Son of God | Jerry Harris

Well, good morning Crossing Church.

How are you doing today? What a day.

What a day yesterday was? Wow, I mean, it was a beautiful

fall day. I know it had to be that way at

all of our locations. I want to welcome all of our

locations joining from all over this region.

We're so thankful for each and every one of you.

And what you do for the Lord, in the Kingdom, just so amazing.

And if you're inside an online, we are really, really thankful

for you as well. And it's, when we get into

environments like this, that we Wise because this world is

always crashing in on us. That we have hope.

How many of you like to have a little hope?

Yeah. And I think that's probably one

of the reasons why you're here at one of the locations today is

because you have the opportunity to be around other people

looking for the same thing and God is here.

And he is the author of Hope and he'll give you that hope.

And I want to thank the Lord for the last.

I don't know. No 36 hours because Alice and I

were able to do the first marriage retreat.

In our new marriage Retreat Center at the camp people were

freaking out there like this is like a four-star Marriott, it

really is and they had an incredible time but the best

part of it was it was instilling hope for marriages and people

were doing the hard work, they were doing the homework and and

there was a lot of that. A just one-on-one time is a

couple unpacking things and working those things out.

And God is so good in that and there's three more of those this

fall. There's four more in the spring

and if you've never experienced a marriage Retreat, it'll be

like a concentrated awesome 22 hours where you can put in the

work to make your marriage better than ever, and you can

sign up. For that on the website.

Well today we're starting a brand new series from The Book

of John. And along with that, we have a

reading plan and a lot of you, you might say, John is my

favorite book of the Bible. It doesn't take a long time to

read 21 chapters, but if you go slow and you read John through

this while we're preaching through it.

I think that'll really bless you.

And so, this is what that looks like.

And there's a QR code as you know, they're available for you

at all of our locations, just scan that and you'll be able to

get on this reading plan and have a little devotional time.

It'll be great for you. A couple of weeks ago, I had

someone come up to me after the service very troubled.

And just trying to establish or re-establish a relationship with

God and starting reading the Bible in the Old Testament, the

Book of Genesis and got into Exodus Leviticus and it wasn't

just all of that, but it had to do with Wars and death and, you

know, in this history and just struggling with the idea of how

is this a good? Good representation of God.

I have a different understanding of God than that.

Can you help me understand why and was asking some questions

why? And I said Don't read the Bible

from Genesis to Revelation because the Bible is not a book,

it's a collection of books. The Bible is a very compact

Library. and I said, if you really want to get a good

understanding of the Bible start with the Book of John, In the

New Testament because really the Bible is a book all about Jesus.

And when we get into the gospels, we're learning about

Jesus, but when you get to John, it's even better.

And I'll tell you why. Because when you're reading the

Gospel of John, you're reading the perspective of Jesus from

his best friend. Because John is his best friend,

that was John. And that's kind of how it is in

life, right? I mean, I mentioned there's some

of you that would really like to know more about a particular

celebrity or a sports star or something and you can read books

by them. But what if you were able to sit

down with like their best friend?

And ask questions, like, what was what's this person like here

and what are they? Like, their I had that

opportunity a few years ago, since I'm the publisher of

Christian standard to sit down with Fred Gray.

I was doing some research because I have to do some of

that with with what we're presenting in that in that

magazine, and I was doing a, an article on Marshall Keeble.

And there were four young men sitting around him, like, in a

square around him. And I wanted to know who those

four young men were. So, I just started doing some

research on that. And I landed on this one guy

that was in the lower right-hand part of that picture, and his

name was Fred Gray. And I it was amazing to me.

What I learned from researching this guy and in the course of

what we do with the Salomon Foundation, we had done some

work with a church in Atlanta, man.

Named Andrew Harrison, who was a judge, believe the first

African-American judge in Atlanta and he was personal

friends with Fred gray and I was able to have an interview with M

at Lipscomb University in Nashville, so I drove down the

Nashville and sat down with it the time, I think he was 88 and

had the opportunity to talk to him.

Some of you have no idea who this guy even is, well, let me

tell you. So Fred was born in Montgomery,

Alabama, and when he was very young decided, he wanted to go

into ministry. That's how he connected with

Marshall Keeble, because he had a school for young people.

Well, in Nashville. And so, he went from Montgomery

in Nashville and studied under Marshall Keeble.

But when he was in his teenage years, he really saw what was

happening with segregation. And he in his heart, he decided

he wanted to destroy that. He wanted to stop this this

Injustice, and he, you couldn't get a college education in

Alabama, if you were black. So he had to go up to Ohio.

Cleveland got his education and came back to Montgomery,

Alabama. So he opens up a law office and

there's not there wasn't a lot of work for a black lawyer in

Montgomery, Alabama, back then and so he did have some time on

his hands. The but there was this lady that

worked around the corner as a seamstress at a department

store. And she was a youth group leader

for the NAACP. The Local NAACP and they started

having lunch together. They were both single, they

started having lunch together. They became friends and her name

was Rosa Parks. And about that time there was a

little girl, she's 15 years old. Her name is Claudette Colvin,

and she had to ride the city bus to get from school to home.

And they had an early release that day.

And so, she got on the bus at a different time that when she

normally would get on the bus and she was told to give up her

seat for a white person and it scared her, and she didn't want

to give up her seat and so she was Taking off the bus and

arrested. And she was 15 taking the jail

and they called Fred gray was one of his first cases.

And Fred got her out of jail. And so the people that were in

the Civil Rights Movement that were gathered in Montgomery.

Alabama, decided to have a meeting at a lady.

Her last name is Robinson her house and they started talking

about what are we going to do about this?

And they got this idea that they would have a one-day bus

boycott. And at the time Fred Grace, 24

years old. So can I put this in

perspective? He's 24.

And and and Rosa Parks was going to be the person who was going

to be arrested. And and Freddy is working in the

youth group with her and so they're talking about who's

going to lead this, somebody's got to lead this and there was a

guy named Ed Nixon who was a voting rights person.

That was a leader in Montgomery but there were a little worried

about eating Nixon doing that because this is really something

more about desegregation and Fred said I can't do it because

they'll just barmy And they're trying to figure out who's going

to lead this and the lady whose home they were in the host said,

we got this new preacher young guy in our church and, you know,

nobody knows really who he is, but he can really move people

with words. And it was Martin Luther King.

And so, Martin Luther King became the spokesman of the

Montgomery Bus Boycott that didn't last one day, it lasted

382 days. And over the course of his life.

Fred gray was responsible for so much in our country that has to

do with desegregation. Like the desegregation of

Alabama public schools which became the model for the

desegregation of all schools, in the South and higher,

universities and University of Alabama and so many other

things. But sitting down with this guy.

And I'm I'm looking at like history incarnate, you know, I'm

talking to a guy that's this giant and I'm and I remember

asking this really, really foolish question I go what was

it? Like, you know, being in this

like he was the lawyer for for Martin Luther King until he

moved to Atlanta like got him out of jail.

I don't know how many times he was.

He was the lawyer behind the Selma to Montgomery marches just

all this stuff it's coming out. Him and he's sharing all this.

And what was it like to be with all these famous people, he

comes forward, famous people. We're just a bunch of kids.

We didn't know what we were doing.

We just saw something that was wrong and needed to be fixed,

and we were just doing whatever we could. to do that and to

listen to his stories, all of a sudden Because I was with, like

one of the best friends of these people.

It became so much more real to me.

Because it's different when you're talking to a best friend

and that's what it's like when you read the book of John,

because when you read the book of John, you're getting this

perspective of Jesus from his best friend and that is

particularly important. If you're wanting to have an

intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ because you're

talking to the first guy who really had that intimate.

Personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

So when John writes his gospel a little later in life from those

earlier gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, he wants you to

understand Jesus in a different way.

He wants you to feel the weight of who Jesus actually is.

So he doesn't start the book that you're going to read like,

hey, Jesus is my best friend. He starts out by helping you to

realize what, in the course of his relationship to Jesus, he

realized that Jesus is the son of God, not just the Son of God,

but God himself. In human form.

And that's how he starts the book.

Look at John 1125 and then 9 to 14 in the beginning, was the

word now, that's an interesting, that's interesting, and I could

preach a whole Sermon Just on that.

Those four letters right there, in the beginning was the word

and the Word was with God. The word is describing Jesus,

but it's describing him in his pre human form. the word was

with God and the Word was God, and he was with God when In the

beginning. Oh wait a minute.

The beginning wasn't the manger. Was it know the beginning like

the Genesis beginning? Though through him, check this

out. All things were made without

him. Nothing was made that has been

made like he was a Creator. God.

Yeah. In him was life and that life

was the light of all mankind, in the light shines in the darkness

and the Darkness has not overcome it because we're

talking about not just light. We're talking about Good and

Evil, right? And the True Light, that gives

light to everyone was coming. Into the world.

Now, we're talking spiritual light, he was in the world, and

though, the world was made through him and the world did

not recognize him. He came to that, which was his

own, but he owns this world, right?

But his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him?

He to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to

become children of God children. Born not of natural descent nor

of a human decision or a husband's will.

But born of God, the word became flesh.

Wow. And made his dwelling among us.

And we have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only son

who came from the father, full of grace and truth.

Well, that is lofty language. Jesus is my best friend.

No, I need for you to understand the gravity of what I'm saying,

the reality of who Jesus really is.

So along with John, lets you and I go through this together,

okay? Number one, he's the word of

God, look at verses 1 to 3 in the beginning was the word and

the Word was with God. And the Word was God, and he was

with God in the beginning. So this helps us understand The

pre-existence of Jesus before he was named Jesus, he was called

the word of God. How did God create all things?

He spoke them. and God said, Let there be like God said, God

said, right? So the power of creation was in

the speech of God, the word Of God.

And it's describing the fact that Jesus played a role in

creation and not just a roll. It says, all things were created

by Him. And for him.

And without him, nothing was made.

That was made. He was the Creator.

God, That's going to be a very big deal for you.

And for me, if we really believe that we can be a new creation,

Because only Jesus can do that, right?

Second thing, he is life and light.

Look at Verses 4 and 5 in him was life, and that life was the

light of all mankind. You know that was the first

thing that was created in Genesis God said, let there be

light right before he created life, he created light and he

says, Jesus is the light. You see John's connecting us all

the way to the beginning of the Bible and then he says and the

light shines in the darkness and the Darkness has not overcome

it. So this is saying that that

Jesus is the very glory of God. The light of God, the glory of

God and that light has power over darkness.

And when we talk about Darkness, we're not talking about, just

it's dark in here. We're talking about spiritual

darkness and spiritual oppression.

It's that kind of light. Not just a physical light, but a

spiritual light. And it's a light to everyone to

everybody. That's what 9 through 13 says,

the True Light that gives light to everyone was coming into the

world. He was in the world, and the

world was made through him. The world did not recognize him.

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive

him yet to all who did receive him.

To those who believed in his name.

He gave the right to become the children of God children.

Born not of natural Descent of human decision or a husband's

will, but born of God. This part of the scripture says

he was unrecognized and he was unresponsive.

'D:wz was God's answer. God's answer to the human

dilemma. The sin dilemma.

He was God's answer to bring lost children home.

And that's you and that's me. And then this other one that's

just mind-blowing in verse 14, that God became a man God became

human, the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

And we have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only son

who came from the father, full of grace and truth.

This is where God introduces his raising plan to bring us back

into relationship with him as his children to be part of his

family and Jesus. And only Jesus is the substance

of that plan. There is no other plan, Jesus is

the plan. That's why he said, I am the

way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the father.

But by me, you know, who said that, you who wrote that down

for us, John Before we can have an intimate personal

relationship with Jesus. We have to understand who he

really is. Well, we can read about his

teaching, you can read about his healing, his relationships, his

miracles, his suffering, his death, even his resurrection, in

all the other gospels, that even this one, but you can still miss

it. And and John is saying, I don't

want you to miss this. I want you to get this.

This is who he is. God in human form.

He settles this right up front, so the rest of the time you're

reading. John, you know, that He's not

just a prophet, although he's a great prophet.

He's more than that, he's not just a teacher, although he's

just incredible. Unmatchable teacher.

He's more than that. He's not just a Healer, although

he can heal like nobody else could ever seen.

He's more than that. He's not just a priest. even

though he's just incredible priest before God, after the

order of Melchizedek, He's more than that.

He's not just a king. Although he is the king of

kings, he's more than that. And he's not just a savior,

because his salvation can reach all of us, anywhere at any

circumstance. He's more than that to, he's

God. Exclamation point.

The Apostle, John. And then John pivots and he

gives us for illustrations about this truth.

The truth of who Jesus really is.

And the first one is John, the Baptist's description of him.

So when you're reading John, 1 and John to this is what you're

getting ready in John 1:29, it says the next day, John, that's

John 1:29

John. The Baptist saw Jesus coming

toward him and said, look, The Lamb of God, those four words

really powerful, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the

world. This is the one I meant when I

said a man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was

before me. John was six months older than

Jesus. But John says he was before him.

See what John the writer of the book of John's bringing out,

right? I myself, did not know him, but

the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be

revealed to Israel. Then Sean gave this testimony.

I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on

him. And I myself did not know him.

But the one who sent me to baptize with water told me he

heard, God, say to him, the man on whom you see the Spirit come

down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy

Spirit and I have seen and I testify that this is God's

chosen one. Now when John said this is the

Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.

Every Jew, knew what he was talking about.

Because every year they celebrated Passover, And at

Passover, they butchered a one year old male lamb without spot

or blemish. To room be reminded.

That God would pass over their sin.

That's why it's called Passover. The tenth plague of Egypt when

God himself, not an angel of the Lord.

I know that's been misquoted. A lot doesn't ever say that it

says the Lord passed over, and if you put the blood on the

doorposts and the lintel of your dwelling, From that land.

He passed over you. You see the picture of the

Gospel? You see the picture of the

Cross? You see the blood of the Cross.

And God is saying when I see the blood, I will pass over you.

And when the blood of Jesus is applied to your heart, he passes

over your sin and mine. So here's John prophesying at

the beginning of Jesus ministry and he's saying, this is the

Lamb of God. This is the solution.

This is the once and for all sacrifice.

And this will take away the sins of the world and then he puts an

exclamation point on it. Because he says that a dove

descended on Jesus. And if you look in the other

Gospels it says there's a there was a voice from Heaven.

God himself. You said this is my beloved Son

and I am well pleased with And you connect with this because

when you are under the blood, when you have the blood of Jesus

Christ applied to your life, that Holy Spirit, like a dove,

doesn't just descend on you. He indwells you And you relate

to that. What a beautiful picture, John's

putting all the pieces together, he's figuring it out and he's

sharing that with you in the Gospel of John.

Second illustration Nathaniel Nathaniel is called and as to be

one of the Apostles and Jesus talks about look, behold,

someone in whom there is no guile and then he's like, how do

you how do you even know me? Jesus, suppose, I saw you and

you were when you were sitting down under the Fig Tree, which

was not there. Like, it was, like, Jesus, new

stuff about this guy. And Nathaniel is amazed.

He's like you must be a prophet because how would you know that

and Jesus kind of flippantly kind of I think whimsically says

oh you are impressed by that Nathaniel.

You're going to see greater things than that buddy and boy

does he look what he says? Jesus says the Nathaniel in

verse 51 he says then he added very truly.

I tell you you'll see Heaven open And the angels of God

ascending and descending. On the son of man.

What is he telling the Faneuil and what is John relating to

you? That God and Jesus have this

direct connection? Like, Jesus is connected to

heaven? Like not only is he connected to

Heaven. He's the way to heaven, clearly

relating. The nature of who Jesus actually

is and doing that too. Nathaniel all the way back

there, that he completely knows you and he loves you.

And he has a purpose for your life and a destination, and he

knows the way there. So when you don't know the way

he knows the way and he'll get you there third illustration,

Jesus turns water into wine. This is actually before his

ministry as Messiah Ministry begins because it actually

begins at Passover and Jesus is three years of ministry is

marked by passover's. But this happens before that

because he's invited to a wedding feast and his mother

Mary is there and they run out of wine.

At this wedding Feast which is like a social disaster and Mary

comes to Jesus and he goes and says they have no more wine.

Now she didn't say hey Jesus would you turn some water into

wine? I don't know if she knew that or

not just said they don't have any more wine.

Like can you solve this problem? Jesus is a little irritated with

that because his ministry has an officially begun.

It doesn't begin until Passover. But it is an illustration of his

power over nature. He can change the nature of a

thing and it is an illustration of his nature.

That he was willing to do it. Because they needed it and I

love this story. So they go into a room.

There's these amphora, which is a fancy word for big giant jars

and these jars are full of water, but they're not just full

of water. They're full of non-potable

water, okay. So there's a difference between

potable water and non-potable water.

If you've ever been like, on a can of camper, you know, you

don't want to drink the non-potable water.

Because you're going to get sick with something right?

You want to drink the, the drinkable water, that's what

potable means. It means drinkable water.

And if you're catching it off your roof and it's, you know,

going through a gutter into a jar, you probably don't want to

drink that, you know, because it's got like the leaves from

the roof in it. This these were the jars that

Jesus went to the non-potable water It was the water.

They used to scrub the floors. It was the water that they use

to wash feet that water. Dirty water.

And he goes to the dirty water. And he has someone.

Dipped down into that water and taste the dirty water if I was

at first, not be. I can't really taste this water.

And Jesus didn't turn it into wine.

He turned it into the finest wine.

He turned the dirtiest water into the finest wine.

Little hint about the nature of God.

He has power over nature. He can change the atomic

substance of a thing, because he's a Creator.

God connect that back to one, right?

He's able to change the nature of a thing, but it also gives

you insight into his nature. Some of you at all of our

locations right now. If you were to describe yourself

you would say, dirty water. Nasty, polluted water.

That is my life and you're thinking I don't know if God.

Can deal with me and I'm telling you, God has the ability.

Jesus has the ability to turn the dirtiest water in the finest

wine, and heaphy can do that there.

What could he do with you? If you let him.

Fourth illustration, Jesus clears, the temple.

I mean, this is Passover. This is his, the beginning of

his ministry, he goes into the temple, there's all these money

changers they're making money. It's like, it's like going to a

Cardinals game and paying $8 for a Coke.

You know, they're just totally because he's people have to come

from all over the world and they're overcharging, like

crazy. And they're given bad exchange

rates and they're taking advantage of people coming to

worship that way. And Jesus came comes in

prophetically responding to Zeal for my house, will consume me

and he turns over their tables, he makes a whip of cords, like

animals. He drives the money changers,

out of the temple. He sets all the animals loose.

It's total Mayhem. And the religious leaders who

are making money off of this. Say by what Authority are you

able to do this? What Jesus is doing is he is

showing his authority. This is my house.

Again, proclaiming himself to be God showing his Priestly office

because that's where priests function in the temple.

And as mediator between God, remember the stairs going up and

down and the angels ascending and descending as mediator

between God and us. He says no.

He is occupying, his Priestly office, and then he refers to

himself. And he says these words to the

religious leaders, tear down this Temple, and I will raise it

up in three days. And of course, they think

they're tough, he's talking about this building and they go

up to 46 years to build this, what are you nuts?

But you know what he's saying. And I know what he's saying.

You're going to tear down this Temple.

You're going to crucify this Temple.

You're going to rip this Temple apart.

You're going to rip this body down, but I'm going to raise it

up in three days. Prophetically saying why he's

here at the very beginning of his ministry.

The temple was a place for worship to worship God to come

close to God, and Jesus is establishing his authority over

worship that this was his house, and he is the one and only

mediator, and the one, and only sacrifice that is acceptable to

God for our sins. Now you're going to get more

into the Book of John and you're going to see this whole best

friend thing, but you need to lay a foundation, a firm

foundation and that's what I'm giving you right now.

That's what John's giving you right now.

This is who you're worshiping and near the end of John's

gospel in John chapter 20, he reveals the purpose of him

John 20 · chapter mention

writing this gospel, it's in John 20, 30 and 31.

Jesus performed. Many other signs in the presence

of his disciples which are not recorded in this book.

Listen to this, but these are written that, you may believe

that Jesus is the messiah. The son of God.

And that by believing you may have life in his name.

Why did John write it? He wrote it.

So you'd believe it. He wrote it.

So you would come into an intimate personal relationship

with Jesus Christ, recognizing who he truly is.

When you open up the Bible and you start in the book of

Genesis, if you do that, it begins with God and creation.

But when you open up the Book of John, It begins with new

creation. Not just any new creation yours.

Great God, you made the flowers and made the trees.

You made the sky, you made the water you made to Earth.

You made everything turn, created the universe.

But it gets personal. When you realize, he created

you. and then when you messed up and fell, he had the power and

paid the bill to recreate you. And that can only happen.

With Jesus. We're moving to a time of

decision. So, what?

So, what? Does it even really matter?

You bet it matters. You better matters.

Do you really know? Who you're dealing with.

Do you really understand? Who you worship when you sing,

who you pray to, When you pray, who you bow to when you bow?

Do you realize what he is able to do?

Do you realize what he has done? Do you realize who you really

are and how you stand in the presence of God?

Now, How you stood before you knew him?

I am so thankful for each and everyone of you.

That's here right now. And I'm glad you opened up your

life in your time and your heart to this moment.

But I don't want you to miss. What God has for you right now?

What Jesus has for you right now.

He is here. And you're saying, I can't see

him. He's here.

Jesus is in this room. Or he's a liar.

The Bible says, where two or three are gathered together, I

am there in their midst. I'm with you walking down these

aisles right now. No one everything about you that

you've never told to anybody else knowing everything about

you. The things that you won't even

admit about yourself, and he's here right now.

He knows everything about you. And in spite of all of that, all

the dirty water that is you He's here.

He died for this purpose, Heroes for this purpose, so he could go

up to this crack ugly polluted Jar full of dirty water.

Which is you and me. And turn you into the finest

wine. And then challenged people dip

the ladle down. See what I have done.

If you've never come into intimate, personal relationship

with Jesus, you can do that right now because everything

that you need is right here, right now.

A time, a space, a question, a person.

A baptistery water change of clothes.

It's all right here, right now. but the most important thing

that's here right now, Is him. Him.

We watched the baptism videos and you see people rejoicing.

Do you ever take the time to think that Jesus is standing

right there and that baptistery The guy you could walk on water,

he's right there that bad mystery.

So happy. And behind him.

If the veil were torn away, the angels in heaven Wings,

outspread, their voices raised praising God for the decision

that's been made because the Bible says, the Angels rejoice

When one sinner repents. all, If You Could Only See, if I could

only see, In a moment, we're going to stand.

And if there's anyone that has never come into an intimate,

personal relationship, with Jesus Christ.

Today is your day, this this service, and this moment was for

you. Maybe someone right up there by

that baptistry would love nothing more to share that with

you. Many of you here today, you have

a relationship with Jesus Christ, but isn't it true that

we constantly get dragged down in this lower story in the

cares, in the concerns of this world.

The challenges that just that just drain us of all of our

spiritual and emotional energy. We just got through a 12-week

series of mental health and so many of us are challenged by

that and we're struggling with that.

But what if instead of getting past all of the Difficult words

and all of the medical jargon that we would just like go into

total Simplicity and say, how about?

I just humble myself and get down on my knees and just cry

out to my father. How about I, instead of trying

to understand all those four syllable words, how about I just

be a little child and I raise up my hands and I asked my father

to pick me up and hold me in his hands and feel the security of

his arms around me. What if I just did that?

You're In The Arms Of Love. You're in the arms of a Healer.

And a faithful God. So, these steps are open to all

of you. to just come to the well, would you stand with me?

Let's pray together. Father in heaven.

You're so good. So good.

We're not. but we can be made new because you promised we

don't have to ask you to meet us here in this place.

You were here before we got here.

Help us father to resolve our hearts and our minds to meet

you. In Jesus name, amen.