JOHN’S GOSPEL MEDITATION # 7

1. John 3:1–15

   You Must Be Born Again

   1. Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions.
   2. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace.
   3. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer
   4. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
   5. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
   6. Reread it. From memory, determine the central points.
   7. A Pharisee, Nicodemus, a member of the grand counsel of Israel, the Sanhedrin, and we find him mentioned three times in this Gospel. We see that he becomes a follower of Jesus.
   8. He talked with Jesus at night, and we are not sure why.
   9. He respected Jesus, called him ”rabbi” meaning teacher. And Jesus had not earned that status, so perhaps out of respect or something far more, Nicodemus honors Jesus.
   10. Jesus did signs, miracles, in Jerusalem for all to see. This came to the attention of the Sanhedrin, so maybe Nicodemus was sent by this group to find out about Jesus.
   11. It seems Jesus, declining to provide anything about who he is, moves abruptly to what Nicodemus really needed to hear. “You must be born again.”
   12. Of course, Nicodemus could not possibly understand what Jesus meant, and of course, Jesus knew that.
   13. Nicodemus would have thought he already was in the kingdom of God, and Jesus assures him he was not.
   14. The esteemed elder statesman must be born of “water and the Spirit” in order to enter the kingdom of God. And to a Jew like Nicodemus nothing was more important.
   15. “Water and Spirit”–likely a metaphor for radical conversion, which is something Nicodemus could not accomplish on his own.
   16. The how of this new birth is likened to the blowing of the wind; something mysterious and beyond the ability of a human being to accomplish or even comprehend. It is wholly a work of the Spirit of God.
   17. Jesus concludes the conversation by saying that He would be “lifted up” like the serpent Moses lifted up. (Numbers. 21:4–9)

    

JOHN’S GOSPEL MEDITATION # 6

John 2:13–25

Jesus Cleanses the Temple &Jesus Knows What is in Man

1. Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions.
2. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace.
3. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer
4. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
5. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
6. Reread it. From memory, determine the central points.
7. The temple in Jerusalem, still in the process of being rebuilt, and this begun by Herod the Great, was used for many purposes. It was the center of trade, a money exchange, a bank, a depository of the nation’s wealth, and lots of gold plating. Besides, sellers of animals for ritual sacrifices made for a zoo like environment. The hides of which were sold.
8. Here Jesus, being upset and angry, zealous actually, causes extreme consternation for the temple authorities.
9. These authorities challenge Jesus. They ask for a sign, or miracle, from Him. If such could be produced, then maybe Jesus is a prophet sent from God and His actions would have to be accepted. Jesus’ reply is mysterious: If the temple is destroyed, He would raise it up.
10. Jesus is looking ahead to His crucifixion, and that He is the temple, the real temple, and He would be raised from the dead. We note the “echad” of the Trinity here. On the one hand Jesus said, “I will raise it up” then on the other, when “he was raised from the dead.” There is no difference here.
11. At the Passover Feast, many began to believe in Jesus due to the signs or miracles Jesus did.
12. Jesus, despite His growing popularity, would not “entrust” Himself to His fan base because He knew what is at the core of human beings. He did not know every person’s wickedness, but He knew human beings. He knew and knows that we are corrupt and polluted in our inner being.

GOSPEL MEDITATION # 5

The Wedding at Cana

John 2:1-12

1. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace.
2. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer
3. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
4. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
5. Reread it. From memory, determine the central points.
6. At Cana, 8.3 miles north of Nazareth, lived a family who knew, maybe even related to Mary and her family, including Jesus who at this point had gathered four disciples, if not more. These are all invited to a wedding.
7. The location seems to be a synagogue because of the six large jars present, which were used for purification rites, since the Temple in Jerusalem was not close by.
8. A situation developed when the supply of wine gave out. This wine was alcoholic, but of some low proof.
9. Mary informed son Jesus of the problem and His reaction, “Woman” was one of “polite distance.” Jesus, most agree, thinks that it is not quite time to reveal Himself as the One sent by God to deliver His people. But the time had come.
10. Jesus, perhaps on the quiet, asks servants to fill up the six jars that held the purification water. When this was accomplished, he wanted more water drawn from the same source, not from the jars themselves, and bring it to the wedding master, perhaps the father of the bride or groom.
11. The water had turned into good wine, which would not have been necessary as the wedding guests were in a position not to know the difference.
12. John tells us this is the first “sign” that Jesus did, which is intended to let it be know who this son of Mary really is. “Manifest his glory” means revealing Jesus’ deity.
13. This incredible sign/miracle is a much larger event than most of us imagine as it moves directly contrary to laws of physics.

 

GOSPEL MEDITATION # 4

Jesus Calls the First Disciples John 1:35–42

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael John 1:43–51

1. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace.
2. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer
3. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
4. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
5. Reread it. From memory, determine the central points.
6. Immediately following His baptism, Jesus begins to call/invite disciples to follow Him.
7. The first one is Andrew, Peter’s brother, along with another un-named disciple, who is likely John himself.
8. Andrew then finds his brother Peter and announces that they had found the Messiah (Christ in the Greek).
9. Peter receives a nickname after meeting Jesus, Cephas. Simon is the birth name, Cephas, also Aramaic, means rock. Peter, a Greek name, means the same.
10. A day later, Jesus wastes no time, He finds Philip and said to him, “follow me.” Philip, a Greek name, finds Nathanael, which is Aramaic, and means given by or to God, and announces, proclaims, “we” have found the Messiah. Philip tells Nathanael (only in John is the name Nathanael found, in the Synoptics the name is Bartholomew, which is likely the birth name), that the Messiah Moses and the prophets spoke of is “Jesus of Nazareth, son of Joseph.” (It is probable that the virgin birth of Jesus was as yet unknown.)
11. Nathanael doubted anything good could come from Nazareth, and Jesus, perhaps by a word of knowledge, acknowledges that here is a man not eager to please.
12. Jesus now references a fig tree, which is a symbol of Israel (see Jeremiah 8:13 and Joel 1:7), and one sitting underneath it refers to a student of the Hebrew Bible.
13. Nathanael is told he would see heaven open as did Jacob/Israel. (see Genesis 28:10-13).

 

 

 

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER

     May 12, 2019

             MILLER AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH

 

The Gloria Patri

 

Morning Hymn # 300 All Glory, Laud and Honor

 

Call to Worship:

Sh’ma Yisrael Adonai Elohenu Adonai echad

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”

 

Leader: Jesus never changes; He is always the same.

People: WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS,

CHRIST DIED FOR US.

Leader: His love for us never changes or fades.

People: THOUGH WE SHOULD BE FAITHLESS,

HE IS ALWAYS FAITHFULL.

Leader: Let us praise and worship the Lord our God.

 

Morning Prayer—Prayers of the Church–Silent Prayer

 

Collect of the Day:

ALMIGHTY AND ETERNAL GOD, YOUR SON OUR SAVIOR IS WITH YOU IN ETERNAL GLORY. GIVE US FAITH TO SEE THAT, TRUE TO HIS PROMISE, HE IS AMONG US STILL AND WILL BE WITH US TO THE END OF TIME; WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, ONE GOD, NOW AND FOREVER. AMEN.

 

We Confess our Faith—The Apostles’ Creed

 

Scripture Reading: Genesis 28:10–13; Mark 8:18–22; John 1:35–42; 43–51; 6:1–7; 12:20–26; 14:8–11; 21:1–3; 1 Cor. 12:43–11.

Memory Verse: To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.1 Corinthians 12:7

Reflection: The Body of Christ has many parts.

 

Psalms, Hymns, Spiritual Songs

 

Offertory Theme: Not letting the left hand know what the right hand is doing.

Receiving of Offerings

The Doxology

 

Announcements: Birthdays, Sunday evening Gathering 6pm; Bible Study Tuesday 7pm; Sunday breakfast 8:45am & class 9:30am; Choir practice 9:15am. TV Programs: The Bible Study, Fridays 8pm, & Why We Are Christians, Friday, 7:30pm; The Imam and the Pastor, Sundays 12 noon & Mondays 2:30pm. All on channel 26 or 99.

 

Second Hymn: # 299 In the Name of the Lord

 

The Sermon: The Gospel of John #4, John 1:35-51

Jesus Calls the First Disciples &

Jesus Calls Philip & Nathanael

 

Receiving Jesus in the Bread and the Cup

 

The Confessional:

“For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

 

The Jesus Prayer: (sung twice, it is the oldest prayer found

outside of the Bible)

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

The Promise of acceptance and forgiveness

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

 

Individual, silent prayers of confession-The Lord’s Prayer

 

The Confirmation:

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

 

The Assurance:

“Those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” Romans 8:30

 

Everyone is invited to Receive the Bread and the Cup

 

Benediction Hymn # 444 I Love to Tell the Story

 

The Benediction: The Aaronic Benediction, Numbers 6:24-26

MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU;

MAY THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE TO SHINE UPON YOU AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU;

MAY THE LORD LIFT UP HIS COUNTENANCE UPON YOU AND GIVE YOU PEACE. SHALOM. AMEN.

 

Everyone is invited to continue worship

with the Agape Meal in Spangler Hall.

Monthly Budget                                                         $3500

Giving for April                                                          $1587

 

Church Website: www.milleravenuechurch.org

See Earthen Vessel’s Online Journal

www.earthenvesseljournal.com

 

Even Song-6pm-Vern Preaching