04.24.16 Notes (GoodNews Week 16)

#GOODNEWS Week 16
The Gospel of John #4
“Gone Fishing”
Pastor Kris Freeman
Revolution Church

John 21:1-19 (NLT)
Epilogue: Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples
Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee.[a] This is how it happened. 2 Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin),[b] Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.
3 Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”
“We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. 4 At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. 5 He called out, “Fellows,[c] have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied.
6 Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.
7 Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. 8 The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards[d] from shore. 9 When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.
10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.
12 “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. 14 This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead. 15 After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?[e]” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”
“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. 16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”
“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said. 17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.
18 “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others[f] will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”

The hardest issue is life is FORGIVENESS .

Before forgiveness, we carry a number of different emotions and experiences.

Those who have been hurt Those who have hurt others
Anger Regret
Vengeance/Revenge Shame
Brokenness Guilt
Bitterness Hopelessness
Betrayal Lack of self-esteem/confidence
Distrust Fear

We could continue – but the issue is FORGIVENESS will ELIMINATE all of them.

The song “Forgiveness” by Matthew West was written about a woman whose family members were killed by a drunk driver, and she chose to turn it into a ministry and fight to set him free!

Jesus had every good EARTHLY REASON to be upset at Peter.

1. He was a disciple – every leader in the Bible had a fatal flaw.
2. He was a denier – every moment Peter had to stand up, he backed down
3. He was a defender – of Jesus, except at the crucial moment

What forgiveness does is release the PURPOSE in the problem.

Forgiveness comes in these critical ways:

1. Admittance of the sin/problem/issue/failure (Romans 3:23, 6:23)
2. Belief in the power of Jesus Christ to save and forgive (John 3:16)
3. Confession of our sins to God (1 John 5:11-12)
4. Deliverance of that sin through REPENTANCE.

Repentance is to turn away from sin, turn toward God, and turn your mess into God’s mission for you!

Because of forgiveness, Peter became a leader of the early church and a man who witnessed thousands of people profess Jesus as Savior! His actions and words have inspired MILLIONS but JESUS is the reason for it all!

#FORGIVENESS

04.17.16 Notes (GoodNews Week 15)

#GOODNEWS Week 15

The Gospel of John #3

“Jesus Prayed For You”

Pastor Kris Freeman

Revolution Church

John 17:20-26 NLT

20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. 24 Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!

25 “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. 26 I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”

The Lord’s Prayer was Jesus TEACHING how to pray.

The prayer of Jesus in John 17 is a prayer of INTERCESSION .

Four ways Jesus prayed in the “high priestly” prayer of John 17:

1. He prayed for God’s will in himself (John 17:1-8)

2. He prayed for his disciples/followers (John 17:9-19)

3. He prayed for YOU (John 17:20-26)

On the doorstep of the most important thing in Jesus earthly life, he PRAYED.

What should this teach us about prayer? PRAY about EVERYTHING .

• Always be joyful, never stop praying, be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. – 1 Thess. 5:16-18

• Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then, you will experience God’s peace which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7

• Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. – Colossians 4:2

• And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. – 1 John 5:14

• Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come. – Jeremiah 33:3

• And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for, but the Holy Spirit prays for us with groaning that cannot be expressed in words. – Romans 8:26

• In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. – Psalm 118:5

• But I say, love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you. – Matthew 5:44

• Hear my prayers, O Lord, listen to my plea. Answer me because you are faithful and righteous. – Psalm 143:1

• So let us come boldly unto the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. – Hebrews 4:16

Four levels (goals) to the prayer of Jesus:

1. That you might be HIS (kept 11-16)

2. That you might be SET APART (sanctified 17-19)

3. That you might be TOGETHER (united 20-23)

4. That you might be HOLY (glorified 24-26)

“All our communion with God, the reception of his love to us with our return of love to him again, passes through the hands of the Lord Jesus, and the comfort of it is owing purely to him.” – Matthew Henry (commentary, John 17)

This prayer had to end – but what happens through it lives forever!

#PRAY

04.10.16 Notes (GoodNews Week 14)

#GOODNEWS Week 14

The Gospel of John #2

“Get Up and Get Out”

Pastor Kris Freeman

Revolution Church

John 11:1-44 (NLT)

The Raising of Lazarus

11 A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. 2 This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair.[a] Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. 3 So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”

4 But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” 5 So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, 6 he stayed where he was for the next two days. 7 Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.”

17 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. 18 Bethany was only a few miles[d] down the road from Jerusalem, 19 and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. 20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”

23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”

25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[e] Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him,[f] and he was deeply troubled. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them.

They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Then Jesus wept. 36 The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” 37 But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”

38 Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. 39 “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.

But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”

40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” 41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

What is something in your life SO BIG only God could do it?

The first thing Jesus did was say “This sickness is not unto death.” Yet he died. Jesus knew that what we think is the end, often is just the BEGINNING .

“Factum non dicitur quod non perseverat” - That is not said to be done which is not done for a perpetuity (Latin, Matthew Henry, commentary John 11)

Four things about God to consider in this story:

1. God’s TIMING/PLAN is at work.

“Promised salvations, though they always come surely, often come slowly.”

Tradition believed that grief was at its height on the third day, and the spirit hovered over the body for three days in chance that it should return. Jesus delay enhanced the miracle.

2. God’s CARE is evident.

Jesus was his friend. Jesus cared about those who mourned. Jesus felt the hurt of those around them. Jesus shares in our grief in terrible circumstances.

3. God’s MIRACLE is possible.

For when there is no way out, He makes a way that wasn’t there!

4. God’s POWER is present.

This miracle and its power initiated the conspiracy to crucify Jesus.

The miracle is not always for the moment, it is to display the power of God and the purpose of God in the KINGDOM of God.

The Good News is bigger than this moment! It is the power of God unto salvation!

04.03.16 Notes (GoodNews Week 13)

#GOODNEWS Week 13
The Gospel of John #1
“The Beginning of Everything”
Pastor Kris Freeman
Revolution Church

John 1:1-14 (NLT)
Prologue: Christ, the Eternal Word
1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,[a] and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.[b] 6 God sent a man, John the Baptist,[c] 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
14 So the Word became human[d] and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.[e] And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

The Gospel of John – READ THIS FIRST.
The purpose of the book was so that people could find eternal life:
20:31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe[a] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

About John:
- Writer of five books of the New Testament (John, 1-2-3 John, Revelation)
- A disciple of Jesus “whom Jesus loved” John 21:20
- One of the Sons of Thunder (Mark 3:17)
- Pastor of the Church of Ephesus, exiled for his faith
- Wrote John Gospel as an old man in 90 A.D., Revelation in 95 A.D.

The real question of the Gospel of John is not “Who is John?” but Who is JESUS ?

The Seven “I Am” Statements of Jesus
1. I am the bread of life (6:35, 48)
2. I am the light of the world (8:12)
3. I am the door (10:7-9)
4. I am the good shepherd (10:11-14)
5. I am the resurrection and the life (11:25)
6. I am the way, the truth and the life (14:6)
7. I am the true vine (15:1)

“Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” (8:58)

John focuses on the claim that Jesus is not just the Son of God, He IS GOD  .
Every singly chapter gives evidence for the divine nature of Jesus.

So where did Jesus come from?

MYTHS about Jesus:
1. He did not exist until he was a baby
2. He had a beginning or was created.
3. He is only 33 years old.
4. He wears gold-fleece diapers and sits on the front row of a concert with a tuxedo T-shirt (be careful not to let POP CULTURE define your Savior!)
5. He knows when he is coming back to earth. (How is it possible he doesn’t?)

TRUTHS about Jesus:
1. He was present at CREATION .
2. He and His Father are one, but also three.
3. He is the head of the church.
4. He is the heir; and has rights to give to God’s children
5. He was INCARNATE.
6. The Word of God is the living embodiment of Jesus in written form.
a. THEOS EN HO LOGOS (The Word was God)

Incarnate: To embody or represent a deity in human form.

The Word is a living representation of Jesus:
Logos was associated with wisdom and beginnings – the world began through the origination and instrumentality of The Word (Genesis 1:3).

He is the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15) and the express image of God’s substance (Heb. 1:3).

To you, he is Savior, he is King, he is head, he is LIFE (John 10:10).

John 10:10
10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life (life, and have it more abundantly).

03.27.16 Notes (GoodNews Week 12)

#GOODNEWS Week 12
The Gospel of Luke #4
“I Think I’ll Go For A Walk Outside”
Pastor Kris Freeman
Revolution Church

Luke 24: 13-34 (NLT)

The Walk to Emmaus
13 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles[c] from Jerusalem. 14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”
They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. 18 Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”
19 “What things?” Jesus asked.
“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. 20 But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. 21 We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.
22 “Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. 23 They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! 24 Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”
25 Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” 27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, 29 but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. 30 As they sat down to eat,[d] he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. 31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!
32 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” 33 And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, 34 who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.[e]”

This story happened on the same day as the RESURRECTION .

You can learn a lot about a person how they enter conversation, engage conversation and exit conversation.

This walk was a CONVERSATION about their EXPERIENCE.

1. It was a HEARTBREAKING EXPERIENCE.

“Human hope is a fragile thing, and when it withers, it is difficult to revive. Hopelessness as a disease of the human spirit is desperately hard to cure.”

Imagine being a follower of Jesus – even casually – and hearing he was gone. I’m sure their hearts were broken. But then…

2. It was a HEART SEARCHING EXPERIENCE.
Cleopas – what a name, right? – wonders why this stranger is the ONLY ONE who hasn’t heard about what happened to Jesus!

Judah Smith: “The Gospel works best when we let the Gospel do the work.” It is GOOD NEWS! But how was it this man had not heard of what happened with Jesus? They were AMAZED!

3. It was a HEART BURNING EXPERIENCE.

The two-hour journey must have seemed like five minutes. But Jesus acted as if he were going further, before they invited him in.
- Jesus is a gentleman
- He will not force himself in

"... Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:19,20)

Then Jesus disappeared as he was recognized!

Why?
1. The Gospel LIVES because of Jesus
2. The Gospel SPREADS because of you.
3. The Gospel WORKS because of both together.

The greatest failure of the church would be for the church to survive without the Gospel story being the center of it! We should pray the church fail is Jesus NOT IN IT! Because the church is ALIVE when it is the BODY OF CHRIST not just the FAIRY TALE about him!

“If Christ does not draw near, the church of Jesus Christ is doomed. But God throughout all generations continues to draw near to a church full of His people with the good news of all creation!”