The Gospel According to John: "Don't Get Distracted"
The Gospel According to John • Sermon • Submitted
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Notes
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Series Introduction:
The theme verse for our series is John 20:31
John 20:31 – “…these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”
The “these” John is referring to are the seven recorded SIGNS/miracles and the seven recoded “I Am” STATEMENTS of Jesus. John focused on those 14 key SIGNS and STATEMENTS in order to show us that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the World because He’s God’s only begotten Son. God had John write these things so that we would believe and put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ so that by the grace of God we would be FREED from the penalty of our sin and given life to the FULL here on earth and life FOREVER in heaven.
Recap/review/summary:
Sign 1: Water into wine (John 2)
Sign 2: Royal officer’s won healed (John 2)
Sing 3: Lame man healed on Sabbath (John 5)
Sign 4:Feeding the 5 thousand (John 6)
Sign 5: Man born blind given sight (John 9)
Sign 6:Lazarus raised from the dead (John 11)
Sign 7: The resurrection (John 20)
I Am Statement 1: The Bread of Life (John 6)
I Am Statement 2: The Light of the World (John 8 & John 9)
I Am Statement 3: The Door (John 10)
I Am Statement 4: The Good Shepherd (John 10)
I Am Statement 5: The Resurrection and the Life (John 11)
I Am Statement 6: The Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14)
I Am Statement 7: The Vine (John 15)
John 21:18–25 (NASB)
18 “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” 19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!” 20 Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” 21 So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” 23 Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?” 24 This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. 25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.
Follow Jesus wholly.
Follow Jesus wholly.
19b …And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!”
John 18:17–27 (NASB)
17 Then the slave-girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18 Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself. 19 The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret. 21 “Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; they know what I said.” 22 When He had said this, one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus, saying, “Is that the way You answer the high priest?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?” 24 So Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. 25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.
John 21:15–17 (NASB)
15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” 16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.
Focus on your walk.
Focus on your walk.
20 Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” 21 So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”
Matthew 14:29–31 (NASB)
29 And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Joshua 1:7 (NASB)
7 “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.
23 Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”
Finish well.
Finish well.
18 “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” 19a Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God...
Barna Christian Research did a study between 2001 and 2011 that looked at Pastors and ministry leaders and the ups and downs of ministry. They determined that almost 70% of pastors and ministry leaders fail to finish well. In other words, about 70% of people in the ministry have a moral failure and have to leave the ministry, burn out and leave the ministry, have relational conflict and are forced out of the ministry, have a mental or emotional breakdown and leave the ministry of even worse, commit suicide.
Moses started well but stumbled at the finish line.
Numbers 20:11–12 (NASB)
11 Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. 12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”
Paul stumbled at the starting line but finished well.
2 Timothy 4:6–8 (NASB)
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
It’s not about how you start, it is about how you finish.
Matthew 24:10–13 (NASB)
10 “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
John’s conclusion is best summed up like this...
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and you can have life in His name.
So Follow Jesus with your whole life, don’t get distracted from the truth, focus on your walk first and foremost and finish the race well.
How about you?
What is your response to the Gospel According to John?
Memory Verse of the Week:
12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning;
Bible Study Questions : (John 21:18-25)
What does God want us to know about Himself?
What does God want us to know about ourselves?
What does God want us to know about the world?
Do you see any commands to obey or principles to apply?
Do you see any promises to claim or blessings to enjoy?
Do you see any truths to meditate on or Gospel messages to share?
Did anything else stick out to you?