Bible Study - Neighbor (6) - Share CHRIST with Your Neighbor - John 1:40-49 - August 28, 2022

 

Bible Study – Neighbor (6) – Share CHRIST with Your Neighbor – August 28, 2022

This is our sixth and final lesson in our series entitled, “How to love your neighbor?”

Our focus scripture is John 1:40-49.

We love our neighbor when we tell them about JESUS.

Let’s read John 1:19-39: (introduction)

Here the Apostle John is writing about John the Baptist. John the Baptist was the herald or forerunner to announce the coming of the promised Messiah. If a king was entering a town or city a herald would run ahead of the king to alert the people of the area that the king was coming. GOD had called John the Baptist to be the herald or forerunner to announce that King Jesus, the Messiah had come to earth.

John the Baptist was the cousin of JESUS. In Mark 1:6, we read how John the Baptist dressed and what he ate, “⁶ John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.” He likely stood out as he walked about telling others about the coming of the promised Messiah. Now to our scripture ---

¹⁹ This was John’s (John the Baptist or Baptizer) testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?”

²⁰ He didn’t deny it but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”

²¹ “What then?” they asked him. “Are you Elijah?”

“I am not,” he said.

“Are you the Prophet?”

“No,” he answered.

²² “Who are you, then?” they asked. “We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What can you tell us about yourself?”

²³ He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord^[l]—just as Isaiah the prophet said.”

²⁴ Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. ²⁵ So they asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”

²⁶ “I baptize with^[m] water,” John answered them. “Someone stands among you, but you don’t know him. ²⁷ He (JESUS) is the one coming after me,^[n] whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.” ²⁸ All this happened in Bethany^[o] across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

[Baptism is immersing a new believer under water. This is an example of that person dying to his or her old life and being resurrected to walk in his or her new life in JESUS. Baptism is a symbol of that person’s new life in JESUS.]

The Lamb of God (JESUS)

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is the one I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ ³¹ I didn’t know him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.” ³² And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and he rested on him. ³³ I didn’t know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The one you see the Spirit descending and resting on—he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”^[p]

We read in Luke 3:21-22 about the baptism of JESUS:

²¹ When all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. As he was praying, heaven opened, ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him in a physical appearance like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”

³⁵ The next day, John (the Baptist) was standing with two of his disciples. ³⁶ When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

³⁷ The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus. ³⁸ When Jesus turned and noticed them following him, he asked them, “What are you looking for?”

They said to him, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

³⁹ “Come and you’ll see,” he replied. So, they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon.^[q]

Let’s read John 1:40-42:

⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed him. ⁴¹ He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah”^[r] (which is translated “the Christ”),  ⁴² and he brought Simon to Jesus.

Two of John the Baptist’s followers heard what John the Baptist said about JESUS. We know that Andrew was one disciple, who is the brother of Simon Peter but we do not know the name of the other follower. Notice that Andrew’s first response was to go find his brother, Simon Peter. Andrew’s message to Peter was, “we have found the Messiah.”

This is what happens when we find JESUS, we want to tell others about HIM. JESUS is The Promised Messiah Who takes away the sins of the world. Of course, most Jews were looking for an earthly ruler but JESUS is much greater than an earthly ruler. JESUS is the One and Only Eternal Ruler Whose Kingdom is eternal.

⁴¹ He (Andrew) first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah”^[r] (which is translated “the Christ - When Jesus saw him, he said, “You are Simon, son of John.^[s] You will be called Cephas” (which is translated “Peter”^[t]).

JESUS gave Simon a new name, “Cephas,” which means rock. JESUS had plans for Peter but little did Peter know that he would deny JESUS three times before he would become that rock.

Many of us who start off well as a follower of JESUS, at some point in our journey, get into the weeds or mirey clay doing life. Once we, who have placed our faith in JESUS, are Spiritually born into GOD’S Family, we are never Spiritually unborn. GOD is very clear that once a person has accepted JESUS as his or her Savior, that person eternally belongs to GOD.

The parable of the prodigal son/daughter is so precious. Those who have been Spiritually born into the family of GOD never become Spiritually unborn. You are GOD’S Child eternally. If you have been in the weeds of sin, wake up and confess what you have done and come home to JESUS. HE waits with open arms.

JESUS was building HIS group of twelve disciples. Notice that JESUS called HIS disciple from various walks in life. Yet, it seems that they had been seeking to walk with GOD and were looking for the coming of the promised Messiah. JESUS still calls all to walk with HIM as the Holy Spirit searches and seeks those who will follow HIM.

As followers of JESUS, the Holy Spirit still prompts us to seek those who JESUS seeks as HIS followers. Keep in mind Satan does not want us to speak to others regarding salvation and eternal life. Know that once we belong to JESUS, we are an enemy to Satan but greater is HE that is in us than he who is in the world. (1 John 1:4 - ⁴ You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. )

Let’s read John 1:43-46:

Philip and Nathanael

⁴³ The next day Jesus^[u] decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip and told him, “Follow me.”

⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law (and so did the prophets): Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”

⁴⁶ “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael asked him.

“Come and see,” Philip answered.

This gives us a clue that those JESUS was calling knew the scripture and had been looking when the promised Messiah would come. Jewish boys began their study of the Hebrew scripture at about the age of five. It is likely they had studied Deuteronomy 18:15-18:

¹⁵ “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. ¹⁶ This is what you requested from the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, ‘Let us not continue to hear the voice of the Lord our God or see this great fire any longer, so that we will not die!’ ¹⁷ Then the Lord said to me, ‘They have spoken well. ¹⁸ I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. 

On Mount Sini, GOD wanted to speak directly to the Israelites like HE did to Moses. What prevented them from having a personal relationship with GOD? Let’s read Exodus 20:18-21:

¹⁸ All the people witnessed^[a] the thunder and lightning, the sound of the ram’s horn, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it^[b] they trembled and stood at a distance. ¹⁹ “You speak to us, and we will listen,” they said to Moses, “but don’t let God speak to us, or we will die.”

²⁰ Moses responded to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear him and will not^[c] sin.” ²¹ And the people remained standing at a distance as Moses approached the total darkness where God was.

GOD sent JESUS for all who place their faith in HIM can approach GOD’S throne of grace with full confidence and without fear that GOD listens to us. GOD listens to HIS Children and those who cry out to HIM for salvation through faith in JESUS. JESUS is our mediator and Savior.

Let’s read John 1:47-49:

⁴⁷ Then Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

⁴⁸ “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

“Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you,” Jesus answered.

⁴⁹ “Rabbi,” Nathanael replied, “You are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel!”

The watchful eye of GOD seeks those who are searching for HIM. JESUS is the connector to GOD through the miracle of Spiritual Birth. GOD sent JESUS to remove the barrier of sin. This opened the path for all who place their faith in JESUS to have an intimate, personal relationship with GOD. There is no other way to GOD except by placing your faith in JESUS. JESUS connects all humans to GOD through the miracle of Spiritual birth or being “born-again.”

GOD’S Spirit, The Holy Spirit, joins the human spirit to bring about Spiritual Birth into GOD’S Family. JESUS willingly gave HIS sinless life upon the cross. HE shed HIS sinless blood to pay the sin debt, in full, for each person. However, every person must accept what JESUS did for him or her. Doing so, results in a person being eternally, Spiritually born into GOD’S Family, never to be Spiritually unborn.

What does this mean? It means spending eternity in Heaven with GOD and JESUS.

True Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with GOD, through faith in JESUS.

How to ask JESUS to come into your heart:

Dear JESUS, thank YOU for giving YOUR life to abolish sin. I ask YOU to forgive me for my sins and for YOU to come into my life now that I might experience eternal life through the miracle of Spiritual birth. Thank YOU and thank YOU for confirming YOUR presence in my life by the eternal presence of the Holy Spirit.

Blessings!!!

 

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Bible Study - Neighbor (5) - Forgive Your Neighbor - Matthew 18:21-35 - August 21, 2022

 

Bible Study – Neighbor (5) – Forgive Your Neighbor – August 21, 2022

This is lesson five (5) in our series entitled, “How to Love Your Neighbor.”

Our focus scripture is Matthew 18:21-35.

Love leads us to forgive.

As Spirit-born people, when we understand GOD’S forgiveness of our sins through faith in JESUS, it compels us to forgive others. Our scripture focuses on a question the Apostle Peter had for JESUS.

Let’s read Matthew 18:21-22: 

²¹ Then Peter approached him (JESUS) and asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?”

²² “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.^[n]

The Apostle Peter posed the question to JESUS regarding forgiveness, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?”

Peter likely knew that the Rabbinical teachings from Amos 1:3, 6,9,11, 13 and 2:1,4,6 taught that most people were required to forgive three times. If a person committed the same sin for the fourth time, it indicated that person had not been genuinely repenting therefore four was the upper limit. When Peter said to JESUS to forgive a person seven times, Peter was going above and beyond. JESUS, responded with, “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.^”

Even here JESUS was not setting an upper limit but telling Peter and us today that with GOD there is no limit on the number of times GOD forgives us, therefore, there is not limit on the number of times we are to forgive others.

In Biblical terminology the number seven is a perfect number and stands for “completeness”.

JESUS immediately saw this as a teaching moment. Often, when we have questions, GOD uses our questions to teach us. JESUS gave Peter and us a parable.  

Let’s read Matthew 18:23-27:

²³ “For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ When he began to settle accounts, one who owed ten thousand talents^[o] was brought before him. ²⁵ Since he did not have the money to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.

²⁶ “At this, the servant fell facedown before him and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷ Then the master of that servant had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.

GOD has given us life upon earth. When did HE know that we would live upon earth? We read in Ephesians 1:3-14:

³ Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. ⁴ For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.^[c] 5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.

⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace ⁸ that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.^[d] 9 He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ ¹⁰ as a plan for the right time^[e]—to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him.

¹¹ In him we have also received an inheritance,^[f] because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will, ¹² so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory.

¹³ In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. ¹⁴ The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

As Spirit-born people what does JESUS teach as recorded in John 5:24-30:

²⁴ “Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.

²⁵ “Truly I tell you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. ²⁶ For just as the Father has life in himself, so also, he has granted to the Son to have life in himself. ²⁷ And he has granted him the right to pass judgment, because he is the Son of Man. ²⁸ Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out—those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of condemnation.

³⁰ “I can do nothing on my own. I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

What is the size of the debt we owe to GOD? It is beyond our capability to repay, except presenting our lives to GOD as a living sacrifice by accepting JESUS as our Savior and serving in GOD’S vineyard. Those who have been forgiven of such an enormous debt do not judge others, that is GOD’S business. We are to reach out to others as led by GOD.

All who have placed their faith in JESUS will not be judged but have already passed from death and judgment to eternal life. Now, that is Good News!!!

The solution for satisfying the enormous sin debt of each of us has been paid in full by the shed blood of JESUS but each of us has to accept it. We who have been forgiven are to make others aware of what it means for a person to place his or her faith in JESUS. Once we have been forgiven for our sins, do we condemn others or do we reach out to them in love with the word of salvation and help?

In this parable, we see that the King forgave this servant his entire debt, which has been estimate from billions to trillions. JESUS reveals to us in this parable that the person of authority was a King. A King is the authority over his kingdom and could mete out any decision he desired. In this parable the king showed mercy to the servant.  The servant was grateful when the King forgave him of this enormous debt. But how far did this forgiven servants’ gratitude reach among those who owed the servant money? Let’s read on ---

Let’s read Matthew 18:28-35:

²⁸ “That servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.^[p] He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’

The forgiven servant’s gratitude didn’t last long. But did the King coming to him give him the idea to go after those who owed him money? Did the King loan money to the servant and in-turn did the ungrateful servant loan money to others? Since, the King forgave the ungrateful servant’s debt that meant that all the money he had loaned was now his money. WOW!!! Did he immediately think of those who owed him money and hunted them down? We can only speculate and we must be cautious not to read more into a parable than we need to.

We know that a parable is an earthly story to help us understand a Heavenly application.   

We learn that the forgiven servant did not show the same mercy to the person who owed him money that his master had shown to him. Forgiveness is a gift from GOD and is GOD’S desire for those of us know the truth of forgiveness through faith in JESUS.

²⁹ “At this, his fellow servant fell down^[q] and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ ³⁰ But he wasn’t willing. Instead, he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what was owed. ³¹ When the other servants saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened. ³² Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. ³³ Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ And because he was angry, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. ³⁵ So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister^[r] from your^[s] heart.”

Notice in verse "³¹ When the other servants saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened." It takes a village to take action against evil practices.

There will be “pay day someday.” Those of us who have been given mercy are to extend mercy to others. Matthew 5:7:

Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.

Hebrews 4:16:

¹⁶ Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

1 Peter 1:3:

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

1 Peter 2:10:

¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

All who have been Spirit-born have received mercy and are GOD’S Son or Daughter through the miracle of Spiritual Birth. All who are Spirit-born are GOD’S Child, have eternal life and can approach GOD 24/7 and call HIM Daddy. How is this possible?

Second Corinthians 5:21 for all who place their faith in JESUS:

²¹ He (GOD) made the one who did not know sin (JESUS) to be sin^[e] for us (Spirit-born), so that in him (JESUS) we might become the righteousness of God.

Ephesians 4:30:

³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

While those who are Spirit-born are living upon earth, GOD has equipped them with the Holy Spirit, WHO endows them with HIS Gifts to serve as HE directs. The Holy Spirit is our guarantee as written in 2 Corinthians 1:22:

²² set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

YES!!! Our security is assured by GOD and guaranteed by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

In the parable that JESUS gave reveals that the heart of the servant who owed the King a huge amount of money did not change after he was forgiven of his debt. This goes to the very core or heart of a person and that is where truth resides. What is our mind-set toward others and toward JESUS, WHO gave HIS sinless life so all who place their faith in HIM can be Spiritually and eternally born into GOD’S Family?

All humans have a sin debt so large that we cannot pay but JESUS paid it all when HE gave HIS sinless life upon the cross. Place your faith in JESUS and receive eternal life through the miracle of Spiritual birth or being born-again in your spirit. It is free to you but it cost JESUS HIS sinless life by the shedding of HIS blood. Why shedding of HS blood?

In Hebrews 9:22:

²² According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

The choice is ours to make. How do you choose? JESUS or your way?

Ephesians 4:32:

³² And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you^[n] in Christ.

Blessings!!!