Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. 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? or a personal encounter. With Jesus. Welcome to the verdict.
The Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. You have all kinds of Bible knowledge, memorize scripture, and go to church for every service. But if you don't know Jesus, it's all for nothing. Today on the verdict, we'll be discovering what it means to know Jesus, to encounter him personally. and how to put your trust in him.
And now, to continue our new series, Encountering Jesus, here's Pastor John Monroe. Last time we began their new series, Encountering Jesus. In the series, we're looking at individuals who encountered Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of John. The uniqueness of the Christian faith. Is that each one of us can have a personal encounter with Jesus who is God?
Have you had an encounter with Jesus? This is more than simply being aware of who Jesus is. Listen carefully today. As we learn of some of the amazing statements made by Jesus in John's Gospel. We're going to understand why a personal encounter with Jesus will change your life.
Sin likes to keep us in the dark. But Jesus comes as the light of the world to dispel our darkness. It is possible to learn about Jesus but fail to have a personal, life-transforming encounter with him. That 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.
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.
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. 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. 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 one. 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. And because Jesus is God, He can satisfy all of your deepest needs. Your life Can and will be dramatically changed. Why?
Because of who Jesus is. John gives us not only seven signs, he gives us seven I am sayings. Listen to these sayings. And you'll understand why a personal encounter with Jesus will change your life, having regard to who Jesus is. Here's the first one.
Jesus says I am The bread of life. Spiritually hungry? I trust you are. Jesus says, I'm the bread of life. He who comes to me shall not hunger.
You have a spiritual hunger, you have a spiritual thirst. Jesus says, Come to me. I'm the bread of life. and you'll never hunger. Here's the second one.
Jesus says, I am the light. of the world. Plenty darkness in our world. You're groping around in the darkness, looking for meaning, looking for enlightenment. Jesus says, I am the light of the world.
He who follows me Notice this. He who follows me shall not walk in the darkness. But shall have The light of life. Here's the third one. Jesus says.
John 10, I am the door. I am the door. Seeking the door to salvation, wondering how you're going to get into heaven. Jesus says, I am the door. If anyone If anyone Enters through me.
He shall be saved. Notice the entrance is not through a belief, it's not through a dogma, it's not even through a church. It's through Christ. If anyone enters through me, Jesus. Yeah.
will be saved. Here's the fourth one. Again, John 10. Jesus says, I am the good shepherd. Wandering around life Feeling a bit lost, Jesus says, I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd who gives his life For the sheep. He dies so that you will live. And he also says. That I will lead you. I know my sheep.
He's going to lead us and he's going to guide us. He is the good shepherd. I can follow Jesus knowing that he will never ever lead me into evil. into things which are bad, he is always the good shepherd. Here is the fifth one.
John 11, Jesus says, I am the resurrection and the life. Fearing death? Jesus is a resurrection and the life. He says, He who believes in me shall live. Even if he dies.
What a promise. Do you get that? Even when we die, We live. If we know. Christ.
Here's the sixth one. John 14, verse 6, Jesus says, I am the way. And the truth and the life. Wondering what's the way, unsure of the truth, searching for the meaning of life. Jesus says, I'm the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father apart from me. Here's the seventh one, John 15. Jesus says, I am the true vine. The true vine. Christian friend Want a life of fruitfulness.
So, if you're like me, you've got some. Regrets. In terms of where you are spiritually. Missed opportunities. Perhaps not as fruitful, spiritually speaking.
As you desired. Here is a wonderful promise from Jesus to all of us. I am the true Vine. He who abides in me bears much fruit. Fruit.
If we abide in Christ as a congregation, As a community of believers, we will bear much. Fruit. James Weiss tells the story at the beginning of World War two. when Donald Grey Barnhouse The famous pastor at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia was preaching in Ireland. And because of the German bombing during World War Two, there was a blackout imposed at a certain hour each evening.
And it so happened that the blackout was to begin just a few moments before the time the meetings were scheduled to begin, and so Barnhouse. had the joy, the challenge of preaching in the dark. I'm glad I don't have to do that. And so he was preaching in the dark with the lights completely out. and fake blackness in the service.
He'd been preaching for about twenty minutes. When someone in the back room, probably a deacon with nothing better to do, Accidentally, threw on the main switch. and turned on all of the lights in the church. You can understand the considerable commotion. This was wartime.
Barnhouse The preacher stopped. In his remarks. But one man in the front row Began to grasp at the person next to him. And asked in a loud whisper so that the whole congregation could hear, what happened? Why did Barnhouse stop preaching?
And he was quite agitated until his friend explained that the lights had come on accidentally. The man in the front seat was, of course, Blind. The only person in the auditorium Who couldn't see? The light. I trust.
Spiritually speaking, you're not like that blind man. Possible to come to a church like Calvary Church where we worship God. Where we seek to have true prominence to the Word of God, to be guided by the Spirit of God, and to come week after week. and still be in the dark. As you listen to the claims of Jesus.
Today, are you seeing the glory of God? Are you really praying, Lord, take away my darkness and sin, open my eyes? Give me spiritual light. and life. What am I saying this morning, first of all?
Jesus is God. Secondly, you'll only be truly fulfilled. when you personally encounter Jesus. Thirdly, You will only truly live now and eternally when you personally encounter Jesus. You will only truly live now And eternally when you personally encounter Jesus.
John's gospel, among other things, is a gospel of life. Over and over again, John talks about life, eternal life. Abundant life, that Jesus had come not only to give us life, but But abundant life, life in its fullness. This is one of the great themes of John. Says Jesus, This is eternal life.
That they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17, verse 3. And we already read from John 20, verse 31, that Jesus said that John is saying, all of these signs have been given so that you may believe. That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life. in his Name.
You see spiritual life and spiritual light Go together. and are available To you. You say, how does this begin? It begins with the new birth. Look back at John 1.
Versus Twelve and thirteen. John is telling us incredibly that many of Jesus' own people. Rejected him. They didn't see the light. They didn't see the glory of God.
Twelve. Verse 12. But as many as received him To them, he gave the right to become children of God. Even to those who believe in his name, who are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. This is how you receive the life of God in your soul.
This is where your personal encounter with Jesus begins. The new birth. Not something we work for. Not something that we're born into. Not something because of our heritage.
My parents. Were, and my mother still is, a very godly person. I was born into a strong spiritual home, taken to church all of my life, have a wonderful Christian heritage, but that does not give me the new birth. Absolutely not. No?
This new birth is to be personally received. I had to have a personal encounter with Jesus. I had to meet Jesus face to face. And see something of the glory of God. and receive Christ.
And when I do that, he gives me the right to be called His own Child. And this life which Jesus gives us. is not just a life which begins in the future. This eternal life is a quality of life here and now.
So Jesus says in John 5, verse 24: He who hears my words. and believes him who sent me. Has Eternal life. and does not come into judgment but has passed out of death Interesting. Life.
My question for those of you who are followers of Christ. Will you this year? Daily. spend time. with Jesus.
I know many of you are truly saved. You've come to Christ. You've truly been born again. But my question for you is During this year, each day, Are you going to have a fresh encounter with Jesus? Are you going to, as it were, sit at his feet?
Are you going each day as a word to embrace Christ? Turning from the world with its allurements and its temptations, and turning to Christ. Spending time in his word, spending time in prayer, each day saying, Lord, deliver me from evil, deliver me from the darkness, shine upon me. Be my good shepherd. Be the light of the world.
to me. Be my good shepherd. Guide me. And help me. this day.
How is it possible for God? to do that in your life. Because of verse fourteen. John says, The word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. This verse is surely one of the profoundest verses in all of the Bible.
As we thought at Christmas time, the word never became God. He always is, was, and shall be God. But now he who is God becomes man. Jesus is fully God and fully man. understands your struggles, was also tempted.
is our faithful high priest. Knows what it is to be tired. Knows what it is to be assaulted by the enemy. Fully God and fully man. On october seventeenth, nineteen forty four, Thomas Torrence.
Who later became professor of theology at Edinburgh University in Scotland was a stretch bearer. Following the British troops in a night attack. on the small town of San Martino, Italy. At daylight he came across a young soldier. Private Phillips.
Only 20 years old. lying mortally wounded on the ground. Clearly, he didn't have long to live. As Torrens Nelt. down and bent over him, the young soldier said, Is God really like Jesus?
Torrance writes. I assured him that he was. the only God that there is. The God who had come to us in Jesus, shown his face to us and poured out his love to us as our Saviour. As I prayed and commended him to the Lord Jesus, he passed away.
Many years later, as a theologian, Torrens writes, The incarnation was the coming of God. to save us. in the heart of her fallen and depraved. Humanity. We need a Saviour.
And the word becomes flesh. Because he comes To save us. Who is Jesus? John is telling us he is God manifested in the flesh. I am sure, like me, you received Quite a number of Christmas cards.
And Many of them are interesting. But there's one that I really like. which I didn't see this year, but I've seen in previous years. In the front of the Christmas card Some of the great men of history. who tried to conquer the world are mentioned.
Julius Caesar. Alexander the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte. Adolf Hitler and so on. And blow their names on their pictures, there's a statement: many men have sought to be God. As you open the card, inside there's a picture of the manger.
with the Christ. Child. And the caption reads But only one God sought to be man. We don't have a remote God who doesn't understand. A God who doesn't identify with us in our weakness.
Who doesn't know what it is to be tempted? Who doesn't know what it is to be tired? Who doesn't know what it is to be frustrated or betrayed by friends? We have the living Christ, the man Christ Jesus, coming. To save us, not only to save us, but to be with us through life as our friend, as the one who gives us power and wisdom.
And that's why it's so imperative that each day of our lives, We encounter The living. Christ. And while the miracles of Jesus displayed the glory of God, We know it is at the cross. where we see the glory of God in the greatest way. What to the world was an act of shame, death on the Roman cross, was to God and to all those of us who encountered Jesus an act of glory.
So in referring to his cross, our Lord said, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly I say to you. Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit. And so, in terms of the manifestation of his own glory. The Lord Jesus himself in his life saw the cross as the greatest display of the glory of God.
to the world a matter of shame. to the Romans a matter of defeat. To the Jews, a matter of scandal.
Someone who's under the very curse of God, but to those of us who believe, the power of God. and the wisdom of God. Alexander McLaren writes, the alabaster box had to be broken. before the House could be filled with the odour of the anointment. The If I may say so, The sack, the coarse spun sack of Christ's humanity had to be cut asunder.
in order that the wealth that was stored in it might be poured into our hands. God came near us in the life. But God became ours in the death of His dear Son. Incarnation was needed for that great privilege. We beheld his glory.
But the crucifixion was needed. In order to make possible the more wondrous prerogative of his fullness, have we all Received. Did you notice that in verse sixteen of our text? John says of his fullness We have all received and grace upon the Grace. Have you tasted of the fullness of Christ?
Perhaps you think of them merely as Someone who forgives your sin, and that's wonderful. And that's certainly where the Christian life begins as we come to Christ and receive Him as our Savior. But have you received of his fullness? Have you received this grace upon grace so that as you live your life, You come to Christ. as the bread of life so that you never hunger.
As you come to Him as the light of the world, He will guide you. in the dark and stormy times of this life. that you will come to him as the true vine, drawing from his supernatural source, so that you will be fruitful, so that your life will be a blessing to others this year. Brothers and sisters. Let us afresh.
encounter Christ. This is the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. And we're just beginning our new series, Encountering Jesus. Don't go anywhere just yet because John will be back in a moment with closing remarks. With all of the problems we see in the world around us, we may be tempted to become anxious or start to make our own contingency plans as we search for peace and security.
but in times of uncertainty and trouble, It's crucial that we put our trust in God and focus on Him. And to help you do that, No matter what you're going through. John has written a wonderful personal booklet. Called Trusting God in Tough Times. and we'd like to send you a copy, completely free, as our gift to you.
To receive a copy of Trusting God in Tough Times, just go to our website, theverdict.org. And while you're there, be sure to sign up for our monthly email list to get the latest ministry updates from John. And if these lessons and resources have helped you, would you consider helping other listeners by supporting the Verdict's gospel outreach with a donation of any amount? By helping us cover the cost to produce and distribute these biblical messages, you'll be playing an important part in sharing the gospel with new listeners and communities across the globe. You can easily send your one-time donation of any amount when you go to theverdict.org.
And before we close, remember to subscribe to the Verdict Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts from. and feel free to leave a comment while you're there. And now, here's Pastor John Monroe with today's closing remarks.
Well, what's your verdict? Are you beginning to understand the uniqueness of Jesus? As we consider the claims he made? Only God can make these statements. For example, Jesus is the way to God, not just a way.
Jesus is the light of the world.
So unless you're following Jesus, you will stay in darkness and ultimate despair. Will you now humbly pray with me, Lord? Take away my darkness and sin. Give me spiritual life and light. Join me next time as we consider what it means to be great.
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.
