH
WHILE YOU’RE UP THERE JUST PLAYING HARD TO GET
MAYBE YOU HAVE FELT THIS WAY, YOU FELT NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU PRAYED, NO MATTER HOW AFRAID OR HURTING YOU WERE, GOD WAS JUST NOT LISTENING OR INTERESTED?
HE WENT ON TO WRITE:
I’M REELING FROM THOSE VOICES THAT KEEP SCREAMING IN MY EARS,
ALL THE WORDS OF SHAME AND DOUBT AND BLAME AND REGRET
I CAN’T SEE HOW YOU’RE LEADING ME UNLESS YOU’VE LED ME HERE
WHERE I’M LOST ENOUGH TO LET MYSELF BE LED
AND SO YOU’VE BEEN HERE ALL ALONG I GUESS
IT’S JUST YOUR WAYS AND YOU ARE JUST PLAIN HARD TO GET
THESE ARE THE WORDS OF A MAN WHO WAS STRUGGLING. WE’VE ALL BEEN THERE AND GOD UNDERSTANDS OUR LIMITATIONS.
SO THE QUESTION IS, CAN WE REALLY KNOW GOD? I MEAN ON A PERSONAL LEVEL?
OR IS GOD JUST PLAIN HARD TO GET?
JOHN WROTE THIS IN HIS FIRST EPISTLE: 1JOHN 2:13-14 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
THAT IS WHAT THIS CHRISTIAN LIFE IS ALL ABOUT, A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. THROUGH PRAYER, WORSHIP, STUDYING THE WORD, WE CAN KNOW GOD, NOT JUST KNOW ABOUT HIM, BUT TRULY KNOW HIM.
IT IS OK TO ASK QUESTIONS, IN FACT THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT SHOULD GO UNASKED. IF WHAT WE BELIEVE IS TRUE, WE SHOULDN’T FEAR ANY QUESTION
IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING WITH SOMETHING OR EVEN IF YOU ARE ANGRY, TAKE IT TO GOD, HE ALREADY KNOWS. DON’T HARBOR BITTERNESS OR RESENTMENT, TALK TO YOUR FATHER, HE LOVES YOU.
IF YOU ARE HERE TODAY AND YOU FEEL ESTRANGED FROM GOD OR FEEL HE IS UNAPPROACHABLE OR IMPERSONAL, YOU ARE MISSING OUT.
IF THERE HAS BEEN A BARRIER ERECTED BETWEEN YOU AND GOD BECAUSE OF SIN OR HURT, RECONCILE TO HIM TODAY.
LET THE SPIRIT MOVE YOU AND GUIDE YOU. IF YOU HAVE BUSINESS WITH GOD, NOW'S THE TIME TO DO THAT.
DON’T FEAR THE SILENCE LET GOD SPEAK TO YOUR HEART.
GOD DOESN’T SHOUT, HE IS THAT STILL SMALL VOICE, LISTEN TO WHAT HE HAS TO SAY TO YOU TODAY, HE KNOWS YOU AND HE WANTS YOU TO KNOW HIM AS WELL
