Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Why have a personal encounter with Jesus? Because Jesus is God. First one. In the beginning was the word.
A reference to Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity. And the Word was with God, and the Word was God. You must have A personal encounter with Jesus. Welcome to the Verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. Today, we're beginning a special series in the Gospel of John, where we'll be focusing on what it means to encounter Jesus and to know Jesus for who he truly is.
If you're longing for more than just a religion, but a real relationship with our God and Savior. then this is a message in a series you won't want to miss.
Now, to get us started, here's Pastor John Monroe. Today, we begin an exciting series called Encountering Jesus. I want us to look at various individuals from all walks of life who encountered Jesus in the Gospel of John. and who are never the same again. During the ministry of Jesus, many people saw him.
Heard him. and interacted with him.
Some were healed and their lives transformed. but not all were radically changed.
Some did not receive him. As their personal Saviour and Lord. Most of us know something about Jesus. But it's not enough to read about Jesus, to admire his teaching. or to try and imitate his life.
In the coming days, let's learn what it is to have a personal encounter with Jesus. love him and to trust him. and be forever changed. Helen Culler, who was blind and deaf, was once asked. Isn't it terrible to be blind?
This was her reply. Better to be blind than see with your heart. than to have two good eyes. And see Nothing. Better to be blind and see with your heart.
than to have two good eyes. And see nothing. What a profound. statement. I'm sure The vast majority of us here, if not all of us here, know some things about Jesus.
But my question is, have you seen the glory of God? Have you really seen the Lord? Or could it be that you're still, spiritually speaking, In the dark, perhaps once Many years ago, You committed your life to Jesus Christ. But you've got away from him. And spiritually speaking, You're in a fog.
In the opening verses of John's Gospel, John explains that the glory of God is revealed in Jesus.
So at the beginning of this message I would like you to pray this prayer. Lord. Take away my darkness. And soon Open my eyes. Give me spiritual Light And life.
Take away my darkness and sin. Open my eyes. Today, give me spiritual. Light. and life.
My goal Then the series is to point you to Jesus. is to ask you to look at him and to see something of the glory of God. I can't open your eyes. I can't grant you forgiveness of sins. I can't transform your life.
I cannot transfer you from darkness to light. I can't give you spiritual power, but I can and I do point you to Jesus. George Fox. The founder of the Quakers said. I took men to Jesus Christ.
and left them there. That's what I want to do. I want to take man and woman and boys and girls to Jesus Christ. And to leave them. There.
Before I came to Calvary Church, John Guest Evangelist Fellow preacher. who I knew from my days in Pittsburgh. Emailed me to say that in Charlotte, as I came to Charlotte, he said, I want you to be like John Wesley, the Englishman. It was said of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. that he went to a particular English town.
and offered them Christ. And John guest said, That's what I want you to do to Charlotte. That is my goal, this series. That's my goal as a preacher, is to offer you Christ. that you will have a living and continuing encounter with Jesus Christ.
Don't you want the eyes of your heart opened as we've been singing?
So that you can see Eternal invisible spiritual truths. that you can see as other people's People don't see. That as you look at the world, as you look at your life, as you look at your future, as you make decisions, you are. Facing life. and facing these decisions with spiritual eyes.
That you will not be content On living your life on a purely physical and material level. I want you to look at life. with spiritual eyes. And the only way to do that is to have a fresh encounter. with Jesus Christ.
The only way to see the glory of God is by personally encountering Jesus. It's not enough just to read about Jesus. It's not enough just to admire him. It's not just enough to say, Well, I'm going to try and imitate him. You must have A personal And character.
with Jesus. Several years ago, when Bill Clinton was President of the United States. I shook hands with him. Are you impressed by that? I actually met President Bill Clinton.
Very, very briefly, I must say. This hand Actually was placed in the hand of President Clinton. But I have to say That was not a life-changing experience for me. It didn't transform me. It didn't really make any difference in the way I lived.
Other than unsuccessfully trying to impress people by telling them I had met President Clinton. You say, in all honesty, it was not a personal encounter. with the President. It was a momentary, mechanical, perfunctory shake of the hands. You may be shocked to learn that President Clinton doesn't even know that John Monroe exists.
That may be a shock to you, but it's true. My life. was unchanged. But that by that brief encounter with the then most powerful man. in the world, President.
William Clinton. But I want to say this. When you personally encounter Jesus, This I can guarantee. That you will. If you see with the eyes of your heart, you will be totally transformed.
You will never ever be the same again. And so I ask you. Are you ready? for a personal encounter. With Jesus.
You say, why would I seek an encounter? With Jesus. Well, let's look at our text. In John one, verse one. Why have a personal encounter with Jesus?
Because Jesus is God. He is eternally God, and he is equal with God. Verse 1. In the beginning was the word. A reference to Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity.
In the beginning was the Word. And the word was with God, and the word was God. In these opening verses, So profound, John is declaring that Jesus, the Word, was with God from all of eternity. He was with God, and he is God. And the word.
Was God. In the series on God, we learned that God is eternal. And the word, who is God, is therefore eternal. Jesus. is the eternal word of God.
As we thought. A couple of weeks ago. We learned that the existence Of God's Son did not begin with his birth in Bethlehem. He was from the beginning, John is telling us. There is one eternal God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
And John is writing his gospel. to prove a very important point. He's writing his gospel to prove that Jesus is God. Turn with me. to John chapter 20.
I encourage you to come. With your Bible. And open it.
So that you'll be familiar with your Bible. And understand that you have come not to hear. the words of John Monroe, but to hear the words of the Holy Spirit. John chapter 20 verse 3. Yeah.
It was after the resurrection of Jesus. Many other signs, therefore, Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book. The Gospels are not the full account of all that Jesus did and said. No. But these have been written.
For what purpose? That you may believe. that Jesus is the Christ. The Son of God. and that believing you may have life in his name.
And John and his wonderful gospel. Give seven signs, seven evidences. to establish that Jesus is no ordinary man. That he is the Christ. That he is the Son of God.
that he is God the Son. Seven signs. which display To those who have eyes to see, To those who have ears to hear, Seven signs which display the glory of God. Here, very quickly, are the seven signs in John's Gospel. First of all, in chapter 2.
The turning. of water into wine. Notice what John says. at the end of the miracle in John 2 verse 11. As Jesus turns water into wine.
This beginning Of his signs. Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. And what? manifested his glory. That's it.
As people saw this water turned into wine at that wedding in Cana of Galilee. They saw something of the glory of God, and says John, his disciples, not everyone. His disciples, who had eyes to see and ears to hear, his disciples believed. In him. The first sign, the turning of water into wine.
The second sign at the end of chapter 4, the healing of the nobleman's son. The third sign in chapter five. the healing of that man. That wretched paralyzed man. At Bethesda, who had been so long at the pool of Bethesda, until Jesus comes.
and heals them. The fourth sign. The feeding of five thousand Five loaves and two fish. If you can do that, You've got my attention. The fifth sign Walking on water.
The Sea of Galilee. Jesus actually walked. on water. The sixth sign, the healing of the blind man in John chapter nine. And the seventh sign The raising of Lazarus from the dead.
Yes, Jesus can raise people from the dead.
Now, note: John gives us not just miracles. But science. What's the difference between a miracle and a sign? A sign is a miracle with a meaning. A sign reveals the glory of God.
To those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.
Some people only saw the outward miracle. They were quite happy to be fed. They marveled. Imagine someone turning water into wine, but they did not see the glory of God. For example, look.
Over to chapter eleven. In John chapter 11, Jesus raises A man from the dead, Lazarus. Impressed by that?
Someone who had been dead for four days. That's power. John 11 verse 40. Jesus said to her, That's Martha. Did I not say to you?
If you believe You will see What? The glory of God. How strange that some people were there saw the same miracle. but did not see the glory of God. In only a short time.
The same people, some of them who saw the miracle. We're going to be shouting for his death. But Martha One who saw with the eyes of her heart. Ones who someone who saw the light. Saul Not only a miracle.
Saw the glory of God. and so place her trust. in Jesus the Christ the Son of God.
Now when you look at Jesus When you listen to his words as we're reading them today. What do you see? What do you hear? Jesus is God. And Jesus Reveals God back to John chapter one.
In the beginning was the word. And the word was with God, and the word was God. Here is Jesus, God's Son. With this perhaps unusual description as the word, the Lagos. He is described as the word.
I'm standing here in front of you. With many thoughts in my head. That may not always be apparent, but there are some there. I have some thoughts in my head. But until I speak until I express my thoughts in word.
You have no idea what I'm thinking. If I just came up here, and looked at you and said nothing, you wouldn't know what was going through my mind. But once I speak You know what I'm thinking. Jesus is described As the word of God. F.F.
Bruce, the New Testament. Commentator says he is the word of God in action. That is, Jesus declares who God is and what God is doing. He is the word of God. He makes visible The invisible God.
To some people, they just saw a man. Perhaps a prophet, perhaps a miracle worker, perhaps a very wise man. Perhaps one who is very insightful, a kind of first century rabbi philosopher a kind of guru But others As they looked at Jesus.
So good. And saw the glory. Yeah. Because to see Jesus is to see God. To know Jesus is to know God.
To hear Jesus is to hear God. To encounter Jesus is to encounter God. And these seven signs in John's Gospel that we will look at, Lord willing, over the next few weeks and months demonstrate. that Jesus is truly God. He takes five loaves and two fish and feeds five thousand.
He gives sight to the blind. He walks on water. He raises the dead. He's no ordinary man. This is God.
Look at verse 18. John says that no one has seen God at any time. How could you know what God is like? You say, well, you can look at the universe and we see something of the power of God. That's true.
But to really know God and to see God in His fullness, we have to look at Jesus. No one. John 1:18 has seen God at any time. The only begotten God, referring to God the Son, The only begotten God. Who is in the bosom of the Father, he has explained him.
The Greek word here is the word from which we get exegesis. He has exegeted God. He has revealed God. He has made God known. What is God like?
Look at Jesus. He is the word of God. When Jesus speaks, God is speaking. When Jesus acts, God is acting. Because Jesus is God.
and reveals and makes known The father. He is. God. In him most perfectly expressed. The Father's glory shines.
of the full deity possessed. Eternally divine. You are the everlasting Word, the Father's only Son. God manifestly seen and heard. And heavens.
Beloved one. Yes, Jesus is The personal word of God. You say, well, didn't God speak in the past in the Old Testament? Yes, He did. The writer of Hebrews.
As he begins in Hebrews 1, verse 1, tells us that. That long ago, at many times and in many different ways, God spoke to the fathers through the prophets. How did God speak in the Old Testament? Visions. Dreams, the Ten Commandments.
Different signs, different miracles, God was speaking in the Old Testament. And the writer of Hebrews acknowledges that. It's not that God hasn't spoken in the past, He has. What's different now with the coming of Jesus? Says the writer in Hebrews 1.
has in these last days spoken to us In his San. Jesus is the final word of God. He is the full. and final revelation of God.
Now that we have Jesus, We don't need anything else.
Now with the coming of Jesus then How wonderful this is. The revelation of God to us. Is now Personal. It's personal. That's why you and I must have a personal encounter with Jesus.
Jesus said, He who has seen me has seen the Father. He displays the glory of God. And meets face to face, yes. face to face with us so that you can know and understand who God is. Isn't that amazing?
You can personally encounter Jesus Christ day by day because He is God's perfect revelation to us. And so those of us who encounter Jesus are people of hope. Don't say Life will always be as it is. Don't say your marriage will always be predictable and dull. Don't say you'll never get a job where you'll be fulfilled.
Don't say God will never use you. Encountering Jesus. provide salvation And it provides hope. and it provides personal Transformation.
Now, because Jesus is God. And because Jesus reveals God, this follows. You and I will only be truly fulfilled when we personally encounter Jesus. Let me repeat that. You and I will only be truly fulfilled when we personally encounter Jesus.
Only Jesus can dispel the darkness of your life. God has made us in His image. We are created to answer to God and to find our fulfillment in God. Yet we know in our own depravity. We try for fulfilment in all kinds of ways.
In false gods, in pleasure, in power, ambition, wealth, and so on. We grope around in the dark, and left to ourselves, we would never ever come to the light. Jesus says that in chapter 3, verse 19. He says, You love the darkness rather than the light. Because your deeds Are evil.
That's why you like the dark. And into this dark world, John is telling us the light shines. Look at verse 2. Five. of John 1.
And the light shines in the darkness, And the darkness did not comprehend it, probably better translated, and the darkness has not overcome it. Jesus is the light of the world. He invades the darkness and dispels the darkness. His light. is much, much stronger than the darkness.
You say, John, I come from a very dark background. The people I work with are spiritually dark. It's nice for you to talk about encountering Jesus, but the reality is. My life is full of darkness. I want to remind you that the light of Jesus Christ.
is always stronger than the blackest of darkness. I'm asking you in faith. To step out of your darkness into his light. This is the verdict with Pastor John Monroe and a message titled Encountering Jesus. Be sure to stay with us because John will be right back in a moment with some closing remarks.
And to go along with our series, we'd like to send you a free copy of John's booklet titled Trusting God in Tough Times. It addresses some of the important questions we all face in our spiritual journey. like how do we find peace in a world filled with uncertainty? Why should I trust God? And how can my perspective on God make a real difference in my life?
The answers to these questions will change your perspective and allow you to find peace.
So we'd like to send you this encouraging resource today. Just go to our website at the verdict.org. and request your free copy of Trusting God in Tough Times. And while you're there, be sure to also sign up for John's email newsletter, which he sends out once a month to share exciting updates and opportunities here at The Verdict. And if you're looking for ways to impact others for the gospel, Will you consider playing a part in this radio ministry by making a one-time donation?
We've made it quick and easy to give through our website at theverdict.org. The verdict is a ministry of Calvary Church in South Charlotte. and we'd love to have you visit us this weekend. We're located on the corner of Highway 51 and Ray Road, and we invite you to come join us for worship this Sunday. For more details, visit theverdict.org.
Now, here's Pastor Jean Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? Who do you think Jesus is? A great teacher. An example of love. A miracle worker, a prophet?
John is making a profound statement. Jesus is God incarnate. God in the flesh. To know Jesus is to know God. Isn't that amazing?
Pray. that the Lord will open your eyes. And your ears To see and hear the living Lord. And join me next time. as we continue looking at the opening verses of John.
May you have a personal encounter with Jesus. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
